Rustico

We visited Rustico in Oak Park with our Estillos Barber Studio client/friend, and the experience really stood out. Alan, our host, made sure we felt taken care of from start to finish. His team was attentive,even down to refilling our sparkling water the moment our glasses were close to empty. That kind of detail doesn’t go unnoticed. The food was excellent across the board. The mussels were flavorful and fresh, the Brussels sprouts had that perfect roasted crisp, and the fish paella was cooked beautifully with a great authentic taste. To finish, the nupudding with pistachio ice cream was a highlight, creamy, nutty, and the perfect ending to the meal. Rustico delivered on both service and flavor. It felt genuine, thoughtful, and worth recommending. We’ll definitely be back.

This was a great stop near Oak Park. The appetizers were awesome. The drinks excellent and the entrees were perfect. The Sea Bass special was amazing and the personal paella were very good. We would go back in a heartbeat.

Rústico in Oak Park is an excellent spot for a business lunch. The space is comfortable and well laid out for conversation, the location is convenient, and the staff is attentive without hovering. I had the chicken masala lunch and it was outstanding—very flavorful, well-prepared, and served in a generous portion that felt like a real meal (not a “lunch special” in name only). Great food, great service, and a place I’ll gladly return to.

Ordered the banana dessert and was highly disappointed. Presentation, taste and overall quality was subpar. Looked like something an amateur can do at home. It was literally sliced bananas that were caramalized on the surface. Nothing compared to Nobu's caramelized bananas. Also their tapas were HUGE portions on a 10 in plate! These were entire meals! Not your typical tapas. Not very appealing to the eye, when you're expecting typical tapas.

First time here, and it was an amazing experience! They offer outdoor seating, but we chose to sit inside since it was less crowded. We visited during lunch, and the place wasn’t busy, so we were greeted and seated right away. The service was outstanding — attentive and friendly from start to finish. The food was just as impressive! The salmon salad and steak salad were both fresh and flavorful, and if you come here, the pistachio cheesecake is an absolute must-try. Highly recommend this spot for a delicious meal and great atmosphere. I’ll definitely be back!

food is soooo delicious! the workers there are amazing and great people. i've only been twice and im in love with the place. totally coming again!!! <3

Rustic was our choice for a dinner with our daughter who lives near the restaurant. We had a wonderful pork loin dinner, short ribs gnocchi, and an entre salad. Each entree was presented in a rustic manner as befits the name. All the entres were very generous in size. Our host and waitstaff hovered unobtrusively so as to ensure a pleasant evening. I think it is a great place to eat.

The food is excellent. Service can be slow when they are busy. The background noise can be loud. Even with these items, going again.

Lovely. Went with a friend. Got there 30minutes early and the bartender was outstanding company...while he kept working. Small plates on the larger size maybe. The two of us had 4 plates and were stuffed. Carpaccio was at worst the 2nd best I have ever had. Scallops large and superbly cooked. I hate calamari but asked for a couple extra pieces once my friend had me try one- that was the stunner. Heartily recommend

The restaurant is beautiful inside. I loved the decor and the floor was very unique. It's a pretty large space. I was sat down quickly. I started by trying the special drink, an apple cider sangria. It was light and refreshing. They served you two types of bread. Both were good but I preferred the one with crispy crust. We tried the brussel sprouts as an appetizer. They were crispy and good but didn't have very much of the sauce on them. The sauce was a little sweet. I had the beet salad as my entree. It is not very big, so I wouldn't recommend it as a meal. It had a good flavor but I would have preferred a little more toppings (nuts and cheese, etc). It had two different types of beets. Both were good, but more beet than traditional salad. My friend enjoyed her salmon ravioli but did feel she needed a little salt on it. It was a good portion size. We ended with sharing the tiramisu. It was fantastic, definitely the best part of the meal.

