Moonlite Cafe

We are slowly making our way down Brookline Boulevard trying all the great restaurants. Moonlight Café was next on our list as many locals recommended it to us. A huge plus is that it is non smoking! It was mostly filled with regulars during Friday happy hour. The very friendly bartender was also playing hostess and waitress but greeted us quickly. They had $ 4 import drafts and bottles on special. I got an Angry Orchard and my date, Dan, got a Blue Moon draft– they had a nice beer selection. The menu was rather limited with a few appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches and pasta options. I went with a house salad and bowl of wedding soup. The wedding soup was very good with homemade meatballs but it was served in a very tiny cup but still the pricing of a bowl. My salad was fresh and came with tomatoes, olives, chick peas and peppers. Dan ordered the chicken Parmesan sandwhich served with homemade chips. The sandwich was huge and the chips had a sweet BBQ flavor. Our dinner was $ 25 so very reasonable prices. We will be back!

Great food, great beer, and friendly bartenders in a casual, laid-​back atmosphere. TVs are front and center so this is a great place to watch the game. I highly recommend.

Great food everytime love the moonlite chicken sandwich… The sampler platter is amazing you get so much food for such a great price !

Awesome spot. I’ve visited for drinks and pool a few times in the past, but dined there for the first time this weekend. I expected standard bar food and was super impressed by the homemade quality of everything we ordered.
After 8pm, they have a special low-​price menu with $ 4 appetizers,$ 5 sandwiches and burgers, and a great wing and pitcher special. We ordered both appetizers to share amongst the group. The provolone wheel was literally a round of provolone breaded, fried, and topped with sauce. Best eaten by just digging in with a fork, it is melty cheesy goodness. The tomato sauce was spot on as well, just sweet enough to cut through the richness of all the cheese. The fried zucchini was the real surprise — amazingly light, crispy breading with a mild seasoning. I’ve never really liked fried zucchini because it tends to get soggy and limp. I don’t know what their secret is, but I would order this fried zucchini every time!
For my meal I enjoyed the burger with american cheese. It was juicy with a nice chargrilled flavor (reminded me of a good quality Burger King patty haha, I mean that as a compliment!) and the toppings were fresh. A solid burger. My hubby quickly devoured the meatball sub so I didn’t get a chance to try it, but he was impressed. We both enjoyed the homemade fries that accompanied the sandwiches — spice blend game strong.
The bartender that’s usually working is super sweet and makes sure that nobody waits too long for a drink. The owner is an awesome guy as well. Always comes out to say hi to the regulars and introduces himself to anyone that he doesn’t recognize. Overall, a really great local bar/​restaurant.

Best wings and fries in Pittsburgh! Really great bar atmosphere! Food is typical bar food but delicious. They have a pretty good rotating draft selection and the bartenders are great. I love this place, really. It’s a great neighborhood bar, I only wish I lived in walking distance!

My husband and I went to try a new restaurant on Brookline Blvd only to find it was closed on Mondays. So I checked out Unilocal and decided to to try this restaurant. It’s a little awkward because the door to the bar is on the Main Street but you have to walk down an alley to get to the door of the dining room.
We were the only ones in the dining room. The bartender came to give is menus and to take our drink orders. She was very nice and explained what the dinner special was. A few minutes later the owner or head chef came to our table. He was really funny. He had a very thick Italian accent. He told my husband to try the special and told me I should try the lemon chicken. His name was Lou and he takes food seriously.
My husband ordered the special-​Chicken Chiu Chiu pasta. It was grilled chicken, sliced banana peppers, mushrooms, and rigatoni noodles. It sounds pretty simple but whatever they put in the sauce was absolutely delicious. I am not able to eat spicy food so while this dish carried a little heat I could have eaten it. I was bummed I had not ordered it myself.
I ordered the Lemon Chicken and was pleasantly surprised. Usually Lemon chicken has a lemon sauce that only has a hint of lemon. Because of that I asked if it came with capers. The waitress told me no but that they would put some on for me. Once I tasted the dish I realized that the sauce was so good that it didn’t need capers. It was the best Lemon Chicken I had ever had. The portion size was huge.
It was a surprise that my meal was just chicken-​no sides or even a salad. Even though my order was all chicken I took half of it home. My husband’s dish came with garlic bread but no sides or salad. He took ¹⁄₃ of his home.
The prices were low, portions were huge, and our meals were great. We want to go back to try more of their dishes.

