Rustico Alexandria

Great place for a nice quiet dinner. Great food and service. This was our first visit, although we had two in our party that had dined here before and picked this spot. Their recommendation was great. We ordered different meals, which all were excellent, but one was truly outstanding - the grilled salmon. It was cooked to perfection and was accompanied by the most delicious medley of navy beans, kale and tomatoes. I would love to return here the next time I am in the Alexandria area to get this dish again. Our waiter was polite and attentive. He was efficient and seemed to be enjoying his job, which showed. The restaurant is attractively decorated and very clean. This was such a great place, all around.

In from our of town and looking for a good meal after a long day, could not be happier with the food and service we received from Rustico and their staff. Servings were a great size, definitely didn't go stingy on the pepperoni. The pizzas were cooked perfectly as was the burger patty. The feta cheese dip was delicious, fries were crispy and the drinks were constantly being topped up . Would definitely recommend this establishment to anyone. Five stars.

Excellent service. Allergy friendly for our kid who is allergic to dairy and nut. The staff is awesome, they were not bothered by our questions and were extremely friendly when we entered. Amazing draft and bottled beer selection. Will be back to enjoy the great specials throughout the week. We appreciate the accommodating kitchen and excellent food labeling on the menu.

We stopped in for lunch and really liked Rustico! The restaurant is adorable- we chose to sit outside because the bar was full. We loved our drinks, and the truffle parm fries were SO GOOD. We really enjoyed the vodka sauce pizza, but thought it could use MORE sauce. Ate more like a plain cheese pie but the crust was really good. The service was okay- we had to come in and ask for our check because we were waiting a while. But we will be back for sure, we enjoyed our visit!

Rustico is a classic in the Alexandria area and the DMV. An early classic and continuing winner for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, now a small, national gem with its core in the DC area, Rustico has a neighborhood feel with a top notch global beverage program with a focus on craft beer and good food. Staff is always knowledgeable and provides great, friendly service. They'll leave you alone if you want or engage in friendly conversation or education about your drinks. I've been enjoying Rustico for over a decade, and my last visit was as good as my first!

Rustico has an awesome eclectic menu and a very cool design and vibe. We split two starters and a chicken caesar salad and couldn't even finish our meal because portions were substantial. The fried cauliflower was my favorite and cooked perfectly. The baked feta was creamy and flavorful. Our only complaint was the service. We there around 2 in the afternoon so we probably hit that limbo time in between the lunch and dinner crowds. Food came out within minutes but no one checked on us for a while. Would definitely try again though when visiting Alexandria.

I had a fantastic experience at this restaurant! The pizza was absolutely delicious, and they had a wide variety of beers to choose from, which was a big plus. The atmosphere was great—inviting and comfortable. The lady who hosted us was exceptional, making us feel welcome from the moment we walked in. I'll definitely be coming back

This off the beaten path restaurant in Old Town is way underrated. I have always loved this place, great space and food (try their pizzas!). Their salads are great with grilled choice of your meat and seafood. If you love hazy beers, there are a lot of varieties. The wines are great and excellent prices…only like $12 compared to ridiculous $18 per glass elsewhere. Please visit this place.. it’s so worth it! They have live music now every Saturday, great addition and tvs to watch sports. Rupal, the GM is also super nice!😊

Walked in and was greeted very warmly. We were given a nice table by the windows, which was a nice change of pace as I feel like most restaurants stick you by the bathroom or kitchen. Food is a little pricey but really good. My mom had the roast chicken, which was really fabulous. I had the bolognese and it was a very generous portion with great flavor. The pasta seemed really fresh. Loved the watermelon salad too!

Went on a Monday evening, it was busy! I think we ordered wrong. The beer list is extensive, I am not certain but pretty sure the draft beer was a little warmer than most restaurants. The beer was cool but not cold. Minor ding for that. I ordered a salad with the dressing on the side, did not come out that way. Service was decent but not great. The air conditioning was wonderful but they sat us under the vent which was really breezy and unpleasant. Will come again to see if they were just off yesterday.

Went here for Fathers Day today with family. The jalapeño margarita was pretty basic, wouldn't order that again. We ordered a few pizzas, all were crispy and hot- but again... our table was steps away from the oven. The salad was awful... gloopy salad dressing and wilted arugula. The waiter, Henry, was an absolute gem. It would help if music wasn't blasting so loud that we couldn't hear one another (this is at 4:30pm). With so many other spots in Old Town, I would pass on this place.

