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In my backyard is the original Peppino's location which got started in 1985 when I was merely 5 years old. Since then, this restaurant has experienced tremendous growth and exploded like a chain all over South Orange County.
Peppino's has a great location and the ambiance is perfect. It's dimly lit with small checkered tables outfitting the place, and family run and owned. Our waiter was prompt to start us off with drinks and get some bread to our table.
Considering the history and a great start to our meal, I was expecting the experience to carry me off to Italy, my mouth to burst with an explosion of flavors, and leave me transported far away from here.
Our Ceaser salad and bread was pretty good but I was expecting the waiter to come back with some cracked pepper but perhaps, I needed to ask for that. This seems to be a custom at other chain restaurants like Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden so I expected the same from a restaurant that claims to be authentic. Oh well. I guess the chains are a step above here.
We ordered off the specialty items menu and got the Pasta Toscana for my friend which is sauteed capicolla and onions with Romano cheese served with Marsala sauce. I ordered the Gnocchi Alla Joe - tri-colored potato dumplings sauteed with diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and basil and topped with Romano cheese and marinara sauce. Our food looked colorful and flavorful as it sat there but one bite quickly proved that theory wrong. My friend's pasta looked something that could easily be duplicated at home with some fettuccine and red pasta sauce and my plate was a sad, mushy mess devoid of flavor. I only got through all of it because I didn't eat breakfast and I was hungry.
Overall, I'm a little disappointed but I'm giving this place 3 stars because the service was great. Our waiter didn't miss a beat and I liked the bread and salad despite the missing cracked pepper. Maybe I need to come back and try some other dishes and change my rating because I'm sure there's something to this place if it's voted People's Choice by the Orange County Register and several other awards adorning the walls of this fine establishment. One day, I'll crack the mystery with another meal. For now, the 3 stars stand.
Joe and his wife are usually right inside the door to welcome you, take you to your seat and make sure you get a bsket of warm bread with butter.
This bustling, family-owned Italian sucess story has a menu filled with old world flavor. Cheese, peperoni, butter, spinach and garlic - and that's just the baked specialty rolls!
The marsella is world-class.
My old coworkers introduced me to this place. And I'm glad they did! Really decent Italian-American food and in the right atmosphere with the right service.
Everytime I walk out of Peppinos, I am stuffed to the max and likely with leftovers. One of my favorites is the pesto pizza (I think it had chicken as well). It's so good that one of the managers at my old workplace ate my leftovers over the weekend! Of course, I can only assume it was him as he maintained a slight smirk on his face after publicly complaining that people shouldn't steal other peoples' lunches from the fridge!
Anyway, I still like the LF location as that's the only location I *know*
I plan to be back soon if I'm in the area!
The food at this restaurant is nothing special to come back for. My food was pretty bland and it was kind of pricey considering the quality of food that we got. Came here on a Saturday night, pretty late, around 8:30 pm, and it was packed. This restaurant closes early on the weekends - 10:00 pm!!! There is a much older crowd here, think 40-70 year old. I think I was the youngest couple eating there.
The table was very small for 2 average size people. It was a 2-seater table that was pushed up against a wall and also had an annoying holder thing that took up a lot of the already small table space. This holder housed the olive oil and balsamic vinegar bottles, salt and pepper shakers, red pepper shaker, Parmesan cheese shaker and a hard cover drink menu book.
You got a basket of 2 types of bread: a white bread loaf (which was tasteless) that was toasted and white bread which looked like they brushed a bit of pizza sauce on top with some herbs. Not my favorite. I was expecting at least some garlic bread!
I started off with a Caesar salad. It was a good size to share but had no flavor what so ever. There was shredded mozzarella cheese in it and no Parmesan cheese. Very odd! The dressing and salad had no Parmesan cheese in it or anchovy taste, and to top it off, the restaurant has no fresh cracked pepper to offer. That is the staple for a Caesar salad - Parmesan cheese, anchovies and fresh cracked pepper.
