The Smiling Moose

Overview:

I went to the Smiling Moose with a couple buddies recently for some drinks and dinner. This restaurant offers beer, mixed drinks, and jazzed-up bar food. They are located in the same building as the Cranberry Golf Center where you can shoot balls at a driving range. 

Gingerita 

Fried Cheese 

Habanero Burger

The Food:

The Smiling Moose adds a distinct flare to their food. I got the gingerita to start off with and then we all shared a plate of fried cheese. I thought the gingerita was good and it consisted of a margarita with ginger beer and an orange wedge. The fried cheese was good, but the sauce it came with was even better. My main course was the habanero burger. It had grilled cherry peppers, pepper jack cheese, and southwest sauce. I thought the burger was good but it was very spicy. Usually, I can handle a decent amount of spice in my food. However, this burger was so spicy it became overpowering and I could not taste the rest of the ingredients. The pasta salad that comes with the burger was a nice alternative to french fries.

Service:

Our service at the Smiling Moose was ok. The waiter was nice and checked in on us throughout our meal. My main problem with the service was that the food took almost an hour to come out. I understand they were understaffed but it took long enough that the flow of the meal was just too slow.

Atmosphere:

We sat and ate outside at the tables by the door. It was a nice seating area with an umbrella over each table. There is gravel under the tables instead of concrete. If you sit outside you can watch the golfers at the driving range hit golf balls. 

Rating: Average |⭐⭐⭐✩✩|

I wanted to like the Smiling Moose more than I did. However, there were a few factors that made my experience here just average. The hour wait was just too long and I started losing my appetite for the food I ordered. When I did get my meal, the peppers on the burger were so overpowering I could not taste much else on it. Although, the drink I had and the fried cheese was good. Also, the waiter we had was very kind and he did let us know the food would take a little longer. I think the problem here is they are understaffed.