I have been coming here ever since I was a child. It's always a MUST whenever I'm in half moon bay, it's some of the best pastries I've ever had. I highly recommend everyone to go when visiting! read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - Eclair, pumpkin muffin - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

This review is long overdue... I have ordered so many cakes/tarts from Moonside for various birthdays & celebrations in the last few years. Some favorites are the fruit tart and mocha cream cake. For regular occasions, the lunch menu is great. Chicken tandoori salad and mushroom pizza (can't remember the actual name) are really good. The salads all come with a bread that's so delicious! read more

Great bakery choices!!! The almond croissant is DELICIOUS! Don't miss the chocolate chip and their trail mix cookies! All their bake goods are exceptional. The line moves well. Focus on bake goods here!!! read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - Indoor eating area is beautiful!!! - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

See all

The mocha was excellent. The quality of the chocolate and the coffee itself was so good. The espresso was wonderful, tremendous amount of thick crema, high quality coffee, with a hint of warm caramel overtones - the perfect shot of espresso. The hazelnut chocolate cookie was decadent with dense, quality dark chocolate over a crunchy shortbread type cookie. The eclair was rich with chocolate and whipped cream, the apricot pocket was nicely sweet tangy apricots balanced with buttery pastry and nuts. They have a little patio out front, that is dog friendly with a watering bowl. Service is friendly. Nice on a sunny day! read more

The staff is rude & unwelcoming; it's like Gordon Ramsey & the Soup Nazi rolled into one. Your food isn't tasty enough to put up with sour people. I'll never spend another dime here. read more

The pastries on display had no price tag and I didn't think it would be over $6, but it was! An almond tarte that I finished in just a few bites. The chai latte was awful as well...just chai spice with bubbles, no latte creaminess. I should have read the reviews before picking this spot for the Chai and treat. There was no clarity on the lines and how to order. Just someone at a cash register yelling "Next!!" she yelled at me three times because I thought others were in her line and I was giving them space (social distance). Turned out I had to squeeze next to them to order and squeeze around them to point out my over priced pastry (no, not squeezing because we are overweight, just overwhelmed with too many people and chaotic service). Finally, she asked me if I wanted a copy of the receipt. She was about to press the magic buttons to print it when her coworker told her to tell me it'll be emailed to me. Why ASK me if there is no choice? Please patronize another small business in half moon bay. read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - No price tag and I didn't think it would be over $6, but it was! An almond tarte that I finished in just a few bites - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

What a rude and unpleasant staff behind the counter! Awful attitude, lousy service! They think they are doing you a favor by helping you. Has the owner of this bakery been asleep for so long? Wake up! read more

Had a great experience here! Really enjoyed the outdoor patio seating, they also have seating indoors where a lot of people were eating. We split a bakery item, I think it was called a cinnamon crisp! OMG it was so delicious. Crispy, crunchy, sugary, buttery and huge. I wanted to crumble it and eat it in a bowl of milk, like the best part of the cereal. So good. We were extremely happy with this item and will make sure to buy a few to take home with us next time. Definitely try it if they have it. read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - Cinnamon crisp - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

On our last day staying in half moon we discovered this cute little downtown area, and we are so glad that we did! The vibe is so cool in the downtown area. As we were walking through the area we stumbled across this place and found it to be the perfect lunch spot. My hubby had the teriyaki chicken sandwich and I had the pesto chicken panini, both with the potato salad. The sandwiches were so fresh and so filling. They were delicious. And the potato salad was very tasty, you just have to like red onions for it. We also got some sort of pumpkin cookie and a key lime tart. The tart looked and tasted Devine. And the cookie was a good soft cookie. Definitely would recommend this place. read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - Teriyaki chicken sandwich. Chicken pesto panini. Both with potato salad. - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

See all

This is your best option for fresh pastries, sundry desserts and coffee on the Main Street in downtown Half Moon Bay. I was at first reticent given the low overall rating but glad I came instead of following habit and simply going to Granola's just north of here. The coffee was decent (they serve Equator coffee) and reasonably priced. The pastry selection was overwhelming! I went with the Apple Strudel (not something most places offer) and was blown away! Truly delicious! The hazelnut and chocolate pastry was also tasty. I'll be back! read more

See all

Popped by for a turkey sandwich during pumpkin festival. Granted a busy weekend, but the sandwich was lacking in flavor and even the baguette was nothing special. Doubly disappointing given the price. read more

