Rustico

Went here on a Friday for an early dinner. Happy our pricing was good. I’m from the Midwest so critical of any pizza. Overall a good thin crust slice. Apps were delicious. Nice selection of ciders and beer. I appreciate the causal vibe.

This is an amazing restaurant and bar in downtown Arlington. They have a full menu of American style food to choose from and a long list of draft and bottled beers. There is outside patio seating available which makes it handicap friendly. It is centrally located within walking distance from most major hotels in the area.

Great food and great beers. Amazing beer selection. Limited menu, but they do it well. A bit pricey though. Waiter wasn’t very attentive, they seemed understaffed.

Food was good. The pizza crust and sauce is Italian style (thin, light), and we got the Butchers Special which comes with all the meat. There were a lot of toppings, including cheese (which we loved), and those toppings were high quality. Salami was really good. The seafood linguine was also good, and the quality of shrimp was great. We were not huge fans of the spinach and artichoke dip, which was very milky. It didn't have much spinach, artichoke, or cheese, so there wasn't too much flavor. We had a reservation for 8:45pm, and they closed at 10pm. They did last call for food at 9pm, so we felt a bit rushed. We had to order our dessert at the same time as our entrees, and I think they made them at the same time because by the time they brought the hot dessert to our table, it was room temperature, including the cast iron skillet it was cooked in.

It’s a great spot for pizza, salads and burgers. The beer selection is great. Food in general was good to great. Love the location.

We've been to the one on Alexandria and this one was a lot the same. I had the pizza which was not bad, I'd put it middle of the pile for me and my wife had a salad which she liked. Lots of beer options and a cozy open concept place. It's mostly street parking although there did look to be some public garages nearby. It was Sat and they apparently only serve a more limited brunch menu rather than the full lunch menu which was disappointing. Pricey, one pizza, one salad, one soft drink and a water was $36 and just an OK meal.

They have one of the best social distancing set ups in the area. Food is great. Drink selection is excellent. And don’t forget to check out the provisions menu online. I get a monthly butcher box from them that has a great variety and top quality.

Everything here was just ok. We ordered two pizzas and both were just alright, they were thin crust and each one was personal sized. Also ordered the penne with vodka sauce and it was definitely over priced. The service was very slow especially because we came here on a Wednesday and it wasn't super packed.

Closed! Sorry to see you go! Everything is removed, the tables are off the street, and the bar is being cleared out...

A truly disappointing experience. My husband and I made reservations in Arlington based on our positive experiences at the Alexandria location. Upon arriving, however, seated in a dark corner and left alone for at least 10 minutes After flagging down a waitress to get our drink orders, we had to wait again for a different person to come and take our food order at least 15 minutes later. No one introduced themselves or gave us their name (more to do with management than the servers). Our pizzas arrived quickly, but were pretty greasy and had very little taste. for the prices we paid I expected much better quality ingredients Due to the cost of $75 for two drinks and two pizzas (as well as slow service), we Unfortunately will not be coming back

Rustico is a go-to whenever friends or family are in town and I want to take them somewhere nice in Ballston (in terms of food and ambiance!) I've visited for dinner before and loooooved their penne allá vodka (maybe some of the best I've ever had). Today, I stopped by for lunch. It was fairly empty so not the same vibe as in the evening; however, our sever, Tia, was so attentive and helpful! I was a bit bummed to find out that pasta isn't served during lunch (which I hope they will reconsider!!) So I ordered the lunch box, which gives you the option to select 3 items off the menu (only certain items, those marked with a star) and includes a soda or iced tea. I thought this was a good value meal. My personal assessment: The cheese and herb risotto tots were delicious. Beet salad could have used more dressing, but still yummy. Meatball sub was a miss for me - hard to eat due to portioning and meat to bread to sauce ratio.

Food: we thought it was average - nothing super exciting, basic but fine. Our bill was expensive for what we got, in my opinion. Service: again, average - our server was not the friendliest (maybe he was having a bad night?) or super attentive - we waited a while for him to check on us, refill our drinks etc., and honestly I'm really not that picky about that stuff but it did stand out to me. Ambiance: cute! I liked the dim lighting and the decor, and the general vibe of the place. To be honest, my partner and I decided we probably won't return as there is better food out there (and for a better price too). Give this place a shot and decide for yourself!

