Ruffinos Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

This place is in a neat shopping center; it was a bit difficult to notice. The restaurant is on the smaller side, although still great for a nice, casual family dine-in. The inside of the restaurant is really nice and has a fancy Italian style. The host was quick to seat us, and the waiter gave us time to order. She was able to tell it was my first time, which I appreciated. I ordered the pasta e fagioli soup. The soup was very flavorful. The side order of meatballs was supposedly 100% beef, according to the waiter and confirmed with the chef. Yet the second I ate a piece of the meatball, my stomach became upset and in pain, immediately after consuming a piece of the supposed 100% beef meatball. I would like to include that I have a pork and veal intolerance/allergy, which easily causes me to have an upset stomach or somach pain or even throw up or cause sometimes 2 or all 3 reactions to occur. Especially if and when I eat something that contains pork or veal (a form of beef, specically a baby cow/calf). I am not accusing the restaurant of using pork or veal (a form of beef, specifically a baby cow/calf), although it is suspicious that when I consumed the piece I ate, my stomach was immediately triggered, becoming upset and in pain. Although, traditional italian meatballs use a ratio of 1:1 pork and beef or 1:1:1 pork, beef and veal (a form of beef, specifically a baby cow/calf) combination of grounded meat for their meatballs. Even when I asked "If veal was used in the meatballs" I was told "The meatballs are 100% beef & has no pork or veal" by the waiter. Hence, a 1-star deduction. Another star deduction was for the sauce that the meatballs where in and the side sauce that was with the medium cheese calzone. The sauce was not at all flavorful and tasted like Campbell's tomato soup. The cheese calzone, on the other hand, was fluffy, toasty, and cheesy, gooey deliciousness. The cheese pizza was pretty good, not the best, although I am comparing it to New York pizza. The sauce and linguine from the chicken cacciatore were super splendid and very tasty. I know there may have been some sort of vinegar or lemon used which kept making you want more. It is a chef and resturant trick. If this is not the case, that the chef or resturant did not use lemon or vinegar. They still could have used other things to enhance the tangy, acidic flavor, such as white wine, brine from olives, anchovies, fresh ripe tomatoes, naturally fermented tomatoes, or capers, as well as many other methods I did not list to give a cacciatore a tangy flavor. Very rarely do Italian restaurants use fresh tomatoes for their homemade sauces or naturally ferment their tomatoes for sauces. Therefore, the majority instead will use canned tomato sauces to save time, and it is a convenience. Some restaurants go to the further extent of lying to their customers, saying their sauce is freshly made in-house without any canned products. I used to work for a few Italian restaurants that did this. I am not accusing this restaurant of using canned tomato sauce, nor do I care if they decide to use canned tomato sauce. The cacciatore sauce was simply delicious, and I had no issues with the tanginess. I enjoyed it a lot. I would like to note I have worked in restaurants and know family friends who own restaurants. The main issue I had was with the chicken from the chicken cacciatore hence I deducted another star from my rating. The chicken was way to fatty and tasted slimy. It just was gross, even when I added seasonings(garlic, pepper, salt). So 2 stars was my experience, overrall prices are decently reasonable and have great portion sizes. If you want a yummy cup of pasta e fagioli, tasty cheese calazone, addictive cacciatore sauce over linguine, and pretty good pizza this place is great for you! Just know everyone that enters your resturant is going to not enjoy the food you serve them. Everyone, has different taste buds and are allowed to express their opinions even if you do not agree with them. Otherwise, have a blessed day and I hope this review helps others. ( :

Had a coupon from the Enjoyment Book which gave a discount on a second meal. The coupon did NOT require any drink purchase. Upon presenting the coupon when ordering, the waiter said we needed to purchase two drinks. I explained that the coupon does not require any additional purchase. Very rude waiter or owner. Dishonest business practice just trying to get extra money to cover the cost of giving $$ off the second dinner. Will not ever return. In my opinion, much better food elsewhere.

Pizza was great!!! Cannoli was dusted with cocoa, a perfect ending. Can't wait to try more things on the menu.

I absolutely love this place. The best Italian food around. Like for real, the best. Everything on their menu is sooooooo good. The service is excellent.

