Pepino's Spaghetti House

The atmosphere, food, and service were impeccable! My husband and I participated in a local brewery tour earlier in the day and were referred by the tour guide when we asked for dinner recommendations. He told us to get the ribs and rigatoni alla vodka and that is precisely what we did. Needless to say, we left dinner completely stuffed and with a fair amount to take home for the next day. The portions are perfect to share (true Italian family style) and the wine selection is perfect. Our server even suggested what wine to pair with our food and it was spot on! We cannot say enough good things about this restaurant other than it is an absolute MUST when in Vancouver!

We did the “Eat like a family” for $59/pp, where the restaurant picks items from their menu to serve you. The highlight of the meal was the spicy rigatoni vodka — can’t stop thinking about it and definitely will go again specifically for that dish. Really enjoyed the Caesar salad and the mozzarella sticks as well. Wasn’t a fan of the tiramisu because it was mostly custard…not your typical traditional tiramisu.

Service was good but a bit slow at times because they were quite busy. Make sure you make a reservation when you go as it was a full house on a Tuesday evening!

Also appreciated the free customer parking along the alley - limited spots but still a really nice bonus.

We popped in thinking it was a mom and pop place. We had gotten more than we ever expected … my daughter and I saw this place awhile back an thought it’d be fun try. I wish we came sooner. The food is so good. Soo so good! The staff is so friendly! We love it. An are planning on comin back soon.

We always have such a great experience when we visit Pepinos. The atmosphere is special.the food is fantastic.and the service is outstanding. Thank you Mel for taking such good care of our family and helping us make amazing memories!

This place was sooo eff ing good and i love the vibe and the service. Callula our server was amazing and the brown butter chicken was 10/10

Food was amazing, ambience was so cool, and our server Shikai was absolutely wonderful, spot on and never missed a beat. Can’t wait to come back!

Started off with the foccaccia bread. It was doused in olive oil, which I'd never seen presented that way before but it was amazing. The server recommended a side of marinara for dipping the bread which I also recommend. Tastes great together!

For our mains, we got the rigatoni alla vodka and the meat ravioli. The ravioli was good but not very memorable to be honest. However the rigatoni is delicious. The cream sauce was full of flavour and even had a kick of heat to it.

Overall service was friendly and fast and the whole restaurant smells like my partner's nonna's house-authentic!

Had the best time and best service at Pepnios to cap off a busy but fantastic 10 days in Vancouver. My friends definitely saved the best for last. Staff were also extra accommodating to the multiple dietary restrictions at our table. Gnocchi was to die for!

My favorite pasta spot in the entire city! They have a ton of new specials catered for takeout during Covid, so make sure to check out their menu. Tried the Thursday night pizza pickup special for $20 and had the Big Pauly Detroit Red top. The cheese and those caramelized corners made for one of the best Detroit’s I’ve ever had.

Wow what a delicious meal! A great Italian restaurant at the end of commercial drive. There is also free parking in the parking lot next to the restaurant.

The service was fantastic, though the food did take a little longer than expected. We got a round of drinks and mozzarella sticks to start, but still had to wait a little longer for our mains.

We got the Thursday butcher case special to share. 20 oz rib eye served with semi and Swiss chard gratino. Absolutely delicious.

The potato gnocchi was one of my favourites. Nice and pillowy, soft and chewy. The wild mushroom Alfredo and Marsala was so good.

The chicken piccata was also surprisingly juicy. The capers and brown butter sauce was very tasty.

We had to get dessert. The tiramisu was a classic but wow the caramel budino was something else! The chantilly cream and caramel layers were perfection. Reminded me of a soft twix.

Since we can’t dine in right now decided to order take out for weekday dinner. Got the dinner for 2 and picked the Caesar Salad, Spaghetti & meatballs, Steamed Broccolini, Pork Chop Parmesan and Tiramisu. Every was so good and worth it! Even had leftovers which I enjoyed the next day.

I have to say not only is their pizza the best deep dish 'za I've had in a long time, their customer service was fantastic. I called later in the evening to order my first pizza from them and was disappointed to find out they ran out of dough - clearly a food sign. A couple minutes later I received a call to say that in fact they had two more left. I was stunned that they would call back knowing that no doubt someone else could easily ordered those two. To me, this went above and beyond. I appreciated it and they've found a repeat customer. Highly recommend!

The best customer service I've had. Unfortunately there was a mix up with our order and we received delicious food just not what we actually ordered. Not only did pepinos get our correct order out to us immediately but they sent a card that went over and above what they had to do for us. Thank you Pepinos! We'll be ordering again very soon.