Dined in on a Friday night, plenty of tables available and were seated immediately! We sat in the dining section, the lighting was a bit too dark for our liking but overall the atmosphere was fine. We started off with two appetizers, the spinach artichoke dip and the baked feta dip. The baked feta dip is TO DIE FOR. It was amazing!! Highly highly recommend that dip. The spinach artichoke dip however, was more of a queso, not your typical spinach artichoke dip that you think of. Not my favorite. For mains we got rigatoni bolognese, penne vodka, and the gnocci. My favorite was the penne vodka! They were all tasty though. Service was good, and they give you big glasses of water which was nice because we didn't need constant refills. Overall definitely recommend, next time I'll try the pizza!

They have incredible vodka pizza. Their beetroot salad is also delicious. The ambience is nice on the inside, but I would say that the service is pretty average. I did have to ask a few times for my check as well as a box. Overall, though I will probably be back given how great the food is. They also have a really nice outdoor patio space which is great for the summer months and spring.

We came here after another local restaurant had far too long a wait. I will start by saying the service was extremely slow which normally would take a star away, but it was clear they were very short servers and everything else was amazing so I will not. The place is cute. They have an extensive beer list, which my boyfriend loved. The menu was small but everything sounded so delicious that it was hard to decide. We started with the mushroom bruschetta and the calamari. The mushroom bruschetta was amazing and I could have that for a meal. The calamari was tender and the sauce was a great accompaniment. We got the scallop special and the chicken and cherry pepper pizza. The scallops were the star of the show, tender and sweet. The pizza was spicy and cooked perfectly. Overall it was an amazingly yummy meal and we will be back.

The seafood linguine spicy tomato sauce was flavorful, slightly sweet with a mild kick. Shrimp was fresh and cooked perfectly. Yummy! The linguine however was overcooked:(. Our waitress arrived promptly and our drinks and food didn't take long to arrive. It looked like she was the only waitress in that section and we didn't see our waitress for the rest of our meal.

The Hawaiian pizza here is so good! If you like thin crust then you'll definitely like this. Our waiter was super attentive and our food came out very quickly!

Come to Rustico for pizza and drinks. The risotto tots are good and you can probably skip the rest. The Funghitown pizza is my fave. Other apps we had were the mushroom bruschetta, crispy brussel sprouts, and truffle fries The bruschetta topping was tasty (seems like what they put on the pizza) but the bread isn't toasted and falls apart. The sprouts are ok. They need salt. The truffle fries aren't worth it. Not a lot of truffle flavor and they also need salt

Rustico is AMAZING. If you have a gluten free allergy, this is a must go. The GF options are wide AND so good and not overpriced. The wings and appetizers are especially great.

Believe the reviews. We went out and spent over $90 for two meals and 2 drinks plus tip. We had the pizza and appetizer, wine and beer. The server was nice but not attentive. We had to continuously flag him down to get our initial order out. The ambiance was great, the decor and look was modern and intimate. I felt like this would be great for a first date. However, there might be better options in the area. The food tasted okay, it was not something I was looking to take back home with me. After our time there my partner and I decided we would likely not come back. Might be worth a shot but I would not recommend it.

Solid Italian place with lots of options on the menu! Our waitress was really friendly as well. The ambiance is cute - there's a dining room area as well as booths and bar area for different vibes. The beer menu is quite interesting - we tried a raspberry cheesecake beer which was delicious and kind of like a smoothie sour. Pizza was good but my only qualm is that the vodka pie was extremely greasy, like had to use 2 napkins to dab it before eating greasy, which made it not as good as the Margherita. All in all would come back to try more food and beer.

