MezzaLuna

closed

So sad, they are closing at the end of the month and I just found them :(
The young woman at the counter was delightful and friendly and it turned out she is one of the three co-​owners. I had previously looked over the menu online and went with the Mezza Burger with cheese. First I was asked how I wanted it cooked — a rarity so I went with medium. It comes with Pickle, onion, lettuce and tomato but without any sauce. I was offered mustard, mayo and katsup. I waited until I bit into it and it didn’t need anything. It is rare to find a burger that stands on it’s own.
I will try to come back next week before they are gone and replaced by an Indian restaurant.

My new favorite weekend brunch!
Food was great and was just the right amount. Love the well picked second hand books (the how-​to survival guide for the coming Real Estate Crash, written in 1979, was quite charming) and board games lining the walls.
Room for improvement though, the service was pretty slow and while the beers on the menu were local craft brews (and I’m all about drinking local) a little bit more variety would be appreciated. To be perfectly honest, my Saturday night was making me yearn for a Sunday morning Ranier.
Bonus star for the kiddie play area!

Went there a few weeks ago for breakfast and was really pleased! Great service and good food. Lots of veg options which makes me happy. Plan to go back to check out the baked goods. I hope this hidden gem sticks around the hood!

I wanted to like this place, and I might give it another shot but not a good first impression.
First the positives– I love that it is a real neighborhood joint, and in my short time there it did appear that the locals were dropping by and seemed to know the staff — they have a fun screen showing pictures of who I assume to be regulars. Maybe if I was a local I would have gotten better service. I’m always looking for better Seattle breakfast joints and their menu offered some appealing choices. I might be willing to give it one more shot to try and omelet or dutch baby.
Problems — I had to wait a long time for the water I wanted and when it arrived it wasn’t even cold. I ordered the biscuits and gravy which comes with a side of meat and fruit. The server brought only the Biscuits and Gravy and when I asked for the rest of the food she snapped that she couldn’t carry it all. The meat and fruit comes on the same plate so we’re talking about two plates! I’m confused as to why a server can’t carry two plates less than 10 feet — but whatever I can let it go.
The biggest problem was the food. The biscuits and gravy were terrible — big biscuits that were tough. The gravy looked and tasted like it came out of a can and started congealing almost immediately. The worst was the fruit which was watermelon and cantaloupe. The Watermelon was starting to go bad — too red and slightly fermented I couldn’t eat it.
The server seemed offended that I had only eaten half the biscuits and gravy and none of the fruit and seemed baffled that I didn’t want a box. I could have raised my concerns and I’m sure they would have fixed it but I just wanted to leave.
The idea of the café seems cool but I think because they are the only restaurant in the area maybe they think it isn’t necessary to serve fresh food because they have a captive audience. Rethink it!

I have been here for brunch a few times now. I will keep coming back, at least for awhile, in the hopes that they get better. The service is friendly and the space is nice. The food is not great. It is not bad either, but for the price, I expect fresh, quality ingredients. I think they are still working to get things right, but so far, I have found the food below my expectations. The coffee is always great, and abundant. The baked good look great, though I haven’t tried any yet.
Also, what is up with the freezer-​jam? I don’t know why all the restaurants in Seattle are crazy for this stuff. I want fresh jammmmm!!!

I really wanted to love this place. I’m so into supporting little neighborhood businesses. They have free wireless and local art and a general good vibe.
Unfortunately, I was really not into my brunch food. At all. I ordered pancakes, eggs, and potatoes which was $ 9. It looked promising enough upon arrival, but it tasted like something you’d get at a Denny’s. It was bland to the extreme. To her credit, my server immediately noticed that I wasn’t feeling it and comped me for part of my bill as well as asking me how it could be improved. I couldn’t think of any useful constructive criticism that wasn’t «not like Denny’s!» so i wasn’t much help.
I definitely have a sense that they want to be awesome but it just isn’t there yet. I freely admit I am picky about brunch and once had a mission to eat brunch at every restaurant in the city ;) I just feel like for $ 9 I want stuff to be made of organic and local ingredients or really delicious or preferably both.

