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Peno

4.2 (267 reviews)
Closed • 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

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PENO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Peno

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Jade H.

OKAY WOW AMAZING!! Peno is gonna be a go to spot. They have 10 oz meatballs for an appetizer and they were so delicious! Also loved their summer time peach slushee topped with prosecco :) for an entree I had the gnocchi and my partner had the Peno pizza. Both were fire! Too full to get dessert and coming back for sure :) it's such a cute vibe and the service was good.

Lindsey J.

From the moment you step in Peno, you're transformed into another world. Italy meet modern day. Pepe Kehm has done an amazing job with the menu. Highlight for sure is the octopus. Cooked just right even if you haven't had it before it's a must try. The crostini is great for soaking up the favorable sauce! Don't forget to get the olive oil infused bread! Cocktails. High quality and crafted are an added delight to the menu. From their home made cellos to the armaros there is something for everyone. A beautiful patio setting or small intimate setting inside this place is great for all occasions. Our friendly waiter Dan had great suggestions and pairing recommendations. Ask them to recommend you something on your next time here. In the outskirts of Clayton, reservations are highly encouraged.

Smoked salmon spaghetti

Had the most amazing experience! We went for my birthday and the food was absolutely incredible! I had lobster stuffed pasta, shells, and my partner had the smoked salmon spaghetti the flavor of both the dishes was absolutely insane! The service was great! Everything was quick and recommendations that were made were fantastic! I can't wait for our next special occasion to come back again!

Gnocchi
Sadie K.

What a cute little place! It was perfect to get some Italian soul food on the cool rainy night at the beginning of fall. It's a very cozy atmosphere. Service was attentive and the food was amazing. I tried the meatballs(because if they're on the menu, I'm getting them! Haha). Very juicy and flavorful. And the gnocchi was cooked just right. It's not always the easiest type of pasta to prepare, but they did it! I would recommend getting a reservation as it was packed. A reservation was pretty easy to get, I snagged one the day before with no issue. Keep in mind parking around this area can be terrible. Especially on a weekend evening. It's mostly street parking all over way down. Carpool if you can!

Tagliatelle. Very good especially with sausage.
Keith J.

I went to Peno on a Saturday night and enjoying a high quality and delicious Italian meal and loved the ambience of this cozy little restaurant. The service was great and friendly and although priced a little higher it offers dishes that set it apart from typical St. Louis American-Italian food (in my opinion). Also I didn't walk away hungry. I ordered the Tagliatele that has sausage and roasted red peppers in a yummy tomato broth and for an appetizer i had Arancini that is risotto and cheese breaded and fried and served in a marinara sauce and is very delicious. The free bread is great and used it to sap up the tomato broth and loved it and cleaned my plate. I want to go back for the pizza sometime.

Aniketh N.

Absolutely wonderful time at Peno. Group of 4 with no reservation and we were seated within 5 minutes. First off the bat, the service was top tier. The servers, house manager, and owner were very nice and it made us feel like we were at a friend's home. In terms of food, it was quite tasty. I recommend getting the hand made pasta options. The others got the lamb shank and ravioli which they thought were cooked to perfection. The highlight is the desserts. We got all 4 desserts to taste test. My favorite was the affogato followed by the hazlenut Gelato with waffle. The place is quite pricey but as a once in a while location it stands true for their impressive quality and food.

Janet L.

Came here to celebrate my engagement with some girlfriends. It was a hot evening and we were sat outside. Although it was covered, it wasn't cool enough. That should be an option to pick when making reservations online. We started with a round of drinks and everyone enjoyed it. For food, we shared: Braised octopus Zucchini flowers Spaghetti Tuttomare Calabrese Chick Pea Pesto Wild Mushroom Ravioli Tiramisu Marsala Zabaione We all agreed that the pastas and dessert were all just ok. They lacked flavor and sauce in some way. However, we really liked the complimentary bread and apps.

Pepe pizza
Michele P.

This was my first time at Peno, and it did not disappoint. The food was delicious, the service was quick and very personable. We sat on the patio by the heaters and it was perfect. Cannot wait to come back and try some other dishes!

Tagliatelle with Sausage
Christopher C.

Great Italian food with cocktails to boot! Salad was light and refreshing. Sausage Tagliatelle was very good but my favorite was Veal Cannelloni which was packed with flavor, balanced between veal, cheese and tomato sauce, and beautifully presented. All our food got 5/5 stars - the one critique I have is the pasta in both dishes was overcooked. Portions are large so be prepared for leftovers. The outdoor seating area does face the road and decorations aren't anything special. There are quite a few regulars / guests familiar to the waitstaff which makes it feel like a family restaurant. Overall, high marks and I plan to return.

