I've been to Moon Cricket a handful of times over the past year and although I want to support it since its a local business I just can't seem to have consistent good experiences.
If i had to rate the place on its beer menu I'd give it a strong 4 because the list of beers is huge although not a huge draft selection.
Food-meh, its fine its just bar food so expect lots of fried stuff. Â They've got sandwiches and burgers too but this is not the spot to go if you are watching your calories...or fat intake...or sodium...or the biggest loser...
Service- not good. Â they always seem to be understaffed because the waitresses are always rushing around and remembering half of the stuff they were asked for
Live music- really enjoyable, the only downside is that it's indoors so it gets really loud inside and you can't hear it outside
Outside seating- its always enjoyable to be outside but they allow smoking so it tends to be overpowering
Overall I can't say I'd never return but its not a favorite. I think a rating of a 3 is generous at that so its really the good beer menu that keeps me from a 2 rating.
We dropped in during the Spring Festival for a few drinks after running into friends. What a great day! Our drinks were delivered promptly but oddly in small Solo plastic cups. That's OK - I'm no snob it was just strange - especially when the waitress apologized. I wondered if I had been sized up as a dropper & they didn't want to risk the stemware!
Our friends ordered fried green tomatoes. At least one was very undercooked with the breading still soaking wet. Yuck. Otherwise they were very flavorful. The remoulade was thick and bland but it really wasn't needed because the breading had a great flavor.
We got there at just the right time as it got packed about 10 minutes later. Service remained pretty good for the influx & I only had to waive down a waitress once.
They do a 99-beers thing if you're into that. I think you get your name on the wall and perhaps your own mug or similar. (Don't hold me to that). Nothing about it is cozy or inviting. Very uncomfortable benches and chairs, harsh lighting, that kind of thing. It's a solid super casual spot that serves well for appetizers and drinks before a meal.
I tried this spot out recently while I was in the neighborhood. I met a friend for drinks and a quick dinner. I can't say I would hurry back.
The bartender was awesome. There was live music.
They have woodchuck so that is a plus as well. However, the food... maybe I ordered the wrong thing but it just wasn't good. I went with the Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club Herbed Chicken Breast with Hickory Smoked Bacon, Melted Swiss, Watercress, Ripe Tomato, and Mustard Aioli on Toasted Multi Grain Bread. I can't say I tasted any avocado and the bacon was really minimal. It was a very underwhelming sammie. My friend ordered a pizza and that looked very tasty so like I mentioned, maybe I ordered the wrong thing but it wasn't good in the least.
The ambiance is cool, a tavern feel with seating at the bar, inside and outside. Next time I would grab a seat outside and enjoy the Winter Garden area. Maybe a good spot to bring your pup and grab a drink outside.
Great location in downtown Winter Garden. Â Highlights - shaded patio, live music at night, decent bar fare, beer and wine only. Â Large beer selection but unfortunately they really don't carry anything interesting, just various selections from all the large distributers. Â No craft beers at all. Â Barstaff always very friendly.
Review Source:We tried the Grille on MLK day for lunch. The old downtown Winter Garden area is fantastic. I'd go there before Park Ave. in Winter Park any day. Great local shops and restaurants and an overwhelming sense of community. When you walk into Moon Cricket you're immediately struck by the eclectic mix of furniture and decorations. There's a massive propeller on the ceiling, a collection of guitars in one corner, a group of lava lamps in another, signs of all shapes and genres, and the tables and chairs look like they were all bought together but don't quite match...it's a fun mix. There's a bar that runs probably 75% of the dining area and they have a large selection of craft beers. There was no band playing but it's clearly a fun place to be on live music nights. The food was what caught me off guard. For such a simple place, the menu is pretty sophisticated. They have a grilled fish reuben, a shrimp poboy, portobello hoagie, and chicken avocado club with mustard aioli. You can of course get burgers and wings but it's nice to have those different choices. The services was really slow when we went for lunch but they could have just been short-staffed and not weren't anticipating the holiday crowd. I would definitely give it another shot to see if the service improves.
Review Source:I love the food here and atmosphere is okay.There is also a very nice beer selection. However, the service is hit or miss. There are a blonde waitress and asian waitress there that do a terrific job, but there are a couple of black haired waitresses that could care less about their customers. I hat when I go to a restaurant and wait longer than five minutes for someone to greet me. Especially when you are supposed to seat yourself outside. Upon entering the building I asked if there was a server for the outside and was met with the response "we'll be out there in a few minutes". this is unacceptable in any restaurant. This same server has also had me waiting for refills, checks and such in the past. Although there is a pretty good menu and tasty food, I'm not going back there for a while because of my disappointment.