Always have a good experience here - staff are very friendly, and almost anything you order is going to be good. My husband loves the extensive collection of beers on tap. The atmosphere is also very lively, so we often take out of town guests here when we want something casual, reliable, and fun.

Came with a friend for a birthday lunch and it was a good time. The fries and brussels were so good! Very flavorful and tasty. service was lovely, very quick and the server was friendly and attentive. The space is large with ample seating. My friend got the gluten free, GF, crust, made with chickpeas and she loved it! She said it was the best GF pizza crust she's had. I got the pepperoni pizza with hot honey and it was nice. The pepperoni were crispy, which I enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this spot! There is a decent size parking lot in the rear which is always nice.

Another restaurant to add to the fav's list. Santa Claus greeted and seated us. It was a busy time of the day. Their food is delicious since it's wood fire grilled. The roasted beet salad with chicken and grilled chicken salad were both great options. Although the salads were cold, the chicken arrived hot. Many times when the salad arrives, the meat has cooled a bit. But not here! The server was very attentive. I do not recall previously enjoying a beet salad anywhere. In fact I do not even think I have ever seen a beet salad this portion. Usually, I find small and simple beet salads. The best roasted beet salad with chicken ever!

I love this place! I don't live too far away, so Rustico is a fun place to visit with friends visiting from out of town or just for a quick meal (whether dining in or getting takeout). The food is delicious and reasonably priced, and they have a good menu selection. My go-to's are usually their salads and pasta dishes. I visited most recently in early November 2024 and got their fried chicken salad (sweet corn, avocado, bacon, pickled onions, crispy tortillas, jalapenos, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, honey-chipotle aioli). The salad was a generous portion and definitely entree-sized! Service is always fast and friendly. I've never had to wait too long for a table or for my food to arrive. I've also had drinks there - they have a good selection of wines and beers. The ambiance is also great - they have a more casual bar / lounge area, as well as another side of the restaurant for dining. Rustico used to have an excellent second location in Ballston (Arlington, VA), but they've sadly closed. I'm glad the Alexandria location is still around and thriving!

Quick catch up with my cheer sister for my birthday! The menu has changed. We sat at one of the booths at the bar area. The restaurant was quiet and clean, and our server was awesome. We both ordered pizza. My cheers sis opted for the margarita pizza with the chickpea crust and she said it was delicious. She ate the entire pizza! I created my own with mushrooms, red peppers, onions, olives and spinach. & was only able to eat half. It was good! Definitely redeemed themselves from my last experience. The menus changed and they have quite a selection of craft beers if that's your jam... My friend did enjoy one of their cocktails which she said was tasty...something with gin and strawberries...Idk the name of the drink- My water with lemon and unsweetened ice tea was just fine today! Happy Yelping!

Nice little restaurant in town. It was our first time there I didn't care for what I had. I had the roasted chicken meal. It had a interesting flavor. I can't really describe. My friends had the pizza that they really liked.

Saw this restaurant sitting on the corner when I was driving by on my way home from work. I said to myself that I wanted to visit as it looked like it would be good. Fast forward to about 2 weeks later I booked a reservation for a surprise celebration lunch. The menu is what intrigued me. I saw the whisky flight tasting and knew that my friend would love it. We arrived. It was quiet. I told my friend that we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. lol. But then we didn't as people started falling in. We sat down and looked at the menu. Everything looked good. Our waiter Anderson was amazing. He was patient pleasant and professional with us. I had the strawberry sparkler with a shot of Tito's. My fiend has the whiskey classic flight. We started with the wings. Soooo good. Nice portion for 2 to equally share. Then we ordered food food. I had the roasted turkey sandwich with a mixed green salad and to top it off the sandwiches come with a drink. I have never seen that before at a restaurant. So many options. They even have a lunch special with pasta and salad. My friend had the grilled chicken sandwich with fries. Nothing was short of delicious and perfection. We ate good. The restaurant is sooo cute. The decor with the rustic glass on the wall makes it different. Outdoor seating is set up cute with a fire pit. The manager even came over to chat with us. She was amazing as well. I told her we are returning very soon with friends. And would like to request Anderson. If and when you are in the Alexandria neighborhood and looking for a great bite to eat and good ambiance and great service this is the place for sure. And if you don't try everything the first time come back again and again and again and again.