I ordered the fettuccine alfredo and it came out super hot. Actually too hot to eat for at least 5 minutes. The noodles were not fresh (not homemade) and the sauce was very, very greasy with no flavor. I had to add tons of salt and pepper along with the Parmesan cheese at the table to give it some taste. Also, this restaurant has no freshly grated Parmesan cheese to add to your pasta's, just what is already at the table. Funny though, the cooler the pasta got the more separated the alfredo sauce got. Within 10 minutes what was leftover of the sauce became a thick white paste surrounded in 1/4 cup of buttery grease. Not appetizing!
The waiters and waitresses are very nice and fast and you do get a lot of pasta for the price, but the quality and taste of food needs to be there for me to want to come back again.
Average. Went for lunch and there was no lunch specific menu which I thought odd. So it's pretty expensive for lunch. Food was large portioned (dinner size). Table bread was warm and delicious. Service was good if not a bit too eager. Over all I was put off by the prices being it's you run of the mill family Italian type spot.
Cute little Italian place, with the classic checkerboard table cloths. Ate here for the first time today. It's so good, I'm procrastinating to finish my paper that has to be emailed by midnight tonight!
I went with a friend. We ordered the Italian club sandwich. In the meantime, we enjoyed fresh-baked bread. There were 2 kinds - one was focaccia, and the other was ciabata I believe. Whatever kind of bread it was, it was to die for! When our sandwich came out (we split it in half), because it was so big, the bread was warm and toasty. The sandwich was.... to die for! So good. You won't be disappointed.
I can't wait to go back and try other things on the menu!
Side note: coffee is a little too strong for my tasting, but nothing that sugar and cream can't fix!
Customer service was on point! Nice people. Will go back again.
Decent food, great service. Came in one day sick. I ordered soup to go and the manager was sweet enough to comp the soup and bread. Thank you! I've tried the calzones (huge and lots of filling), pasta with meat sauce (decent chunks of ground beef) and anti-pasta salad (fresh).
Came by here for lunch, it is a pretty standard family dining Eye-talian joint. The atmosphere was nicer than the exterior would suggest, but I guess a strip mall in Lake Forest sets a pretty low hurdle.
I had the fettucini della casa, which was like a creamy marsala sauce with mushrooms. It was quite tasty, but it is hard to fuck up a cream sauce. My companion had the baked trio, which was three different baked items (manicotti, cannelloni, and something else), it looked pretty cheesy and was reported to be pleasing to the tongue.
Two minuses: he gratis bread was a little stale and the entrees took a while to get out to us. Other than that, service was perfectly adequate.
This is a decent choice for a slightly nicer-than-average lunch or a casual dinner with someone that you aren't trying to impress.
Back in the 80's (Corp. America) we would eat at Peppino's on a regular basis. The Rockfield Peppino's is the original and having a Sicilian background, this was a favorite with my family as well.
Over the years they have opened other locations though I haven't tried any of them since the Rockfield location has always been local to us.
Since it has been quite awhile since we have eaten there we decided to get take out yesterday since it was too blazing hot to even think of cooking at home.
Trying to keep carb's at a minimum (talk about an oxymoron) I ordered the Penne Pasta with olive oil and garlic, my husband ordered the meat ravioli and a side of garlic bread.
The penne was cooked just right (nothing worse than overcooked pasta). Lots of fresh chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. Just enough garlic added for flavor however the olive oil had a slight burnt taste to it.
My Husband said his ravioli was fantastic but never offered me a bite (pig)! Likewise for the garlic bread and no he didn't share a bite of that either!
The portions were huge, my husband managed to polish off every bite of his order while I could only manage to eat half of my Penne.
I did order two cannoli's as well (ok, so there went the carb count, right through the roof)!
In the over 20 years of eating there truthfully I had never ordered a dessert since there was never enough room from being stuffed from a meal, so the cannoli from Peppino's was a first. can't say I'm a big fan of it but more than likely the cannoli is made from cow's milk ricotta which is inferior to a goat ricotta cheese. For the price ($5.50 for one) I would pass on it, certainly not worth the price but that's my opinion.
Now let me say that if I had ordered the pizza, it would get five stars (I adore their pizza)! But the three star rating is due to two things, the burnt taste to the olive oil and price! We spent $45.00+ and although it was a big meal I don't think the cost was worth it.
