A guy walks into a bar …
Most likely you’ve heard any one of the numerous jokes that begin that way. That is where the true-life story begins of Romero’s, a popular family-owned and -operated upscale Italian eatery and cocktail lounge in downtown Mount Sterling. The restaurant is celebrating its third anniversary in 2025.
In 2014, George C. Romero left Los Angeles, traveling the country, and serendipitously decided to make a stopover in Lexington.
“It was love at first sight,” George noted upon meeting Rebecca, who was working as a bartender in the establishment he visited. “I sat down at the bar and had one drink, and we kept talking and talking. Never got up until they threw me out.”
George was so smitten with her that he “baited her,” leaving behind his ring in hopes that she would reach out to him to return it—and she did. The ploy worked. He not only fell in love with Rebecca, but he also fell in love with Kentucky. The pair later would marry in Mount Sterling. When people ask how long they have been married, they give the same answer: “Not long enough.”
Today, they have two children, two grandchildren and five rescue dogs.
In addition to co-owning Romero’s with Rebecca, George—a son of the late George A. Romero, the legendary American-Canadian film director, writer, editor and actor and considered by many to be the grandfather of the horror and zombie film genre—is also a producer, director, comics writer and contributor to the futureverse of Heavy Metal magazine. He is also one half of Romero Pictures, along with Rebecca. With almost two dozen films and hundreds of commercial campaigns under his belt, George has written, produced and/or directed and arranged financing for more than 35 film, television and streaming projects and serves as a business consultant and mentor for young and new filmmakers, content creators and entrepreneurs.
He recently became head of the Montgomery County Film Commission and the newly formed Eastern Kentucky Film Commission.
Rebecca is a native of Wolfe County and grew up at the “mouth of the holler.” She is a self-proclaimed “closet artist” and, according to George, “one hell of a singer.” She prefers to sing Fleetwood Mac “and the older stuff.” You may catch her performing at Romero’s during karaoke on Open Mic Night.
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For years, Rebecca and George drove by the current location of Romero’s and ate at the various restaurants that previously occupied the space. In the Romero home, George cooked while teaching their son, Seth, what he had learned over a lifetime of cooking. As the family sat around their dinner table, they would talk about the meal, discussing questions such as: “Is this something we would serve if we ever opened a restaurant?” “Would this be viable to make in large quantities?” and “What would we charge for this in order to be competitive?”
“I don’t think we realized it at the time, but we were planning for an opportunity that God was fixing to place before us,” Rebecca said.
One night, Rebecca and George were dining at the restaurant that occupied the space now known as Romero’s, and George spoke with the owner, who offered to sell the Romeros the business. After long talks with the family and much deliberation, Rebecca, George and Seth decided to take the plunge and do what they had discussed for years. About a week later, George and Rebecca accepted the previous restaurant owner’s offer.
Romero’s opened in August 2022 as a Cuban restaurant for its first few months.
“Then, one day, Becky asked, ‘Why don’t we switch to Italian?’ ” George recalled. “I said, ‘I’m from Pittsburgh. I do know how to make Italian food.’ ”
Italian food undoubtedly is an American favorite, as many grew up exposed to Italian cuisine at the dinner table. Italian restaurants are a staple of dining out in this country. Italian food showcases simple ingredients. (Who doesn’t love garlic?) As noted on the website VisitItaly.eu, “The greatest ingredient that makes Italian food truly special is its ability to connect people through sharing meals.”
George believes that a proper meal “should tantalize all of the senses and not be something that one rushes through.”
Twenty-year-old Seth, aka Nighthawk, is the head chef. He possesses a passion for food that developed naturally, and his culinary skills come from years of learning from George.
“I started cooking one night at home, and [Seth] just started standing next to me,” George said. “I’ve been training him for the last 10 years, and I’ve tried to train him to be adventurous—to not be afraid to try things that don’t seem to work together.”
Some might question opening an upscale Italian restaurant in a town with a population of 7,558—a world away from Italy—but with its enticing, varied menu items, Romero’s has been well received and frequented by locals, sports figures, actors, politicians and guests traveling from many miles away.
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Romero’s offers an ever-evolving Italian fusion menu that changes as its chef-driven kitchen develops new dishes—an inspired pairing of the freshest, high-quality ingredients and exquisite flavor combinations. The restaurant scores an impressive 4.8 on Facebook, 5/5 on Microsoft’s Bing, 5.0 on Tripadvisor and 5.0 on Yelp.
