Half Moon Restaurant & Saloon

Half Moon Restaurant & SaloonHalf Moon Restaurant & Saloon
Half Moon Restaurant & SaloonHalf Moon Restaurant & Saloon
Bar, Eatery

108 W State St
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, 19348-3021
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.99
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
22
pDev:
10.03%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by NeroFiddled:
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Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
The Half Moon is a cute little restaurant on a charming tree-lined street. It's very nicely appointed both outside and in. The main bar and dining room features a white tile floor and tin ceiling; mahogany bar and mirrored back-bar; and large booths as well as tables in a wide open space. All of these things give it a bit of an antique feel, yet it's very modern as well - an interesting mix of old and new. You could also sit at the two small tables in the front window and people watch, or there's an upstairs roof deck and non-smoking bar with a view that's very nice in the summer. It's heated in the fall as well.
The menu is in some ways limited, but it's also very interesting (and vegetarian friendly). Some of the interesting "Grazers" include Crab Nachos ($9.50) and a Toasted Walnut Crusted Goat Cheese Cake on greens with crisps ($7.95). There's a little bit of a Louisiana feel to some of the menu, and the Gator Gumbo with Crawfish & Sausage is no exception; and there are also "wild game" specials daily. But just like the decor, the menu is a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Quiche De Jour ($5.95) and the amusingly titled Penne Sylvania (w/ mushrooms, pine nuts, pesto) illustrate that. There's the standard burger fare but you can "kick it up a notch" with the Full Moon which is made from ground Buffalo ($7.50). The very ecclectic Billy Bob sandwich also deserves mention... it's a wood smoked chicken breast w/ melted Brie and avacado salsa on an english muffin at ($8.25). Buttermilk Fried Catfish ($14.95) and Seared New Zealand Venison ($21.95) make for some unusual entrees! And if that's not enough for you, there are fresh made desserts!
There's a full bar if you'd like to bring some non-beer drinkers with you; but the beer selection is what really stands out. The 3 handpumps serving local beers get alot of play and remain fresh. There are also 14 standard taps. Some highlights from my last visit included Steelhead Xtra Pale Ale, Lindeman's Framboise, Humboldt Red Nectar, nitro Abbott Ale, Hoegaarden, and Leffe Blonde.
The staff is friendly, knowledgable, and accomodating. And they know about the food and the beer!
Some might consider it a bit pricey, but for what you get it's actually well-worth it. Stop by Kennett Square, stroll State Street for a bit, and then treat yourself to an excellent meal. You won't regret it!
Jul 10, 2003
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.36 by AudioGilz from Pennsylvania

Sep 11, 2016
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Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4.5
Really cool spot right in the middle of town. Kind of a Euro pub feel, with a good sized bar and plenty of leg room. Service was jovial. Taplist is decent with a wide range of names and styles, covering a lot of the general craft beer spectrum. Food is arguably the highlight, with an emphasis on game meats some of which you really can't get anywhere else. Always worth a stop in, if you're in the area.
Sep 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.26 by Mnteti from Delaware

Jun 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by micropale from Pennsylvania

Nov 24, 2014
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Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
ate dinner here and had beers.

casual atmosphere, the building is right in the downtown section.

good draft list of craft and import beer, with an extensive bottle list as well. high quality offerings and good variety of styles.

their food highlights wild game. between our appetizers and meals, we had kangaroo, gator, elk, and bison. My bison steak frites menu was awesome.

our waitress was friendly. prices were reasonable.
Nov 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by JackNip from Delaware

Oct 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by jwjon1 from Pennsylvania

Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Barnsley from Pennsylvania

Mar 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Corburk from Pennsylvania

Dec 22, 2013
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Reviewed by mikefuski17 from Oregon

3.86/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This place is pretty cool. Kennet Square is a very nice and historical area. The surrounding shops are cool. The draw for me was I saw it on the Travel Channel a few years ago and never had a chance to make it there until recently.

Half Moon is nice. The exterior loos great and gives way to a disappointing interior. Very plain white subway tiles.

The beer selection was very nice. Had a couple beers I never had before so that was exciting.