This is a really fun cafe with lots of different types of cookies, cakes, pies, pastries and desserts. The cafe was festive with Halloween decorations as well as Halloween cookies. I bought a gingerbread Halloween cookie with a jack o'lantern face, a ghost cookie made of merengue, a Chocolate meringue cookie, a chocolate chip cookie, a raspberry tart cookie and a pumpkin pie. I'd give the overall grade of the cookies a "B" for taste, an "A" for presentation. I'd give the Pumpkin Pie a D. It seems like the baker forgot the spices which make the pumpkin pie a pumpkin pie. No clove, nutmeg, cinnamon or whatever else is suppose to go into a pumpkin pie was noticeable. Still, I would certainly go into this cafe again for a cup of coffee and a peach tart dipped in chocolate. I did enjoy both of those things when I was there. Also, the cafe opens up into a larger shopping area which has a cool Native American store that I'd like to check out next time I'm there and have more time. It also has additional seating. read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

I wandered over to Moonside Bakery & Cafe yesterday morning after acupuncture, which is right next door. I love Moonside. I don't go often, but when I do it's a treat. The pastries, tarts and baked goods are delicious. I was actually craving crepes because I was torn between crepes and Eggs Benedict at brunch yesterday. I chose the Eggs Benedict, so I meandered over to Moonside to see if they had crepes. They did not have crepes, but - they had brioche french toast with strawberries that made me go mmmmm.... How can you go wrong with brioche? You can't if you ask me. And oh my god, they were perfectly crisped on the outside and soft and delicious on the inside. So so so so good! They were dusted with powdered sugar and paired with warmed maple syrup and what a treat! It made my Manic Monday a Happy Monday. That is a good thing. :) read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - The delicious ooey goodness of the Brioche French Toast with Strawberries. - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

This place has been tickling my fancy since 2003 (could be later) my first sip of their coffee was the beginning of a new friendship. I surely miss you for breakfast, although I still buy pastries, pizza bread and pies, I dont get to do breakfast anymore. I highly recommend breakfast and soup of the day!!! read more

This is in a great location - right in downtown Half Moon Bay - and tucked away in a building with a pretty cool interior. Unfortunately, my sister and I were met with pretty rude service and an awful chai tea latte. Until now, all of my experiences with businesses downtown have been enjoyable since the employees were welcoming and patient. We walked in and started browsing the options in the cases, clearly undecided since we had only just entered. Within SECONDS someone came up to the counter and curtly asked our order. Smiling, we let her know we were still looking. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and left. Whatever. We continued looking, because they do have cute looking pastries. My sister ordered her drink and we headed out to their patio seating - which gets great sun! Plus, they have umbrellas if you want shade. Unfortunately, her drink was terrible! It was lukewarm and didn't taste like any chai I've ever tried. It tasted like a bizarre lukewarm, watery, and flavorless drink. In short, I'll be choosing Half Moon Bay Bakery from here on out. read more

Grabbed the Tres leches cake for my birthday gathering and it was fantastic. Light, tasty, fresh fruit and a whipped cream frosting!!! Loved it!! read more

I'm all about supporting local business and quality ingredients, which Moonside is and Moonside uses....however I am not about rude people. Some advice for you Moonside: be a little more appreciative of your customers, enough with the attitude and MAYBE we'll be back ??? read more

My favorite item is the pumpkin cookie. I've been coming here for years and I always get the same thing. Today I decided to get a few items. There are so many options it can be overwhelming. Hence the reason why I spent $15 on 5 different items to share. My only regret...Not getting more than one of the pumpkin cookies. The other items were just ok in my opinion, but the pumpkin cookie did not disappoint! read more

A delightful place to eat in Half Moon Bay. This is located right along the west side of the main street going through Half-Moon Bay. There is parking out front on the street. The restaurant is a bakery. You order and pay at the counter. The staff was very nice. We ordered breakfast. The food was very good. There are a few tables inside but more in the atrium behind the store. It's a very interesting inside courtyard. The food was good, thr pieces were reasonable and the staff was nice. A good place to eat in this area. read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - View from the atrium - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

I wish I had thought to take photos of the wasps flying around in the pastry case. Staff said it was normal. I found it disgusting. Wasps are not disease carriers according to some web sites, but why would a business allow them to be landing on pastries? read more