Pretty nice place, for a casual meeting. I went yesterday and the first thing I will speak about is the elephant in the room. We sat three tables from the front door, there is absolutely no screen door, there is absolutely no protection from the wind and the snow from the entryway. Every single time the front door was opened for entry or departure not only were we freezing but everything blew around on our table.... Talk about an engineering flaw. Service, when we were finished with our appetizer of mushrooms and scallops, it took 15 minutes with staff walking back-and-forth past our table and no one cleaning up the dirty dishes, Very disappointing. I will tell you this and it's the honest truth, a chef once said you need to leave the menu simple, while many would appreciate the extensive menu it gets, of course, when they can't cook and prepare meals to perfection. I obviously learned a lesson when I tried to order the ribeye steak, medium rare at an Italian restaurant. Very poor cut of meat, a $50 ribeye medium rare should be juicy and a little bloody inside, my steak was overcooked, this is what happens when you offer too many items, but never order steak or any type of meat from this establishment. My daughter ordered the crabcakes and they were actually burnt. Two people for a late night Sunday dinner costing $200 was shameful, I myself will spend my money elsewhere.

Gnocchi-delicious! Salmon ravioli-delicious! Calamari-delicious! Portions-small :( Cost-extravagant!! Over $100 Really??

Apple Cider Sangria, shrimp appetizer and the penne were delicious. First time patron and loved the vibe.

Great restaurant in Oak Park. I've been there a few times and they have always been great. The waiter was super helpful in describing the dishes and the food we ordered was phenomenal. It's a smaller size place and does get busy. Reservations are recommended.

Very good meal ; good pasta and steak, with good service; I was happily surprised by this place.

We could not get on an earlier flight after getting dropped at midway earlier. We took an uber and spent the Sunday afternoon here The food was great and the service and atmosphere was even better. Wish I lived in the neighborhood!!

My first and what will likely be my only experience with this restaurant, was an order for delivery. The caesar salad was good and decent, the lobster and corn chowder was good, although the corn was tough and tasteless and frankly gross within the soup. The eggplant parmesan was tasteless, had way too much breading, and hardly any sauce. The pasta served as a side dish with the eggplant parmesan was equally tasteless and lacking in flavor. I regret spending $72 on these dishes and to have them delivered to me.

This is a great pace to check out for a lowkey, but delicious Sunday dinner. They start you off with a bread basket, which was delicious! I loved the one with tomatoes, very flavorful. For dinner, I got the mushroom and burrata pizza which was delicious. Definitely had plenty of leftovers! My friend got the chicken piccata which she said was really really good. We also got the dessert. I got the chocolate lava cake which didn't feel like a lava cake to me - more of a chocolate Bundt cake which was underwhelming. My friend got the peach sorbet, which she said was good but a large portion. Would definitely go back for the main courses but may pass on dessert in the future.

My favourite paella!! All the pastas I've tried here are good, and the ambiance is lovely. I recommend going on a date here or with a big group to try lots of dishes

This establishment is within walking distance of our Oak Park AirBnB and the L-Train. Very convenient, well lit and decorated. The food was so so good and big servings. We should have shared. All the pastas were so delicious and the bread, too. I tried to stay away from it but couldn't. Espresso martinis were also yummy, and I'm picky. Our waiter helped with everything, was attentive but not pesky, and even divided all our checks for us. Wonderful place for dinner with associates or your family.

We've tried a lot of Italian places and this has been one of our favorites! Prices are not outrageous and food is so delicious. We love the pasta options. Only downside is portions are small, especially for takeout. But ambiance is great for dining in.

Great food and ambience. Everything was delicious. So much lobster in the lobster risotto! Chicken special was amazing!

My phone was charging in the bus so I didn't get any pictures. But I highly recommend the beet salad. The servers here are excellent, and the restaurant is very nice. I also had the sausage penne, and it was delicious if not a little heavy on the garlic. This is a great place for lunch or dinner in Oak Park.

Wow this spot is awesome! Great for a family dinner or date night, the space is open and casual but still nice sit down energy. Food is great here! Super flavorful and their known for their fish so any seafood option is a win! Service was nice too!

Wonderful place for a family Sunday brunch!! Everything my family ordered was delicious and great portions! I got the grilled octopus and it was so savory. The owner/manager was very attentive and welcoming. Definitely planning to come back!

Amazing lunch today Al fresco style. I shared the Brussels sprouts which were fantastic. Very buttery & charred. I also shared the Chicken Marsala. The chicken breast was very juicy and the spinach and veggies flavorful. Sitting outside on a beautiful Fall day had very prompt service. The waiter took orders quickly and kept checking in. Great visit!