I ordered spaghetti Alfredo for pick up. The pasta was delicious! It’s expensive to me, but it’s worth the money! I would order food from here every time if I could afford it. Will come back again.:)

Great service, great food! The restaurant is small; however, they've done a great job reformatting to maintain social distancing. The Flat Iron Steak ‘Marsala’, with Potato Gnocchi is a must have. It.was.amazing.

After making several attempts to get a reservation at this restaurant, I was finally successful in securing a reservation earlier this month for this past Saturday. Upon arriving we noted the restaurant looked closed. To our relief we noticed an A-frame sign outside on the sidewalk which gave us hope that the restaurant in fact was not closed.
Upon entering and waiting a brief moment, we were greeted by a host. After taking the usual Covid contact tracing information, we made our way into the dinning area and were sat in a cozy, and somewhat private, corner table.
We were presented with paper menus, as that was the request made to the host upon arrival. Personally, I think if you have physical menus, you should simply go with them instead of offering the option.
The waitress noted they are participating in the current Dine Out Vancouver season. Upon review of the menu, we decided to order from the Dine Out menu, although I hear their pizzas are legendary. Look for my review on the pizza next time I dine at Pepinos.
The Dine Out menu:

Starter:
• Iceberg Wedge Salad
• Caesar Salad
• Mozzarella Sticks

Entrees:
• Spaghetti and Meatball
• Chicken breast picatta
• Rigatoni alla vodka

Desserts:
• Salted caramel budino
• Tiramisu

Each of us had a different starter from the menu. Caesar salad, lettuce wedge, and mozzarella sticks. The if you do not like Caesar salads with a fishy garlic flavor, I would recommend the pone from here. A lighter cream-based dressing with a fresh lemon flavor. A nice change from overpowering garlic dressing that so many restaurants now serve these days. The portions were good, perhaps a bit too large for a starter, which left us all wondering if we can eat the main meal after finishing the starter without wasting the starter. Ultimately, we did.

For the main, we all ordered the spaghetti and meatball. Not to be confused with meatballs – it is a single large meatball. Which let me tell you, is all you need. Upon cutting into the meatball, you are met with this soft velvety almost ground veal like texture. I would recommend the restaurant remove the red pepper flakes from the meatball. I really did not taste them in the meatball, and we dined with a person who has a pepper allergy and there was no way to remove the red pepper flakes from the meatball once made. The pasta seems to be fresh hand made pasta and nothing from a box. The sauce was well balanced and low on the acidity side which was refreshing. Not spicy or overpowering in flavor, but light and savory. Portion size was perfect, although I did expect this enormous platter of spaghetti to come out, and to my relief that was not what happened.

We found ourselves quite full after the start and now the main meal. Then we moved onto dessert.

From the Dine Out menu, two of us ordered the salted caramel budino. Rich and satisfying, the budino was everything you wanted it to be and so much more. Despite the immense satisfaction we both received from the budino, we had eaten so much prior, we both could not finish it.

We then moved onto after dinner drinks. We were hoping for an espresso. We were told they removed their machine sometime last year and have yet to replace it soon. I gather they will be undergoing some sort of renovations in the future where this will be reincorporated.

In summary:

1. The service is excellent.

2. The food is outstanding.

3. I would completely get rid of the white baseball caps the staff wear. I thought a baseball game might break out in the middle of eating. One can hope right?

4. Install an espresso machine as soon as possible, even pick up a Breville espresso machine in the interim.

5. The old world feel of the restaurant makes the dining experience all that much better. I hope they do not lose that atmosphere in any future renovations they may undertake.

I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to dine in the ambience of a old spaghetti house.

Honestly the best pizza in Vancouver. Hands down. Great pasta (shrimp alfredo still delicious on take out! Decadently creamy) Their ceasar salad is perfectly tangy, and we had the weekly feature “meatball pizza” Detroit red top style and it was AMAZING! I noticed they have lobster spaghetti and rigatoni rosé on the menu. Two of my all time favorites. That is my next order. I want to try everything on the menu, now, it’s THAT good.

I always have a great time at this place. Kayleigh gave us the best customer service and made the experience even more enjoyable. She is friendly, patient, knowledgeable and welcoming. The food is amazing as well.