I am shocked by the recent favorable reviews of this place. The food is frozen and not satisfying in the least. Parmigiana, no matter the contents, should be freshly breaded and a light fry. Not coated in a heavy batter. Same goes for the provolone wheel. It had visible freezer burn and was brought to the table within 5 minutes of being ordered. Obviously not prepared at order. The bread was not fresh either. I’m genuinely disappointed with the recent changes.
We would have left once seeing the very very limited menu if our server wasn’t sweet and we had enough cash to cover our drinks and a tip for her. We stuck it out and left with no intention to return.

This is my first visit here I was not extremely impressed when I first walked through the door. We went to the back by the pool tables and wow it opens up nicely. Our server was nice and prompt I asked her about a menu item and she said she didn’t know but wait and I’ll ask… Love that… we could hear the chef yelling the answer she came out and told us even though we had already heard the answer. I ordered the Reuben my wife ordered the beacon cheese burger. The bread was light and perfectly tested. the sourcrout was very nice and I suspect actual Russian dressing, the corned beef was hot flavorful and moist it was delicious. Best I have had outside of NY. So… nice décor good drinks and excellent food. Chef even came out to chat (slower night) the fire fighters come here so you know it’s good. if you have a chance to stop by do it. You won’t be disappointed

I was there with my friends. I expected an Italian Restaurant, but it seemed to be just a very nice American bar. I had got there to have a good Italian dinner… But, then, I had their dinner and I really enjoyed it ! They are really friendly and the food is very good. Appetizers are very good ! Pasta is a very good pasta, cooked in the Italian way, with some kind of American sauces. Since first time I got there several times enjoying the place, the food and its very nice owners ! Thank you, Loie, from Ross, an Italian guy who really enjoyed your Moonlite Cafè and the precious kindness of all of you there !!!
See you soon !

One of Brooklines best kept secrets! Recently started coming here after living in the neighborhood for a few years and we were not dissapointed. They have delicious salad options for me and my husband is full on addicted to the open faced hot italian sandwich. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Will keep coming back!

Was our favorite restaurant, but they killed it when they closed the full service restaurant and just put tables in the bar. The menu is smaller, the food is different than it was and nowhere as good. Hardly ever go there anymore, and when we do, we’re usually disappointed.

We live down the street and have been meaning to come here… Now that we have, we will be here ALL THE TIME! I hate croutons, I pick them off, but their home made croutons on the house salad were amazing! The hot garlic parm wings had me licking my fingers, the stuffed peppers had the best sausage in them, and the waitress was so sweet and accomodating… I couldn’t be happier! The place isn’t well advertised, so I feel it’s necessary to say… Please come here, for your sake and to ensure this place stays open for the rest of my life. Thank you.

I have been in Brookline for a year and consider this to be one of the jewels of the neighborhood.
I visited in May 2014 for dinner with a friend. He had veal parm. It came stand alone and the pasta on the side at cost. I had the old tried and true spaghetti and meatballs.
The veal was excellent. Breaded ever so lightly, fried gently. Very flavorful. The meatballs, delicious. The spaghetti sauce, sweet and incredibly flavorful. We both had the wedding soup, and my only regret was that I didn’t order a bowl. Broth, escarole, carrot, meat… a classic done superbly well.
We each had an alcohol drink, one wine, one beer.
Bill came to about $ 15 for the both.
Great food and at an affordable price. Ill be back.
The dining room is behind the bar. Food can be eaten in the bar, but not my scene. The doing room is basically 10 tables around 2 pool tables. No atmosphere but in classic Italian tradition its a no frills room to eat a meal filled with goodness.
Four stars — food is great, service wonderful, prices are excellent. Dining room with two pool tables, yuk.