The main reason for going there was for the food. They specialize in exotic game meats. And they form the game meat into something familiar like a cheese burger. I had gotten the elk burger, was hoping for kangaroo but was not on the list for that particular day. The food is good, in my opinion and the service we received was great. The staff was very helpful.

If you have a weekend afternoon off, definitely check out the Half Moon.
Sep 08, 2013
Photo of philbe311
Reviewed by philbe311 from Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
A - The atmosphere is really a tale of two stories... The interior is "average"... The roof top area is "good"... We were seated on the rooftop and grealy enjoyed ourselves...

Q - No complaints here... Overall we had a very enjoyable late saturday afternoon / evening sitting and relaxing on the rooftop...

Ser - No complaints in the department... Initial contact was a bit on the slow side, but thereafter it was very solid... Beers always arrived in record time...

Sel - The food selection was diverse and refreshing... The beer selection was solid (but a bit overpriced)... OVerall the combo of beer and food was very intriguing...

F - The menu was creative... The overall quality of the food was good... The crab nachos are a must... The Buffaloaf was excellent... My wife's quesidillas were a bit dissappointoing... The deserts were slightly above average...

V - A bit on the pricey side, but I can't complain given the overall unique nature of the menu...

Overall, not a "beer" destination in itself, but combined with a unique and eclectic menu, it is a destination worthy checiking out...
May 31, 2010
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Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I met fellow BA stewdawg here for a meetup so he could collect his winnings for Beer Powerball week two.

A nice vibe as you come in with a long, 30 seat bar to your right and an open dining area in the back of the room. A nicely tiled floor with a tin celing give it a classic look. Light background music completed the charming ambiance.

With 17 taps and 3 hand pulls the brew selection was quite nice. I have heard that the hand pulls do not change up very often but during my visit they had on Victory Hop devil AND Hop Wallop (hell yeah) plus Troegs Hop Back. The CO2 lines were well varied and offered up a fairly full array of styles.

Our bartender was fine...nothing outstanding but she did a fine job. I didnt have to wait long between brews and she took care of us in a timely manner.

An interesting, if a bit pricey menu. A strong focus on wild game dishes to include lots of buffalo, I got the "Buffalo Loaf" which was VERY tasty despite being about half the amount I could have eaten. Also on the menu...llama burgers and yak sloppy joes!

All in all a nice place to grab a few pints and an interesting meal in the very attractive downtown section of Kennett Square.
Feb 01, 2009
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Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -7.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
The best beer bar in Kennett Square, the Half Moon would be a good place in almost any town.

Atmosphere is very good in the post-smoking ban era. A long L-shaped bar with about 20 seats and a bunch of booths and tables behind. There is also an upstairs bar and small dining room.

There are twenty taps, almost all good quality, including three hand pumps. The beer selection does not rotate enough for my liking. The hand pumps almost always have Yards ESA, Troegs Hopback and Victory Hop Devil. Good beers all, but it would be nice to change it up. Good bottle list too, mainly in the Belgian segment. Again, a bit too samey from visit to visit, but good quality.

Food is pretty good, though very heavy on game and a bit limited. I was curious to taste a llama burger, I guess, but at $14, I'll never know.

And this is my gripe with the Half Moon. Prices are exorbitant by the standards of a beer bar, especially for the beer. $10.95 for a glass of St. Bernardus 12 (!), $6 for a pint of Stella or Hoegaarden or Bass. Domestic taps run about $5.75 for a pint. I rarely pay attention to prices (shame on me I guess) but I about fell off my stool when the check came.

Service can be hit or miss, but was very good on our last visit. Depends on which bartender you get.

HV
Nov 10, 2008
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Reviewed by Metalmonk from North Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -21.6%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This bar/restaurant is located in the charming downtown of Kennett Square, PA, which I learned that evening is the #1 U.S. grower of mushrooms, which are exported all over the country. Hails to that! The Half Moon puts an emphasis on quality Belgians and U.S. micros. They offer Urthel, Westmalle, Trappistes Rochefort, Achel, Leffe, Delirium Tremens, the Chimays, Saison Dupont, and some others. They served my friend's Leffe in a regular pint glass, and when my Westmalle bottle arrived she asked me, "do you need a glass with that?" Duh. Not too classy. She eventually brought one of those very heavy generic goblet-style glasses that feels more like a mug hoist with each lift. But okay, fine...