Great espresso drinks and the pizza is a must. Cute little find with the kids before the beach

I'm from San Jose... drove to an appt today in Palo Alto and then decided to head up to Half Moon Bay from there very last minute. I happened to park in front of Moonside and went inside hoping to quickly use the restroom. I'm not sure what happened in the past, but a latin woman tersely told me that I had to buy something in order to use the restroom. I was given all of 5 seconds to make a selection and then was told that the code for the restroom was on the bottom of the receipt. I can't eat bakery items due to gluten issues, so I just threw my cookie out on my way to the restroom. Moral of the story here: A welcoming vibe would do wonders for a business that I presume depends on people like me traveling through Half Moon Bay. read more

After reading the reviews, we decided to try it. We were not disappointed. They opened early, the food was better than we could have hoped for. The blackberry pastry was out of this world. The best part about my combo meal were the AMAZING potato's. We will definitely be back. read more

The lunch menu is overpriced. I know there's inflation and all, but expect to pay over $40 for a grilled cheese on white sliced bread and a grilled chicken sandwich. If they had been good sandwiches, that would be one thing, but they were small and pretty flavorless. Grilled chicken on one sandwich did not taste fresh. Maybe it's reheated from precooked (it was pretty tough and dry). You get a tiny side salad (a few leaves), would fill about 1/4 cup. I bought a few cookies separately. They were okay, bringing up the 1 star to 2. read more

Very poor, rude service and a particularly long, unnecessary wait for overpriced food that ended up being cold by the time I got it. Basically had to battle to get our food and coffees. I had to ask several different staff members to find my order, which had been ready for 20 minutes. What a strange dynamic! Plenty other customers seemed unhappy too, looking for their orders, while the the barista and the man stationed next to her kept saying "I don't know," repeatedly asking customers what food or drinks they had ordered. Further, the barista was making the drinks in a random order when customers pestered her for their beverage, rather than referencing order tickets. I arrived today just before my prepaid online order was estimated to be ready. I gave the tall, curly haired man next to the barista the order name and asked if I needed to get in the ordering line to get my online order. Instead he told me to wait there for my name to be called, amongst the other customers. Over the next 30 minutes I watched several customers inquire about their food in order to receive it, so I checked in with both of them twice, with no result. I eventually saw customers receive their food who had placed their orders after mine was already supposed to have been ready. We ended up waiting in the long ordering line to check on our food so that we could ask someone else. We stated we had waited nearly 30 minutes from when it was supposed to be ready. They sent the same guy I initially asked to the back and he came out right away with our order. As far as I knew, it could have been delayed by some unintentional mistake and I would have just moved on with my day. What causes me to write a review is this: when he handed me the food he was laughing and made the unnecessary comment that the order had been ready for 20 minutes. Rather than stating this to make an apology, he was basically demonstrating that he had the power to fetch my order for a full "20 minutes" and failed to do so. It took someone else to tell him to get my order, and I know he knew the correct name for the order because he had said it earlier. Did he ever even check on it, the way he did with other customers orders? Was he punishing me for not waiting in the line, even though he was the one who instructed me not to? What a rude man and disorganized place. You will have a much better experience going literally anywhere else! Not going there again. read more

My mom and I stopped in yesterday morning to get a couple of mimosas and sit on their patio. I ordered, I paid and then she told me they didn't have enough champagne to make two mimosas. Unfortunately :(( They should be well stocked on stuff like this. It was a bummer. She gave me a full refund and I took my tip back out of the jar also being that I didn't get served and the girls at the counter looked at me like I was crazy. I wonder why. Did they expect to get a tip for nothing? This place is a good place but, this was disappointing. My mom likes their bagels with the pumpkin seeds on top. read more