This place seems like it fell from Italy and landed here. The restaurant is clean and the food is amazing. There were maybe 10 other tables of customers and the staff acted as though they were a well prepared team with a packed house. Our glasses were never empty, dishes were cleared promptly, and I am pretty sure everyone from the owner to the dishwasher stopped to check on us. From the time we sat to the time we finished was roughly 40 minutes, with 2 appetizers, meals, and dessert for 5 but it felt like a very happy 2 hours. I am not local to the area but we visit frequently, and we will be sure to come back. Hope you have our table ready( it's the one right next to the kitchen) and tell Sandra thanks for the amazing service and sorry about all the questions! I have nothing bad to say about this place. My only regret is that I didn't take more pictures or get more employees names.

My brother had the garbage pie. I had the pepperoni, thin crust, extra cheese, and my husband had the margarita pie no sauce extra sliced tomato. And the margarita pie without the sauce comes with a Terrell, sliced tomato, fresh garlic, which is fresh fresh, not from a jar and topped off with fresh basil. All the food was good.

Good food. Good prices. Highly recommended

Had a great dinner last night. Veal Parm and also clams casino. Waitress was fantastic, the place was real busy and the waitresses were running around doing a fantastic job. I had the waitress with the blue shirt, and she made sure I had everything I needed, and checked making sure I like what I ordered. Food prices were also great. I will be back soon.

This establishment stands out as the premier Italian cuisine destination in the city. Despite the absence of other notable Italian restaurants, this establishment consistently delivers exceptional service and culinary experiences.

Ruffino's is located in the Rivergate Plaza on the corner of Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Veterans Memorial Parkway. With it being in a shopping plaza, parking was not an issue at all. The ambiance was pleasant enough and overall was a pleasant enough setting for a meal. Our server was also friendly and professional and only added to our overall dining experience. We went with the pizza and I was generally pleased with my pizza. It had a great crust that was only complimented by the sauce and cheese, not to mention the spices. I would definitely recommend Ruffino's.

Wow! What an amazing and wonderful experience. A treasure in our backyard. Outside it looks like a mom and pop pizza joint. Inside it's a refined upscale Italian eatery. I had lobster frandiablo with shrimp. Delicious and perfect. Spicy but not over hot. Lobster tail was huge. Wife had chicken with eggplant in Marsala sauce. Tender and perfect. The service was wonderful. I'm going back tonight.

A steady favorite of ours close to home. A nice Italian meal in a cozy spot is PSL. Great Pasta Fagioli and good salads. The Veal Parmigiana is always tender and just right, served with a very nice tomato sauce. Also excellent is the Eggplant Parm! Service is very good and has been for a long time. Stop in for a treat!

I never had a problem with 's I came here to get something to I didn't care for it and the manager came over after I asked for her and she wouldn't even say oh I'm sorry or let me get you something else and if I got something else I had to pay for it which I don't think it's right I'm very disappointed

This is by far the best italian food in St. Lucie County. Scilian Pizza is the best I've had in a while. Their vodka sauce is also some of the best I've had anywhere. Service is and family atmosphere is great. Very affordable as well.

I took a shot at this little spot even though the reviews on Yelp were just so so. Man I'm glad I did. ALL the staff was extremely helpful, kind, and speedy. The food was fabulous. Not fabulous like 5 star dining. Fabulous like I just sat down at my grandmothers table after not seeing her a while and she made all my favorites. I had the Davinci pasta and swapped it for Gnocchi because I was craving it. It was so rich and so delicious, I cut my generous portion in half to take home for dinner tomorrow night. Since I cut back on dinner, I treated myself to their homemade tiramisu. I asked my wait person for a dessert recommendation and took her up on her suggestion. The tiramisu was well presented and delicious. One added note. I asked for decaf. It's a pain in the ass for restaurants, but I just can't do caffeine after 2 any more. She had the decaf on my table with moments. It's a little thing, but it meant a lot. I'm bummed I let the other reviews influence me. This will be my hometown regular place when I need the comforts of home in the form of my grandmothers Italian cooking.