Review Source:I'd go back, but I'd go for lunch and skip the live music nights. Why do super tiny bars insist on cramming musicians with a drum kit inside? Maybe I'm the odd one out here - I enjoy talking to my companions and not just leering at them. The Moon Cricket Grille seems better suited for an unplugged guitar and vocal set.
The food is the typical bar-ish fare of burgers, dips, and fries (and a nice amount of salad and wrap alternatives) to soak up all the beer you'll drink. The beer list is decent - but I have to ding them for touting their selection and not having any gluten free beers. Woodchuck hard cider is an alternative.
The burger I had was average, seemed like a pre-formed frozen patty, what with it's uniform flatness and generic taste. Edible, but forgettable.
We couldn't try the artichoke dip because they ran out of chips... on a Saturday night... uh, say what now?
We go to Moon Cricket often, it's a great old style saloon type of place. Â The burgers are great, and I've had salads that are good, too. Â Great variety of beers!!!! Â Live music on the weekend. Â Very laid back. Can't go wrong. Â If you're looking for upscale go somewhere else, but otherwise this is the place to be.
Review Source:I have read the reviews. Seen the location. Eaten elsewhere. Hoping to find new places to eat in my future home of Winter Garden. We decided to stop by for lunch one day. Had the fish sandwich and it WAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST!. We had to go back for another at dinner and invite family to meet us there. We have been five times in the past three weeks. Each time we discover food that is great. Stick with there featured items and server recommendations. Happy Hour B1G1 on Thursday for Beer. Last time I started a 99 Beer Challenge Card and I am five in so far. Classy experience, great live guitarist and songs that feature a genuine pub atmosphere. Family Owned feel with outside seating. The Mayor eats there every saturday. We plan to eat there even more often! I write a review when I feel the location is one of a kind. This location is one of a kind and deserves its credit due. Visit here, eat here, come back again and again. Go NOW. Don't Walk...RUN!
Review Source:My wife and I just moved to the area and we like to ride our bikes on the west orange trail. Last week we discovered a great little downtown area in beautiful Winter Garden. I had mentioned that I would like to come back on our next ride and try the Moon Cricket cafe. This morning we headed out with the cafe in mind as our halfway destination. When entering this little cafe it looked awesome! I'm a craft beer lover and it looked like they had a great selection to choose from. I couldn't wait to see the menu. It all went downhill real fast. This Saturday morning, May 5th just past 11am we were greeted by a blonde bartender that seemed put off that we arrived. My wife asked if they were open and she responded with a sarcastic "yeah". She asked what she could get us and I said " we'll start with a menu". She literally rolled her eyes and said "let me see if we're serving food". As she walked off we both looked at each other and decided it was best to leave. I'm not one to complain but being in the industry myself, I feel it needs to be known. Who ever this girl is should find another line of work. Maybe we'll try the cafe again but not anytime soon. Hopefully when we return, she will have found another place to reside.
Review Source:Average place. Â It might be fun to do their 99 beers challenge, but I went here to eat somewhat healthy so I ordered a wrap and salad. Â The wrap was okay; wasn't a lot of flavor and it really didn't have anything in it other than grilled chicken, lettuce, and a little bit of dressing. Â The salad was a spring mix of lettuce and arugula, which I normally really like, but this was a bit wilty. Â Their balsamic dressing was really tasty though, so I ate it all.
I sat outside, which wasn't the greatest idea because sweaty old people that just got done biking the west orange trail kept walking up and sitting down at the outside tables, which wasn't fun for a me while I was trying to eat.
After a good long workout on Sunday I wanted to try out the Winter Garden downtown for a good satisfying lunch . I will say I did not find it that day .  I oldered a cuban sandwich with a  salad . The salad was above average, but the cuban sandwich was far from average or above average . It was like my order was the last of everything to make the order. Meaning if I was looking for a heartly sandwich I came to the wrong  place . Consequently the service was good  so I will go back to see that the grille will make my next experience more satisfying.
Review Source:We chose this out of three nearby locations and I can't say I'd ever go back. We were there on a Saturday afternoon. It wasn't that busy, there were two people behind the bar (where we sat) and yet all of the tables had better service than we did. We ordered beers, which took a while to get and got a menu and we were never asked again if we needed anything. I had to track a server/bartender down to get the check so we could get out of there and get some lunch, which is why we walked in originally.