The food was very good, although we had a big problem with one particular dish. My friend Matt has a serious allergy to shellfish/crustaceans, and the artichoke chips/dip we ordered had crab in it, despite NO MENTION of this on the menu. He started to feel the effects but luckily didn't get enough in his system to result in a major reaction. I'm also vegetarian, so this plate went to waste and we were both upset about the lack of disclosure. They didn't charge us for it, after we complained. We suggested they be a little more clear in their menu description, but who knows if anybody really cares. It's the right thing to do, unless they don't mind offending customers with allergies or special diets.

Another downfall: Smoke. Everywhere. In a straight beer bar, it's annoying enough, but acceptable. In a restaurant, it's just plain wrong. Had a nice comfortable atmosphere otherwise, lots of wood, and a very casual, even old-west feel. But that smoking thing, and the seafood thing, and the poor form on the glasses....eh...won't be making any kind of special detour to go there again.
Jun 26, 2008
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Reviewed by Imstillthegman from Delaware

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I decided to head to Half Moon for some lunch and a beer or two before going to the Kennett Beer Fest. Good decision on my part. I sat at the bar directly on your right when you walk in. It has about 20 seats or so. There are booths lining the left wall all the way back and it looked like some tables were back on the right. There is also some rooftop seating for those wanting some fresh air. Good selection with about 15 taps or so and 3 hand pulled beer engine taps. Decent bottle selection of mostly Belgian offerings. The food was very good. Antelope burger was amazing, buffalo burger was great, too. Blackened alligator was a hit also. I told my wife I am going to bring her up here soon for dinner. The wild game on the menu is a nice touch. Good beer, good food, good place.
Oct 08, 2007
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Reviewed by boelker62 from Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -14.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Had a friday night dinner in the roof top deck area. A little too cool to open up the huge garage doors, but nonetheless, a nice view from the top of the building. Very nice mood upstairs, but so dark, they have a cache of flashlights to hand out. Odd, I thought. Service was good, albeit occassionally absent. The beer list is exactly as it souold be. As advertised, they are a Belgian Beer bar. The prices for the entrees are really up there for what you get. Spent time after at the bar for a couple of the handpumps described by Nate, with the Troegs being Nugget Nectar vs. Hopback. I recommend a trip, and will give the restaurant another shot. The downstairs atmosphere was much more pleasing to me. Biggest plus of the night, bottles of Samual Smith Oatmeal Stout. Lovely.
Apr 06, 2007
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Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +17.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
This gem of Kennett Square was introduced to me via sckressler a few years back. This time, the wife, baby, and I were in the area checking out the Christmas tree lights at Longwood Gardens.
The atmosphere is extremely nice. I would consider the place mostly upscale with people in business ware, with maybe a few guys with flannel shirts and hats sitting at the bar.
Plenty of open space and tables downstairs. The upstairs sports some open area that leads outside.
The quality of everything is great, from the food, decor, service, and brews. Everything is in check.
The service has seemed to have been put in it's place since first visiting. The waitstaff is well informed of the beers on tap and even pairings of food and brew, or wine.
The selection is pretty nice. They specialize in Belgian brews. They've got 27 beers on tap, including 3 hand pumps. They were featuring a 1 year aged St. Feullien Noel, Leffe Brune, La Chouffe, and many other winners. They also have many great Belgian brews in bottle.
The food is fantastic. They feature a wild game specialty usually. The feature of the night was kangaroo, though I opted not to try it. Instead, we were pleased with a nice sized, amazing appetizer of crab nachos. I had a buffalo burger with gorganzola cheese and caramelized onions, and the wife had a well done mahi dish topped with garlic and shrimp.
The food was reasonably priced and some of the drafts are worth it. The Feullien 9 oz. was $10, as was a same sized Delirium Noel, a bit more than I would usually pay for the likes. The Anderson Valley Winter was reasonably priced though, as were most of the other brews.
I see many people that reviewed this place stopped in here after the Kennett Brew Fest, or during the Mushroom Festival. Go again, and you won't be dissapointed.
Dec 18, 2006
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Reviewed by rdrummer from New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I visited here on a cold, rainy Saturday at lunch time. The place was very quiet but very welcoming. It is a cozy kind of place with some good music playing and the TV on mute but showing a game at the time. They had 17 beers on tap in the downstairs bar. No one was venturing out to the deck bar since it was kind of nasty. There were three beers on the beer engine, which were the hit with me. The bartender was knowledgeable and poured a really good beer. The beer was served at proper temperature, especially those on the beer engine.