Calabrese style bruschetta and lamb shank
Josephine C.

The food was delicious! The arancini and eggplant were quite filling as appetizers and I would highly recommend. The lamb shank melts in your mouth and the bruschetta fresh. The place was relatively busy for a Friday evening, but if you go before typical dinner rush, a reservation isn't needed. The service was great and the vibes were good all around. They have indoor and covered outdoor seating. A nice place to go if you're looking to treat yourself for some high end Italian. Plus, the tiramisu was SO good.

Sara G.

Located in the heart of Clayton, Peno Soul Food offers Southern Italian traditions. Stepping into this cozy spot feels like entering a rustic home kitchen with dishes prepared with lots of soul. The octopus was juicy and prepared in a red sauce, a unique take on the dish. The gnocchi was so simple and perfect. I absolutely love the fusion of the olive and grape salad. The Chef Owner Pepe is a trip. We love him! You can taste the love and passion that goes into every plate.

Quyen H.

We came to Peno (pronounced PAY-no) for a late dinner last night with no expectation, but we were very impressed with their outstanding food quality and an exceptional staffs/service. We got seated immediately on a covered patio. Soon after that, my server brought water and bread to our table. I love how cozy and elegant the restaurant is. For appetizer, we got the Sicilian eggplant. I am a sucker for Asian eggplant dishes, so we were both really excited to try this dish. After the first bite, I couldn't stop eating. The owner/chef Pepe really took this simple ingredient to another level. The eggplant flesh was so tender and sweet. The tomato sauce was well seasoned and had great flavor. Must try item 10/10!!! For entrée, my partner wanted to try the Roasted lamb shank Calabrese but it was sold out. He got the Tagliatelle instead. He wasn't a fan of the pasta texture - too soft for his liking, but nothing wrong with the dish. I got the Spaghetti tutto mare substituted with white sauce. Seafood was very fresh and I loved the sauce - rich, creamy but not overwhelming. I definitely will come back for the seafood stew and lamb shank. I didn't plan to drink tonight but it was such a good vibe here...So I got the Pink Sangria which was suggested by my waitress. I was happy with it over the red sangria. And my partner got the Berry Basil Smash (non alcoholic) and wow it was so refreshing. Of course we couldn't leave without having tiramisu for dessert. My waitress was amazing and attentive. She asked if I wanted a bowl for seafood shell : ) . I ordered a watermelon Italian soda for my little one, and she offered to switch the drink from glass to plastic cup. She came by a few times to check if we needed anything or if we were satisfied with our food. Overall, we had a fantastic time here. We"ll definitely come back to try their Mare pizza.They looked delicious from other tables' orders. We left very full and happy : )

Berry Basil Smash, Arnaldo Palmeri
Linda P.

Had a really good time at peno! Everything we ordered was delicious. The Sicilian eggplant was amazing. Drinks were also good. Service was great as well. We love the area it's nestled in. Very beautiful and near a residential area. There's only street parking around but it wasn't hard for us to find a spot. Will definitely be back to try more food!

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Great service and our meals were delicious! The menu changes frequently which I love!

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All around we were very happy, had never been. Great food. Nice atmosphere. Very good service. Definitely will go back.

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Thanks allot for your expert opinion on Southern Italian food!

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Ask the Community - Peno

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honey bee’s biscuit + good eats

honey bee’s biscuit + good eats

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This place is adorable. It was a cold and rainy day so luckily we came after the morning rush and…read morehad no problem. Sitting at one of the small tables. The staff were friendly and smiling and made me feel very welcome. I got a biscuit and gravy and couldn't decide between spicy gravy or traditional sausage gravy so I was offered the opportunity for half and half and I jumped in it. Both gravy's were so flavorful with plenty of sausage. The biscuit was delicious. It was not flaky and buttery but held up well to the gravy atop it so I liked the texture a lot. I also got a hash brown and it was seasoned well and needed no ketchup or the like. It wasn't amazing, but compared to some others it was very good... but let's face it, I didn't go to a biscuit shop for the hash browns. I got a peach tea which was outstanding. Definitely on the sweeter side but that was so easily fixed by letting the ice melt to bring the sweetness down a bit to my preference. Overall I was very happy with my food and the staff and would definitely recommend giving it a try for both sweet and savory biscuits. Will return to try a sweet biscuit next time :)