If you want real New York pizza this is the place. Being from New York and Italian this is the only place I've found that makes a true authentic New York Pizza. Another favorite is the Chicken piccata. It's not a fancy place but it is a great place to have dinner

Was not impressed with Rufino's the first time I stopped by so I decided to give it a second chance. Made a reservation for four And arrived to a packed house was advised by the hostess that they were a little short on staff, but she was able to sit us down fairly quickly. I ordered the Veal Marsala and my guests ordered a large pizza with the works on it. The veal was very tender and tasty and the linguine was cooked perfectly. We were amazed at the size of the pizza pie that was full of veggies and meat. Even though the place was packed and short of servers, our waitress was professional and attentive. Add this place to your list of restaurants for good Italian food at reasonable prices.

Food was WONDERFUL pasta cooked perfectly and the Tortellini was outstanding. People are super friendly and the service is excellent. Comfortable pretty place to take friends, family or a date

I'm down in Florida for a couple of Spring Training games. Tonight was pizza night and we were encouraged to try Ruffino's. I'M FROM NEW YORK! I'm pleased to say that the pizza was absolutely fabulous. Do not hesitate to visit if you want really good pizza!!

We went to Ruffino's our favorite home style Italian place. Sadly we were greeted by pro Trump merchandise in the display case. I've had many gatherings over the years here... no more... If they had equal representation with Harris I could get past it. We won't be back

The pizza is awesome. The spaghetti carbonara is amazing. The chicken franchise is fabulous Love this place.

Came here for my birthday and was quite pleased with the service. The only downside was the long wait for our food, but perhaps that could've been due to the high number of patrons tonight, we'll just have to see another time

Okay, so where do I begin? I have been trying to find a place with a decent chicken parm sub since 3 Guys closed in Jensen. Spoiler alert, this place isn't it. Called to order delivery, was immediately put on hold with no greeting, just an incessant, dull, beeping tone. Didn't think I had the right number at first. After 11 minutes, a girl asked what I wanted to order. I asked for a chicken parm sub and a side of French fries. Was immediately told they didn't have French fries (weird for a place hat serves subs). Told her I wanted delivery. Was immediately placed back on hold. This back and forth of being unexpectedly put on hold for 20-60 seconds at a time took place 4 more times. Was told food should be there in about an hour. An hour and a half comes and goes, food finally arrives. It also arrives cold and looks like it was put through a clothes dryer. Now the food: proportion isn't bad. But that's the only good thing. The bread is flavorless and something you'd find in a gas station. It also has a weird fishy aftertaste. The sauce reminds me of the giant cans you'd find in a hospital cafeteria. The breading is thin, not crispy, and had completely slid off the meat by the time I got my food. Maybe this is the byproduct of delivery, but so many other places mange to figure it out (RIP 3 Guys) why can't they? Overall, price of this sub with delivery fee (I live a mile away) and tip was about $20. I will never give this place a second try, and suggest you shouldn't give it a first. I took the bullet for you. With all the competition in the area, look elsewhere. Shame, they bill themselves as a family oriented restaurant, but they can't hold a candle to other establishments. UPDATE: as I look through other poor reviews of this establishment, I see condescending remarks almost every time from the business owner. Even if the reviews aren't favorable or in poor taste, you can't respond like this. This tells me everything I need to know and further confirms my review.

We ordered a spaghetti and meatball dinner and a chicken Parmesan dinner. The chicken Parmesan was so salty I couldn't eat it. I never mind paying for good food but I hate paying for food that I throw in the garbage. Got me once not again. Good luck.

My wife and I stopped by for a bite to eat. Greeted by a pleasant waitress and sat us quickly. Place was packed with people and it was a Wednesday. Good to see a mom and pop place staying busy. Need more places like this. Food was great. The Caprese salad was very fresh. My wife ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. So good. Good ratio of sauce, meat and pasta. I got the spaghetti carbonara. Super tasty. Highly recommend. Also, had a slice of pizza. From now on, this is where I'm ordering my to go pizza. So, in conclusion, service and food was amazing! Highly recommend. Always try to support a hometown mom and pop place. If you are in the Port Saint Lucie area, you should stop by.