What a fabulous gem of a restaurant in Oak Park. I can't wait to go back. The service was stellar, the food exceptional. I love the setting right near the downtown area that you can walk to afterwards. My friends all felt the same way! 10/10!

The food here looks good presentation wise, but after that first bite my mind was quickly changed. The vodka pasta was undercooked and the flavor just wasn't right. I wish there was more cheese in this dish. I wouldn't recommend going here for the food. Ambiance is good for a date night though. And there's plenty of free street parking around the corner. The service is good so I am giving this place two stars.

Okay, so this was the fourth time we visited this restaurant so I obviously like it a lot. I got the braised short ribs (again), and this time it seemed like I received a larger portion. They are always consistent and awesome. I also ordered the fried calamari as an appetizer. It was very good, but I'd say the portion size was a tad small, and it was only the rings (no spiders, as a call em). This time, our party size was 5 (wife, son, daughter and daughter's boyfriend). Son got the chicken Alfredo which he slurped up in less than a minute. He said it was good. Wife got the seafood ravioli but was disappointed that the portion of salmon was less than usual. Daughter and Bill got a combo platter of lamb, duck, potatoes, and blueberry reduction. They loved it. Also got a shrimp dish appetizer that they said was also good. We did get dessert which was superb. Spanish Tiramisu, bread pudding and some banana thing that my son wolfed down in ten seconds. Guess he liked that as well. Okay, so the food was fantastic, for the most part. I did have to ask for more water and a refill on our soft drink. We also had to ask for the check after waiting a while. I'm trying to be nice here. Our server seemed to be a little distracted or preoccupied. However, it did not take away from the overall experience, which was once again, pleasant. I will be back.

Really nice Italian spot in Oak Park! Great spot to sit outside and enjoy the weather. Staff is super nice but it's the food that keeps you coming back! Amazing tapas and the brussel sprouts were first rate. Also had penne pasta with ground Italian sausage and peas in a creamy tomato sauce. Was gorgeous. Chicken tortilla soup had a nice little kick to it and tasted yummy. Could have used a few more pasta dishes on the menu but overall it was a pretty nice menu. Highly recommend.

Enjoyed a wonderful dinner outside on our first night in Oak Park. Excellent food! My husband had Chicken Marsala and I had the Rustico Salad with chicken. Both were excellent! Then we topped it off with gelato! Amazing!!!! Tasted like the gelato I had in Italy! Service was also excellent! Would definitely return!

Italian is a hard sell for me because of my own pickiness. Rustico has a great menu that includes hot and cold tapas, pizzas and pastas and salads and the usual meat options. They also do paella. Service is always fantastic and not rushed, but doesn't drag either. From the minute you walk in, you feel welcomed and comfortable. With kids in tow, they ask if you want their things right away, and still pace adult meals perfectly! Don't skip dessert either! The caramel bananas are delicious and there are plenty of other things to try if that's not your thing. Wine and cocktail lists are extensive as well.

Excellent tapas and sharing plates, fun for large groups. Puppy friendly sidewalk tables too.

Very attentive and friendly service. I liked the atmosphere- high ceilings and exposed brick. Some items were great- others not much. The brussel sprouts, for one, were painfully oversalted- we could only eat a few bites and it hurt! The steak with truffle sauce was tasty, tender, and well cooked. The short rib crostini was yum, but the cilantro aioli didn't add any flavor and got totally lost. The pistachio cheesecake had a weird artificial, chemical taste. Nice wine selection. Really hit or miss!

Nice restaurant. I went here because I had a taste for paella. It was solid. I read a review where someone said they had been to Spain and it was not the same. I do agree. But I will say this was the best American version of paella that I've had. The service was extra nice. Not gonna write the favor they did for me because I don't want patrons asking the same thing. But the staff was very accommodating and I appreciated it. My only strike against the place is they gave us dirty silverware. So check the silverware if you go.

