Moonlite Cafe — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

Mamma mia! If you've been in search of a bona fide Italian experience without the hefty price tag, buckle up, foodies, because I've found the place. That's right, we drove cross town to dine at Moonlite Cafe and it was worth every mile.

First off, let's talk portions. Moonlite Cafe knows the meaning of generosity. We're talking about mountains of food, literally. Their Zucchini Mountain is a delectable tower, generously portioned to serve four, although in my case, it was a delicious battle for two. The zucchini was tender, stacked sky-high, and accompanied by a sauce that screamed 'mangia'! (Leftovers for 2 meals)

SAUCE: Moonlite Cafe's marinara is the real MVP—authentic, zesty, and giving me all the "just like Nonna used to make" vibes. Seriously, can we have a moment of silence for all the other places that mess this up with a marinara that tastes like brown sugar or, even worse, green peppers? Not here!!!

When it came to the side salad, we were floored by its sheer size and ridiculously reasonable price—only $4! Compare that to other places where you'd easily drop $8-10. But the crown jewels? Italian roasted peppers and a duo of olives! However, a tiny word of advice: The house dressing is on the vinegar-forward side. So, perhaps, drizzle don't drown. But hey, if that's the only hiccup, I'd say we're in pretty great shape.

Now, if you're hesitating over their slushies, don't. With a dash of alcohol, this drink won me over instantly. I mean, if Moonlite Cafe can make a slushy skeptic say 'Damn, that's good,' they're clearly onto something.

Ah, but life isn’t perfect—even in foodie paradise. The absence of Eggplant Parm on the menu left me a tad disheartened, but hey, we can't have it all, right? On the vegetarian front, the menu might leave you wanting for more variety, but their pasta sans meatballs hit the spot for me. Shrimp options are also available for pescatarians out there.

My husband opted for the Chicken Parm and let’s just say, the portion was large enough to stretch into a second meal. His verdict? More marinara would've been the cherry on top, but taste-wise? Chef's kiss.

Now, for the jaw-dropping grand finale: all this indulgence—two side salads, a Zucchini Mountain, pasta, Chicken Parm, a Stella Artois, and a slushy—came to a shockingly reasonable under $50. Are you kidding me?

Oh, and about the dinner pace: 0ur dishes rolled out faster than you can swipe right on a dating app or a Ferrari on an open road, take your pick. The dining area was weirdly chill, but that's a one-off; this place usually pops. Even the regulars were like, "What's the deal? Where's the crowd?" Servers shrugged it off as an oddly slow night.

But don't sleep on this—the bar side was straight-up busy.

So, with two more hours till closing time (restaurant side), the rapid-fire courses seemed more like Moonlite Cafe being super eager to impress us. No biggie, but a little breathing room between dishes would have been the cherry on top.*

If you’re seeking an eatery that marries affordability with authenticity, Moonlite Cafe is your sanctuary. Generous portions, authentic flavors, and prices that won't make you sob into your spaghetti. Bellissimo!

Yes we will...

Lived in Brookline in 2020 and had good experiences here. Me and my GF decided to stop in during a trip to Brookline today around 11AM. Upon arrival, the bartender seemed less than thrilled that we were there to get food and not alcohol. We ordered the cheese wheel and wedding soup for apettizers and a chicken Parm sandwhich and Ceaser salad for entrees. My partner got her wedding soup and said it wasnt as good as she remembered. The cheese wheel came and was bland and flavorless, the red sauce tasted like canned Marinarra and the cheese had no flavor and felt like chewing on melted plastic. At this time I asked if anythong had changed with the cheese wheel, and the bartender yelled across the bar to the owner if the cheese wheel had changed after saying it hadnt in her 15 years. At this point I asked for our entrees to be cancelled and for the check. The bartender made it seem like our food was almost finished and like she couldnt understand why she should cancel the order. My partner decided to just pay and get the food to avoid any issues. At which time we waited an additional 5-10 minutes for our food to come out before leaving. Upon arriving home, we attempted to eat the food, the salad was bland and the hot garlic parm she ordered on the side for it had no heat and tasted like just oil, the chicken parm had no flavor, and the chicken was slimy.

If we ever return, it will definately not be during any hours when the restaraunt is closed, if at all, and cant reccomend going here...

Stopped in with my family between 12:30–1:00 PM, hoping to give this place a try as local Brookliners. The blonde bartender/waitress greeted us by saying she’d “get to us when she could” — not exactly the warmest welcome. We seated ourselves and waited patiently, but she never came over to our table. After sitting there for quite a while with no service at all, we finally got up to leave. As we walked out, she casually said, “Sorry I never got to you.”

Meanwhile, the bar was full of guys drinking and playing slots on a weekday afternoon, and she seemed far more focused on them than on acknowledging new customers. One person trying to run the whole place — but clearly not making the effort to serve everyone fairly.

First and last time we’ll stop here. The owners would do well to hire more staff and ensure that new guests feel valued. She definitely missed out on a generous tip from a family willing to support a local business....