We love this bar. It’s a laid back, neighborhood bar in Brookline. They have terrific food but we really enjoy the wings which are $.50 Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The owner is really friendly and there often. We love to go for a relaxed evening and play pool or darts, watch the game, and grab a few beers. Highly recommend it!

How does this place only have like a half dozen reviews? As a Sicilian, if I want Italian, I cook it. When my realtor insisted I try this place, I thought, «well I am hungry, and the fridge is empty…» and so off went the boyfriend and I.
Louie, the owner, was there. He spied us immediately and wanted to know our story. Apparently this is a place for regulars. We fit right in. This guy is THE MAN. He was so nice, and so welcoming, as was his large and loud Italian family that were dining there that night. Hey, these are my people. We love to eat, we love to talk, and we love our wine and dessert. Moonlite has it all; atmosphere, food, family, and a full bar. The employees are good people. The bartenders know their stuff. I suspect close to everything is homemade down to the croutons in the salad (and if not it tastes the part) and the desserts are too (not there, they order them locally, which is also awesome!)
I would never have found this place. It looks like nothing special from the outside, and nothing too fancy on the inside either, but who cares? It’s delicious, and I love coming here. I have probably tried everything on the menu at this point and that’s not an exaggeration. Everything is good, simple, and perfectly done. It’s exactly what Italian should be. AUTHENTIC with HUGE portions. Suck it Olive Garden, I never liked you anyway.
Seriously, check this place out. It’s a gem. Simplicity is key in good Italian cooking and they nail it. The veal is perfect every time, the zucchini mountain is spot on, and all the pasta dishes are great. Try the Sicilian dinners too; if you know the difference between Sicilian and Italian, you will definitely appreciate them.

Moonlite Café is now non-​smoking! Even better!

Very good! The dinning room is located in the back behind the bar. You must get the fried zucchini! Their breading is so light yet flavorful! The portions for the entrées were HUGE! Service was great, and everyone was very friendly.

I love the Moonlite! I’m from Latrobe, PA, and it consistently reminds me of just average, mom & pop family restaurants. The food is good, the prices are great, and the atmosphere is pleasant. Also, the portions are huge!
The bar is also the only smoke-​free bar in Brookline and I think it’s great!
Thursday’s is $ 4 wine nights, so I recommend a visit those days if you enjoy a glass of vino. Also, the Moonlite Chicken sandwich is pretty ballin!

Ive gone to the moonlite for years. The food is great and the service is friendly.

I have passed this bar more times that I can keep track of and finally popped in last night with a friend. It seems like a typical mousehole of a bar upon first glance, blending in seamlessly with all the other establishments that populate this side of the Boulevard.
Who knew they had a nice, and spacious dining room in the back, complete with a big flatscreen TV?
I really had no idea what to order as the dinner fare is typical upscale American/​Italian; lots of seafood, steak, pasta, veal, and chicken dishes.
A little cherub told me they had excellent meatballs, and I can’t get enough ground meat, so I got the Spaghetti and Meatballs.
My only errr… beef about it was that I only got two meatballs, but they were as fat, flavorful, and rich as any I have ever had. One more would have been nice though. They are generous with the spaghetti, which is al dente, thick like bass strings, or Todd McFarlane’s rendition of Spidey’s webs. Tom DeFalco, Editor In Chief of Marvel at the time and Italian himself, called it «spaghetti webbing.» Moonlite Café’s spaghetti is why.
The sauce was THROUGH THE FLOORBOARDS! So was the juice that seeped to the bottom of the plate. I used to wonder why some people refused to eat spaghetti sans bread. What else are you gonna sop up all that delightful mess left behind with?
My friend let me taste the Moonlite Ziti, and it was very garlicky with nice bits of tomato adorning the plate.
The salad I ordered came with an atomic house dressing too.
Was tonight’s secret word «TANGY?»
Well, at least the Moonlite Café is no longer a secret. Venture into Brookline and come here if you like good, classy, but simple, traditional food.