Been going to Rustico for years- always good food. I just had ordered from them this past week- vodka pizza and artichoke dip and chips, side salad Very bad all of it- pizza was nothing like I have had there before- horrible sauce, hardly any cheese, cold...horrible taste. Appetizer was bad too. New chef and or new owners- bad

We came here on a whim Sunday afternoon. It took sometime for the waiter to get to us despite it not being busy. A man who I'm assuming was the manager ended up taking our drink and appetizer orders. Eventually our server came. Service was just okay. Food didn't take too long and was good. The star of the show was the whipped feta dip. My husband ordered the egg sourdough dish. He didn't like it. He mainly ordered it because it said it has Italian sausage, but it was really a slathering of a sauce that contained very finely ground pieces of sausage, barely enough to notice. The wings were pretty good. This place isn't bad, but it's a pretty basic dining experience.

Apple mint mojito - 7.7/10 Strawberry on the mountain - 7/10 Spinach and artichoke dip - 8.5 Margarita pizza - 9/10

For my first visit I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Went on a quiet Sunday night and the service was amazing. We were given options of seating as it was kind of empty. Our server checked in many times after taking out our original order. I loved the decor and the feel of the space. The food We ordered the risotto tots as an appetizer. It was a solid 3/5 on flavor. The tots were cooked okay but the crunch was a little overwhelming on some pieces. The sauce was a tad too acidic to compliment the cheesiness of the tots. The pizza was definitely the star of the show. The crust was cooked well and the toppings were great. My only issue was the raw huge chunks of garlic. The flavor was good over all but I wish the garlic was incorporated in a different way. I would absolutely try here again.

This was my first time here. About 20 of us came for a post valentines work dinner. I ordered the everything pretzel and the baked feta dip as my starters. For my meal I ordered the ricotta gnocchi, and the jalapeño margarita. The everything pretzel was nothing special. It came with two pretzels and a mustard beer cheese. I have had better at other places and wouldn't order it again. However, The baked feta dip was outstanding! I could've licked the bowl. I 10/10 recommend this starter. It's the best I've had. I would come back just for that. The ricotta gnocchi was also just okay. It was a little too sweet for my liking. I tried my friend's salmon and risotto. I liked her dish better than mine. The jalapeño margarita was spicy... but I didn't mind that. I expect nothing less from a margarita made with jalapeño. I ordered 5 lol Overall... the experience was good. We had some things we didn't like but also experienced some things that we did like. We had a very large party... so they did struggle quite a bit to split the checks correctly but the server did his best.

A coworker chose this place because it was near the job and the menu looked good. We arrived and it was nice and clean and had a nice smoky smell from cooked foods. Our waiter was slow, and somehow got our special requests wrong two different times (no ice, no onions). After he brought the appetizer out, we never saw him again. We had to ask a waitress for to-go food containers and the check. That took a while because she had her own tables to wait. When she came back with the containers, she accidentally filled my sprite glass with water, but replaced it with a kids size sprite. When I asked for a small to-go container of the smoked mayo, I was told they don't use that, they only have regular mayo. I told her it was on the menu and that was why I ordered the sandwich which was suppose to have it on there. So she went to the back to ask management and she came back to confirm that they don't use it. I believe it because the sandwich had no special flavors to make me want to go back and order it again. Service horrible, fool ok, ambiance great. Our next luncheon will be somewhere that respects customers more, and the menu is a true depiction of what they serve.

Local gem right between old town and Potomac yard. The vodka pizza is incredible, and they have a great rotating list of wine & beer. Cool bar area and the restaurant side is very kid friendly for our daughter since she was 2 years old.

Had a quick lunch in Alexandria at Rusticos! We got seated quickly and the food was good portions. We had 7 people and their policy was we could not split checks (it was inconvenient but doable).

Warm draft beer, bad service, and food was hot good. Charging top dollar for basic food means the restaurant is probably in a death spiral. Avoid.

I am a pizza snob. I'm also trying to eat healthy most days. Thus, I ordered for delivery chickpea crust pizza. Don't be fooled by how it sounds. Once I warmed it up in the air fryer, it was truly delicious. Filling without feeling stuffed. Two slices were the max I could woof down. Pepperoni was excellent. Is it the NYC style I ate thirty years ago? Nope. Does it satisfy pizza urge? Yup!