This place is all looks nothing to show for it. Upon first impressions it's got lots of reviews (I didn't see if they were great reviews), located in a great area in Arlington, beautiful ambiance outside and inside. We called ahead for reservations same day for a table of 9 on a Monday. When we arrived 30mins early our table was already set up and ready. The place was pretty empty on a Monday night. They had a lot of staff working though. The waiter was young and very nice. Our waiter handled a table of 9 people very well. I wish I remembered his name. Our waters were constantly refilled. However, ordering and getting our food out was a bit slow. Drinks weren't great. I personally was a little difficult about my drink order. I ordered a margarita with casamigo tequila because on the menu it said margarita, pick tequila. However what I failed to realize and the waiter failed to mention is that the list of tequila available was all the way to the right. Their top shelf was patron. So I asked for a Mojito and they gave me a mojito with dark rum, no lime and basically it tasted like just dark rum. Then I asked for that margarita with patron that I originally was going to order. Ok I was being nice but indecisive with my drinks, I apologized a lot for that. Bartender walks over with an attitude. He was a much older gentleman. He questioned me on what was wrong with my drink, what did I order, how do I like my drinks. Then he reaches over me trying to take my mojito away when I told him it's fine I'll share it with someone who may like it but it's just not for me. He tried to educate me or talk down to me however you look at it, on a mojito which sure I'm no bartender but out the years I've been drinking mojitos I have never tasted one like that. This was a work dinner so my coworker took a sip and said that disgusting and NOT a mojito. No one ended up taking the mojito. My whole table seen he had an attitude with me. As I mentioned I realized I was being indecisive and I apologized over and over while I was ordering. The whole table ordered appetizers for the whole table to share, one of each. Only appetizer I liked were the truffle fries. I ordered the Grilled Salmon and so did half my table. It smelled like fish when it all arrived. Everyone knows fresh fish does not smell. My meal looked very pretty. However it tasted really funny and was not good. Everyone else who ordered the salmon agreed. I didn't ask about other folks orders. We ordered desserts too which came out timely and smelled good but I didn't even want to taste it after my dinner. When I went to the restroom none of the stalls but one had toliet paper. Restroom was not clean. They used drink napkins as paper towels I'm assuming they forgot to order paper towels. Overall, not the best experience and probably won't ever come back.

Sign on the door says open until 11:00. I walk in at 9:06 and ask for takeout, get told that the kitchen is closed. Needs a little truth in advertising.

If you're gluten free in the area looking for pizza, this is the place to go. There gluten free crust is the second best I've had in the DMV area (and I've tried a large number of gluten free pizzas. In addition to pizza, we ordered Parmesan truffle fries. The fries were clearly fresh cut and they were delicious. The inside is a cute spot for a dinner or happy hour!

On a pleasant Friday evening, we decided to visit this establishment for an early dinner, and to our delight, we were met with reasonable pricing that left us content. Hailing from the heart of the Midwest, my standards for pizza are quite high, but I must say, the thin crust slice we indulged in exceeded expectations. The appetizers were nothing short of delicious, tantalizing our taste buds and setting the stage for an enjoyable meal. The varied selection of ciders and beers added to the experience, providing the perfect accompaniment to our meal. The laid-back ambiance and casual vibe of the place resonated with us, creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that made our dining experience all the more enjoyable.

I had such a pleasant dining experience at Rustico in Ballston. I made a reservation for a Friday night for me and a friend. When I got there, I realized they have a large outdoor seating area over a grassy patch of land. And they have cute little string lights hanging overhead. Thankfully, the host was able to find seating for us outside on this perfect weather evening. The service was a little slow, but that was okay. We had time to catch up while we figured out what to order. We ended up each getting a cocktail. The drinks were good! We ordered the carrot dip and the cheese and herb risotto tots. Both apps were unique and tasty. We especially loved the carrot dip. We split the chicken and cherry pepper pizza. It was delicious! We had enough food to take home with us. Overall, this was a nice environment for dinner. The food was great! And the service was just a little slow. I would definitely come back.

Food - Average Italian. Food was cold when delivered. Service - Horrible. After a thirty minute wait - we attempted to flag down a waitress. With no response - I decided to call and place a pick up order. when I indicated to deliver to our table - we were finally waited on. Appetizers were not served and told the order was put in but must have been forgotten. Ambiance : Kids running around unattended by parents. Would not recommend unless you want to wait and enjoy a noisy dinner with kids running around. Very disappointed!

Meh. I'd say Rustico has a great ambiance, especially for happy hour with friends or coworkers, but the food is average at best. After seeing an IG post for "late" HH in Arlington (goes til 7), I decided to give this location a try (I've been to the Alexandria location). As I was walking in I was hit with an interesting smell that I believe was floor cleaner but still it wasn't a fresh scent (more stale/moldy). I had a reservation so we were sat right away and both the waitress and host were kind! We decided to order one of everything off of the happy hour menu, and while not impressive. everything tasted pretty decent. We also decided to order one of the pepperoni pizzas which again wasn't impressive, but did taste good. I also tried the house wine which was average, but I didn't have high expectations for a house wine. I do agree that this is a decent happy hour spot to meet up with friends or coworkers, but I wouldn't say it's a must visit establishment. However around 8 pm (on a Monday) the crowd started to pick up so they certainly are enjoyable to many!