Cute little restaurant! I ordered the short rib costilla & the Caesar salad. The salad was for SURE tasty and had a great amount of dressing. Definitely meant for sharing, that's a lot of salad for one person! The Costilla was good... but was a little bland! Needed more flavor. Adding salt and pepper helped out though. The mashed potatoes were a great consistency and the short rib was nice & tender... YUMMMMMM

I've been here several times now, I usually order something different each time and have yet to encounter an entree whose flavor was anything less than outstanding. Gabriel and his staff really do a superior job with their offerings. The restaurant is usually pretty busy, which is a testimony to just how good their food is. I usually sit at the bar and enjoy the camaraderie as well as the food. This is currently my favorite spot to eat, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Had quite a bad experience here this evening. We live in the neighborhood and have intended for two years to give this place a try. Walked in on a whim tonight- it was a Monday and not busy. Perfect night to try it out. And to be clear, the food was good. Not sure it was worth the price, although I'm sure my opinion is influenced by just how awful the service was. We had a younger male waiter, and he couldn't have been less interested in providing good service. Barely received a greeting, barely checked in, barely saw him in the dining area. And frankly, I wouldn't be leaving the review if it was just cold service. But at the end of the meal we waited 10 minutes with plates pushed aside before we were offered boxes. After we declined dessert, we waited another 15 minutes while he sat and chatted with the host before I had to physically go up to him and ask for the check. (Card had been on the table for 10 minutes.) And when he finally ran and dropped the check, not a "thank you" or a "have a good evening" just a "here you go." The server's name wasn't on the receipt or it would've been an email to the management team instead of a public review. I work as a waiter, and I've never had such poor service at a place that markets itself as a higher quality restaurant. Not worth the $80 I paid and certainly will not be back. If you're looking for an Italian place in Oak Park, save yourself some time and go to Citrine or Cucina Paradiso where you'll get decent service.

I've heard great reviews from this place... so I had to check it out for myself, although it would probably take a few times back to really get the full effect of that place because their menu is extraordinarily huge, which is good because if you like a variety of different ethnicities of food, you've come to the right place... We started off with the calamari. I was grateful that she asked me if I had any allergies because the calamari was fried in with shrimp, which I am allergic to. But my guest was enjoying this appetizer.... I then ordered the chicken piccata and chicken marsala. The chicken marsala had a twist. It was it in a darker sauce which I am usually accustomed to the lighter sauce with a lot of mushrooms. It was good... Sometimes it's good to be different. The chicken piccata was also delicious topped with capers accompanied by potatoes and I'm not really sure. I think It was mixed with Japanese broccoli. I could be wrong but it was a wonderful combo plated beautifully. I really am interested in going back to try other items and I appreciate the server was very patient with us. I did a lot of talking. It took us a long time to order and they were great. Thank you!

Came back with a couple for a fun night out. I like this place a lot based on the room and food. A couple of minor issues occurred. Once seated for our 7:00 pm reservation, no one came to our table for over 10-15 minutes to greet us or gather a drink order. I had to get up and ask to be served. I also ordered an expensive bottle of wine and when the manager (I'm assuming) presented the bottle he tried to push off a different bottle without clarification. I pointed out that wasn't what was ordered and he left to go find it. Came back and said they only had the house wine in that style. It was strange. Otherwise, the food and service was good. Oak park needs a place like Rustico.

I love this restaurant for a very elegant dinner. Service is always very attentive. Our favorite meals include the bistec Rustico (the rosemary mashed potatoes that come with them are wonderful) & the seafood paella. I recommend that you make a reservation online as it is usually a busy restaurant.

Rustico is a charming restaurant in the suburb Oak Park. We ordered the crab cakes, Rustico paella and a pasta dish and split everything. The food was flavorful; the standout was the paella.

The food was very good and the service too. Nice atmosphere although it is a big space so it might feel a little empty if there were not a lot of people there.

Met up with a few friends and we loved our experience at Rustico. Right off the bat our server was welcoming and hilarious! He gave us a history of the restaurant and gave tips on dishes to try. We tried the por tenderloin, steak, chicken Alfredo and they made a special risotto as well. The desserts were amazing and the cappuccino just right. The decor was modern but rustic. They had a few tvs showing sports. Amazing place with even more amazing staff!

Fast order. We did pick up. The steak filet mignon fish was great. Asparagus was juicy. The octopus dish was also a good portion and refreshing. Sorry I had last minute to cover. The marinara and bread also was delicious.

