Don Pepe's in Queens

[Mirabelle]

Has anyone been to Don Pepe's restaurant near JFK lately. Planning a family get together and this restaurant was recommended. Is the food good?

[wonka]

I believe you could find something a little nicer and better.....home of the garlic....maybe it was better years ago.

[intrepid]

after going there for many many many meals, and years, i stopped going a while ago, food is mediocre, and place is way past its prime, go elsewhere

[sushiman]

Simply not true.

[intrepid]

very simples poor food, verfy true

[estarae]

I haven't had a bad meal there. Of course we always get the same thing...Mussels, linguine with with white clam sauce and veal don peppe. Consistently terrific

[zemilideias]

I was there 2 years ago and we followed the waiter's suggestions and I had a terrific meal which included the veal don peppe. i was there again about 10 months to a year ago and chose, including healthy doses of seafood, and it was slop. it was on a sunday and to be honest the seafood was near spoiled. the scene, with many families back in the neighborhood, seemingly from Long Island, was pretty cool. And it's in fact symbolic of what's happened to Italian red sauce food in NYC area. My childhood memories of delicious "Italian" food in Arthur Ave, Belmont and Van Nest
areas of Bronx, many parts of Queens and Bklyn, have now been replaced by foreboding as I approach red sauce Italian joints that seem to have become thoroughly American, as in poor food quality, enormous portions, lackluser ingredients, and uninspired technique. Too bad. The lesson is the US's "more is better" approach to consumption and untrammelled greed has spoiled what passed as NYC Red Sauce Italian.

[NYJewboy]

zemilideias: you nailed it!

The only exception are the new generation of tuscan/northern places set up by naitive Italians. Some great ones abound.

[johnk]

Like another link talking about PV, Incontro, etc. one of the best family run No. Italians in Queens slides under the radar - Conti's in Little Neck.
Walter Conti knows how to keep them coming back. Ran the room at PV for years.
Regards,
JK

[intrepid]

i agree with you 1000%, read some of my older posts saying virtually the same sa yours..saluti

[sushiman]

NOt sure what ax you have to grind or maybe you were unpleasant to the waiter and you got a "special" meal, but I eat there all the time and never have a bad meal.

I have been eating there for decades and it has always been consistently good.

[intrepid]

ive been eating there for decades also, had to finally stop going, many poor meals, no ax to grind, just reporting an experience here on chowhound like everyone has. me and my friends would meet and eat there for years..we all agreed, its been over for along time, we stopped going, we usuall eat at robertos/arthur avenue now, chicken shi...vs. chicken salad lololol

[sushiman]

Sorry to hear that. I still go most Sundays and the food is as good as ever.

[intrepid]

enjoy, try robertos when you have the chance

[zemilideias]

No ax to grind man, I wanna love the place. I know full well not to piss off the waiter there and I even let him recommend things. But man oh man, Sunday seafood at Don Pepe's was like some clipjoint on City Island. Too bad, too darned bad...

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Don Pepe
42 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

[sushiman]

The best.

Order baked clams, linguine marechiare vongole, chicken scarpariello, stuffed artichoke and sausage and peppers.

The veal with eggplant too. And the shrimp Luciano. Lobster Fra Diavolo over linguini.

Whatever you want!