In retrospect since I did not order a pizza at Peppino's I would of been more happy going to Salvatore (off La Paz in MV), where you can get a complete dinner starting at $9.95 (includes dessert) with a quaint atmosphere and the owner is always cheerful and cannot wait to greet you. More on Salvatore's when I get a chance to write up a review for them.
This place rocks - seriously. I work in the Auto Center around the corner and the very generous president of our company takes a few of us here every couple of weeks (usually every other Friday). I try to order something different each time to sample a variety of items on the menu. My wife and I come here once or twice a month for dinner and have never had a bad experience.
The bread is great, like other reviewers have noted, but resist the urge to fill up. My favorite item is the fried sausage and peppers - absolutely fantastic. Their sausage is very tender and sweet. Peppers that come with it are cooked perfectly - great mix of red and green, and it comes with a side of spaghetti with meat sauce - delicious. My wife loves the fettucine superiore (kind of a shrimp alfredo). They are not stingy with the shrimp on this one. I've also had the lasagna, ravioli, tortellini, and some chicken dishes. Never had the sandwiches, which was commented on by another reviewer, but maybe I'll have to give one a shot next time. Pizza is also awesome.
We have also been to the Woodbury location (Irvine Blvd. and Sand Canyon), but will always go to this location from now on. Not that the Woodbury location is bad, but it's always packed, and Lake Forest is usually empty (and has better food, in my opinion). This is quite the eclectic shopping center, let me tell you - it has a strip club, hookah lounge, a Vietnamese restaurant, a Peruvian restaurant, a Sushi restaurant, a head shop, a dive bar, a massage parlor, among other stores. I'm getting off on a tangent here, but OC doesn't get any better than this.
The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because a few years ago, most items came with salad and/or soup. Both were delicious, especially the minnestrone soup. Now, they do not come with salad or soup, and the prices have increased - WTF?? Don't get me wrong though, this place is still cool. The attached Joes has good cocktails if you like that kind of thing. Drink prices are a little high in my opinion, so I usually order water. What can I say, I'm cheap. But this is damn good italian food - much better than chain crap like Olive Garden, Buca, and Macaroni Grill. Check it out.
Take me on a trip, I'd like to go some day
Take me to New York, I'd love to see L.A.
I really want to come kick it with you
You'll be my...PEPPINO's! - Estelle (American Boy)
We went to the ORIGINAL Peppino's hurray! If you have a choice to go to the other ones or the original you would assume you would go to the original right? Absolutely! The owners of the place greeted us when we entered so that was neato. I thought they would be older haha but nopes! We were able to choose whatever seating we wanted so that was refreshing (not that it was empty, there were quite a bit of people but just alot of tables in the place). As for the food, the portions are so super humongous! I wasn't expecting so much food at all so I guess that's a good thing because I have plenty of leftovers for later. I ordered the chicken pizaiola which I had heard about in the television show, "Everybody Loves Raymond" and they really liked it since it was an authentic Italian dish except I forgot one thing: they were making steak pizaiola so that's a different dish haha but either way, I was glad with my decision.
Food: 3.5 stars --- Service: 4.5 stars --- Atmosphere: 3.5 stars --- Price: 3.5 stars
What a nice place to enjoy some hearty Italian food that tastes like it's from Mom's kitchen. They have an anniv. special going on right now where it's $8.99 for a salad and all-you-can-eat pasta. But of course, after the first bowl which they serve in their 'junior-sized' plate, you are bound to be stuffed. Their pesto sauce is creamy and very flavorful. A bit too rich for my taste in pesto sauce but satisfying enough. The fra dia volo is as expected-spicy and delicious. Next time, I'll be trying their pizza! I couldn't help but drool at the sight of our neighboring table's thin-crust vegetarian one. : )
3.5 stars? Yeah, right! 5 stars ALL THE WAY!
My boyfriend works just across the street, and for years, he'd raved about some "awesome" sandwich place. Each time, I thought, "A sandwich is a sandwich. How 'awesome' can a sandwich possibly be?"
Oh, how ignorant I was!
