Pepper's Italian - Lakewood

I came on 12-23-23 around 3:45. Peppers had my catering order ready and they let me have it early, before opening time. Nice dining room with a lot of Cleveland/Lakewood memorabilia.

I will start with pros: Seated right away Brussels sprouts were great Update of decor was needed Cons: After being seated, water served in plastic cups Ordered a bottle of wine. It was just set on our table Bread served was quite hard Ordered 3 pasta dishes and was charged for our choice of soup or salad Italian wedding soup was quite greasy lots of pasta but lacking tasteful meat or vegetable choice They no longer have cassata on their menu Spent over $180 before tip for subpar food With so many choices in Lakewood, I will choose to spend my money elsewhere.

I have never written a review before, but I can’t help but spread the word about this awesome restaurant! We live almost two hours away and we just came upon this gem. The food was generous and authentic Italian. My shrimp were quite large and I will crave that sauce for days to come. My husband highly recommends the chicken Parmesan! The mozzarella sticks were huge and homemade. We stayed for two hours talking to the owner and his son. They are down to earth and committed to making your time enjoyable. My only complaint is that we live so far away! We will be making those Valentine’s Day reservations ASAP. Can’t wait to go back!

I used to love this restaurant. The food was nothing short of amazing. Unfortunately, that has changed. My last experience was very disappointing. The food was OK at best. The service was pretty good, but the food just wasn't the same.

Peppers, prior to selling, had the most amazing Italian food. After? Not so much. Close, if not same, sized servings. New owners changes recipes and the taste shows.