I have never before made an online review, so this is my first. I first tried to reserve a table at this restaurant, but their reservation system was not working. After 2 weeks of trying, I finally was able to book, and myself and a friend went dining there in the evening. It was my first time at this restaurant. The server, a friendly young lady was helpful through the ordering, and explained that the portions were very big. At first, I wanted to order the Spaghetti Bolognese, and asked if it was possible to have it served topped with cheese and grilled, but told that was not possible, That was odd. If i was them, I sure would want to make the extra revenues with the cheese.
Anyhow, we decided to order the: Porchetta Ravioli, Bolognese Sauce at $23.00, as well as “The Big Pauly” at $29.00, a Pizza Marinara, Double Pepperoni & Loads of Cheese, a Pina Colada and a Pear Bellini. While I ordered, I explained to my friend what a Bellini was, adding that it was a slush beverage, while the server was nodding in agreement.
We received our beverages quite quicky, which is great, but actually realized that the Bellini was liquid and not slushy at all. So, I wonder why the server would have not said something when we ordered as she must has known I was not going to get what I expected. We then received the Porcetta Ravioli, and was quite surprised by the small size. When I noted to the server this was a small portion, she responded that it was the regular portion, and had 7 raviolis. I added that this was not a large portion. It looked to me as an appetizer, served in a salad plate, with a well below average presentation. The raviolis, were mushy, and the taste of the Bolognese sauce was average
The pizza came after the Raviolis, as agreed with the server.it was placed on an oversize baking pan. I should state that we are both pizza lovers and have tasted more than our fair share of pizza. We were quite disappointed with the Pizza as the crust was oily, dry at the bottom, and gooey on the top, did not see any tomato sauce, the pepperonis were the small ones, and did not taste anything, and there was almost no cheese, although the menu mentioned "Loads of Cheese". There is nothing we liked about the pizza, and so for a very high price of $29.00, it was our biggest disappointment. At that point, I realized that their standard or presentation, quality and taste are extremely low. The total bill was stiff $88.00, and so the value is extremely low. I do not recommend this restaurant.

We liked this place, although we had a reservation for 9: 00pm and we have to wait 20 minutes for a table. They gave us the mozzarela sticks as courtesy. The pizza is more beautiful than good actualy. But the meat with gnochi ia very good. The tiramisu in a glass is very good as well.

We came here for dine out Vancouver which is something that we have participated in for the past 5 years. Pepinos did not disappoint. Their dine out Vancouver menu is full of choices that will please all types of eaters. I tried the Caesar salad, spaghetti and meatballs, and their tiramasou. All were excellent. Although we live in Langley, we have decided to make the trip in to Vancouver to dine there again.

My wife and I visited a couple weeks because we heard how great this place was from our friends; and they were right! We got the famous Big Paully Pizza and the spaghetti and meatballs. Absolutely delicious. It is a bit pricey, even though the portion sizes are quite generous.

Staff was very friendly and made the dine in experience great. The restaurant itself has a very old timey, homey feel to it and it had a very nice atmosphere. We will definitely be back!

This place is AMAZZZZZING! From start to finish, my husband and I were very impressed! We got the lobster spaghetti which is available only on Friday and Saturdays and my gawd thank goodness we came on a Friday! It's a little bit pricey but my gawd is it worth it. The staff were so sweet and accommodating and there was ample amount of social distancing going on inside the restaurant! The vibe of a restaurant is fantastic. I really felt like I was in a true rustic spaghetti house. I cannot wait to go back!

The setting was nice and the food portions were very large. The price was very cheap compared to the amount of food they served. In my opinion food was decent enough. I like the osso buco dish more than the others. The gnocchi was super salty and creamy. I didn’t like it much. Their most popular dish was spaghetti and meatballs which was a standard dish.

Expectations were high for their Downlow chicken pizza collaboration, and I was a bit suspicious when I saw the price for one pizza, but holy smokes did they deliver! I think I tend to underestimate how big a thicker crusted pizza is, since so many of the places in Vancouver are Neapolitan style. The pizzas at Pepino's are huge, and while Downlow's chicken never disappoints, I feel confident that Pepino's pizza will hold up all on its own. I'm excited to go back and find out for sure! It's also always a good sign to see Osso Buco on a menu - even more evidence that this spot is legit!

Visited Pepino’s for the first time this past week celebrating our anniversary. Fantastic ambiance! Classic interior with a funky modern twist & 90’s hip hop music that isn’t too loud. We loved 3 out of the 4 dishes we had - the only one that was a bit of a disappointment was the Osso Buco which had very little flavour and the veal was a bit tough. (Could have just been the way it was cooked that time - I could see how it could taste good if seasoned well.) I had the flat iron steak and gnocchi and it was unreal! Other than that, our server was great, multiple staff congratulated us on our anniversary, and overall we enjoyed our experience and will come back to try different menu items!:)

I ordered on doordash tonight because I’ve been waiting for them to be available again (yes they’re that good!). Tonight I tried the Alfredo Spaghetti with Prawns. Holy sheepsh*t, the best I’ve ever had. Ever. This restaurant never disappoints!:) the prawns had such good flavour, cooked perfectly, and the sauce wasn’t this overly heavy cream sauce.just perfect. This is the place I’ll treat myself to often and you should too.

