Mezza Luna Cafe Review – Short Order Sandwiches and Salads

Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on July 18, 2022.

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At this time we are unsure if Mezza Luna Cafe is in operation any longer. Once confirmed, we will update this article accordingly.

We think that every Pittsburgh neighborhood should have a cafe that specializes in short-order fair like sandwiches, salads, and drinks, and in Allegheny West in the North Side, that shop is none other than Mezza Luna Cafe.

Although we only had a limited sampling of this one's menu when visiting shortly after they opened, we're really excited to see what comes next!

Mezza Luna is a Charming Cafe in the North Side

Panini Caprese Sandwich from Mezza Luna Cafe

Panini Caprese sandwich with basil pesto, balsamic, tomato, and a decently sized portion of mozzarella on grilled panini. The second sandwich was a BLTA (a for avocado) with blue cheese and chipotle-lime mayo on a toasted croissant.

The Panini Caprese is what I would consider being a juicy sandwich. Between the pesto, balsamic, and tomato this one was exploding with flavors that accentuated the mozzarella nicely. While I would consider this sandwich on its own as a small sandwich with only a lightly toasted bun, the filling more than made up for any reservations I might have had.

BLTA from Mezza Luna

The BLTA was a rich, decadent version of the classic BLT served on a croissant. There was an impressive amount of bacon, juicy tomatoes, avocado, spring mix lettuces, blue cheese, and a chipotle-lime mayo. The bacon was perfectly crispy and provided a great textural contrast from the rest of the sandwich. The richness of the whole thing was balanced by the juicy acidity of the tomatoes and a slight bite from the greens, blue cheese, and the lime in the mayo.

We were a little hesitant about ordering this sandwich at first because of the blue cheese, but the flavor wasn't overpowering and served more as a funky counterpoint. Overall we really loved this sandwich and thought it was a really well-executed and fancy version of a classic BLT.

Don't Forget a Cookie

Cookies at Mezza Luna Cafe

As they grow, Mezza Luna Cafe intends to have a fairly large selection of sweets on hand ranging from cookies and cupcakes to ice cream; however, during our visit shortly after opening only cookies were available. Naturally, we ordered a couple- ginger and lemon cardamom.

The cookies themselves are fairly large and offer a dense and a bit chewy consistency, so if you like a nice bite into your cookies these are for you. The ginger one stuck out to use as being a favorite due to having bits of crystallized ginger baked in, whereas the lemon cardamom was a bit more delicate in its flavors relative to the thickness of the cookie.

Finally, it is worth noting that during our first visit, Mezza Luna Cafe was offering a limited menu. We look forward to returning when we can try more of their offerings!

Mezza Luna Cafe is located at 917 Western Avenue in the North Side.

For more businesses to check out on Western Avenue, try Adda Coffee House, Nicky's Thai, Peppi's, Bier's Pub, Refucilo Winery, or 412 Brewing!

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