Location:
Morone's Italian Villa
1490 Bethel Rd, Columbus, Ohio 43235
(614) 457-7444
Where do I begin to sing the praises of Morone’s? I guess I’ll just dive right in and start describing everything that is wonderful about this random Italian restaurant.
 |
| Dining Room |
Located in the Bethel Centre at Godown & Bethel Roads, Morone’s is truly a hidden treasure. In the same centre there is a Cosi, BW3, a couple bars, and a Panda Inn. Way in the back nestled between a hockey store and another bar is this delicious treat. There are three areas at the end of a long foyer, the dining room, another dining room (which I believe is reserved for parties) and the back area for picking up pizzas (where the bar is also located). The whole place smells delectable, and as the server takes you to the table your brain is already contemplating what kind of Italian meal you’ll be feasting upon today.
 |
| Giant Lasagna |
The menu is simple, featuring pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads, and dinners. There are a few appetizers, desserts, and drinks. Very easy to read, very easy to choose from. They even have an a la carte section for people like my mother who like to order chicken fingers, two meatballs, and a side salad. My favorite dish, if I had to pick, would be the lasagna. I am a HUGE lasagna fan, so I am very picky, and I could literally eat Morone’s lasagna three times a week. It is tall, filled with cheese and meat sauce, but not too saucy and runny – it stays in “loaf” form and that is what I love.
 |
| Complementary Bread |
 |
| Mom's Chicken Fingers (note bowl of meatballs on right) |
The one thing I dislike about Morone’s is the service. Most of the servers are teenagers, and while I was a teenager working in foodservice once, I can only excuse so much. They tend to only check on you once or twice, and if you ask for something, such as more butter or bread or whatever, more often than not you have to flag down someone else to remind your server of the request. The most annoying thing to me, having also been a server, is an empty cup. This is a problem at Morone’s as well. On a trip to the restroom I think I figured out the cause of this neglect – in the back, where the bar is, I came across four servers just hanging out, talking, waiting around for who knows what. One of them was my server, and I had been out of pop for at least ten minutes. Perhaps they should hang out in the server station adjacent to the dining room, where at least they can keep an eye on the tables… Just a thought!
All in all, Morone’s is a great place to go any night of the week if you are hungry for good, comforting, stick-to-your-ribs Italian fare. It’s good for families, dates, business lunch (they have a buffet during the week), or any other reason to go out!
Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)
Cleanliness: 5
Value: 5
Accessibility: 5
Friendliness: 3
Menu: 5