First time, sat at the bar with a buddy. Wasn't super hungry so no apps, but they brought some focaccia bread and we each had a good cocktail. Ordered the linguini and clams, which had an awesome flavor and I really enjoyed it. Inside had a nice ambience and overall vibe. Place is big, and it was a Wednesday night, so half of the restaurant (separated by a wall) was empty, rest was about 60% full. Looking forward to going again.

This is probably my first review on Yelp, EVER. This is how good the experience was! I ended up at the old location for a reservation at the new one. The owner happened to be there and drove me to where I needed to be. Where I was served an amazing glass of wine to start the evening. The focaccia on the table was soft (but not greasy) with great flavor. I had the risotto special, the portion was more than I could eat, but I wanted to eat it all. Perfectly cooked, seasoned, chicken was tender. Patio was great! Can't wait to try the other locations.

Came for a second time and again, Rustico did not disappoint. My favorite part about this place is the service and the quality in waiting staff that are well versed in the menu and able to provide great recommendations and substitutions. Still very much recommend Rustico if you're in Oak Park/River Forest area!

Great service by the whole Rustico team. We celebrated a graduation with a party of 30, and the food and service were top quality.

Just moved to Oak Park and finding my way around. Was happy to stumble upon this place on a walk. Fantastic short ribs and love the brussel sprouts. Nice spot in the neighborhood with good service! Will be back.

Very cute little spot. The outside patio was nice.. my husband and I had a nice little date here. The crab cake was AMAZING. our main dish was a little overcooked but we still enjoyed it.

Would absolutely recommend Rustico! The wine list was extensive and the cocktails looked so fun! The staff was knowledgeable and attentive! We ordered the short rib gnocchi, the mushroom gnocchi, and the costa mare. I personally had the costa mare and it was so flavorful! The salmon was tender and seasoned so well and the sun dried tomatoes perfectly complimented the pasta and shrimp. We also ordered three delicious desserts. The fig bread pudding that was paired with a pistachio gelato was probably the favorite, but by a slight margin only! We also got the chocolate cake, which paired perfectly with the strawberries served around it, and the coconut sorbet was sweet and refreshing!!

Have to say we chose that place for last notice and wow we totally enjoyed the food so much before we left we talked about coming back there again.....their paella was very good and the salad too..... highly recommend them!!!!

We came here for a graduation dinner. Great food and mix of flavors. They were very busy, lots of graduation parties. Perhaps this was why one of the dishes was forgotten in the order. However, once recognized, they immediately prepared the order and removed it from the bill. Mistakes happen, especially on such a busy night. My qualification of a 5 star review includes how a mistake is addressed, and it was addressed well here. We will be back.

Delicious tapas spot. Good mix of hot/cold, veg/meat options. Lots of seating inside. My favorite was the crab cake which was really lovely and had some arugula and sauce for garnish which was delicious.

It's been over six years since I last dined at Rustico - it was OK then, but I never returned. Recently, we drove by their newer location, then read the Yelp ratings and decided to go back. Things seem to have gotten better, so an uipdate is in order... VIBE: The newer space seems larger. It's bright and lively, with a warm feel. A little noisy, but we managed. SERVICE: Everyone was cordial and attentive. Our server checked in periodically to see if we needed anything. Plates came out in a timely manner, and our server delayed the tapas until we'd finished our salads, as requested. FOOD: Caesar salad was very good - fresh, tasty, and well-balanced. Gambas al ajillo was our favorite - the shrimp were fresh and cooked just right, the sauce was delicious. Rustico abondigas was also a hit: tender tasty meatballs in a robust tomato sauce. Scallops with mushrooms was good: scallops were not gritty and the sauce was hearty, though not as vivid as thay on the other dishes. All dishes had good flavor balance and nothing was overly salty. Excellent selection of wines well-suited to the menu. I'm glad we came back to check things out. Rustico will be on my short list of decent Oak Park restaurants, and I'll look forward to returning.

Great food. Lunch was caprese salad and shard a pizza. Thin crust, arugula Parmesan and Italian thin sliced meat. Absolutely delicious and not over filling. Atmosphere was warm and cozy. Loved it