Been here twice now and the food is amazing Only issue I have is why do I have to ask for bread 3 times after it's offered and nicer get it But food is amazing Service from one server a bit on the par

We moved out to Port St Lucie, FL from the Washington DC area about a year ago. Even though there are many restaurants out here, we quickly discovered that "good" food is hard to find. And "excellent" food is even more difficult to find. So, when we discovered Ruffino's, we were so happy that finally a restaurant with excellent authentic Italian food! This is a family owned and operated restaurant that's been around for 30 years. I've gotten to know the family very well. Chef Guy takes 100% pride in his cooking and his restaurant. I see him do everything at the restaurant - sweeping the floor, washing dishes, taking the trash out, etc - but his favorite job is preparing the meals. I am fortunate to be able to go in the kitchen once in a while and watch the master chef, Guy at work. It's truly a beautiful production and an artistic symphony, as Guy puts together all the notes of flavor to end with a masterpiece that will make your taste buds smile with heavenly happiness. If you're looking for a true taste of Italy here in Port St Lucie, FL, then go to Ruffino's and order your favorite Italian dish. Please don't come here if you're looking for a Domino's or Olive Garden, "Amer-italian" stuff.

Food was amazing, BUT we are from Atlanta, GA and they wanted to give us a credit. It is our twins birthday. They wanted Italian, we spent over $200 and did NOT get the angel hair pasta to go with the shrimp scampi or any of the SIX salads that come with the meal. Apparently they will call "tomorrow", for a refund. We shall see... UPDATE!!!! NEVER RECEIVED A RETURN PHONE CALL, I CALLED THEM AGAIN AND WAS GIVEN THE RUN AROUND. NO RETURN PHONE CALL AND NO REFUND. FORGET ABOUT IT.

This review is from about 2 or 3 years ago... Me and my family loved this pizza place and would order frequently. We live close as well so it was also convenient. Ruffinos does have good food ( la forchetta in Stuart is way better) however one night we ordered some pizza and a few subs etc.. I had some family in town (sister and father inlaw). We ate the food from Ruffinos and after some time we all got sick. Won't go into details lol but the common denominator was Ruffinos. Me being nice called in, just to inform them of what's going on, so they can take action internally in case some cross contamination or something bad in the kitchen. I did not ask for anything! Just called to tell them... a few months after I called to order delivery and the message is got was "Sorry we can't serve you" (or deliver to you) forget exactly. Long story short they put me in their system as someone they won't serve! That had never happened to me before lol. I'm an Italian from the north eastern tri-state area and I know my Italian food and love and support it but i have no love for these people for doing that to me for just informing them YOUR FOOD GOT US ALL SICK!!!! and didn't even ask for a refund or anything! Also they did not offer if you were wondering. They didnt say anything and most likmy didnt care and brushed ot off thinking "wasnt our food". I would have felt bad to not call them and possible get others sick. Again I was just trying to support and inform my fellow Italians lol. Thanks Ruffinos!

The food was delicious and the service was excellent! Highly recommend making reservations in advance---you won't be disappointed!

March 5th, 2024 SERVICE: our waiter Tony D. was not very welcoming with slow service and the food was mediocre with exception of the garlic bread. We were a party of 4 seniors out for a lovely supper with the restaurant being highly recommended we looked forward to our last night in Port. Sr. Lucie. The service was slow but we were not in a hurry but the food was served long after we arrived with other patrons who arrived later getting their food ahead of us. One of our meals that was ordered was Chicken Cacciatore and as our friend proceeded to eat it realized they had brought her veal instead of chicken when brought to waiters attention he had the manager come and speak to us about it. The young woman the manager was very rude and demeaning in her response that she would deduct the $3.00 difference from the bill because she had already been eating it.. We all dine out a lot and had never been treated so rude and talked down to in this manner it was embarrassing we all were speechless; with that our bill was placed on the table and while we all would have wanted dessert & coffee to end our meal we were not given the option or asked if we wanted coffee or dessert. I would not recommend this restaurant at all it was no way to treat patrons and the manager that evening should not be dealing with the public. We are sad to have to put such a negative review but felt it was necessary for future patrons to be aware.

great pizza, prepped the old school way. friendly staff, good portions, we had a great time, I don't know what more I can say! will come again!

Ruffino's is the best Italian restaurant that I have been to on the Treasure coast. The service is excellent along with the prices. I go there for the Veal Galante. It is one of the few places where you can get this dish. Great place.