Parking at the plaza is a breeze, but that just got me thinking, "This place looks like a dump." The exterior makes it look like just any other run-of-the-mill mom & pops restaurant, and the interior wasn't much nicer. Sure, there were cool framed photos of generations of Peppino's and whatnot, but it was dark and dingy. Oddly, it reminded me of a more rustic and family-owned Pizza Hut. The tables are cheap, the chairs are cheap, and the fixtures are cheap. Hmm...
On my first visit, I ordered a Pastrami sandwich while my boyfriend ordered the steak sandwich. Before anything else, they brought out a great basket of assorted breads. Being a total carb-whore, I couldn't help myself and polished off the entire thing as my boyfriend watched in horror. "Save room for the sandwich!" As my mouth was stuffed full of the delicious, warm bread, I couldn't respond verbally. Instead, I stuffed another piece of bread into my mouth as a visual response.
Soon enough, the sandwiches were out, and lordy, lordy! YUM. One bite of my pastrami sandwich, and I was in heaven! I don't even LIKE pastrami that much (my boyfriend made me order it, insisting that it was great), but I became a pastrami convert! Drizzled with a tart Italian dressing, this mammoth sandwich was PERFECTLY salty, PERFECTLY savory, and just PERFECTLY perfect!
I was incredibly satisfied with my meal, but I couldn't help myself from shooting my boyfriend the evil-eye. His steak sandwich looked just as great, but he hadn't offered me any! Selfish!!! The evil-eye did the trick, as he humbly offered me half of his giant steak sandwich. Primly, I plucked the half-sandwich off of his plate and chewed thoughtfully. I gave him a cold glare for his boo-boo, but on the inside, I was basking in a warm, cozy glow of happiness. This steak sandwich, also with that lovely Italian dressing, was so full of flavor! YUM!
Every chance I get (which isn't often, as I don't like driving past Irvine), I am at Peppino's chowing down on my awesome sandwiches. I'm picky, so I don't ever order anything else, but the few friends that I've dragged along over the years have raved about their pastas as well. The portions are large, the food is great, and the service is quite decent, too.
Only two BOOs.
1. You have to order the fries on the side. For some reason, it doesn't come with the meal. But don't be cheap. Order them. Order two plates, in fact. They're freaking fantastic and crispy and yummy!
2. They serve Pepsi products. I almost gave this place 4 stars instead of 5 because of the Pepsi issue (I hate Pepsi products... I am a slave to Coca Cola), but then thought better of it.
If Peppino's was closer, I'd be here every day.
Peppino's! Move to North OC! Please!
I've eaten at Peppino's several times, and have tried a few of their different locations, and it has always been pretty average for me. I have some friends that absolutely love their food, but for some reason I've never found anything on their menu that was very noteable. Last night's visit was no exception. In fact, I ordered the Puttanesca (I am a slave to olives and capers, and the description on their menu was calling my name) and it was probably my least favorite thing I've had from there. It was sooo greasy. I've never been the type to dab at my Pizza Hut with a napkin before eating it, and I'm not going to hate on a little grease, but this was ridiculous. I almost didn't take my leftovers, and I really wasn't excited about eating them for lunch today. That said, most of the things I've ordered from there in the past have been OK. And I had one of "Joe's Dirty Martinis" last night, and that was pretty damn good. And try as I might, I can't give a place that serves good martinis less than 3 stars.
I have been here many times and the food has always been solid. I think my favorite is the chicken and tortellini. They have decent bread. The food can be a little pricey but it's pretty big portions. I have experienced good and bad service.
If I hadn't discovered Sabatino's, I might have been generous enough to give 3 1/2 stars and bump it up to 4 stars. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The seating area is a little tight for my own comfort. I do think they have a pretty good marinara sauce, but I think there are definitely better Italian food in MV/OC. Sabatino is cheaper and pretty good. I think I will save a few bucks and go there. This can also be that we've been to this place so many times that none of us really want to come here anymore. We need something fresh and new!
Overall it's not a bad place. It's located in a dinky but full of restaurant plaza. I always get tempted to eat a different type of cuisine when I got there because it's only a fraction of the price. Don't get me wrong... I am willing to pay tons of money for great food. The dishes range from $13-$20+... it's just not worth it in my food to price ratio for here =P
I am a complicated woman! ^_-
I get happy just knowing I'm gonna eat Peppino's later in the day!! The food is really good, the staff is great. They are a family owned place and its not uncommon to see 3 generations working at the same time :)
The portions are big and tasty and you will leave with a smile on your face.
