The restaurant was clean. Our waitress was friendly but service was slow, despite us being the only diners in the building on a Friday afternoon. The food was good and our bread tasted fresh. read more

Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant - Chicken Caesar Salad - Italian Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

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Melini Cucina is easily my go-to spot whenever I'm in Morehead. The food is always on point, and the service has been consistently warm and attentive every time I visit. On my most recent trip, I ordered the baked ziti and my dad had the chicken parm--both were outstanding. The ziti was baked to perfection with just the right amount of cheese and sauce, and the chicken parm was tender, crispy, and loaded with flavor. They clearly don't cut corners here. Plus, the breadsticks they bring out before the meal are warm, soft, and totally addictive. The portions are generous (you'll probably leave with leftovers), and the atmosphere is laid-back and welcoming--perfect for a casual dinner or a family night out. If you're in Morehead and craving hearty, flavorful Italian food, Melini Cucina is a must. Can't wait to go back! read more

I was happily satisfied with my white pizza! Garlicky and cheesy, simple but yummy. Many of the pasta dishes caught my eye as well. The complimentary breadsticks were just OK, the dough was a little undercooked in some spots. I would skip this app to avoid filling up on basic dough and save room for the pizza! The exterior is extremely unassuming, we were a little hesitant if this was really the place we wanted to eat dinner at.. but overall had a good experience! read more

Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant - White pizza - Italian Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

When we walked into the restaurant, no one was around. There was a couple eating at a table but, no sign of employees. Then, a waitress came in from outside and seated us. We looked over the menu that was loaded with choices. We both chose basic Italian dishes. We were both disappointed. The veal was very tough. The dishes would normally have a thickened sauce. The sauce was flavorless broth, served with overcooked pasta. The best thing we had was the bread with dipping sauce that was brought to the table. I can't say that I would go back. read more

The complimentary bread is amazing! The food is delicious!!! The prices are reasonable. Family of 5 cost $76 (we drink water) The service is great too! Underrated gem in Morehead!!! Definitely recommend!!! read more

Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

Great service! I got eggplant parm and my husband got chicken parm. Everything tasted great. The breadsticks would have been 10x better with some garlic butter on them before they sprinkled them with Parmesan but other than that 10/10 recommend. read more

Absolutely amazing! I ordered the polo florentine, which I had never heard of before, but it is now my favorite Italian dish ever! The meal was served with garlic bread free of charge which was delicious and soft. We ordered the cheese bread as an appetizer and it was hot with a delicious garlic butter on top. Husband ordered the calzone and could only eat half! The picture is everything we took home for leftovers! I would love to come back here again if I am in Morehead again! read more

A small, privately owned restaurant, where the food and service are always excellent. We eat there often, as it is our favorite restaurant in our area. read more

Roaches!! They brought our bread to the table and there was a roach crawling all over it. We took it to the host stand and left. No apology.

Portions are huge, and food is good. Make sure to check your To-Go orders thoroughly, because there is a 100% chance the girls at the front will get it wrong, or forget something. read more

Expected a better tasting Lasagna. Especially, being Italian restaurant. Tasted like a grocery store bought Lasagna. Good news was it was a good portion size. read more

We've been to Melina Cucina twice while back visiting family, and both times have been absolutely top notch. Food is excellent. Service is attentive and prompt. Reasonably priced and so many options! The first time, we both had pasta but saw another table order a pizza. While our pastas were delicious, we knew we had to come back for the pizza. We did so last month and were definitely not disappointed. Daaaaang, y'all! We ordered a 16" supreme (not their name but you get it), a slice of white pizza to try, a beer, and a Dr. Pepper. All total, we spent about $45 and left with an entire pizza box full of leftovers. Both pizzas were just unbelievably good. The crust is fluffy but crunch but soft. Almost wood fired without the wood fire flavor. And of course, you get their Parmesan butter and garlic breadsticks to start, and they just keep bringing them. Allllll the carbs. And allll the deliciousness. Definitely give slices a try if you're wanting to check out new flavors or combos. Perfect personal size pizza or ideal to split along with something else. Definitely one of our Top 3 spots in Morehead! read more

Service was great. The was a great variety of dishes. I had the veal parmigiana and would definitely recommend.