Called to order two pizza, put on hold without waiting for a response, once the person came back l said I'd like to order two pizzas, they said it would be 30 minutes and hung up on me- went elsewhere.

Fabulous food. Everything tastes delicious. Great servers, love Maria the owner. We've always enjoyed all the many foods; we've had here.

Friendly comfort place but Food was very salty - to the point that I couldn't eat much of it

I had the bolognese and my boyfriend had the allá vodka ! Both were FANTASTIC dishes! We also had their delicious Cannoli and their clams casino. They're very nice and very family oriented. I 10/10 recommend this place. They definitely made us feel at home. This is definitely our new favorite spot.

Nasty meatballs with some type of meat filler. A nice roach under the table that I had to smash with my shoe. Lasagna with ice in the middle literally. Discusting sauce not even cooked bright red . Gross gross gross Why is the tomato sauce Bright Red? It's like opening a can and just pouring it from a can uncooked. I've never seen blood red sauce like yours. Horrible inedible food. A shame you're Italian and You know it! Stop trying to fool us with your fake food. Casa Gieuseppes is authentic in Stuart. That's real Italians cooking and knowing what they're doing . Ninos in Stuart straight from Brooklyn unfortunately moved. Your food is embarrassing and inedible.

I've been to this restaurant multiple times now and it is a nice place to try out. The menu is extensive and you might have to try multiple items to find your particular favorite item. The chicken cacciatore is excellent. Hard for me to order anything else. My wife had a Stromboli she loved but wasn't impressed with the pizza she had in one occasion. They forgot her order and when it came the veggies weren't even cooked thoroughly. She thought they just added them to another pie after it came out. I won't hold that against them because it was packed at the time and they were short on staff. Nice little place though and I would recommend you try it out for yourself!

Best pizza in PSL. All the servers are great. Don't go in if you're in a rush or expecting pizza in 15 mins though. That's just not how pizza works. Worth whatever the wait is.

First time we tried dinner here. Right away the waitress thought I was someone else. Treated us bad. Had soup to go lid wasn't put on rt and spilled through bag in car console. I came in and asked to top it off and she wanted to charge me for it. Very rude. Added their own tip Charged 60.00 for 2 ppl. Drank Water only. 15.00 pasta was OK.

The best pizza in town! The service and everything was tremendous. The staff is excellent! Locally owned

Will not order here again. Asked for a pizza with extra cheese and few slices of pepperoni. Instead I got onions on it. ( picture Included for proof) Pizza was not cooked , looks as if they forgot to put the extra cheese on and halfway through cooking they added it. I called and I all got was a sorry, they didn't offer a replacement or anything ( order was delivery).

Chicken Parms Veal Parms Visiting from Cincinnati Ohio and found this little place to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday. Our waitress was great and was hustling her tail off! Had the chickens parmesan and veal parmesan, delicious!

Food was just like home made, delicious, and good portions. Service was excellent and friendly, very clean and orderly.

Always forgetting something in the order. And when it is wrong, it is always your fault period this is the last time I'll ever go there.

Love Ruffinos! It's our go to pizza and pasta spot. It's my favorite pizza since I have moved to Florida ten years ago

So the table behind me ordered pizza and asked the busser for some bread to snack on until their pizza came out and as soon as the owners daughter came out and seen the bread basket on the table, she said to the older couple that since they ordered pizza, they couldn't have bread and took the bread off the table. That will be the last time I ever go there!!! Even though it was nothing to do with me, it really bothered me. The table was extremely upset and wanted to leave but it was late and they were hungry so they ended up staying. I never seen anything like this in my entire life of being in the industry for 24 years. I wonder what was done with the bread that was taken away??!?!? Brought out to the next table or put back in the bread warmer, after the couple ate out of it!?!? Not a good look on you guys at all!! I will never forget this and continue to spread the word on what I experienced!!!On to the next pizza joint.