The service was great and the pizza was really good. I ordered a white pizza and it wasn't the best white pizza I'd ever had but it was very good. I also enjoyed the ambiance, decor, mood lighting, tv's, noise level was just right.

The service is absolutely abysmal. Sat at the bar for nearly 10 minutes without so much as an acknowledgement. Sadly, this was pretty much a normal experience at Rustico. Will not be back.

A solid place if you like to try a variety of craft beers on draft. Not a bad place for happy hour.

This is my favorite restaurant. I live nearby and have been a regular customer for several years. During all this time, I've never had a negative experience. The dishes are always large and freshly prepared, and the portion sizes are consistent. Unlike other restaurants where portions often depend on the shift or the chef's mood , here everything is always the same high quality. The staff is amazing--always friendly, smiling, and ready to help with recommendations. They are also attentive to customer preferences (I know this from personal experience, as I often request ingredient modifications due to dietary restrictions). The tables are always clean and neatly set, and it's clear that the dining area is well-maintained throughout the day. One of the highlights for me is their beer selection--it's a paradise for beer lovers, offering something for every taste. Recently, they started opening at 10 AM, which is a big plus for me since I'm not a big fan of cooking at home. To sum up: excellent restaurant, outstanding staff, delicious food, and reasonable prices.

just adding pics from a few recent visits: everything pretzel chicken & cherry peppers pizza strawberry on the mountain slushy (minus gin) always a delish experience. __ i eat. @f.hux i thrift. @dcthriftish

I was a little worried going into this. The reviews didn't look so good. I'm glad I wasn't disappointed. Got started with a cocktail that had a nice balance to it. Very flavorful with enough alcohol to get me going. Ordered the cheese tots. They were amazing; you can't go wrong with a good, fried appetizer. As for the entree, I got a white pizza with the bluejacket draft beer (German pilsner). They paired very well together. The pizza itself was very good. Both of our pizzas came out fresh at the same time. They slapped fresh herbs on the top. Pizza had a good balance of flavour and texture; itt was even amazing on a next-day warmup (pan sear reheat). I don't know what beer my friend got, but he said it was good. I was too stuffed to order dessert but was very happy with the overall meal and drinks. The service was great; the waitress was kind enough to offer beer samplers until I found one I liked. The ambience was great. The interior is gorgeous. You'll also be happy to note they have a large amount of parking next to the restaurant. I'll be urging my friend to make a trip every now and then to come back here for a chill evening.

This was a pretty cool spot I got to check out while burning some time on the Potomac side of Alexandria. The restaurant is brick walled on the outside with a very spacious interior and a variety of seating options to accommodate large and small groups, with a small bar located to the right side of the restaurant and bonus: office chair like seating provided at all the tables and bar for extra comfort. It was a football Sunday and the bar had an ample amount of tv's showing the games. Their brunch menu features shareable items like fried wings, calamari, and meatballs ($6-$15), salads that can be paired with their woodfire grilled proteins, brunch based items like avocado toast, chicken & waffles, and short rib hash ($15-$20), and their woodfire pizza options ($17-$20). They also offer seasonal cocktails like their pumpkin spiced hot chocolate and autumn bourbon mule ($12). I tried out a couple appetizers the bacon wrapped dates and the fried cauliflower with a pineapple mimosa. Both items were solid the Korean bbq cauliflower had a bit more kick than I expected but not overpowering. All in all the service was fine, gorgeous location, and I look forward to returning to dive deeper into some more of the menu items.

This was my first time here and it was mediocre at best. We first started out with some drinks, I ordered the lychee margarita and it came in a tiny cocktail glass. Usually margaritas are served in a wide cup. We then ordered a few appetizers- Fried calamari and bacon wrapped dates. Our server first brought us the fried cauliflower. She must have misheard us when taking our order but she quickly fixed it and took it off the bill. We then ordered the flank steak salad- which was good but all tomato's and cucumbers. I wish there was more arugula or greens in it. My boyfriend's fish and chips were good. Our other friend ordered the rigatoni with bolognese. While it was fine to eat, it just tasted like ground beef with sauce. The description stated brisket, short rib and pork. I was looking for small pieces of brisket and short rib but everything was ground up. The ambiance is nice inside but overall, I'm not sure I would come back.