I have been coming to this bakery for over 10 years, however, I have never had as appalling of an experience as today. I ordered 5 pastries, with 2 of them to-go, and ate the mango mousse in-house. However, nearing full consumption of the pastry, I found a disgusting eyelash on the mousse. I took it to the counter, and asked for a compensation of some sort. The Hispanic girls at the cash register simply ignored me after telling me that since it's more than half eaten, that they couldn't do anything about it. So you mean to tell me that that's it, then? I understand Spanish but didn't make a note of it, despite the female cashiers talking to each other in Spanish, with one, quietly giggling about the situation in front of me. Then, one of them spoke up in English, and said that "the baker is a man" regarding the eyelash. Really? Men have eyelashes as well. Okay, seeing as they started helping other customers and proceeded not to do anything about the situation, I asked my companion, an aunt, who was seated at our table, to step in and help, since my aunt is a local and is familiar with the employer. It was only when she intervened and asked to speak the the manager by name did the girls finally comply, even though a third Hispanic female also started giving her the same treatment as the first two females. The manager was not present at that time, however. This bakery was one of the more memorable bakeries that I used to frequent with my family, but this experience really soured my memory of this place. I understand the policy that the girls were trying to impose on me, but the unprofessionalism, laughter, and complete disregard of respect for the customer in general (and more so, the contaminated pastry, which left a sour feeling in my stomach), contributed to my reluctance to return, regardless if my relative was familiar with the management. The cashier-servers are the face of the bakery and for not just one, but for three of them to hold such a detestable behavior, is nauseous enough to prompt me to post their photos. read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - Eyelash on my mousse - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

See all

After lunch at Sam's Chowder house (another visit since http://www.yelp.com/biz/sams-chowder-house-half-moon-bay#hrid:lINCg3hfWnFowp1aM8zmqw), and running along the beach below the restaurant, we were ready for a mid afternoon snack. Since we were already in Half Moon Bay, we took a short drive south from Sam's Chowder House, to Main Street. Moonside Bakery has always been a must stop for us, and on this first day of Spring, today was no exception. It's a very rustic-looking bakery, fitting very well with the laid-back ambiance of Half Moon Bay. The day we visited, there was a good, steady stream of people walking into the bakery, a lot of browsers, but they eventually picked out a few things. Even at this time of the day, there was still a good collection of baked goodies. The display cases are arranged in an "L" shape, where the cakes, pies, and bread are displayed along the short leg of the "L", right by the bread hearth. At the intersection of the short and long legs, is another display case full of pastries, pizzettas, cupcakes, cake slices, pretzels, palmiers, and strudels. The long leg of the displays contains cookies, biscottis, scones, and whatever else they have special that day. After a few long minutes, we all decided what we were going to order and share: -Carrot cake (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GJMPx6JVlqIuAtG0TLmLKw?select=uFy0COwaZ5GlMUw9jq_GCA): Very moist cake laced with shredded carrots and raisins, layered with rich, sweet cream cheese-based frosting. -A brownie with no nuts and a vanilla cupcake with white chocolate frosting (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GJMPx6JVlqIuAtG0TLmLKw?select=fYtY1nLi_V_5v5c1WYXTxg): Brownie was perfect for my daughter who doesn't like nuts. Can't comment about the cupcake as it was quickly devoured after I took this pic. -Chocolate chewie cookies (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GJMPx6JVlqIuAtG0TLmLKw?select=lvXqjGfZnoMn5jvN9FckzA): My favorite cookie from Moonside. An airy, yet chewy and chocolaty cookie, mixed in with walnuts. Not tooth-hurtin' sweet, but sweet enough to taste the chocolate. After we were done with our little treats, we were ready and energized for more shopping along Main St. Half Moon Bay! read more

See all

I was checking traffic and wondering if the bakery was open today and then I read reviews. This is my favorite bakery in all of Half Moon Bay. I love their bread, their croissants, their lunches,, sandwiches and breakfast goodies. I can't believe how people are rude in their reviews! Understand that this is a busy place. They do the best they can do and I feel the staff is very nice, I usually go at least once a week and love their bread thank you Moonside bakery and staff. read more

The pastries are fine. The customer service is atrocious. How difficult is it to be civil to customers? I entered with my family during COVID, with my 5yo and 3yo kids in tow, which is already a stressful experience. We were all wearing masks. There were maybe two other guests waiting in the socially-distanced line behind us. My kids were gawking at the pastry display, deciding what to choose. I made the mistake of asking the bakery employee what flavors of danish they had. Apparently that's not okay. Boy, was she irritated and rushing me through the line. What should have been a happy, pleasant experience was honestly kind of traumatic and stressful. Sorry our order took 10 seconds longer than your other customers, rude bakery employee! read more

