Morelli’s Specialty & Discount Liquors

Most people are reviewing the liquor store, which is apparently priced well enough to make people swoon. I stopped in here for olive oil and passed by the frozen food case and thought, «hey, lasagna! what an easy thing to bring home for dinner!» So I picked some up and went home. (As a side note, the olive oil selection was worse than cub foods). We ate it that night. The ONLY positive thing I could say about that lasagna is that it provided one of the funnier moments I’ve seen of my son as he attempted to wipe the lasagna off of his tongue with his hands and started yelling, «Momma, milk, I neeed milk!!!». The stuff was unbearably, atrociously, disgustingly salty. I felt like I had been punked or was on candid camera.
And like about half the reviewers here, I fell for the no credit card thing. How lazy is that? Put in a stinking credit card machine and charge extra for people using plastic if u want, but it’s not quaint or old-​timey or doing anybody a favor by not having one at all.
The extra star was for the meat counter, which looked good and was priced right, even if I didn’t try it, and for their apparently low prices on booze.
Drive the extra half mile and go to cossettas for their frozen lasagna or heck go to the grocery store and grab a tray of Simeks. It’s a thousand times better than that junkpile in my trash can and you aren’t forced to march over to the ATM in the middle of checking out.

Great family owned liquor store with a small, but fantastic deli, and meat market. Great spice blends, frozen pasta entrees for
Best prices on beer and liquor. When in the area, a must stop !
Bring cash ! No plastic here ! Hey, you want low prices, right?

I suppose that it’s the unexpected result of this being more of a liquor store than an Italian specialty shop. I wanted to find a specific kind of tuna that one can only get in Italy or through importers. Yes, I’m a tuna snob.
So, we spent only a few minutes perusing the few things they did have and decided to exit. There was quite a long line for the liquor they sell.
We were somewhat intrigued by their lasagna for two that we saw in the case, so we may return to try that.
If you’re seeking an Italian specialty shop, I believe that you’d be at a loss here. I may be spoiled by the pickings to which I got used while living in New York.

Good prices on wine, beer, and booze for sure. But they don’t take credit or debit cards. Cash or qualifying check only.
I wasted a roundtrip across Mpls. and S.P. in heavy Sat. afternoon traffic to get there and back, put my stuff on the counter, only to learn I couldn’t buy it. The kid said use the ATM. Well, I never use an ATM. Don’t even know the PIN on my card. OK, mea culpa. I didn’t read every word in the ad. But who does? The cash hassle and the cruddy long urban drive mean I won’t be back. I would have saved 6 bucks or something at this place. Not worth it. Total Wine or Big TOp for me.
Moral of the story: If you go, bring a wad of cash.

You have to go to Morelli’s!!! I learned about this little gem of a place from a friend of mine who has been going to Morelli’s for years for her wine, beer, liquor and their expertly cut meats. The butchers in the butcher shop know their stuff, answered all of our questions and made some excellent recommendations. We had visitors in from out of town and both of our guests we had for dinner said the steaks they have EVER HAD… tender, tasteful… I just cannot say enough. this place has been around since 1919 and you can tell all of the employees value and honor that family tradition. The prices are very competitive. They have starter packs for meat that give you a variety of meats and cuts that is reasonably priced. They make their own lasagna and many other Italian dishes they flash freeze so you can take them home to enjoy later. Again, if you value the experience of stepping back in time to a place where customer service was valued and a butcher shop gave expert advice, then this is the place no matter how far you have to drive… The parking is limited but the way they move folks through the shop, there is always a spot to park… Just go… you won’t regret it. And one more thing. sign up for their newsletter and they send you coupons by e-​mail to use to save even more…

This is the only place I buy beer, wine and liquor. They are lower than anywhere else I have found in St. Paul. They only take cash, and I am fine with that, because I spend less here than any of the competitors charge.

They only accept cash. However, they have a great selection and awesome prices! Definitely recommend!

Best prices in town on alcohol. Be careful in the parking lot, a lot of accidents happen here. I park on 7^th: it’s easier to get in and out and avoid the congestion!
The deli always looks great. I got their cold tuna pasta salad with peas … Just like my mom used to make!
They carry Curt’s salsa if you like it!
They will help you carry out to your car if you need it, and with the prices, it’s easy to go overboard! They only take cash though, so remember to bring it!

