I used to frequent Harvest Moon Café when it was called Chesy’s many years ago, when my children were toddlers, for one key reason: the rapid-fire service. My kids weren’t even close to uttering their characteristic whining plea of “I’m hungry!” before the food would appear. Even though the surroundings were simple, with worn-down upholstery, and the section full of smokers was a big negative, we endured it for that quick service and the good breakfast fare, served at reasonable prices.

When I recently visited the restaurant, I barely recognized it. In 2003, owner Dimitri Tzavaras, who launched Chesy’s 23 years ago, decided to give the place a new look, along with a more upbeat, sophisticated name — Harvest Moon Café — to match the changed menu and refined ambience. The restaurant has an appealing interior now, decorated in warm shades of browns and orange, colors incorporated in the comfy, high-backed booths and the huge mural of a harvest scene, complete with giant pumpkins. And the smell of smoke has disappeared along with the absence of a smoking section.

Harvest Moon has maintained its trademark friendly, down-home service. The server greeted us with “Hello, family!” as we sat down. She managed to deliver an ambitious order of breakfast and lunch fare in under 10 minutes. In addition to the breakfast offerings, there’s a large menu that includes soups, salads, sandwiches and entrées like chicken marsala, ribeye steak and shepherd’s pie. The Michigan harvest salad, a new addition, was enormous and quite satisfying, full of grilled chicken, fresh gorgonzola cheese, dried cherries, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and fresh greens. The tuna melt also passed muster.

You can’t go wrong when it comes to breakfast food here. The menu is extensive, covering everything from oatmeal to a yogurt parfait, pancakes, omelettes, French toast and breakfast sandwiches. The blueberry pancake was wonderful, light and fluffy, and loaded with fruit. I was also happy that they allowed me to order just one, unlike some other places, though a short stack costs only $4.59. Scrambled eggs were good, though heavy on the butter, and they came with perfectly cooked bacon, toast and crispy hash browns — all for a very reasonable price of $4.79. My daughter’s trademark grilled cheese on white bread was gooey and tasty, not greasy.

As congenial as the server was, she seemed in so much of a hurry to deliver the food promptly that certain requests weren’t honored. She asked if I wanted whipped cream on my cappuccino — the only gourmet coffee drink here, which tasted like it was from an instant mix. I didn't, but it came with whipped cream anyway, though she apologized and immediately delivered another. My husband asked for his french fries well done, but they clearly came from the same batch as the other fries at our table, which were cooked medium, not crispy. Our server also asked me if I wanted cinnamon on my apple pie. I declined, but it was doused with the spice anyway.

Were it not for the overpowering taste of cinnamon, that pie — with a thick crust and wonderful apple filling that made it taste more like strudel — would have been even better. The strawberry cheesecake had such a light, appealing filling. It also would have fared better without the too sugary, artificial-tasting strawberry mix topping, or with fresh strawberries.

Even so, all its new additions; the generally pleasant service; nice surroundings; and, better still, high-quality food offered at bargain prices make Harvest Moon a great value.

Harvest Moon Café 5484 West Michigan Avenue Ypsilanti 734-434-8100 Harvest Moon Café web site Hours: 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. every day. Plastic: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express. Liquor: Yes, beer and wine. Prices: Inexpensive. Many full breakfasts are under $5; sandwiches are under $7.00. The most expensive dinner entrée, Ribeye steak, is $12.99. Value: Very good. Noise level: On the loud side, as there are many families dining with small children. Wheelchair access: Yes. Smoking section: No.