Came here for lunch, as the diner a across the street was closed. Sandwiches, pizza, soups and salads are on the menu. I decided to try the pesto chicken salad sandwich. My first bite, wasn't a good one, as I had a big chicken bone in my mouth. Pretty dangerous. The size of the sandwich wasn't to big. It was like on two slices of wonder bread sized bread. Maybe it was wonder bread? Anyways, the chicken pesto tasted good. It came with a small scoop of potato salad. Didn't care for it too much as it had a sour taste to it and the potatoes were pretty firm to the point that it was like it wasn't cooked all the way through. Also came with melon cube Pieces. Sweet and tasty melons. Overall it was pretty pricey, about $10-11 for it. I wouldn't order it again just based on the pricing. No value for money. read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

See all

Cool little joint in HMB. Pastries are grubbin, coffee is strong. I'll be back when I get back. Ya feel me? read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - Hazelnut ring, butter cookie and a tall coffee. Who doesn't love the weekend??!!?? - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Ok... this place is pretty amazing! If you are looking for some sweet baked goods... then you found the right place!!! Plus, they have an pizza oven on the inside and they make some amazing looking pizza!!! It's a must visit if you are in Half Moon Bay!!! read more

Unfortunately, the negative reviews of this place are pretty accurate. We ordered 5 pieces of combined pastries and cookies and somehow it came out to $27? I was ok with the price but the quality and taste was just ok. We got a tiramisu and it was pretty terrible and dry. Overall this place was very mediocre but expensive. We won't be coming back. read more

Mediocre is actually being generous here. Everything looked lovely, but nothing was actually as good as it looked. I had a Napoleon - it was okay but nothing special, and kind of lacked flavor. My mom got the apple strudel thing and it was meh - the apples were kind of hard and also not much flavor. My dad got a scone, and i think that was the best out of all 3 but still not great. One star for the atmosphere - the seating area is super cute with lots of open tables. What was really a turn off though, was the service. No one ever smiled, they all were short with people, like they didnt want to be there and it was a strain to ask what you wanted/if you were ready. For such an expensive place, you'd expect some sort of customer service, but there literally was none. Skip here and go to any of the other cute cafes. read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - Looks nice, but its pretty bland. - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Sadly ... Was treated very rudely here when we stopped for a quick coffee on our way to the Ritz Carlton. I guess we came in too close to closing time and they just wanted us to leave but there is a way to handle that without making people feel that they never want to return. Maybe the manager had left and the employees just didn't care how they treated prospective customers. Not sure. In better news we had a great time at the ritz. read more

Perfect location and very good coffee. 3 stars just for it! Desserts are well presented but for my palate, completely testless. read more

See all

This place has amazing looking pastries! Seriously delish too! Loved the Hazelnut circle+soy late= perfect snack! The Hazelnut circle was filled with real hazelnut and nutella i think and topped off with chocolate. I LOVE HAZELNUT! also tried the chewy chocolate browny! good!!! Service was good! definitely gonna come back to try more! read more

See all

Over-rated and pricey. Their dessert type pastries were boring to me. The coconut macaroon dipped in chocolate was good, the meringue cookie was okay, the meringue bar was okay, the banana muffin was terrible, the hazelnut ring was good. For twenty three fifty two - this place is a place you wish to stay away. They did have a nice selection of dessert cakes, etc. that I did not try - but given the smaller items we pruchased, I am hesitant about their food in general. They did have an excellent bakery item called a crisp - that was to die for. read more

This is always one of my favorite places to stop when I am in HMB! First, let me just get this out of the way... the chocolate croissant. It's superb. Flaky and almost crisp on the outermost layer, and then soft and buttery inside. So perfectly done! The chocolate shell on the outside can tend to crack and fall away as you eat, so you have to watch for falling chocolate, but it's all so, so delicious. Not overly sweet (which we all know by now is a thing with me). Just absolute perfection in a chocolate croissant. Hubs and I came up to HMB for a weekend getaway. We stopped into Moonside for breakfast and to get some work done. The atmosphere is lovely and relaxing - we greatly enjoyed getting to sit in the inside courtyard. We split the meat scramble. It was awesome! I was surprised at how chock full it was of veggies - bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms... so yummy! We had the ham added in, and if worked out perfectly. Split the scramble for some good breakfast protein, and top it off with a croissant. Great morning! The only reason I am giving 4 stars instead of 5 was for the lattes. They were fine, but not great. Rather weak on the espresso side, and I've definitely had better, richer ones. But not bad either - just OK. read more

Moonside Bakery & Cafe - In my eyes, there is no croissant better than their chocolate croissant. Perfection! - Bakeries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California