Met a friend here on a Saturday night for drinks and dinner. Sat in a booth in the bar area. The cool light over our booth did not work and there was a bit of a draft. Place was full but not crowded. I was surprised; I like the bar and thought there would have been more people. We split the burger medium and the vodka pizza with arugula. The burger came out a little more rare than medium but I liked it a lot! I also liked that they split it for us in the kitchen. The pizza was delicious. Service was great.

I visited for Restaurant week. I LOVED the Key Lime Cheesecake, but my Rigatoni with bolognese was so salty I couldn't taste anything else. A note on the ambiance- the lighting is very dim and the font on the menu is small and delicate. My parents had to use their phone flashlight to read the menu! This is an issue I've noticed every time I've gone here. I'll be exploring new restaurants in Ballston at this point.

Rustico is a great spot for anyone in the Arlington area! It's right in the heart of ballston with outdoor and indoor seating. We came here for pizza, drinks and desert. We got the mules and they were delicious. We also got the brownie skillet for desert and was perfect ti split. Our waitress was very kind and had great recommendations. We split an 8 slice pepperoni pizza which was perfect amount for 2. We sat outside at the tables in a shaded area. I also recommend the cheese/ garlic dip as your app. It's not pictured but it's a skillet of warm whipped feta cheese and with soft pita bread. Great spot for warm weather and large indoor seating for colder months.

RAW CHICKEN WINGS!!! Standby to see if I get salmonella. The least the staff could've done if you're gonna serve raw chicken is provide decent service. Pizza was also soggy - just don't do it.

went out for dinner here and it was slay! we just got pizzas and i thought they were really good. great service too. the whole place was very "love" by lana del rey coded. need to go again soon

Dined here this weekend and really enjoyed my meal. I am very picky when it comes to my Italian food and this was surprisingly good. I got the risotto tots which were perfectly crunchy and creamy at the same time. The Penne ala vodka was also delicious.

Great family-friendly outdoor seating and delicious cocktails and apps! There are plenty of large picnic tables under a tent and smaller tables socially distanced and spread apart with QR code menus. They even have a large water bowl for your pup! Note: Reservations are for indoor seating only and outdoor patio seating is 1st come 1st serve. Waitlist can take anywhere from 10 min to 45 min (around 8pm the wait goes down). My hubby and I had such a great time that came back a couple of days later - twice in a week! We explored the menu and discovered our favorite dishes! Rum Punch (5/5) - Really enjoyed the fresh punch with a bold passion fruit flavor. Ordered 2 rounds on our 1st visit and came back for a 3rd round. I was tempted to try other cocktails, but couldn't resist another glass of the luscious punch! Perennial Take 10 Imperial Stout (5/5) - Hubby really enjoyed the chocolatey draught beer and ordered it both times. Truffle Fries (5/5) - Pipping hot with truffle oil in every bite coated in light parmesan cheese. Perfect for sharing and great for noshing on before hitting up the main course! Herb & Cheese Tots (4/5) - Not your traditional tots. These unique tots are more like arancini cheesy fried risotto balls shaped like tots. The crispy tots are tasty with a generous serving. I would go for the fries over the tots. Wild Mushroom Bruschetta (4/5) - The creamy sauce is divine. The rustic bread is stiff and a bit stale. Wish the sauce was spread on a fresh baguette or fluffy ciabatta or focaccia bread. If you enjoy mushrooms, go with the Fungitown pizza! Margherita Pizza (2/5) - Not the traditional Neapolitan pizza that I expected. It was quite greasy and threw in the towel after a slice. Fungitown Pizza (5/5) - Great flavor from the wild mushrooms, creamy sauce, herbs, spinach lathered in a thick coat of cheese. I'm glad I opted without the goat cheese. The crust is nice and crunchy. Would love to come back for a 3rd time for the fries, mushroom pizza, and try other cocktails!

