Nino's Italian House — Restaurant in Auburn Hills

If you're seeking an unforgettable dining experience, one that leaves an indelible mark on your taste buds and memory, I implore you to steer far clear of Nino's Italian House. In what can only be described as a culinary catastrophe, this establishment managed to take the art of Italian cuisine and reduce it to a pitiful mockery of itself. My recent visit to Nino's was nothing short of a tasteless tragedy, leaving me utterly baffled by the audacity of labeling their concoctions as "food."

Let's start with the fettuccine, or what Nino's might dare to call fettuccine. It appeared to have been cooked in a pot of water that had long lost its will to boil. The result was a limp, soggy mess of overcooked noodles that even the most desperate college student wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. It's a sad day indeed when a staple dish known for its rich, creamy indulgence is reduced to a texture resembling wet cardboard.

But the disappointment didn't stop there. Oh no, it took a nosedive into the abyss with their rendition of lasagna. I use the term "rendition" generously here, as what I was served bore little resemblance to the iconic layers of pasta, meat, cheese, and sauce that make up a true lasagna. Instead, I was met with a sloppily assembled mess that tasted as if it had been concocted by someone with a grudge against good food. The layers were indistinguishable, the meat was bland and dry, and the cheese... well, let's just say that rubbery would be a step up.

And then there was the Caesar salad, or more accurately, a sad excuse for one. The dressing, if it can even be called that, was nothing short of a travesty. I've heard of "light" dressings, but Nino's took it to a whole new level by serving a watery concoction that resembled the remnants of a forgotten glass of water. The once-bold flavors of garlic, anchovies, and Parmesan were mere whispers in the diluted sea of disappointment.

As I reflect on my experience at Nino's Italian House, I can't help but wonder how a restaurant can so consistently miss the mark on even the most basic dishes. It's as if the kitchen staff has never encountered a proper recipe or tasted a well-executed Italian dish. It's a disservice to Italian cuisine, to the art of cooking, and to anyone unfortunate enough to step foot in this establishment.

In conclusion, Nino's Italian House is a culinary disaster of epic proportions. From the poorly executed fettuccine to the tragic lasagna and the insultingly diluted Caesar dressing, every aspect of the meal showcased a profound lack of skill, care, and respect for the art of food preparation. Save your taste buds, your wallet, and your time by seeking sustenance elsewhere. Nino's is an Italian experience you'll want to forget as...

This is a great story of redemption from the first visit. Roughly around a year ago, we decided to try Nino's since it was close to home and had just opened up. Needless to say, the cold food, the hour wait and the lack of decent service made this place a hard pass for any future visits.

TLDR: There have been a TON of changes since the last time we were here, while the decor hasn't changed, everything else has for the better. If you were disappointed before - give them a second shot, they seem to be on the right path of improving things tremendously.

Fast forward to March 20, 2019 - we were having a family celebration and decided to give this place a try again. We had a large party of 18 with quite varying tastes and preferences, from 9 to 82 years old - and a ton in between.

Our server, Rose, greeted us warmly and was quick to respond to any of our questions. To be honest, she really had her hands full with our party and she kept up beautifully. Drinks were regularly refilled and treated us like loved family members of her own. Amber was assisting her and was keeping up with the demand quite well.

We ranged quite the selection from their menu (by the way, added a lot more since the last time we were there) - to start the review, the Appetizers, wow - what a change. The Bruschetta was perfect, good vinaigrette, healthy portion size and fresh. The "Full Boats" is actually Potato Skins with bacon (and lots of it) and cheese were cooked perfectly, served with a side of sour cream.

For the entrees, my wife ordered the Kitchen Sink, I had the Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, and other members of the party ordered a Pepperoni Pizza, several Lasagnas, Chicken Parmigiana, a plate of Ribs, and some custom pasta orders. Needless to say, our raucous party almost instantly went silent as the food was served and stayed relatively quiet most of the time.

If you are still reading this from here... I am happy to report that Nino's has turned the corner for my family and I. We will start going here again regularly as this change is welcome and their past reputation is hardly deserved considering the food, portions, servers and quality of the food is a considerable step up in the right direction.

I'm even looking forward to making Friday nights, pizza night again, and I know who to go to for this now. The crust, sauce and cheese portions were dead on for my "East Coast" pizza preference, and I'm looking forward to this...

Unfortunately really really disappointing. Don't come here if you are looking for authentic Italian food :-(

We had big hopes in this place since we live in the apartment complex right behind Nino's. We went there on the second or third day after they opened. I understand that not everything can be perfect in the first few days after an opening but everything just felt like done half-hearted. The ambient was nice and we got seated right away. It was a little weird that there was no music playing. We ordered Lasagna and Lemon Chicken with Broccoli. The waitress was super nice and brought out some bread and a salad before we got our dinner. Unfortunately they served us STALE old baguette, it tasted like from Meijer down the street. Why just not taking some thing pizza dough seasoned with some olive oil and herbs? (That would be the authentic Italian way....) So easy to do and waaaaaaay better than baguette. (Which is also not Italian) We then waited around 30 more minutes for our food. When we finally got it we were disappointed: My lasagna was obviously pre-baked in a big pan, they just put one piece on a plate, put some extra pre-made sauce on top and warmed up for like 30 seconds (it couldn't have been much longer, since my food was COLD and the cheese on top was not even melted). My boyfriend ordered a side of broccoli with his chicken, instead he got mushy farfalle pasta drenched in pre-made tomato sauce as his side. Even though the food was cold and not good at all we didn't complain. We just wanted to pay our bill and leave. We waited and waited until suddenly the manager (? a blonde lady with glasses) came up to our table and said "We heard your complaint that your food was cold and not good so we voided your check!" We were a little confused and told them that we didn't mention anything to anyone, but they said it still would be free.

Well in the end our meal was free but unfortunately we will not come back. If you are looking for an authentic Italian meal, please don't go there. Really really sad because the location and the ambient of the restaurant is great, but unfortunately it seems like the people who own this place didn't think it all the...