Pepino's

I brought my dad here as a thank you, knowing that he and my mom used to frequent the Walled Lake location before it burned down. He had no idea that Pepino's rebuilt in Sylvan lake and was thrilled when I invited him to meet me for dinner. We came on a weeknight and met at 530. There were a couple seated tables inside and a couple out on the patio. Our hostess sat us near the kitchen and our server came straight away for a drink order. They have a few reds, a few whites and a few sparkling wine selections and a full bar. From what I've been told their pours are always favorable and while they may not get into anything craft cocktail they make a really strong mixed drink. It seems like one of the things they're known for.
We forewent an app since they were out of calamari the night we came but they brought their bean salad and bread basket. That was a nice treat, a simple but well executed mix of beans and dressing and a nice assortment of bread and butter. For dinner my dad had been raving that he and my mom always always got the trout so I had to give it a try. My dad ordered the same. The trout came out fileted and lightly battered and what I'd say was pan fried and then fired under a broiler to get the top exquisitely browned and crisp. I ordered Lyonnaise potatoes a la carte to round out the dish which were also simple but fantastic. We skipped dessert having had a filling meal. Service was top notch, friendly and quick. I'm looking forward to going back for the Roadhouse frog legs and the strip steak which I have on good authority is a local favorite. This is a throwback and it has a loyal following. As we were tabbing out it started to fill up and as I was driving away droves were descending on Pepino's. It's best to come a little early I'd suggest.

I was in Michigan for a wedding and this was the rehearsal dinner restaurant of choice. I was skeptical being from out of town and going to a higher end restaurant in a lakeside community. I read the reviews before I went and decided on the rainbow trout and calamari. To my surprise everything was excellent and flavorful. Our party kept getting bigger and bigger and they definitely worked with my Uncle and made space for him and his guest on a busy Friday evening. The crowd is definitely mature and older. The food is fresh and tasty. The staff was very pliable and pleasant.

I'm actually going to MIchigan this week and I may need to go again for that rainbow trout. We will see.

Nice environment with trout and
lamb chops still excellent and complimentary white bean salad served
with fresh garlic toast bread basket .
Petite frog legs unique to their restaurant are delicious . Prices creeping up since
reduced capacity dining

I don't live here, but have been here a couple times for family dinners. First let me say that Pepino's serves a healthy pour for their glasses of wine, very fair for what you pay per glass.

Before you even order, dinner starts with a medley of various breads and a delicious white bean salad.

I know this is an Italian place, but each time I've been here I got the trout. It is cooked perfectly and is delicious. Dinner is served with soup or salad and either rice or a choice of potato.

Other diners tonight had the grilled salmon or the filet minion salad. Both were reportedly perfectly cooked and very tasty.

Though they don't need a good review, here's another. Sorry I didn't take photos before digging in.

Very disapointed. Our food was day old, cold. Wilty small salad. Old dried bread basket with bread sticks and dried up toast. We used to go here years ago and loved it. Had not been in many years, invited another couple. UGH
Not sure why the wait to get a table of 1hr. Do not reccomend .
Waitress was nice. Not her fault.

We went to Pepino's to celebrate my nephew's 27th birthday. I'd been curious about it, since the reviews seem to indicate people either love it or hate it. And, I was also curious because this space has housed so many other restaurants (among them, The Lodge, which relocated down the block years ago), so I wanted to see what they did with the space.

We went on a frigid Wednesday night, so even though we had a reservation, it probably wouldn't have been necessary.

The server appeared after each person arrived and asked for drink orders. Shortly after everyone arrived, she brought the amazingly delicious bread basket (what everybody said about the garlic bread is true -- it's amazingly good!) and bowl of beans.
While I certainly liked the beans, it seemed like a weird thing to serve.

I ordered the chicken breasts with the cranberry & pear chutney, and vegetables for the side dish. The chutney was served in a little dish, rather than on the chicken, as I'd expected. The chicken was warm, but not hot. But the combination of the chutney on the chicken was good. However, the vegetables left something to be desired. They were obviously a frozen mix of plain broccoli, cauliflower & carrots, and they weren't warm enough; everyone at the table sent them back to be reheated.

One person had the filet mignon. It was tasty, but much too salty. The trout that my sister ordered was good -- probably overcooked & too dry for most people, but my sister & I tend to like it that way. Two others in our party had the lamb chops and said they were very good. The birthday boy had the chicken fettuccine, which he said as good but very rich.

I wish that half stars were an option on Yelp, as the service was very good, but the food was, well, just ok. But, if given the opportunity, I would return and try something that's more traditionally Italian.

I'm scratching my head trying to figure out these good reviews - and their parking lot is usually full. I'm confused, have these people tried a real Italian restaurant before? In reality it deserves 2 stars but I'm being generous.

Service: Everyone was very nice, starting with, I think, the owner, and the waiter.

Ambiance: eh.

Food. They give you bread and bean salad for the table. They were ok. Calamari appetizer was OK, nothing to wow about. Marinara sauce is bland. The real downers were the entrees. Chicken Linguini Primavera "sauteéd chicken breast & fresh vegetables served with alfredo or marinara sauce". No linguine - angel hair pasta instead. And it sounded like they haven't had linguine in a long time. "Fresh" vegetables were canned carrots and then topped with canned diced tomatoes.

2 other fish entrees we had were pretty bland as well.

Food was good and service excellent. Our wait person was a bit overworked but did good by us. Wanted to sit outside and was willing to wait. Quoted 30 min wait but was give a no show slot after about 15 min. Was busy for a Tuesday dinner at 6:30 pm.

Trout shout out!
Get the trout. It's their speciality. It's cooked to perfection every time and beyond delicious. They do "country club" pour for the drinks, which is double the size of most restaurants. The bar is big and integrated with the table area. Get there early on Fri and Sat because the regulars scoop up the bar seats. There's a fun, lively vibe to the place. Lots of pretty people if you like people watching.

I have not been since they were in walled Lake. I was shocked at the poor quality of food that is totally overpriced. They are also over run with fruit fly's. The server said " it's that time of year". No, nobody is cleaning that's the problem. I've been in food service all my life I know what they mean. You need a chef if want those prices the person cooking hasn't any idea what they are doing.