I came here with my boyfriend after looking at the menu and thinking a few items sounded good, particularly the Cheese & Herb Risotto tots. It was also restaurant week and they had a pretty good deal going. We were at the restaurant for a total of 2 hours (not by choice) with only having ordered 1 appetizer, salads, and our main course. So of course I ordered the risotto tots and was very much underwhelmed. They had an overly fake cheese taste and not much other flavor. Next my boyfriend and I both ordered salads. We waited about 30 minutes before our waitress came over and had asked us what we ordered again to ensure that another table didn't get our order. This made me believe she just forgot to put the order in. After waiting another 20 minutes, our salads came, my boyfriend got the cesar and I got the mixed greens salad. He said the cesar was pretty standard, however the salad I got was not what the menu said it consisted of. It stated it came with a pecorino romano cheese but it then came with a bleu cheese which I absolutely am not a fan of. I hated to do it, but I had to send it back and request a salad without cheese. After waiting about 45 more minutes and not seeing our waitress at ALL, our pizza finally arrived. Both of our pizzas came SWIMMING in grease. Now I don't mind some grease on a pizza (that's obviously how you know it's good) but this was an obscene amount. I could only eat 2 pieces at this point because I was just so turned off by our experience thus far. We quickly request a check from the first staff member we could find since our waitress seemed to vanish and got out of there as soon as we could. Oh, also, we decided to sit outside since it was a nice day out but there were so many flies on the patio and it's located on a pretty noisy street with cars honking as they drove by. Such a horrible experience and I will not ever be going back there again.

I didn't like anything about this place. The service was slow, our server was very dismissive. Plates were never removed from the table. The roasted chicken was awful and salty. The Caesar salad came with without salad dressing. Our server just disappeared. We asked for the manager, who came over and tried to smooth things over. We paid the bill, and sat for a bit talking, then all the lights were turned off. They opened the blinds but it was still pretty dark. This is a very cute restaurant but I was just disappointed with everything about it. If you are in the Alexandria area and want to try it out to see if you have a better experience, check it out and let me know what you think.

I dined with coworkers for lunch on a holiday so the dining room was not busy. Our server was not attentive and I had to flag him down to refill my drink after waiting with it empty for 15 minutes. They have a nice menu for lunch and I debated on what to order. I ended up getting the white pizza. It was good, not great, but solid. It was too garlicky for me tasty.

Good service. We ordered pizza, fries, and salmon (not pictured), and all were so-so (average). The salmon was not seasoned and the pizza needed a little bit more cheese. Our drinks were good, especially the cider we ordered.

This location is north of old town south of Arlington. And this is a very chill modern and localized place to go. There are a few tourists frequent this place. When they usually swarm to the old town and DC area. This place has a very neighborhood vibe. The food menu is not extensive. I personally like restaurants that focus on few main dishes rather than having a dictionary of a menu. I'm having trouble trying to choose what you want. Their selection of draft beers is more impressive. But the main reason why most people come here is for the woodfired pizza. My family came out to do a menu tasting for a wedding rehearsal dinner planned for later this month. we tasted a majority of the menu. Items we like the most; Were the bacon wrapped dates, truffle fries, the salads and lastly of the woodfired pizza. I was shocked and surprised as how good the salads were they were crisp and refreshing and almost better than the pizza. We dealt with Andrea the GM/ event director. She is amazing! Andrea helping the bride and groom plan a rehearsal dinner. She was amazing, knowledgeable, professional and 100% helpful. She is a true professional, who are seems to have a lot experience in the field. Prior to coming to Rustico I imagined the pizza would be the main delight. But after talking to Andrea, she stole the show. We will make a special request for her to be at the private event. We plan to throw here. I recommend to the reader that you specifically request her if you plan on throwing a private event. There's ample parking in the back. There's outdoor seating and the decor in the interior is chill and appropriate for this location. We plan on having 100 of our closest family and friends here to Rustico. They are coming from all around the country for a wedding. It's definitely good enough to take your significant other or family out for dinner. They also have a kids menu and crayons with coloring menus.

The food was good! The waiter seemed to be a bit distracted so the service was a little slow but we still enjoyed our experience. There's great seating areas both inside and outside.