“Hands down, our salmon dishes are our top sellers. We offer a Smoke and Spice Salmon Pasta and a Lemon Caper Salmon Pasta, and we joke that if we ever took those off the menu, people would come after us,” George said. “Our Chicken Piccata is also top of the charts along with our burger and chicken parm handhelds.
“Our menu offers a diverse and rustic take on many traditional Italian dishes, so we love it when guests tell us they enjoy working their way through our entire menu.”
Starters include Bruschetta, Toasted Meatballs, Parmesan Truffle Fries, The Mozzarella (six “massive” hand-breaded cheese sticks served with house marinara or spicy chorizo dipping sauce) and Arancini (four toasted house-made risotto rice balls filled with cheese and wild mushrooms).
Salad choices start with The House (topped with red onion, cucumber, julienne carrots, cherry tomatoes, and feta or bleu cheese crumbles). Add house-made bruschetta and/or choice of protein (chicken, shrimp or salmon) for an additional charge. Paying tribute to George’s hometown, The Pittsburgh salad is topped with 48-hour marinated steak, hand-cut fries, shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses, served with house balsamic vinegar and house-made ghost pepper ranch.
Main courses include Italian Drunken Noodles (sweet Italian sausage, garlic, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives and a touch of spice to add some heat), the Smoke & Spice Salmon (served over spicy garlic chipotle pasta), The Bolognese (sweet Italian sausage, regional beef and chorizo red wine sauce served over house pappardelle pasta noodles), The Roman Puttanesca (crushed anchovies, kalamata olives, garlic and capers in a red wine and San Marzano tomato pan sauce) and The Pomodoro (roasted garlic cloves, fresh basil and cherry tomatoes in a white wine pan sauce). Several other pasta options are available, and each is served with an organic side salad and house-made bread.
The Burger is made from a mix of regional beef and chorizo. You can double the beef and/or add an egg. Other sandwich options include The Philly (48-hour marinated steak, green peppers and onions, mozzarella and provolone), The Wrap (blackened chicken breast, organic spring mix, fresh tomatoes, red onion and cheese in a giant tortilla) and The Parm (hand-breaded and pan-fried and served on a hoagie roll with house-made marinara and melted mozzarella). Each handheld is served with hand-cut fries. Upgrade to hand-cut onion rings for an additional charge. Desserts change, so check with your server for the day’s dessert offerings.
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Operating a family-owned restaurant can have its challenges. The 2025 Independent Restaurant Industry Report noted that many independent restaurants are just one emergency away from closing their doors permanently. Romero’s experienced a nearly catastrophic event last October when its refrigerator’s compressor went out. For almost two months, the restaurant had no walk-in cooler and no keg cooler.
“We were completely down the first two weeks but then we managed to reopen,” George recalled. “We went to the grocery store almost daily. We ran a limited menu.”
“It happened on a Sunday, in the middle of Mount Sterling’s annual Court Days Festival,” Rebecca said. “We lost a lot of customers, but we didn’t give up.”
With a small staff, it is all hands on deck to keep the business running smoothly. “We both will bus tables, bartend, run food, wash dishes … You have to,” George said.
Many events take place at Romero’s, including a Women in Business Networking event on the first Tuesday of each month. Tuesdays also are ‘Teachers Tuesdays”; Wednesdays are “Wine-Down Wednesdays”; and Open Mic Night is on Thursdays.
The Romeros are considering opening a second location “in a popular place,” but no formal plans are in the works.
Rebecca is quick to point out that operating the restaurant has allowed the Romero family to meet some “really great people” whom they consider to be like family, and they continue to fully embrace the many challenges of successfully operating an independent restaurant.
“It is all worth it when we stand in the dining room full of guests and watch our servers deliver food to their tables, then see their eyes light up and their phones come out to take photos. And they share bites of their dishes with others at their table to looks of amazement,” Rebecca said. “It’s a feeling unlike anything we have ever felt before.”
“We wake up every day with grace and gratitude and love in our heart, George said. “We are not going anywhere. There is not a day we thought about giving up. We are here to stay.”
Romero’s, 2 Main Street, Mount Sterling
859.520.3075
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m.; Friday, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday, 3-9:00 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Reservations are recommended for parties larger than six. The venue is also available for rehearsal dinners, cocktail receptions and private events.