Large patio area great for the summer. Ordering is thru the QR code, didn't love it. You have to check in & only one person must enter a credit card to start the order. Then everyone can order, then the only way to pay is for everyone else to pay their own first, and only after that the person whose card was originally entered can pay their own bill. Otherwise that person pays the whole thing. In addition, it was hard ordering thru the link bc you couldn't ask any questions about the menu, i had to go find someone to flag down. Otherwise... Fried cauliflower was really good, and the burger was quite good however it was cooked well and I ordered medium. Carrot dip with lamb ragu was yummy too. Enjoyed the meal very much.

Rustico is COVID safe! They have an outdoor german bench style garden [PET FRIENDLY] - where you can scan a QR code to order your food. It was cool ordering drinks and food via an app - but you couldn't put in specialty things if it wasn't on the menu [like a vodka cran or something.]. So it felt limited. We did two rounds of orders and they came out fast! We had a lot of employee's walking around making sure to take empty plates of tables. They also give you a craft of water so you can refill at your leisure. I really liked the outdoor space, the app is a great idea to limit interactions and enforce safety distancing. I just wish they had some options to personalize food or drink orders. Overall this place is great and we will continue to support them!

We ordered salad, pizza, and dessert here. The salad was by far the best. It was so delicious. It was easy and fast to be seated at the restaurant, which was a very nice part of it. The servers were kind and helpful.

LOVED this dinner! Went with a large group and the restaurant was huge and offered a big patio with outdoor seating. I loved the wide variety of menu options- I could not decide between pizza and an entree so I split pizza and a salad. The pizza offered gluten free crust which was a little soggy however I was happy to have it as an option. The Tuscan pizza had chicken, sundried tomatoes, pesto, etc. It was well flavored and I enjoyed the variety of toppings. The grilled chicken salad was a good portion and offered corn, bacon, jalapeños etc. Would definitely eat here again.

On a cold winter morning, I caught up with a friend from college over brunch at Rustico Restaurant in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington. We were seated at a booth in the back of the restaurant. Before choosing a beer on tap, it was nice to be able to try the ones I was interested in - Commonwealth: Venom fruited sour ale, Black Project: Thin Thread fruited sour ale, and Lost Boy: Gingerbread hard cider. Among the three, I liked the Commonwealth: Venom fruited sour, which had a nice balance of fruitiness, sweetness, and tartness. We shared a Wild Mushroom Bruschetta, which consisted of grilled rustic bread, topped with creamy wild mushrooms. It was delicious. My friend had the Crispy Chicken and Waffles, which consisted of crispy waffle topped with fried chicken and powdered sugar. It was served with Mike's Hot Honey and Maple Syrup on the side. She thought it was alright. She felt that the waffle was a bit doughy. I had the Winter Harvest Salad, which consisted of mixed greens, roasted brussels sprouts, cranberries, roasted squash, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds tossed in balsamic vinaigrette and topped with grated pecorino. It was alright. I regret not getting something warm like the Eggs Benedict but I'll be back to try their other offerings. Our server left after serving us and Brayan took over to provide takeout boxes and separate checks.

I went here for dinner last week and had a great meal. I was able to make a reservation using Open Table--it wasn't super-crowded, but it was still nice to know I had a table. We were seated right away and then our server came quickly to fill our water glasses. I had a glass of wine that was quite good. I had the rigatoni with bolognese sauce for dinner...it was delicious, while my friend tried one of their pizzas. I think it was called the Butcher's Table, and it was yummy, too. I like that it's in Ballston, since I live nearby. I will definitely be back!

The grilled chicken salad was massive and very tasty! You order through the bar code you scan on your table which I very much enjoyed and there is less interaction with others if that is something you are looking for! My boyfriend got the vodka pie and we will most certainly be going back for more pizza there! There is a nice outdoor seating area with plenty of seats.

Food: Carrot Dip, Penne Alla Vodka, Margarita Pizza I've been meaning to try Rustico for months and am so glad that I finally did! The food, environment, and service was excellent. The surprise hit of our meal was the carrot dip. We had never seen it before so ordered it out of intrigue, and it was incredible! It was topped with lamb ragu and feta and served with a side of warm pita. My vodka pasta was the delicious. The sauce was light but very flavorful. The only thing is that I think the dish had too much chicken, but that is probably a pro for most people. Overall, definitely planning on coming back here in the future!

