Knuckleheads is a craft beer bar and restaurant that opened in Walingford, Connecticut in 2011. It was founded by Anthony Morgillo. After working several odd jobs in the food industry for over a decade, Morgillo decided to open his own restaurant. He found a space at 80 Center Street and decided to make a menu with classic American fare and a great selection of craft beer on tap. 6 months prior, Morgillo adopted a pit bull who he referred to as a "knucklehead". He named the venture 'Knuckleheads" and the pit bull became the official mascot. When a men's clothing store closed next door the following year, Morgillo jumped at the opportunity to take over the space and expanded the square footage of Knuckleheads. In December 2022, Knuckleheads moved up the street to the historic former First National Bank Building at 9 N. Main Street. The space had previously been home to J. Christian's Restaurant & Lounge for several years.
I visited Knuckleheads several times when they were at their original location on Center Street. They always had excellent food and an amazing selection of craft beers on tap. I recently stopped by for lunch when I had a half-day off from work. This was my first time visiting them at their new location. I really love the new space in the historic bank building. The decor doesn't exactly feel like the old Knuckleheads yet, but in time I'm sure that will change. I pulled up a seat at the bar and ordered a draught pour of Bad Sons Beer Company's "Hyrdoponic" (Hazy New England IPA). It was dank with some excellent citrus and tropical fruit notes. For food, I decided to order two of their most popular dishes: "Pig Wings" (pork shank meat on the bone with Acapulco Gold and Honey BBQ dipping sauces) and "Duck Wings" (crispy duck wings tossed in orange-ginger sauce). The pig wings were so nice and tender that the meat practically melted off of the bone. I really loved the Asian flavors in the duck wings too. I was so full afterwards. I washed everything down with a draught pour of Rogue Ales' "Barrel-Aged Old Crusty" (oak barrel-aged barleywine) which was a 2013 vintage. It was real smooth with nice caramel notes. Congratulations to Knuckleheads on their new location! I look forward to more visits! read more