I went here for lunch today and am still so happy about it that I just have to share.
The service was excellent and the portions LARGE.
I had the shrimp bisque soup and it was out of this world. It is listed as an appetizer, which I found strange but ordered it as my meal and was quite pleased. Lots of chunks of shrimp, tons of veggies, and super creamy yummy tomato basil base.
Can't wait to go here again the next time I am in town.
As a former New Yawker I know great italian food when I taste it! The cooking is top notch and the service is great. If you want to taste real NY pizza this is the only place to go in south county.
I hadn't heard of Peppino's, though my girlfriend works in the area of it, and we wanted somewhere close by to her after she got off work. The whole experience was very good. Surprisingly good. I had noticed overall great reviews from here...but there was not anything just "meh" let alone a problem, to speak of when we were there.
We were seated immediately, and were greeted with a very friendly server named, I believe, Amanda. She immediately asked if she could start us off with any drinks while we were looking over the (HUGE and surprisingly NOT just Italian) menu. While she got those, someone else immediately came by and brought some very, very tasty garlic bread...I was definitely liking this place a lot already and hadnt even placed my order, let alone received it yet! My girlfriend ordered a sausage type dish while I ordered a baked ravioli dish...half meat and half cheese...it was delicious, the perfect temperature, everything. Amanda asked a couple times how everything was and if we needed anything else. I later asked for the manager but not for the reason that most people probably usually do...since I am also in the Hospitality industry, I believe in giving feedback...whether it is negative OR positive....and this was definitely positive and a place I would not hesitate to return to.
I came down here when I visited a special friend down in Irvine (not Special Olympic special, not that there's anything wrong with that).
I like the look of the restaurant. It reminds me of a family owned restaurant that I frequent around my area, pictures of what looks like family members are strewn across the walls. The place was pretty busy for a random weekday so I guess that's a plus.
We ended up getting fried calamari for our appetizer. it was awesome. You know what was even more awesome? She preferred the rings. I preferred the tentacles. Perfect match.
She had the chicken parm and I had something with sausage and cheese. Sausage and cheese! Can it get any better? Both entrees were excellent. Oh, and then we ordered some garlic bread on the side. Oh, what heaven that was! Wait staff was awesome too.
I come here for lunch once in a while..
it's Ok! that's about it.
nothing on the menu really blow your mind away..
to me .. it's not really worth it..
When I asked hubby what he felt like for lunch he said "let's go try out that Italian place in Lake Forest". Ummm.... okay, I guess. I've never been a fan of Italian restaurant in California (except lil Italy in SF) and especially not American-style Italian restaurants. However, I did ask him and this was what he wanted so like the good wife that I am (HAHAHA) I went.
The man who greeted us asked us to just choose wherever we wanted to sit. I chose a corner table but then immediately regretted doing so because it was kinda dark in there and I had forgotten my flashlight so I was kicking myself that I wouldn't be able to get good photos of the food.
The menu read like a book and I hate that. There were just WAY too many choices. However, I did see a few things I liked and ended up ordering the chicken pizzaiola ($15.95). Hubby ordered the baked trio ($8.95) which was off the daily specials board.
A bread basket was brought out to us and I was highly impressed by the hot bread -- sundried tomato foccacia and also these sourdough rolls. As we broke into the freshly baked bread, I saw this waft of steam escape and hubby letting out a yelp of pain when the steam caught him off guard.
There was olive oil, balsamic, parmesan cheese, chili flakes right on the table for you to create your own concoction to dip your bread into, or, you could just go with the little ramekin of butter they bring to the table.
I thought service was a bit weird. I had intended to get a bowl of the minetrone with my entree but forgot to tell the server. She, in turn, did not ask if we wanted soup or salad to go with our meal. It wasn't until later when I flagged her down that I told her I'd like a bowl of the soup.
The soup was brought out rather quickly. It wasn't anything special. There were lots of veggies, some pasta and kidney beans, but it wasn't the best or the worst I've had. However, on the plus side, it wasn't overly salty like some places like to make their soups and this actually tasted like how I would've made it at home.
