When business partners Mike Sumner and David Dennison were coming up with a name for their restaurant nearly 20 years ago, they turned to the mob. Morello’s, which opened in Harrisburg in 2005, got its name from the first known Italian gangster to enter the U.S., Guiseppe Morello.
“Seems to be a thing with Italian restaurants to name them after gangsters,” Dennison says.
While both men love Italy and have visited several times, neither has a connection to Italy – or the Mafia.
With zero restaurant experience between the two, they originally opened Morello’s as a pizza place.
“Over the years, we’ve expanded our menu based on customer demand or what we thought people would like,” Dennison says.
See more: Local Flavor: Joe’s Italian Foods & Pizza
Location: 217 E. Poplar St., HarrisburgIf You Go ...
Morello’s
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays
Phone: (618) 252-2300
Website: mymorellos.com
Morello’s is family friendly but also houses a lounge separate from the restaurant known for carrying an extensive wine and bourbon selection. Customers also rave about their fried pickles and homemade ranch.
However, it seems the focaccia bread is what draws many customers in. While still strictly a pizza place, the owners would send out bread alongside the pizza.
“Folks said the pizza was good, but the bread is amazing,” Dennison says. “So now everyone that comes in gets fresh bread.”
But the real signature dish is Dave’s Famous Chicken Hooters, a concoction Dennison made for his and Sumner’s sons years ago. Now, they have two people come in three days a week to make only Chicken Hooters, a chicken breast cut down to bite size, with a slice of jalapeno, wrapped in bacon, marinated in a secret sauce for two days and then cooked.
“We probably sell 1,000 of them a week at six to an order,” Dennison says.
Their 2-inch smoked pork chop and catfish fillet dinner are also traditional crowd pleasers, and all their steaks, burgers and pork chops are sourced locally from southern Illinois.
Located just off the main square in Harrisburg, the converted car dealership encompasses two large banquet rooms in addition to a restaurant, patio and bar that can hold up to 150 with live entertainment every Wednesday and Saturday night in the summertime.