I live in the ‘hood also. And this place will be a smash hit. They need to do a couple of things.
Portion size/​price… they are a little high for tiny portions.
And the quality of he baked goods is not consistent (raw cinnamon rolls, for example).
Tried again…
Wanted to try the place again, and see if they had improved.
Prices too high for quality of baked goods.
Chocolate chip cookie, ½ raw and greasy.
Croissant, greasy, hard and not worth the price.
Asked about dinner menu, and was told to «look at the website». Now that’s customer service for you!
I can go to the QFC and get better quality baked goods. For a lower price.
This cannot be the work of a professional baker.

OK, so I had a huge discount (originally 80% off… I missed that sale and got a 60% off one instead) for
coupons… mezzaluna is one of their spots… between that and zeitoon (that I also got a coupon for), my pal picked MezzaLuna… If you read nothing else, read this: the lunch coupon is a waste. I explain below. Lunch there is a waste, honestly. I have a dinner coupon… hope it’s better for dinner. It has to be – see why:
Getting there… kinda tricky from the north… be aware that Dearborn has a left turn lane so you want to stick to the lane beside the left turn lane (s) depending on where from the west you come. Anyway, you may find yourself wrapped around the park… I say this only so someone reading makes a good note of the road structures ’round there. Around 23^rd, Judkins looks to end but is actually just 1 house north (left coming from downtown) so make sure you stick to that sign or you’ll be lost. It has fine parking since it’s in a weird place for a restaurant… I think they mostly «make it» as a coffee shop/​breakfast/​brunch thing with dinner to make the average bill for the 1 hour stays a bit higher and make sure less diabetic comas from the sweets occur.
WHAT I DISLIKE: The lunch menu… ok, so there are about 5 things on it… IT’S TINY! You can’t get an appetizer from the dinner menu right beside it… you can’t even get the tomato bisque soup, ONLY the soup of the day (it was minestrone today… made with macaroni that was a bit soggy – shells or the wedding soup puffs work better from my experience – good effort and it was nicely packed with beans and celery and macaroni… but the broth was very bland, not tomatoey enough at all… diced bits of cooked for hours maters would work, too… but it was kinda mehhh…). We were, the 2 of us, supposed to get $ 20 of food… but it meant we had to add on $ 3.75 worth of extra stuff (and the result is we got a dollar’s worth at Whole Foods’ prices)… and had to get a full sized grilled cheese… AND get a bowl of soup and an expensive mocha.
The grilled cheese… foccacia is brave… too brave. The cheddar they used? Also too brave, cause it hardened/​got waxy… tasted cheap. Might’ve been cheap. If you’re gonna charge me $ 8 – 10 for soup and grilled cheese (depending on the $ 4 «cup» or $ 5 «bowl» choice and half or whole sandwich)… well, there was way too much bread for the cheese… I mean, the only cheese I ate in correct proportions was what had spilled off the side. REQUEST A DIFFERENT CHEESE??? AND DEFINITELY NOT FOCCACIA FOR GRILLED CHEESE PLEASE.
OK, so the other dislike… bad before the good. The coffee is Stumptown. Good. The mocha? Awful. She both failed on my size (but charged me for a larger one) & on my no whipped cream request (2 inches of cream meaning in 12-​not 16-​ounce cup’s wide part (theirs taper to half/​twice the size depending on directional perspective)… I got, for a $ 4.50 (plus 18% auto-​gratuity because I used a coupon) price tag, coffee with steamed milk, a load of whipped cream, and hershey’s on top. FAIL!
What I hated? A burger, a cheese sandwich, a bowl of soup, and 12 ounces of coffee cost us $ 20 AFTER THE $ 10 DISCOUNT? WTF? I couldn’t even think it through… how did that total 30 before… first the food, then tax, then 18% auto, then -$ 10… but…
backwards, 29.86-$ 10=19.86 (paid price)…
19.86=.82x if x equals price after tax… x=19.86/.82=23.09
tax being… what, 7%? 23.09=1.07y if y is how much the meals cost
y=21.58
For a (bad) grilled cheese sandwich, cheeseburger, (blannnd) soup, and very small coffee drink that they messed up and didn’t fill to the top… $ 21.58 before taxes and tip? Ridiculous. The coupon I had required a $ 20 purchase… so we barely made it… but for $ 21.58, an Asian spot recently brought a bento box with spring rolls, 6 pot stickers, egg flower soup, a rice-​veggie-​pineapple dish, and more… and add on seafood «miso and corn and seaweed» ramen and seafood soy ramen in huge portions… and twas still less money!
The sheer fact that a $ 10 off coupon only covered tax and a tip that shouldn’t be paid (18% when you seat yourself, walk up to the counter to order, and wait until AFTER your food arrives for the often-​disappearing staff to bring water despite you requesting it explicitly? It’s not that tough – I mean, they keep containers in the fridge.
WHAT I LIKE: The fact that I can, if I dare, go back and try the dinner menu that has some really good sounding stuff (~15 items)… small list, but I want those darned water chestnuts wrapped in bacon… they taunt me.
The burger was well above average, but I still have «a beef» or two about it. Its cheese didn’t melt as it was put on top of the tomato (bad… don’t they know better?) but I’m glad I subbed out considering how awful the grilled cheese’s cheese was. The mushrooms we ordered on it… there were about 2 tiny pieces… not a dollar’s worth, for sure. Overall, terrible lunch option.