Our entrees took longer than other tables who were there after us, but it was okay, we weren't in a hurry. Our server asked us if we'd like more bread and although I knew I shouldn't have said yes, I did. It took about 5 minutes for her to bring a new basket out and once again it was piping hot like it had just been taken out of the oven.
I've always stipulated that a good bread basket is essential to how I gauge a restaurant. I mean if you can't even bother to give your customers some decent bread, then you're pretty lame to bother to do anything else.
When our entrees arrived, the manager brought them out and OMG, the portions were ginormous. I immediately asked for a take out box and put about 3/4 of my chicken pizzaiola into it. I had asked my spaghetti to be served on the side and it came with a marinara sauce. The chicken pizzaiola arrived on a hot plate (huge plus!!) topped with a sauce of tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, capers and was nice and full bodied.
Hubby's baked trio were mannacoti, cannelloni and some other rolled up pasta served with fillings of: ricotta and spinach, ricotta and meat, and a plain ricotta. I liked the latter two best. It was quite filling so I ate a few mouthfuls of hubby's dish, but in all honesty, I was STUFFED.
I had originally thought that $15.95 was a lot to charge for a dish but after seeing the size of that mutha, I don't think so anymore. It was enough for 2 people or 2 meals.
I heated up half of what I brought home for lil guy and he loved it so much he wanted to eat more. Ya know something is a hit when a kid wants seconds!!
I'm very happy to have found an American Italian restaurant which I enjoy and it's close to home. We'll definitely be back to try some other things in the near future.
Once in a while I pick a restaurant which turns out well. This is one of them. Personally I like Italian American food, my wife, not so much. Luckily this place didn't have the true American style Italian food because my wife enjoyed it.
The portions are more than huge. No one can finish it, not even me. We brought most of our meal home. I'd say if you go, best go with friends so you can share. Otherwise be prepared to eat it for another meal.
I really liked my baked trio. I also liked my wife's chicken pizzaiola. Service was okay, it didn't stand out, but wasn't bad either. Would definitely come back.
great food, great authenticity, great portions (not too much and not too little)! hoorah! oh man.. i started this review a week ago, and i couldn't finish cuz i was so unbelievably full!!
decor is quaint and cute, typical for a "family" owned italian restaurant, authenticity is right on the dot though as far as food is concerned.
the only thing i dont like too much are the desserts.. they aren't up to par to the entrees.
Love, love, love the Pasta Fozul! (sp?) Great place to take the family and huge yummy portions. Seriously, my fave Italian place in S. OC!!!
Abbondanza!
Ate at a Peppino's twice in my week long OC stay. That is saying a lot as I rarely eat Italian away from Chicago.
We had the platter with Peppino Bread, Stromboli and Sausage Roll, a Chicken Caesar Salad, and Spaghetti and Meatballs. Way too much food for the 2 of us as we barely finished 1/2. I really didn't care for the flavor of the sausage but the rest was really tasty. I had meat sauce (gravy) which I never do and it is light and flavorful not heavy like a lot of meat gravies and the meatball was tender and moist.
What else can I say - I will always make a point to stop at Peppino's when in OC.
First let me say I love Peppino's. I've only been to the Irvine location (on Rockfield).
Today after the San Juan Capistrano swallows parade I went for a late lunch and was a bit less impressed. The place was empty (expected at the weird hour we were there). The waitress seemed just a bit bored -- it wasn't the typical peppino's attention.
Took easily twice as long as I'm used to for the food to come. I guess the kitchen wasn't so staffed at that hour.
My friend ordered the baked ravioli, but light on the cheese. It came with an ocean of cheese on it -- she had to peel it back to eat the ravioli. Someone wasn't listening too closely...
On a good note, I had the Lasagne w/meat sauce, and it was excellent.
Next time I go back it will be during the dinner rush when people are stacked up outside. When things are really cooking they seem to be more on their game.
Still recommended - give it a try if you like casual surroundings and good Italian food.
It's good...if you get the right shiyat
It's better than the Laguna Hills Location which is better than all the other locations.