This was the best food we had in Morehead! On the suggestion of an antique store owner one town over, we looked it up and gave it a try after being mostly let down, by other establishments in the city. Friendly staff and huge portions! The antique store owner warned us he and his wife share a meal and still take home leftovers. We should've listened to him! But, at least we had leftovers to take back to the camper with us! ****Fair warning: the outside looks sketchy. It looks like some place I would steer clear of without the advice of someone else. But, the food is delicious! read more

I see all kinds of nice comments so maybe it was just a bad day here, but the mozzarella was not real cheese, the pasta looked (and tasted) like it had been kept out on a counter all day. There was no red wine in the "Marsala" sauce-it was just plain broth. The chicken was as tough as shoe leather and the mushrooms were not cooked. properly. I have only ever failed to eat a restaurant meal one other time in my whole life and that's because so I didnt know that I don't like eel until I tried it. The waiter was very concerned and offered something else, but I didn't trust that anything else would be better. i ate literally two bites but they still charged me full price. I didn't argue. But obviously will never be back. Now I didnt tip and I always tip, but he could have at least offered to take it off the bill or told me that he at least asked since I clearly didn't eat it. I do feel a little bad about that but the food was so awful I just couldn't. my husband did take his leftovers home, but that's just so the chickens could eat it. He ate about a third of his baked spaghetti dish, but it was only cause he was starving to death. He said it was not good. read more

Hands down the best place to get salad or pizzas in Morehead! Our favorite is the antipasto salad and the feta cheese pizza. Delicious!

We visit this establishment often when we are in town. Service is decent and food is good. We enjoy the baked tomato as a started. My go to is sausage and peppers, I ask them to add mushrooms. We enjoy the bread also. read more

Sort of the go-to place in Morehead for Italian food, and for the most part is deserving of its good reputation. My wife and I have visited many times and "Melini's" is great for a casual lunch or dinner on a Friday night, after a busy week. They serve a good lasagna and spaghetti and their dinner salads, chicken Caesar and antipasto, are generously portioned and tasty. Their speciality pizza is also good and their calzone (huge!) is a house specialty, of which they are proud. Iced tea is good and a fair selection of wines and beer is available. If you're going for ambiance however, you'll be disappointed, as their dinning area (although neat and tidy) is just a step above a fast food establishment. Also, try not to get stuck in the back dining area, near the kitchen, as this area is dark and noisy. With all this said, Melini's is recommended for its stick-to-the-rubs cuisine, it's pleasant staff, and it's small town, relaxed charm. Check it out! read more

I came to visit a friend in Morehead and when we found out the restaurant we wanted to go to in Lexington was closed decided to try out Melini's, I had been to the one in Ironton about 10 years ago so wanted it again and my friend who's been here since 2019 hadn't tried it yet! Well first out was the fresh breadsticks and they were melt in our mouth amazing, next came our appetizer of Bruschetta and it was amazingly fresh we both loved how diced the tomatoes were too! I ordered the Tortellini and she had the Shrimp Scampi, when it came out the portions were perfect and the first bite.......damnit man! So delish, we enjoyed every bite! I even saved some to enjoy later, finally was dessert! Tiramisu and Lemon Drop Cheesecake that were devine! Thank you so much for one of the best meals I've had at a restaurant in a long time, we will be back and we will bring friends! read more

Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant - a slice of lemon drop cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

From start to end: Appetizer was the prosciutto crudo, and the prosciutto was dried out and old. It had a gray coloring on the ends they attempted to cover up with the roasted peppers specifically overtop the bad parts. Tiny (about 1" cube) and few pieces of mozzarella. I was really excited for this, considering they were supposed to be using "Parma prosciutto" (iykyk). Salami was good though. Ordered lamb chops, and it tasted like salmon skin. Yes, salmon skin specifically. Not sure if this was from sharing the same cooking pan of a fish dish from earlier, but it was highly disappointing and very alarming. Friend ordered a steak medium rare, and it was cooked well-done. Other friend ordered penne for her pasta choice, and she was given spaghetti. Waiter didn't ask for my pasta choice, but that's fine considering I was ok with anything. I had the Zuppa di pesce, and it was great. Tomato sauce was robust. We ordered a pizza too, and that was actually the saving grace oddly enough for the others who were disappointed. Service was ok, waiter was polite and helpful, kept our drinks full but we had to ask for silverware several times. We ate the appetizer without silverware because of this. Good notes: Dining area looked clean, however ambiance is outdated but still has a family-friendly atmosphere. Can't say I'd recommend this place except the pizza and pasta. I'd avoid any meat, seems to be their weakest link. They have an incredible Italian menu, but it just doesn't execute. I hope there's good change in the future for this small business-- and soon. read more