After reading all of the (mostly) positive reviews on Unilocal,I ventured here with my mom and brother for a family meal. Luckily for me, my dinner picks were pretty tasty. Unfortunately for my mom and brother, theirs were only okay.
I ordered the baked spaghetti with the tomato bisque soup. Both were flavorful, tasty, and well proportioned.
A sample of my brother’s minestrone tasted okay, but was a little bland after the taste of the tomato bisque. He thought his Linguine a la Carbonara was only okay and he actually could have made it a little tastier himself.
My mom’s house salad with balsamic vinaigrette was too light on the dressing. I actually ate half of it for her so it wouldn’t go to waste. Considering that the salad was just greens, croutons, parmesan and dressing, the dressing needed to be pretty good. She wanted some pasta with white sauce so she had the Fettuccine Alfredo. The noodles were pretty thick, and sadly, came out a undercooked. She ended up eating just a little bit of it and taking the rest home. She didn’t want to say anything to our server because it was close to closing time. Hopefully, the noodles will cook a little bit in the microwave when reheated or else the whole dish is a bust.
Lastly, the bacon wrapped water chestnuts was different. I liked the combination, but the chili sauce that it was served it was a little bit too sweet.
Overall, I enjoyed my food, but the other dishes were only okay. I may not come back for a while for dinner, but I think I’ll try to come to grab one of the tasty looking pastries for breakfast one day.

Nice, pleasant little place located in the middle of a quiet neighborhood. My GF and I went there for brunch, split and omelette and a short stack of pancakes-​delicious!

On one of our rare, sunny winter days recently, I set out on a long walk with the dog to Mezzaluna. I had heard quite a bit about this little café so, as usual, I had to go try it out for myself. On a quiet, residential street, Mezzaluna is tucked away and definitely not banking on car or pedestrian traffic to make it successful. It’s a neighborhood café through and through but with the added bonus of diverse and interesting brunch offerings. The staff was friendly and spent awhile talking about the menu with me as I made my decision. Note: any restaurant that has dutch babies on the menu already gets an extra star from me because they take a long time in the oven. But I think it fits with Mezzaluna’s relaxed feel — no one seems to be in a rush here. Singles and couples were lounging at their respective tables while I did the same at my bright window nook. I ended up ordering the breakfast burrito due to my firm belief that all meals are best in tortilla form. This one did not disappoint. Though it was roughly the size of my entire forearm, the ingredients were simple: roasted potatoes, bacon, eggs, avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream and none of the beans and rice that usually end up bloating a breakfast burrito unnecessarily. Couple that with a great cup of Stumptown coffee on a beautiful sunny afternoon and you have what I think to be a near-​perfect day. Next trip will have to be for dinner.

