Dining Out: Half Moon Restaurant & Brewery (Kokomo, IN)

Signature sauces? Sign me up.

 Exterior: 5/5

(Photo from halfmoonbrewery.com)

I remember when Half Moon was being built. It was a topic of conversation around town because we were getting a new restaurant... that looked NICE! And it still does. I appreciate the intentional architectural design here that gives it a slightly urban feel and also emphasizes that it's a brewery. It's conveniently located on 931 just as you're getting into town from the south.

Ambience: 4/5

We went earlyish on a Thursday night. I've been there on the weekend, though, and this waiting area is routinely stuffed to the gills.

We got put in the "let's hide you and your kids in the back" section.

I always enjoy brewpubs that give you a glimpse of their brewing process.

The seating arrangements here are both open and cozy, with the booths providing a nice amount of privacy. The decor is getting a SMIDGE dated, but it's quite appropriate for the vibe the place is trying to emit. It's nice that the bar is separated from the restaurant seating so that you can have a tranquil dinner or get rowdy without being interrupted.

Variety: 4/5

Catfish, hand for scale. (I only ate half of my meal and was still stuffed. And then I ate the leftovers for lunch the next day and was stuffed again.)

The ol' reliable brews and a quick mention of one of the seasonals. 

Speaking of seasonals, that's a solid cocktail menu.

The culinary emphasis here is definitely meat, and they do it well. If you're not a carnivore there are salads and pastas and things as well, and their weekly specials can be more herbivorous. The features here are generally barbecue joint-inspired with platters and sandwiches as well. The list of available sides is impressive - the mashed sweet potatoes and sweet corn souffle are among my personal favorites, although on this trip I got a side Caesar salad and it was delicious too. I'd say there's good variety here within their genre, and I'm ok with them sticking to what they know they do well. 

Quality: 4/5

When they ask you if you want rolls, you say YES. (And yep, that's cinnamon butter.)

Nice warm pretzel sticks with really good beer cheese dip.

Brewer's Brisket Sandwich.

Sad face to the seasonal beers, though.

I've been eating at Half Moon for years and have consistently enjoyed it. The catfish I got was expertly fried in a nice light breading. The sides, as I mentioned, are great. I do have to say that the seasonal brews we tried were not thrilling, but their standard brewery menu is usually pretty good. (I'm a fan of the Kokomonster and my husband likes the Cole Porter.) On this trip my husband was not a huge fan of his meal on the grounds that the chips were dry and bland. Overall, though, the thing that really makes me happy is how community-conscious the place is. The dishes and beers are named after local fixtures and there's a general love-this-town vibe that keeps me smiling. Caring means quality in my book.

Kid-Friendly: 5/5

All the kid meals here come with a big cookie.

They brought a cookie for the baby, too, even though all I ordered for her was a side of mashed sweet potatoes.

Pictured: Happy baby.

There's a nice variety of options on the Half Moon kids' menu, all of them consistent with the restaurant's main cuisine. The cookie that comes with the meals is great motivation to get kids to eat their real food and get dessert as a reward. The booths and corner tables keep kids contained well, and the restaurant is generally bustling enough that if your kids are obnoxious folks aren't going to notice much.

Would Eat Again? Green Light

Like I said, I've been eating here for years and I don't plan to stop now. Before I moved back to Kokomo I always ended up eating here at least once while visiting, and now we choose Half Moon for celebrations and entertaining guests. They've been open almost 20 years now and I'm excited to see where the future takes them, because I'll definitely be along for the ride.