Review Source:Not sure why this doesn't have a higher rating, but it's definitely above average. Â I had the grilled chicken and avocado club - delicious and fresh take on what could've been a generic club. Â Most restaurants get lazy because they think the bacon does all the heavy lifting on this sandwich, but Moon Cricket spruced it up with:
--perfectly cooked and flavorful grilled chicken (not dry at all)
--fresh watercress (unsung hero)
--mustard aioli
--hearty multi grain bread
Overall, we really enjoyed the lunch experience. Â Next time I plan to go for dinner so I can enjoy the food, some beers, and listen to live music.
I try to run by this establishment every third Saturday of the month when WG has it's big car show on Plant St.
Small family owned business with great food. Service always seems to be a little sub-par, almost as if they are slightly annoyed by the vast amount of people that come to their establishment during the car shows. I cannot imagine they make this much business any other team over the course of a year and you would think they would be grateful. Nonetheless, I can understand as this is a very small restaurant on a portion of WG that has been around for decades.
This is not suited well for parties over 5 or 6. There are only booths and smaller tables outside... you could line up along the bar and have your own stool, but still you would be limited to how many friends/family you could bring along when it is crowded. I invite anyone to come down and check out the car show every 3rd Saturday of the month, but if you intend to come here... bring a small party of 2-4.
I have tried the blue cheese hamburger, club, shrimp, and flat breads. All have been very good. Food is delivered rather quickly (usually within 10 minutes).
I need to give them a try on a night where there is not an event or overcrowding on Plant street before I dish out a 5 star.
We tried Moon Cricket for lunch today, because it looks so cute from the outside. Â I was franlkly underwhelmed. Â They have an seamingly excelent bottled beer selection, although they were out of the first two I ordered. Â I mention the bottles, because the beers that come on tap are nothing special (budlite, rolling rock). Â For lunch i ordered the portabella mushroom sandwich. Â It was very greasy and mostly tasteless. Â Our server was not great and the food was a little slow to come out, considering that we were one of 4 or 5 tables in the entire restaurant. Â The only saving grace was that today was "buy one beer, get one free" day!
Review Source:Good bar food plus. Â We had very nice wraps, a burger, fries and cokes for three and with tip it was less than $40. Â After riding the West Orange Bike trail all morning, this is a great place to take a break. Â We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the Saturday afternoon bustle on the sidewalk. Â Service was good and the food came out nice and fast. Â I'm a fan and will bike there again for sure.
Review Source:After listening to friends crave and rave the Moon Cricket Grille I was all prepared to give a four or five star rating, however, they were having an off day. Â Apparently, the menu is usually huge, several pages, small writing, lots of choices. Â They recently hired and are training a whole new kitchen crew (apparently the last was too slow) so they slimmed down their menu...a lot! Â My friends were bummed that their favorite dish was not there.
Service was still slow, but the good food, live music and fun decorations to look at (street signs, gas pumps, a huge propeller on the ceiling) made up for it. Â We had the spinach and artichoke dip to start, there wasn't enough dip for all the chips in my opinion. Â My boyfriend and I each ordered a flat bread, the margarita and the spinach one to find out it was on more of a tortilla than a flat bread. Â I still liked it though. Â The hot wings ordered were said to be spices and delicious as was the Asian chicken salad. Â
We were told the new menu already wasn't working and it had been only two days. Â I look forward to visiting again when they have had the new crew fully trained and are back to their new menu to boost the rating up a star or two.
Oh and I can't forget, they have 99 different beers to try. Â One you have tried each one, you get your name on the wall. Fun!
I started coming here for the BOGO on Thursdays but the service has really tainted my desire to come back. I love they have a 99 beer selection but it's like pulling teeth to get someone to not only serve you but WANT to serve you. It was almost like you were ruining their day for being there. Unfortunately, not a lot more bar options to choose from, but the wine bar next door looks interesting. Will be trying that next.
Review Source:We enjoyed the eclectic, funky atmosphere and live entertainment. Â The dark meat tuna melt and fried green tomatoes were soggy. The French fries were plain. The burger, chicken alfredo, and Cuban were tasty. The calamari didn't seem completely fried. Our waitress was a little curt when we ordered water because they had no soda. Â We like winter garden and will try someplace different next time we come back.
Review Source:
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