This place is great. It has a great selection of liquor, beers and wines and even a deli. Found everything I wanted easily and for cheap. Only negative is that they don’t take card, just cash. Highly recommended!

The crowded little parking strip in front of Morelli’s gives you clues that this place is special: it’s an assortment of every kind of vehicle, from junker to Mercedes, jostling to maneuver into a spot to park. Morelli’s is your kick-​ass deli + liquor store. I love the variety of liquor here and the great pricing. I’m guessing that lots of the bottles are the cheapest in town. The deli has old fashioned sausages and good looking meat cuts also at bargain prices. For those times that fast food or grocery pizza is just too scary, I try to make sure to have a Morelli’s pizza and pasta in the freezer. Service here is also top notch. Considering this place has been around since WWI, it’s not surprising that Morelli’s knows its stuff. I’m happy that a place with some authenticity and complete lack of pretense can thrive this long.

Very nice assortment at rock bottom prices.
They also have dried pasta, frozen pizzas and other pastas, deli items and meat!
This is truly a one stop shop.
They only take cash or check and parking is tough, be patient it is worth it.

Pork chop on a stick and a liquor store? Really??? That could almost be a new image for the «Life is Good» campaign.
So I’ve been on a «make my own thin crust pizza cut in squares» kick and my mentor has repeatedly told me to go here and get the sausage. I should’ve listened sooner vs later but at least I listened. The sweetness is amazing and perfect compared to other places I’ve tried.
But then I saw them near the sausage; pork chops on a stick, marinating away. $ 1.49 each? Yes please! Perfect little bbq’ing morsels of goodness.
They also have T-​Bones and other steaks, well priced. Pastas and sauces by the 5 quart bag full. Frozen lasagna’s and raviolis with an assortment of fillings I haven’t seen elsewhere.
Then I started perusing the liquor prices. Hokey shmokes! Some of my usual buys in craft beer were at least a buck, and in some instances for a 750ml bottle, $ 4 less. Wines and other spirits also competitively priced.
I’ve only been during the week and during the day so I haven’t experienced the mayhem but the place inside is crowded with merchandise so I can see that being a problem.
Like other reviews have said, cash is king in this joint and you’ll walk out empty handed if you try with anything else.

Awesome discount liquor store.
Way out of the way for me, but I made the trip because of what I had heard of them.
There are great promotions on their website, and I picked up a $ 10 off rebate 2 bottles of smirnoff when I went. After the sale price + rebate, they ended up costing me about $ 6 a bottle. That’s about the price for a shot of them when you go out.
I was also greatly surprised at their craft beer selection. Don’t expect to pay dirt cheap prices for these though-​they are worth a splurge.
I was able to pickup a case of Summit Saga for $ 10.88 (pre-​tax) which is the best price I’ve ever seen for it.
I plan on going here for every big party I have or whenever I’m in the neighborhood.

This place gets crowded
Unbeatable booze prices
Bring Yuppie Food Stamps
All my relatives swear Morrelli’s is the cheapest liquor store in town. They are right! Everything I looked for here was a couple bucks cheaper than I am accustomed to seeing. Parking lot was small and hectic. Waited several minutes for a spot to open up. Inside was also a zoo. Narrow aisles without a lot of room to maneuver among the masses of humanity. No credit cards. Worth the hassles to save some decent ching. My advice: avoid going on Friday when people get off of work, bring lots of cash and stock up!

Every time i go to morellies it has been an experience! i always find everything i need and the pasta selection is good. I enjoy shopping in the delli and meat section! Remember every one this is a cash only place. Parking is limited but people are very quick to go in and out

Best Deals on Beer Liquor. Do I need to say more? The Meat Market is good too but I come for the good deals on booze and beer.
They do NOT take credit cards so bring some cash.

everything you may need, but only if you have cash. Which is really frustrating to learn about when you’ve shopped and put everything up on the counter. I’m sure there are signs at the door, but maybe not. Who knows. They have frozen pizzas from Italian place next door.