3.95 for a half order of Lina's rolls
6.95 Peppino Bread (MMMMMM) get meat sauce instead of marinara.
7.00 Baked ziti
Other notes:
Their ziti is now sold at Costco frozen dept.
Tim L's "fat friend" is my brother.
Their pizza always tastes better taken home, refrigerated, and recooked.
mmmmmmm
Ate here for lunch on a Friday afternoon, around 12 Noon or so. It was busy with a lunch crowd, but not so busy that we couldn't find a seat for our party of 3 without much looking.
I ate the lunch special, 2 slices of (large!) pizza with one topping (I chose italian sausage), a side salad, and a drink for about $9. My wife had lasagna (she liked it), a side salad and tea. My daughter had a cheese pizza off the kid's menu - but it could really feed 4 people easily. We took it home for left overs.
Service was good, even with the busy dining room. Total for the 3 of us, with tip, was $39.
came here one night for my bday with family and according to the website, I was expecting to be welcomed by the traditional and warm ambiance. Well, when I arrived I didn't exactly get that feeling of welcome. Is the owner a really old man? If so, then I indeed saw him sitting across from us staring a bit. It just made me rather uncomfortable. Then again, maybe it was because I was taking pictures of the restaurant. I sorta felt like a spy because I sort of was.
i ordered a baked ziti because the picture of it looked really meaty and cheesy; a combination of favorite toppings that I like in my pizza...mmm pizza.... & it was pretty warm and hearty too. I wasn't really impressed with my meal since it was just penne pasta with meat and cheese, but I didn't expect it to be the greatest meal in the world. I did sort of expect to receive some kind of 'free' dessert or somethin, since it was my bday. I only got a "well happy birthday" from the server. Would've been nice is all....usually at restaurants they offer dessert or somethinggg...Guess this wasn't the kind of place that would do such a thing.
the negative criticism I'd give would be the poor service and crummy dried up bread. I guess I can't grill the place too much, because I'm pretty sure there was only one server that night, so I wouldn't blame her too much. Then again, there were plenty of tables available and so little people. I really dunno what to say to that. Slow chefs? Perhaps....or maybe it's everyone.
I just came back from here with my mom and brother. Because dinner was on mom, I think I ordered more than I normally would, and maybe that skews my perception a bit? The food is good, just seemed kind of expensive. We ended up spending about $25 a person, and my mom was the only one who got a drink.
However, the bread they serve you when you sit down is GREAT. They bring out a variety of bread, some foccacia with sun dried tomato and oregano, some french bread, some other breads. Plenty of balsamic and olive oil to dip it in. Free refills on the bread.
I ordered the side salad with my dinner and that came next. For $2.25 you get an average sized bowl of iceberg and romaine with a slice of tomato and some dressing on top. Nothing special, but after I finished it I was already getting pretty full just from the bread and salad. My main course hadn't even came out yet.
I had Angel Hair fra Diavolo. I assume that means something like "Angel Hair of the Devil", which is a really cool name for a pasta dish. This dish was angel hair pasta with a spicy marinara sauce, with plenty of basil and garlic mixed in. The plate was huge. Definitely bigger than my 12" records, so maybe 14" in diameter? and stuffed to the brim with pasta and sauce. No shortage of food here. I can eat like a horse but my stomach just couldn't take it any longer. About 1/3 of the way through it I had to stop eating. I burped and took a little bit more, but I'd say I still ended up with about 60% leftover.
As far as the flavor goes though, it was great! The perfect amount of spicy (as far as the average restaurant goes). Just enough to make my nose run, but not enough spice to turn most people off. Definitely way too hot for my mom who always gets white sauce, she can't handle spicy at all. Could've used a little more basil, but there were still plenty of leaves throughout. Fresh basil, not that flaky shit you get at pizzerias. A good amount of garlic chunks. Delicious.
We ended up spending a little under $25 a person with tax and tip. That was kind of a turn off for me, but I'd imagine if I split everything I got with a friend, I'd think it was great! I'd skip the salad, and then the pasta plate with bread and water would only be around $7 or $8 a person with tax and tip.
Actually, noting that, I'm gonna go ahead and give it four stars instead of the three I previously bestowed upon them.