Food was super good don't get me wrong. But we ordered 2 cheesecakes for 4.99$ each but when we received the bill they were listed at 6.99$ each. Then tried to tell us it's because of inflation and we had to pay it. We wouldn't of ordered 2 if we knew we were going to spend 14$ on cheesecake. read more

The Chicken Fettuccine was good. Nice and creamy not overpowering. It was hot and cooked really well. I'd get this again. read more

Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant - The chicken fettuccine Alfredo was very good. It was creamy but not overpowering. The noodles were cooked just right, and the food was hot. - Italian Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

Zuppa. Seafood zuppa with angel hair pasta and red sauce... mmm... I mean, that's what I like but you really can't go wrong. They give you breadsticks while you are waiting (that's a plus for those of us who get cranky without food). The desserts ... they are fabulous! My sister in law loves the "Chocolate Frenzy" and brother is a fan of the Terimisu. The food is really is good and the service can vary. read more

Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant - Pollo Florentine - Italian Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

Absolutely love their food and cheesecake and the service is always great!! You're missing out

I visit the restaurant about once a month when I bring my some back to college. I will start with the fact that I am not a fan of Italian cuisine. But my son loves the fettuccine Alfredo, saying it is the best he has ever had. If I am dining with my husband we share a calzone, their most popular dish here. They have a wide variety and every one I have tried has been great. The last meal I had here, I tried the baked spaghetti with meat sauce. It was very good and I recommend. If you like Italian I highly recommend this restaurant. Everything we have had here is good with no complaints. read more

Amazing! We live several hours away and stopped in for a weekend in Morehead to see the college. Melini's hasn't changed a bit and that's a great thing! We now talk of driving all the distance again...just for Melini's. We probably will. The single slices of pizza are huge by the way and they bring bread. The marinara is amazing! Just go there. read more

Great tasty food and the service was good! I had the calzone combo. It was crispy and lots of cheese!

Food is decent, not great but edible. For some reason they decide to close an hour or so early without any announcement to anybody anywhere and then when you try to contact them, they send you to voicemail and won't answer the phones. Awful service. You get better service at any fast food restaurant, I suggest fazolis if you're looking for Italian. read more

I believe our waitress was Destiny, she was an awesome server. We are from out of town and had never been before but we loved this little gem. Prices are reasonable, portions are large and the food is amazing. The alfredo was the best I have ever had in my life. I know I will be craving that sauce in a few weeks. Would recommend to anyone! read more

Service: 4 stars. Server was friendly, and checked on us frequently enough. She brought us bread a couple of times and cleared our plates when we were done. There were a couple of times it took a while for her to come back, we assume waiting on other tables, but overall, good service. Food: 4+ stars. Everyone enjoyed their entree, including veal marsala, chicken parmiagana, meat ravioli, manicotti and saltinboca. The proscuitto crudo appetizer was excellent. Wine prices were very reasonable also. Value: 4+ stars. The most expensive entrees we had were $15.99, and the cheapest entree was $8.99. That's a very good deal for the food we had. Ambience: 3+ stars. We weren't there for the ambience, though. Overall, a very good place to eat a meal. I definitely would return if in the area again. read more

Best Italian food in East Ky! Best Salmon Caesar I have ever eaten. Nice setting and friendly service!

Let's be clear, this it is as good as it gets in Morehead... We looked up Yelp while visiting and there wasn't much to choose from especially when the top rated restaurants are a KFC... Now don't get me wrong I am not knocking a good KFC, but I want local grub, you know? So we tried this spot, it was pretty nice! It was a bit slow, but the waitress was good and they brought garlic bread sticks out to us too!!! We both ordered the Lasagna and it was actually pretty good... I think next time I am in Morehead, I may come back and try something else... the waitress recommended the calzone, but I wasn't really in the mood for that, though once a couple past by the table, I was starting to rethink my decision! read more

Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

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I was late getting off work and decided that I was picking up dinner tonight. I was gonna go some place new and was feeling like Italian. Specifically a Calzone. I called in and ordered a Combo Calzone for tonight and the Mexican Calzone to take into work tomorrow. Service both on the phone and when I arrived at the restaurant were fast and friendly. The calzone was pretty damn good. I am a WSU Graduate and the local Calzone place in Pullman is Sella's. I guess I'm kind of partial to theirs but you sure could do a lot worse than a delicious calzone from MSU's Melini Cuzina. I recommend that you stop bye and try one for yourself. read more

