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Pepino's Italian Restaurant

MY REVIEW: After just moving into the neighborhood, I was excited to see a quaint looking Italian restaurant so close to my new home. Unfortunately, the dining experience left a lot to be desired. The restaurant was empty, yet the service was painfully slow. The food was good, but there wasn't much of it and the prices tended to be on the steep side. I really wanted to love this place, maybe I'll give it another try once they get all these issues fixed.

NAME: giantsFAN
SUBMITTED: 7/18/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 03/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Great atmosphere, fabulous food and service! This is one of our favorite spots in Houston. It's tucked away and takes you to another world. Knowing that this is a family run restaurant (wife works the dining room and hubby works the kitchen) amazes me every time. We love to bring our own wine and impress our friends with this hidden gem!

If you don't have time for the full experience and are in a rush, Pepino's might not be for you. You have to slow down and savor every sip of wine and bite of food while dining here.

NAME: TW Houston
SUBMITTED: 7/5/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: Tonight was my third time going to Pepino's and I must say this is now one of my favorite Italian restaurants.

The food is authentic, of course it's going to be pricy. You just don't get food slapped on a plate, this is real gourmet food.

I had the Red Pepe which is snapper in a white wine sauce it came with a side of angel hair pasta in marinara and I was definitely satisfied right when I saw the decoration of the meal I knew it'd be good.

I must disagree with some comments below regarding the staff, the staff is always very attentive and kind, and the chef always swings by to see if everything is okay.

Being from NY I'm extremely picky about my Italian food but I've been impressed of how fresh and tasty the food is. I definitely recommend it to those who know about good food.

NAME: Barbara
SUBMITTED: 5/22/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: I pretty much agree with the other reviews here. Service was slow, portions were small for the cost, most tables were empty--even at 7pm on a Friday night. But it wasn't a bad meal. I was a bit disappointed with the canneloni, however. Instead of using a specially prepared filling, the chef just stuffed the pasta with the same sauce bolognese that topped my husband's spaghetti entree--not at all authentic Italian or Italian-American.

NAME: Philly Girl in Houston
SUBMITTED: 4/29/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: My fiance and I decided to stop by Pepino's for a nice dinner. I'll tend to agree with most of the previous reviews, the food is good, but overpriced. The waitress was friendly, but rarely seen. Ultimately, although everything was delicious, I just have a hard time justifying such a pricey meal at a restaurant next to a washateria.

NAME: EpicureHTX
SUBMITTED: 2/2/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: The food is delicious! This is a REAL Italian place don't expect to be in and out in 30 minutes. This was my first time and I absolutely loved it! I will definitely be back.

Pros: GREAT FOOD! Quiet/Romantic Atmosphere with white linen, paintings and candles, red walls, great music, nice selection of wines, BYOB with small cork fee.

Cons: There really isn't any everything was great; perfect for a romantic date!

NAME: Local
SUBMITTED: 11/9/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2009
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: If you desire a "cookie cutter, O*live Garden style restaurant", this is not the place for you. If you happen to desire an Italian restaurant that serves food tasting like it just might have "roots" in Italy, this is the place for you.

Everything we ate: bread, soup, sausage and peppers, Osso Bucco down to the homemade cannoli was outstanding!! The service was "familial", never rushed and much, much better than average. The décor was a little "kitschy", but what real, family owned, Italian restaurant can't make that claim? Besides, as Grandma Pettito would say, "we are not going there to eat the decorations".

In fact, the only negative my wife and I noticed regarded the size of the "portions" relative to their prices. (A serious problem in a City like Houston, where “size matters”.) Still, it remains true; you get what you pay for in this life. Thus, my wife and I decided tonight. We would rather pay a few dollars more and eat a few mouthfuls less as long as it is a Pepino's!!!

NAME: MMP
SUBMITTED: 2/16/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/16/2008
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: This place is great if you want: quiet ambience. Kinda dark even. If its busy, which usually it isn't, the service might be slow. But take the chance. It often is not busy. Pepi will often emerge from the kitchen to take your order personally. I think its pretty good eating, particularly if you stick with the specials.

The bottom line is, Pepino is a great cook, but his restaurant could benefit from management and marketing help.

I will always go there because I don't have to wait. Quaint with a capital Q. I think there are 14 tables, many of which are used to fold napkins on.

NAME: Tom
SUBMITTED: 1/24/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/08
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: Very quaint, white-table-cloth, little place. Only a house wines by the glass but decent prices on the wines by the bottle. My first choice from the menu was lasagna but I was told they didn’t have any because they didn’t make any today. An Italian place with no lasagna???? Entrees that we ended up with were good but not outstanding with realistic portion sizes for the price. You get a generous helping of meatballs on your pasta dish for the $3.50 extra. We thought the cannoli for dessert was really good but we are not Italian so perhaps our opinions cannot be trusted...

NAME: LRHouston
SUBMITTED: 12/13/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: This is a small place with great atmosphere and excellent food. The lamb is to die for. My wife generally goes for seafood and it always pleases. Generally I go with the whatever the special is. I had no idea I liked escargot until I tried it here once. I loved it, so I had it again a week later at a different restaurant. I found out I didn't like it after all... that is, unless Pepinos prepares it. True, the portions are sensible and will not leave you stuffed. Neither will the din of noise make you think you are at a new year's eve party. I have always been impressed with the quality of the house wine. I have always found the wait staff to be attentive but not overbearing. I suspect the wait staff is more compatible with people who want to socialize and take their time to enjoy the food. If you are in a hurry maybe it is best for you to go somewhere else and come back here when you want to relax. The coffee is always fresh, and the desserts seem to vary with each visit. You won't find formula cooking here. You'll find originality and quality. It costs a little more, but especially if you want a little romance and/or european style quality this should meet your needs.

NAME: ewoodsman
SUBMITTED: 11/19/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/19
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: food is tasty and unless a glutton the portions the correct size, service is fair, the owner fantastic

NAME: Manuel Barrera
SUBMITTED: 5/7/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/07
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: This is one of those places that there are many items on the menu they do especially well, and there are some that are so-so. Overall, many items do taste great, it is a bit pricey, and service can be slow.

However, and I will say this... when my friends and I go, we are not there to be sped along. It is definitely a sit-down for a while outing. This is not some suburban O*live Garden. This is a real restaurant. Small staff means slower service, but the food is great and the wine selection is healthy for a small venue.

Expect to spend some time here, but overall it is a good selection of food and wine. Slightly overpriced, but I do love it none the less.

NAME: Gil
SUBMITTED: 1/23/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: So-so food. Clearly overpriced and we had to make multiple trips to the wait station to beg for service. Never again.

NAME: Dan
SUBMITTED: 1/13/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: january 7
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: OK food. Pricey. Bad Service. Not sure if i'll go back.

NAME: George
SUBMITTED: 1/7/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/07
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Bad Service...The waitress was incredibly bad. She didn't get our order right and then proceeded to argue about it. It is overpriced as well!

NAME: Paul
SUBMITTED: 5/11/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/06
FREQUENCY: Visited once

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