Went for restaurant week and had a horrible experience. Started with a round of drinks, 2 of the drinks were awful including the spicy margarita. The manager came over with an attitude and said she will not be comping anything more from the 2 drinks (mind you, the drinks were not drank, just sipped and basically filled to the rim.) She gave an attitude and said that's why they warn people that it's very spicy...but of course, our server gave no warning, and couldn't even tell us the brand of tequilas that they had. Outside of the rude service, the food was horrible. Plus, they brought out our dessert before our meal came! For the mains: The wings were the only decent part of our meal. Asked for medium steak and it came tough, well done, and unseasoned, but again, the manager said she wasn't comping anything else. They didn't even have steak sauce! The penna alla vodka was watery and had no flavor. The salad greens were wilted and brown. The risotto tots were hard. Lastly, the dessert. The brownie was DRY and they give you less than a scoop of ice cream. The cookie skillet had no flavor, also less than a scoop of ice cream. The cheesecake tasted SOUR, like they literally used bad cream cheese or it was old and bad. I would have come back to give the pizzas a try, but the manager was so disrespectful and not accommodating. There is nothing wrong with sending something back if it is not going to get eaten/drank because of poor quality or taste, but she forced us and said there would be no comping or refunds despite us not finishing our meals. Highly disappointed because it would be much different if management had any sort of respect.

It took 2 1/2 hours for lunch. With pre knowledge of our large group arriving and a deposit they only had two servers working. I didn't even get my order in for over 1 1/2 hours. Then they charged us a 5% fee on top of the automatic 20% tip for a large group. Food was good.

We wanted to love this place, but it missed the mark. The good- the risotto tots were hot and tasty. The pizza was good. The bad- the service was poor. Not crowded on a Saturday, but we waited for drinks refills. We waited forever for our check. Also, avoid the chicken and waffles at ALL costs. The chicken was way overcooked with little seasoning. Overall, we were not impressed and wouldn't seek this place out. Too many other options in Alexandria.

Came here on a whim while house hunting and despite the service being fast and friendly, the food was average. Nothing id crave to go back for but still left full. Not pictured is the vodka pizza which we put the meatballs on top. It was alright we both agreed they could have jazzed it up more with say arugula and prosciutto. The grilled Caesar salad is seasonal so sadly I wasn't able to order it. We almost went to a neighborhood Greek spot called Vaso's Kitchen and that probably would have been the right move in hindsight.

I have been going to Rustico for years and have always enjoyed my meals but today I was beyond thrilled to discover Ricotta Donuts on their menu. I have had ricotta donuts before and love them, so I ordered these in anticipation. I was not disappointed. They were not too sweet or heavy, topped with powdered sugar and served with three dipping sauces (caramel, chocolate, and/or strawberry). I am not sure how long Rustico has had these on the menu and I have no idea how long they will be there, but I plan to order them again the next chance I get. So good, thank you Rustico!

This review is based on the comparison of their steak salad ($20) and rigatoni ($21). The steak salad was much larger in size and a complete meal, which had large meaningful slices of steak on top of a beautifully large bed of salad. The rigatoni, while it was delicious, was a tiny little appetizer sized platter. I had to order an extra $7 side salad, which the waiter had to ask the chef the price of because they don't have a side salad on the menu. Add insult to injury, they add a 3% "admin fee". Dear restaurants: Patrons are not responsible for paying your employees, you are. They're YOUR employees.

A consistently solid experience. They change their menu once in a while but the standard fare is quite good. The grilled chicken salad, Korean bbq cauliflower, and pizzas are all solid options. Service is generally friendly but can be hit or miss in terms of attentiveness.

June 2021 - COVID Review: My friend wanted to try this place after she saw that they had mushroom bruschetta and she's a hugeee fan of mushrooms. We stopped by for a weeknight dinner and the location is just off the main strip of Old Town Alexandria. There was parallel street parking right in front of the restaurant! Our eyes were bigger than our stomaches since we ordered a number of things off the menu, but they were all delicious! Their wood fired pizza is one of their specialties!

I'm a neighborhood business guy. And Rustico is in my neighborhood. After the pandemic, we visited this great spot quite a bit, because we wanted it to succeed. In spite of itself, Rustico seems to have taken a turn away from innovative food-forward cuisine, into the mundane and banal. So disappointed. We brought my son here because he loves their steak and frites. My wife is a vegetarian and post-pandemic, the menu has moved away from veg options. She ordered a Caesar salad which was about as mundane and boring as a salad can be. I ordered the pasta Bolognese.it came without bread, no offer of cheese or crushed red pepper. (we also ordered an appetizer that never came. We weren't charged for it but had to point it out to our server, who was surprised.) Boring overcooked pasta, bland unimaginative salad, and a good steak and frites. Rustico has a great happy hour, and is usually a place we consider a first option on a Thursday or Friday. Now? It's just disappointing and dropping $100 for a disappointing dinner just isn't worth it.