This place (the Ballston location) used to be a regular go-to for me and my girlfriend. Increasingly over the past couple of years, however, the food and service have taken a turn for the worse. At first we attributed it to post-COVID staff shortages and such, and would give it "one more" try to see if things improved at all. Unfortunately, it may have gotten a bit worse. Service is often extremely minimal, and the place has taken on a very "take it or leave it" vibe - a far cry from what it used to be. It's neither rude or welcoming, just "meh". Perhaps restaurant owners and staff alike have given up on trying, given the many other better options available in the area. There was a time when Rustico was the cool, new joint with solid bar fare and a hipster beer selection - but I guess all good things do eventually come to an end.

The food was expensive and the portions were big. The calamari wasn't special and the pretzel was ordinary.

First time visiting this restaurant, came for a relative's birthday and had always wanted to try. Most likely, this will be my first and only time I'll come here. Reservations at 7:30 which we were on time for. Water, plates and utensils were brought to use immediately by the host after being seated. After almost 20min of waiting for a server we had to ask for assistance, "are we invisible?". I'll get straight to the point, I was brought an UNDERCOOKED chicken sandwich. I sent it back and asked for it to be removed from our check. A staff member asked if I wanted a new order, I declined. He asked "you sure?" - sir positive, my appetite was ruined. It was removed from my check. Happy that I cut the sandwich in half prior to just biting into it. The cauliflower bites were fine though.

Last weekend I decided I wanted to try a different restaurant in Arlington, and so came across the new restaurant Rustico in Ballston (They also have a location in Alexandria). I am so glad I tried this place, and definitely want to go back again to try their pizza! My family and I absolutely loved their shares, especially their Baked Feta Dip. It was gone within a minute! Their pizza rolls were yummy as well, but not as good as we thought they would be. For our main dish, my boyfriend ordered their fried chicken sandwich, and oh my gosh it was fantastic! Can't go wrong with a fried chicken sandwich lol. The fries were so amazing. They reminded me of Five Guys fries a bit. I ordered their Pork Schnitzel. The sauce they had on it slapped! Also, this American gal, loved the portion size. I did not go home hungry whatsoever. Overall, it was a great experience with great food and friendly service. Great atmosphere! I will definitely be dining there again to explore the menu more!

It's okay! I stopped by here on a whim and enjoyed the food, but wouldn't say it would be a place I'd frequent. I tried a lot of different dishes with friends, and all of them fell squarely into the category of "good but not amazing." Everything would be a good accompaniment with booze, but the vast majority of it felt like it wouldn't be worth ordering on its own.

First time to the restaurant. Was poorly greeted. No "how are you". Just "inside or outside" Greeter was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Sat in bar area. No further engagement with the greeter. Took at least 20 minutes before a wait staff showed up to ask for a drink order Waited again over 10 minutes for one beer and a soda. (Staff was leisurely hanging out at the bar.) Finally got our food order in. Waiter had limited knowledge of menu. Only surprised how quick to get the food. Found foreign object in the meal and told the waiter. No further contact except for when we paid the check. Paid a lot for really below average service. It appears the front end staff is lazy and under trained and the back staff is good. I liked my feta dip. Live walking distance to the restaurant. Won't visit unless someone else is paying. Note, the indoor area was clean and comfortable. Not loud and appropriate programming on the tvs.

Took my family that was visiting from out of town here for a quick bite. Always great food options for a group since they have a little bit of everything! The whipped feta dip is unreal and you can never go wrong with their pizzas! Don't miss out on the cocktails as well, I got a seasonal mule with passion fruit and it was so refreshing! We sat on the patio and it's dog friendly so our pups were able to join too.

Beer selection wasn't bad! Food was pretty good also, I had tried both the pastas with my boyfriend and they came out hot and flavorful. The feta dip was delicious and the fried bites were yummy appetizers also. I would suggest this spot to people for either a date night or a fun place for friends to meet up. I sat with 5 other friends and the booth was a little tight, but I did enjoy having the ACC tournament games on the TV by the bar near us! Overall, good spot for food and drinks with friends.

Two locations in Northern Virginia, Ballston and N. Alexandria (my favorite). This is one of my favorite local restaurants for the wide selection of craft beer, awesome pizzas, and risotto tots.