First time here today and I liked what I saw! If you are looking for that old time, small town, meat market. this is the place for you! The prices are great and the meat quality is far superior than any chain grocery store.
It was so packed today but they have so many people working, you check out really quickly. You can tell these folks have been in business for years because everything is run so efficiently. I am going to go mid-​week next time though so I can maneuver around better.
I was not in the market for spirits today but they had a huge selection. If you look online, you can see their weekly specials and coupons so check that out.
I most definitely will make Morelli’s a weekly stop of mine.
P. S. They have other food items besides meats too like Butternut Squash Ravioli which I can not wait to make and other pasta and Italians items such as Olive oils and breads.

Where do I buy beer and wine in bulk? Well, there is only one place in Saint Paul to buy wine and beer in bulk: Morelli’s Market off of Payne Ave.
This is a figurative statement, because you can buy alcohol in bulk at most any liquor store. Which I am well aware of. But in my world, Morelli’s is it.
Morelli’s has been a Saint Paul institution since 1915, but the vast majority of people I meet under the age of 35 have never heard of it. That needs to change. Morelli’s is a fully stocked liquor store, and an Italian market complete with a meat counter.
They don’t do make to– order sandwiches or slices of pizza, but they have all the Italian staples you need and great frozen entrees. Last fall, I bought 3 pans of lasagna to feed a bachelor party and the guys loved it. Tried to pass it off as homemade to no avail.
For me the real draw is the booze. Morelli’s has the best prices in town, and I know because I have been to every liquor store in town. Morelli’s is able to keep their prices low because they move so much inventory. Every time I’m in Morelli’s, someone is buying case after case. Just last week, the guy ahead of me bought ten cases of High Life and a case of brandy. The guy behind me bought three cases of wine. They sell a ton of alcohol, and the more you sell the less you can sell it for.
This is the perfect place to buy liquor for a party; but unlike lots of liquor stores, you don’t have to buy in bulk to save money. Their individual bottle prices are always 10 to 15% cheaper than elsewhere. One of my go– to Irish whiskeys is Bushmills, and at Morelli’s it’s never more than $ 16 a bottle ($ 18 to $ 22 everywhere else).
There are two minor problems with Morelli’s. The first is that they do not take credit cards. It’s cash and local check only. This helps them keep the prices down, and I for one am willing to hit a cash machine to keep it that way.
The second is that the high-​end selection at Morelli’s is not the best. Morelli’s is liquor for the people. They focus on carrying the beer, wine and liquor that people drink most often. Booze that they will sell, and not just sit on their shelves. This means they don’t carry many wines over $ 20 a bottle, their craft beer section is limited and the very high-​end liquor is scarce. So if you’re looking for that $ 40 bottle of wine for a gift, you may want to read last Friday’s post. If you are looking for staples to stock a bar, or that middle of the road bottle that you drink all the time, then Morelli’s is the place.
Now you may be saying to yourself, «Can the prices really be that good?» Well. I believe they are. For the party, I paid $ 89 for a case of Apothic Red, a red blend perfect for a party. That’s $ 7.42 a bottle, and most places carry it for about $ 10. Case of Cupcake Chardonnay was $ 84, exactly $ 7 a bottle. $ 9, or about that, elsewhere. There is no place in Saint Paul that can compete with those prices. The only place that can is Chicago Lake Liquors is Minneapolis. But there, you run the risk of getting crabs because you bumped into a prostitute.
So listen up young people of Saint Paul! Morelli’s is not just your Father or Grandfather’s liquor store. Although, I do I run into my Dad there all the time.
It is a store for the people! People who want to get pissed without going broke!
I Taylor Swift hand heart Morelli’s.

This isn’t the type of shop you think it is. To call it just a liquor store is a huge disservice to the other wonderful things you can find here.
Where else can you get fresh butcher-​style meat, home-​made pasta, sauces AND cheap liquor?
Their lobster ravioli is fantastic (and they also have a fairly large selection of other pastas – frozen-​fresh and fresh). Their meat is fresh and good-​quality. You can pick up cheese, house-​made sausage (particularly good), steaks, bread and more.
Keep an eye out for: Shopping carts of deeply discounted liquor. We’ve gotten a huge bottle of Bailey’s Caramel for $ 3… some great-​for-​white-​russians vanilla vodka for $ 2… «we-​only-​have-​one-​bottle-​left-​of-​this-​fancy-​wine» for $ 4… you get the idea.
If you’re looking for specific liquor XYZ, you might not find it here – the place is more like an alcoholic treasure hunt.
Bring cash. They don’t take credit cards or checks. Ehhem. So delightfully old school.