I emailed this business in an attempt to have someone acknowledge their staff's poor service, but…read moream frustrated with no response, and more people should know they have nasty service. There are plenty of breakfast and biscuit spots in this city. Don't spend your money here. I have been eating here for a long time and recently had a terrible experience on weds, Jan 28. It was my girlfriend's birthday and we chose to come here to start the day. It got a little busy after we came in , but asked for water and the jug never got filled. That's not even my complaint. Just a nod to the laziness. The staff seemed to come in and spread out everywhere at a table in the small indoor eating area. No big deal, but a little messy. There was no music playing and my gf said in normal conversation to me that there was no music and the vibe was off and that they probably focus on the patio being the vibe (which was covered in a foot of snow)...to which the man at the counter proceeded to ask us how things were and wrap it up with snarkily telling us we were welcome to outside. It was gross to talk to customers like that, and I am sorry that the ego of the employee caused them to interject themselves into a conversation that wasn't rude or loud or had anything to do with them. In my 20 years in the industry I would definitely not support my staff practicing such crappy service. And it really embarrassed us publicly in a quiet restaurant for no reason. Again. Please spend your money at another local business with mature and respectful service. *edit: after reading another recent review about poor service to a family of black people, I wanted to note in my review that my gf is also biracial...

The Southerner - Brisket Melt

The Southerner

(19 reviews)

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3.5 stars. I stumbled upon the southerner when I was out and about and decided to give it a shot…read more Being from Alabama and Oklahoma, I think I know good barbecue, and this was pretty good. The pros: -The variety of sauces were delicious -The brisket was moist and had food flavor -The Mac and cheese had fantastic flavor -The plate was served with pickles and onions, which I haven't seen since I left the south -Great value! The cons: -the pulled pork was dry -The Mac and cheese was super saucy -not a big variety What I sampled was delicious, and I'll keep up with the Southerner to try more food (I have my eye on the chicken and waffles on a stick).

I don't normally give high praise to food trucks. But think of this as BBQ delivery more than a…read morefood truck. The meats are properly smoked. Walking through the office today I caught the smell of delicious smoked goodness and instantly wanted some for myself. I can't tell you how happy I was to find that the aroma that caused me to lose track of my engineering responsibilities was located directly outside the front door to the building. This was my 2nd time to get a mouth watering BBQ sandwich from The Southerner. The folks running the truck are always more than helpful and provide a meal that's a good value proposition. Quality, quantity and price seem to be well balanced. Albeit a tad bit on the expensive side. Look to spend about $12 for a sandwich and side. The turkey, brisket and sausage are all great. The brisket is pulled not sliced or chopped. It makes for a great tasting sandwich that doesn't need much sauce at all. Although the sauce is pretty darn good they get 5 stars for not needing it.

Salt + Smoke

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Went on a long road trip this past holiday season and made a pitstop in St. Louis for a few days…read more Did some research on what restaurants I needed to check out, and I found a local chain called Salt + Smoke. We were on a tight schedule, so we got it takeout. We got a combo platter to share, and everything was really good. Pretty standard meats. One stand-out, though, were the smoked wings. I totally recommend those. Just enough smoke flavor, tender and fall of the bone, these were excellent wings. As for what really set this place apart, it was the sides. Extra special, above and beyond sides. Pit Beans with Smoked Bacon that were so perfect. Softer than whole beans, but more bite than refried beans. Just the perfect balance, and with nice, hearty chunks of that bacon. And then, the White Cheddar Cracker Mac. You could absolutely taste the white cheddar here. Very unique compared to everywhere else's mac. And they used shells, so inside most shells was a nice little pocket explosion of that cheddar. And if that wasn't enough, it was topped with crumbled butter crackers that added a pop of crunch and salt that really made this my favorite mac 'n' cheese of all time. I'm not kidding. Also, side note, not sure if this will work for you, but at the takeout station, I asked for one of each sauce, and they gave me two of each! Astounding customer service. I kept most of them and am still using them to this day. Overall, the unavoidable cycle of life for good BBQ joints is be good, open more locations, open too many locations, become bad. That's just the way it goes. But right now, Salt + Smoke is still in the be good phase. I was very happy and would definitely come back.

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Lucy Q - Logo Photo credit: Lucy Quinn STL

Lucy Q

(31 reviews)

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Peno - italian - Updated May 2026

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