Came here on a Sunday night with family and were promptly seated at a corner table. We waited 20 minutes before the the waitress came to our table. When she did finally come, she looked at us and said you're ready to order aren't you? She was condescending and rude. She didn't bother bringing us water unless we asked for it. She didn't refill our glasses when they were empty. As for the food, it was not worth the price. I could've gotten it from the frozen section at Publix next door. The salad was bitter, the pasta fagoili was over cooked and mushy, the calamari was rubbery with the sauce bright red and chunky, the shrimp tasted like it came out of the freezer, chicken Marsala was liquidy (not saucy). The only thing that wasn't terrible were The meatballs but they weren't anything special. Don't waste your money, don't come here!

Service was horrible. We went in and ordered a pizza. They got it wrong and when we told them it was wrong, they didn't even offer to fix it. I understand people make mistakes but this is the second time we went there and the girl at the front counter didn't write down the order correctly. On top of that, that same girl was rude and sarcastic after we told them they messed up our order. I have been there 3 times and had them mess up my order twice now! I will not go back ever again and I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Love ruffinos. We get a pizza and meatballs about once every 10 days and love it and I have tried just about every pizza place in psl. Also love the chicken Marsala and the creamy Italian dressing is incredible. This place is better than most in nyc! I have read some of the negative reviews and cannot understand why people will complain on yelp and not say anything at the restaurant to give them a chance to correct it! Social media has empowered people in ways that are not always the best. I don't blame Daniela for defending her restaurant, however, when people read the reviews, you can easily tell the difference between a genuine review (good or bad) and someone who is just a complainer!

Hard pass on this place. Waitress was Curt, borderline rude. Ordered a Peroni, got some Italian beer knockoff. Wasn't a substitution, didn't say she was out of peroni. This other beer wasn't on the menu. Calamari app was over cooked, rubber bands. Creamy Italian dressing on house salad was literally mayonnaise with onions? What? Pasta fagole "soup of the day" is served every day. The soup was so old that the noodles were deteriorating mush. Shrimp fra diavolo - ordered spicy, wasn't spicy at all. The mussels and clams were low quality- hardly any meats in the shell, also over cooked. Spaghetti over cooked. Vinaigrette on did salad were made with dried spices from the rack. They weren't even fully moist. Meatballs side dish were ok. Bread served at the start was ok. But nobody is just coming for the bread people. Get your ish together. Bill total was $105 for 4 people left completely disappointed. Won't be returning.

I don't think the menu gave good choices,. I had a coupon. That was boho, up to $12. We wanted to order pizza, and a Chicken Parmigiana dinner, you cans use the coupon, unless you order 2 dinners. Had to ask 3 times for bread and asked for extra butter, we got 3 little wrapped pieces of butter. Soup was with the dinner, we waited quite some time, finally dinner came out, the waitress said she didn't understand why they sent the dinner before the the soup, but she would take the dinner back and get the soup. We ate our soup, then waited for dinner again, it came cold and burnt. She took mine back, didn't ask how our other dinner was. He just ate his, when he was almost finished she brought mine. I told her to just bring a couple boxes. She brought one. I asked for 2 more a a cup for sauce she brought 2 very small boxes. We waited for our bill, We got up and went to pay she gave me the bill then, said I'll take it when you're ready. I told her he is at the counter to pay now. She stood in front of me, until I told her I needed to get past her. The Chicken parmigiana dinners were $18.95 each we also had cheese sticks $8.99. We drank water. We were told we owed $46 and change I say why, the cashier said it was $67 and change before the bogo coupon. We drank water. Summary, Bad service, bad food and bad math.

Beware. They charge your credit card twice and give you the run around in fixing it. Check your credit card statements people. Shame that I even have to write this during this crazy time for restaurants. But this is unacceptable!

Great food! My wife had spaghetti with sausage and I had the veal parm. Both were delicious! The salad with house dressing is great. The house bread is off the chart! Plus the girls teamed up to make sure we were checked on often, making it a great dining experience. We'll be back soon.

So-so Italian food. First the salad. Romaine, cuke and tomato. Blah. The chicken Marsala had no taste of the sweet wine and in fact was watery. The chicken franchise was thick and heavy. The chicken in both dishes was good, however. But the sauces are too important not to be good. Service slow but was okay for a busy night. There's too many Italians in Port St Lucie to settle for so-so!

It's actually spelled ****Eavesdrop**** Further, no need to eavesdrop as you were loud enough to be heard throughout the entire establishment. Again, poor choice of conversation!