Just had dinner here the other night… It was SO SO good! And they had good beer and wine as well.
Hurray for my fav neighborhood spot!

Stopped in again the other day & just had coffee & a cookie (homeade there, yummy!).
Noticed in the adjoining room there is a couch in back w/​a coffee table & some kids toys… so I can add this to the list for «kiddo-​friendly» as well.
Still need to stop by for an evening wine/​app…

WOW what a disappointment we had today! I love new local restaurants and will tell everyone about it and support them as well. I took my family from out of town and I was embarrassed! It was freezing and saw the breath of my son. My food was consumed before everyone else received there’s. We ordered 2 coffee’s and no sugar on the table. Asked for sugar and the waitress brought us 3 single packs! I guess in this economy and just opening you would have it together just a little bit more. 7 potential customers and not one will be back.

I love how this little bistro has added on not only a successful brunch menu for the weekends, but now also a wonderful dinner menu for the evenings! Everything is deliciously homemade, including the soups (which in Seattle you don’t find that often) and and the dishes are very well proportioned with very agreeable prices. I have been a big fan of their brunch (the Hangover is totally original and killer!), and I just experienced going there for dinner and was very pleased as well. The menu has a traditional Italian base with some good old favorites, like their hamburgers and fries. I got the lasagna and it tasted just like how mom makes it, yum yum! They also have started serving wine and beer, which is a great addition to their dinner menu. I can’t wait for the word to get out about this place, I’ve highly recommended it to all my friends and plan on returning over and over and over again :)

Tasty pastries, Stumptown coffee, great vibe! That pretty much sums up this spot hidden away in the residential neighborhood near Judkins Park. I’ve been living in the neighborhood for the past 2 years (on the same street no less!) and just noticed this place yesterday, that’s how hidden it is! WAY better than Café Vega, the only other place serving Stumptown in the area. Coffee is very well made at MezzaLuna (not burned, espresso machine is well cleaned, prepared professionally) but the real surprise to me was how delicious the food is. From day old croissants for $ 1 (which still taste fresh-​baked!) to the rotating soup of the day, you can’t go wrong. I can’t wait to come back for dinner, considering how good their pastries and soup are. I just had the cream of broccoli with peppers and it is on par with my favorite soups from the Moosewood Cookbook.
My only suggestion would be to play jazz instead of alt rock, as I think it would fit the vibe of the place (cozy, stylish boutique type coffee shop). But this is Seattle, after all …

Haven’t had their food yet, though I’ve seen their brunches and they look yummy.
Pros:
1. Stumptown coffee — Tops my list of local coffee, with Vita a close second. But I have to admit Stumptown in Cap Hill seem to make tastier lattes than Mez for some reason. Just personal taste I guess.
2. Spacious — We rented the secondary room for a kid party when it was Casuelitas. Don’t know if Mez would do that, but may be worth asking. Not too big like an Uptown, but big enough to have personal space.
3. Family spot — Unlike Cap Hill cafes for the young and single, I’ve seen lots of families with little kids here. Nice breakfast place that’s big enough where loud and roaming kids won’t disturb the others too much!
4. Alcohol? — Last time I chatted with them in Nov, they were trying to get a liquor license and serve dinners. It’d be a great Friday night hangout for some quiet conversation with friends, though I believe there is neighborhood opposition given the nearby school.
Hope they stick around.

Just moved in right down the street. MezzaLuna serves Stumptown coffee, a major plus for me. They also have amazing ham and cheese croissants. I have yet to try their Saturday and Sunday brunch, but I am so happy to have a worth-​the-​walk coffee shop in the neighborhood.