The food although primarily bar food was surprisingly good, especially the buffalo burger, which big and juicy with lots of topping alternatives. My wife loved the Ceasar Salad with anchovies since I won't let her put them on anything at home. They also had smaller glasses for her, which she always appreciates. Service was great but there weren't many customers. The customers who were there were all friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and the beer.
Jun 08, 2004
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Reviewed by slander from New York

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
It was a long ruddy day drinking amongst the mushrooms before we showed up here for a bite. The place was packed with one billion Kennett Square Mushroom Festival attendees and we managed to beat the rush of the crowd from that event's beer festival. Still, we waded through a solid crowd to get to the back staircase that takes you upstairs to the patio seating area. The main bar downstairs has a dozen and change taps, both good regionals and Belgians and other quality imports on as well as a decent bottle collection while the upstairs bar is limited to about half of what you can get downstairs. No, they won't go down and get you a beer you saw downstairs and no, you can't go down and get yourself one and bring it up. Makes you want to be difficult for the sake of being difficult.
A good, if not eclectic menu. Soups, salads, sandwiched, apps, were all good, no complaints there. Service upstairs was a little spotty but the place was hopping. It's a comfortable roof deck, although not terribly scenic unless looking out over the rooftops of Kennett Square is your thing. Certainly the place to be if you find yourself at a conveniently located mushroom festival.
Oct 14, 2003
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Reviewed by ububru from Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Hidden in "The Mushroom Capital of The World" is a gem of a restaurant. Upon entering, you'll notice a comfortable bar on the right and dining tables laid out towards the back. The menu has a gourmet lean with exotic veggies and wild game dishes to compliment the " normal " fare. The beer does not take a back seat. With 3 hand pumps and 14 taps, the beer geek can stay very busy choosing from Hopdevil, Abbey deLeffe , Jamaica Red , Young's Dbl.Choc. Stout ,etc.
The new addition , however, is what this review is about. The owner has opened a rooftop dining deck complete with bar. This wonderful idea has added quite a dimension! It is a roofed over, open sided deck with wrought iron tables and chairs. Dispite the hot weather that day, a cooling breeze made it quite comfortable.
There is a neat little 12 stool bar with 7 beers on tap. When i visited,there was 1 macro, 2 ales, 2 lagers, 1 weizen and a belgium ( Chimay White). A glass fronted cooler showcased about 20 Belgium bottles, along with other imports.
The Half Moon is an awesome establishment, and BA's would be wise to add this stop in their travels.
Jun 27, 2003
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Reviewed by rotsaruch from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Located in the middle of Kennett Square in souther Chester County, the Half Moon probably represents the most fascinating collection of eclectic food, brews and live music that could be found anywhere in the suburban Philadelphia area. When you enter, there is a large, handsome English-style bar area. The bar and most of the construction of the restaurant was directed or performed by the owner and homebrewer, Scott Hammond. There are 14 beers on tap and 3 beer engines!! On tap, there are two or three of the ususal suspects, but the remainder are quality imports, including Belgians (at least two or three) and local or regional domestic micobrews. The cask-conditioned brews when I was there were Yards ESA, Victory HopDevil and Flying Fish ESB. There is a seating area in the bar and a larger dining area which extends to the remaining back portion of the building. The menu is unique with some tasty dishes. The crab nachos and the full moon buffalo burger are delicious. The service was the only negative; it could have been more attentive. On Thursdays and Saturday nites there is live music ranging from bluegrass, jazz, folk, etc. If you are driving down US 1 between Philly and Baltimore or near Wilmington, DE, its must stop for a casual lunch or a great dinner.
Jan 24, 2003
Half Moon Restaurant & Saloon in Kennett Square, PA
Place rating: 3.99 out of 5 with 22 ratings