I recently dined at Rustico Restaurant and overall had a delightful experience. The restaurant boasts a cozy and charming ambiance, and the food is simply delicious. However, one area where Rustico could improve is in the variety of pasta options available on their menu.

Don't let them ruin your evening (or lunch). I went in with some colleagues and ordered a plate of pasta. Our server was 100% unprofessional. She wasn't able to answer any single question we asked and very slow. It was 2-3 times food and drink were brought to our table while it belonged to another table. Food was a little below standard (2-3 stars for just food). Very salty though. When we were about to head out and asked for the check, the manager came in and informed us that THEY LOST THE CHECK!! I didn't expect this. We demanded that we definitely needed the receipt. He finally figured something out after a few back and forth of lossy and unprofessional reasons. I thought a messy evening was done but NO. A few hours later I got a notification that my card was charged another $22.xx OUT OF NO WHERE. We've already left the restaurant but two extra orders were charged to my card. The next day I stopped by the restaurant again to make things right (around 12pm). The manager promised me to sort it out at that time and politely kicked me out of the restaurant. Nothing was done until that evening I had to call them again and it turned out that they have not done anything. They said I ordered 3 items when I've only order a plate. I told them that and they finally processed the refund BUT THE AMOUNT WAS NOT CORRECT. I called them again about this and they said that they couldn't do it now because the first refund was not processed yet and now I need to wait for it to be processed and call the restaurant again when it's done to get the rest of the money. Totally a waste of time and money, plus NO APOLOGIES WHATSOEVER!! They acted like it was my fault wanting to get a refund.. well you don't want to pay for something you didn't order, didn't eat and just came out of no where, right? They even hanged up my call without saying goodbye, the waiting time for the call is extremely long, very rude, very unprofessional staff, I can't believe how this restaurant is still in business. As of now that I'm writing this review, I have not received the refund yet and still waiting. AVOID AT ALL COST!!

We'll start with the best part- the food. We had a vodka pie, a margarita pie, fried risotto, and feta cheese dip with pita. The food was great; it was the best vodka pie I've had in DC, the fried risotto was perfect and came with a delicious dipping sauce, and I'd eat the feta dip any day. For drinks, we were a bit disappointed in the watermelon fresca and frose. They were mediocre especially for the price, at 10 and 11 dollars. The worst part about the place was the service- you order on your phone, and then wait. It took quite a while- they were understaffed- and we had to beg for water multiple times. We came with friends and though we ordered within seconds of each other, we got our alcoholic drinks quickly and they waited on sodas for at least another 15 minutes.

Love this place and all the gluten free options ! Food was delicious and with our large group (with kids) and service from Jose was great!

My wife and I were in town for a visit and we thought we'd get a bite to eat at Rustico. We thought there would be a wait because the restaurant was busy, but were seated right away. We used the QR code from the table to go online order our food and drinks and they were served pretty quickly. We started with drinks... my wife ordered the Bluejacket Run Rudolph Run Imperial Sweet Stout and I had a Bluejacket Radio Cure Italian Pilsner. They were both very good. We ordered a Wild Mushroom bruschetta as an appetizer, and shared a Margheritaville Pizza. Both items were delicious. I also enjoyed the funky chandeliers and metal pipe used for conduit throughout the restaurant/bar. It created a sort of "Steam Punk" atmosphere!

Food was a 4- pretty impressed! The Burrata salad was awesome, huge portion of fresh cheese! The Tuscan Chicken pizza was delish! I got some ranch and got cherry peppers on the side which kicked it up a notch. The calamari was fresh and came with some greens! The tots were my least favorite sadly, not awful but not great, food was prompt and hot! Service was not up to par. I made a reservation a week ago...I called to confirm (thank heavens) and no reservation existed under my name. What....I asked specifically for a birthday too!! Anyways they were able to get me a table. I decided to sit outside, and within a few minutes mosquitoes and gnats were in our wine floating around...it was really not a great environment to eat in. Once it started to rain we asked to be seated inside, at that point they told us no tables were available. We had to get back on the list to sit inside....and in the meantime we were invited to sit in the waiting area with our plate and wine...what in the world. Our server was not attentive, forgot drinks multiple times. Customer service is severely lacking. Not impressed.