I came here for dinner on weekend and I don't know if it was because there were so many people eating there or what but YUCKO! My spaghetti was so bland that I wanted to cry because I was so disappointed :( Also, the tables were so close together it was really awkward, I felt very claustrophobic which stressed me out. The customer service was nice though and the food didn't take too long to come out so I give them 2 stars for that but I had a very uncomfortable experience here and I don't plan on coming back
This is a great place to come to carbo load after getting lost on a hike going uphill or having marathon whoopee. Not that I would know anything about that. And who uses the word whoopee anyway? Hmm, apparently I do... What was I saying, I got lost on Fantasy Island somehow..Oh, hello Herve Villechaize.. Would I like an extra large shower to wash away my carbohydrate sins and other demons? Absolutely! Oh, yes, carbs - Peppinos.. absolutely one of the most intense calzones I have ever eaten, dripping with cheese and encased in the most delicious crust. A small will feed a gang of tigers easy and the pasta Toscana smothered in a creamy, dreamy tomato sauce with a smattering of onions is absolutely yummy. I loved the family feel of this restaurant, complete with the owner running around greeting patrons, and the extra special server that everyone wants.
Personally I thought our waitress was wonderful, and I give her kudos for her recommendation of the pasta Toscana. OH, and the bread was fantastic. Next time I must try the gnocchi, as I resisted the temptation to be predictable. But it's good to be a bit adventurous, no?
Ok, this Long Beach anti-chain snob actually has something excellent to say about So. OC let alone a chain restaurant. I visit this restaurant about once a week during lunch only (I clients in the area) and have to admit that this restaurant is awesome. If you are in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs...Id suggest ordering a side of meatballs and a side of spaghetti. You'll save yourself about $4 bucks for a smaller portion but still filling...but remember the key word here is "SIDE". Check it out, its better than Olive Garden!
My fat friend has the best story for this chain. A few years ago this fat ass ordered beef ravoli, spaghetti with meat balls, and a roll of peppino bread (the best dish in my opinion). After finishing his meal he also ate some of the pizza that everyone else ordered. After he finished he couldn't breathe. In order to breathe again he had to make him self throw up in the bathroom. Ridiculous. Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up again.
This is a great family owned chain of Italian restaurants in OC. It is highly under rated for the cheap price. I adore their minestrone which is what keeps me coming back. And to top it off the manager at this location is EXTREMELY nice and helpful.
Peppinos is a great place to go for your traditional red sauce Italian fare. A few reviewers here have complained about the prices, but I think overall they are fair, a little higher than Olive Garden but the food is better IMO.
The place is good sized, but gets crowded and noisy at dinner times, its not like a Poison concert or anything, but its just good to know, so you don't take your girl here for a "romantic dinner" expecting Mario to come out of the kitchen singing something like those dudes at the Venetian in Vegas. This place is more a family style spot.
Upon being seated they give you an assortment of Italian bread, which can be hit or miss depending on what kind of carbs you are into, I happen to like the bread but I know others who think its too hard. The menu is fairly large and has all the typical Italian fare...lots of red sauce items mostly though, and a few seafood dishes. I have to recommend the Calzone from this place, it is pretty big and tastes amazing...Here's a tip for you cheapo's out there...spend the extra few bucks for the medium and you can maybe two more meals out of the damn thing(unless you have a healthy appetite, than you are just a fatty fat fatty). Service is usually reliable, and food comes out at reasonable time as well
Bottom line, P's is a good mom and pop non big chain Italian spot....its not like you in the middle it Rome, but it gets the job done
Lunch at Peppinos was a let-down. The patties in the chicken parm sandwich looked and tasted like they came from the grocery store freezer section, and the bread was very mediocre. I am amazed at how many 5-star reviews this place has received, it's definitely not a 5-star lunch spot.
I think I can finally say I know what traditional home cooked Italian food tastes like. I cant remember the exact dishes but I did savor every bite. Being that I go on diets every year, I break it ever year too.
Generous portioned Italian restaurant for the planned community of Foothill Ranch. They claimed that the Pasta Fagoli was cooked upon request, so it took 20 minutes to get. The baked ziti was pretty decent but the bread was pretty average.
Lunch wasn't too crowded but given the choices in FHR, you could do a lot worse.
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