Stephanie

I think I had one of the best meals of my life here! We got the calamari, spaghetti and meatballs, the big tony pork chop, and the broccolini, and tiramisu. I could cry of happiness thinking of it all lol. I love the decor and the 1980s New Jersey spaghetti house vibes with the butter and bread, and bib touches (you’ll see). Just go, you’ll be happy you did.

I’m absolutely blown away by how good the food was here. We got takeout so I was expecting mediocre food but, even reheated up, it tasted phenomenal - I can only imagine how it would taste if we sat there and ate it fresh! We got the Mozzarella Sticks with the Marinara Sauce, the Rigatoni alla Vodka, and Potato Gnocchi, Wild Mushroom Alfredo, Marsala for dinner - every bite was better than the last! We also got a pizza to go “The Big Marg” and wow, it is probably the best pizza I’ve ever had! I wish I had taken a picture because it was so thick and the cheese was to die for. The dessert, Tiramisu “Bambolona, was also exceptional. I can’t wait to eat here in person next time!

Alex (General Mgr) helped us organize a wonderful Christmas dinner for 12.

It was seem less and the staff were amazing. We were all seated intimately and comfortably.
We were greeted by our waiter (forgot his name ‍️) and he carefully but intentionally gave us a little taste of what we would be expecting from our set menu.

It was a simple, delicious and filling four course meal. A+

Thank you for having us and we will all be back again.

Thanks,

From a Crusader

Tasty food, amazing for family-style feasting. Food has some similarities their related Savio Volpe restaurant, but in a more intimate Italian bistro-like setting. A bit tighter for seating space, with long tables, so go with your good friends who you can swap seats with throughout your dinner and the atmosphere and acoustics will fuel 1-on-1 reminiscing.

Management seemed super authentic and out to make sure that guests had a great time.

One thing is that I wish they had some draft local beer and/or wider (and more affordable) wine choices vs.just Italian vino and bottled Peroni. Set family menu took the stress out of group ordering, and there were so many great courses that made this place a win!

The food and atmosphere is amazing here. The price is good. The wait staff seem happy. Great place for dinner.
The waiter tried to put these ugly bibs on us for some reason. It was kinda embarrassing considering everything and everyone else is so classy. Can't take any stars off though because everything else is so damn good

I really wanted to like this place! My girlfriends and I ordered spaghetti and meatballs, the big Anthony, mushroom linguine, oysters and clam linguine. The spaghetti and meatballs and big Anthony tasted really sour with the pasta sauce to the point where we only ate 3/4 of the dish. The big Anthony pork chop was dry and tasted like something I could easily make at home. The other pastas we order were not mad a solid 8/10 the oysters stole the show though they were baked with herbs and tasted pretty good. The place is quite loud and impossible to have a conversation.

Ate here for a company Christmas party with family-style serving. Every single dish I tried was amazingly delicious and fresh tasting, and the serving staff were sharp and on point. Definitely will be returning again for our own meals!

Good service, charming in fact. Acoustics a little challenging. Linguine vongole, a good blend of bitter and oil.
The sable fish was very good. The layers easily separating as the fork reached in to withdraw a forkful. Sable fish is oily. The sauce was lemony with enough oil to give depth. The quaint extremely white bread sopped up the sauce nicely. My companion's veal was also very good. I wasn't too fond of the broccoli rapini. It's a matter of preference, too much crunch for my liking. The Caesar salad again light with the anchovies making it a real Caesar (no raw egg). Not the usual goupy thick dressing commonly served.
The, dare I say, frescoes harken back to the days of Nick's Spaghetti House. Great place but dreadful food.

My husband & I went there for our birthday celebrations and it was amazing! I got their feature that day which was the lobster fettuccini. It was delicious but pricey! Wouldn’t say it was worth $60 but definitely tasty, would only get it once a year for sure unless spending that much on one meal is nothing to you:) My husband got the lamb chops and it was the best lamb chomps we’ve both had, so flavourful! Also their tiramisu was also THE best we’ve ever had. So creamy and just heavenly, a must try! The service there was also excellent, which made our experience even better. They have a few runners so you’re not waiting too long if your food is ready and your waitress is busy. A smaller restaurant in terms of space which we didn’t mind but would definitely recommend getting a reservation because I doubt you’d be able to get a table if you go during their peak times. Highly recommend this place!