Good and Bad: read full review for specifics. Get the calzone. Dont get the cheesy sticks. Small town Italian food, no heavy seasoning. Overall i would try it again, knowing now what not to get. Food: 5/10 be careful what you order. We got the free bread, cheesy sticks(mozzarella sticks), calzone, spaghetti and meatballs and a side of Italian sausage. The free bread was generous but not worth eating, way to plain and dry. I would suggest the place make bread rolls from the same dough they use for the calzones which was soft and moist and covered in a great galric butter. Skip the calories unless you just cant wait for your food. The cheesy sticks (mozzarella sticks covered in more cheese and marinara) BAD. Do not even bother. These could have been good cause it seemed homemade. But the breading...blech! It tasted musty. My guess is its stored in an open container in a fridge. Spaghetti and meatballs were average but good. Their marinera is tasty and not too sweet. 4 meatballs larger than golf balls. Noodles were good except one thing: they clearly bake this dish to melt the cheese- bad idea, any noodles not covered in sauce get tough and chewy. I suggest the place use a torch to melt the cheese in the future. Side of Italian sausage comes on small plate in thin slices. About 1 or less sausage worth. The slices are nice and can be incorporated with the other dishes well. These had good flavor. Not too greasy. They seem to bake them, which gave them good texture. The calzone was great, and i would return for another. I requested mine undercooked because i prefer a really floppy dough, and it came just as i ordered without being too underdone. Flavorful spread on top likely garlic butter with seasoning and parmesan. Generous cheese. Big enough to stuff yourself and still have a tiny bit left over. Don't change a thing: this was perfect. Atmosphere: 7/10 simple and classic. Table cloths are a nice touch. Not too loud. But too dark, the manager/owner closed the blinds when he sat us(which was a nice gesture to keep the sun out of our eyes) but over all it left the room without enough warm lighting. Cleanliness: 8/10 clean tables with glass over table cloths. Carpeted floors looks vacuumed. Blinds had no dust. Only three concerns: the front room we walked though to the host stand reeked of chlorine. The health dept score was an 87% but wasnt posted where you could get close enough to see why. And the dessert menu on the table was sticky. Service: 8/10 friendly and fast. Drinks were refilled before they ever emptied. Check came without request. Questions were answered directly. Orders were accurate. read more

Say what you want. I've eaten here for 15 years. Always business travel and always look forward to this place. They have remodeled since last year so that's stepped up. Still the same good food. Had a HUGE slice of combo pizza. Mmmmm. And a chicken Caesar salad....perfect. You can always tell how well the preparer knows about this salad. When they're good - they've obviously studied how to make the perfect one. Homemade too. The best. read more

Calzones, pasta, pizza, decent wine list for a red sauce place. Owner from Sicily. My family likes the ganveri taverna pasta: shrimp, garlic, marinara with a little cream. I like the Chicken Parm. read more

From the outside, I was rethinking my decision, but I was pleasantly pleased upon entering. Host staff was very friendly and was seated right away. The server was very attentive and made recommendations. The wine list was modest at best, but probably not bad considering the size of the town. The menu had a lot to choose from and I settled in the chicken Parmesan. The meal came with a garden salad and it was large and loaded with toppings. The entree was more than I could eat, was steaming hot, and covered in delicious sauce and cheese. For a small town, this was very good! read more

Love their salads. Just a shame they use nasty bag salad instead of fresh lettuce. And it's brown and gross. read more

Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

For being in a tiny town, I was pleasantly surprised with this place. My family, who lives in the area, suggested it.. It's a small restaurant in an old building. I was skeptical as we walked in. They sat our group of 12 quickly because the place was empty. However the service was still very slow; I mean painfully slow. They serve you bread with red sauce with your drinks. They have a large menu with vegetarian options, pizza, calzones, and traditional pasta dishes. The calzones are HUGE and enough to share. The dough was light and airy, pretty good. No one in my family was ultra impressed with the food. It was good, but not to write home about. I'd say this place would be like Olive Garden as far as menu options and quality. If you're in town and looking for an affordable, enjoyable meal I would suggest stopping in. read more

This restaurant was a great find! The service was friendly and the food was great! The menu had lots of delicious choices. Everyone was completely satisfied (we had a group of 10). Our waiter was fantastic and was always around to refill drinks and was very quick to get our orders. I was skeptical at first when I read some reviews but I disagree with any negative ones. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone! I came with a group of people from Michigan and we left completely happy with out choice! read more

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