It seems to me like this a go-to neighborhood spot for people in Arlington, but there are definitely better options if you feel like venturing into DC. I came here with a friend, and the ambience inside reminds you of a classic restaurant. The staff were super friendly, but not much else to comment on. In terms of the food, for the price point, it was definitely underwhelming. The spinach and artichoke dip was lacking the quintessential creamy flavor, and the chicken avocado salad left more to be desired. Considering that the place is more known for their pizzas and pastas, it might be a better experience if you opt for those dishes.

Used to be one of our go restaurants for years. But we stopped coming here after, during our last two visits, they stopped letting us sit with our kid on the right side of the restaurant and started insisting that families must sit in the family ghetto on the left side of the restaurant. The pretext they gave is that they serve alcohol on the right side of the restaurant, which contains a bar area as well as booths, so allegedly it's not appropriate to serve kids there; ironically, as soon as they sat us in the kids ghetto, they gave us a cocktail menu and asked us what we wanted to drink. They are free to run their restaurant how they want, but none of the other restaurants in this area discriminate against families in this way and we will not put up with it, so we will not be back and encourage other families to think twice before coming here, too.

The food was basic and not very tasty (I'm being charitable). I had grilled salmon over risotto and sadly, it tasted like something from Nutrisystem or maybe one of those survival companies that make food to last until the next apocalypse. We went during Happy Hour and each had a Pomegranate Lemonade Margarita which I guarantee did not have alcohol in them. We then switched to a glass of wine each (again during Happy Hour), and together, the two glasses equaled one glass at your average neighborhood restaurant. This was our second time at Rustico, the first visit took place when they opened back in 2006 or so. The restaurant should have developed way past where they were on this, our second visit. Not the most pleasant dining experience and one we plan not to repeat any time soon! Honestly I always feel uncomfortable giving reviews below four stars, but this restaurant just isn't very good! I'm sure they have their fans, I'm just not one of them.

We tried this place out because the menu looked good. Unfortunately, the experience didn't live up to it. The restaurant was almost empty on a Saturday night - a warning sign. Also, this place is DARK! It was like sitting in a cave. The bare wood booth seating was really uncomfortable. The cocktails were good, and so was the fried cauliflower appetizer. But the "spicy" wings were bland and borderline tough. While my wife's pizza was fine, with a nice, chewy crust, the fish in my fish and chips was limp - no crispness at all. At the server's suggestion I upgraded to truffle fries, which was a mistake - they completely overpowered the rest of the dish. The fries themselves had good texture, though. We had cinnamon donuts for dessert - bland and doughy, with a boring caramel sauce. Service was fine except for pacing - they dropped our entrees almost immediately after we got our apps, and we had to wait several minutes before we could order dessert and another long wait for the check afterwards. Rustico Alexandria has some work to do before they can consistently fill seats, and before we'll return.

My team and I reached a milestone on our project and we were awarded lunch. I decided to go with Rustico because I have not tried it perviously and saw good review thanks to the Yelp community. Overall my team was highly impressed at the quality of food provide. I took a couple images of some of the food we got before it was devoured. We order pickup and the food was ready within the time frame they mentioned on their website. The Parmesan Truffle fries were divine. When I picked up the food (around 12pm) the location seemed to have a good amount of customers for a restaurant that just opened (11:30am). I enjoyed their food very much and look forward to going back.

Two words: risotto tots. They aren't for everyone, say people with dairy allergies, but for the rest of us they are fried cubes of comfort food morsel perfection with a heavenly dipping sauce. The pizza is really awesome too - I like the fungi-focused choice, and my husband always adds a chicken topping. On our most recent visit, we did not ask for the chickpea crust, but it is the best tasting and textured gluten-free crust my husband and I have ever tasted. We don't have celiacs, but often choose the chickpea crust just because it is so dang good! Also: solid beer selection and you can order taster sizes to build out your own "flight," though Rustico won't call it a flight.