RustiCucina

Came in for dinner and was not disappointed. We enjoyed our caprese and the fired zucchini blossom appetizers. Pasta dishes were excellent and the lamb shank was nice and tender. Wine selection was good, with prices so suit different budgets. Saw another table order the cheese wheel pasta and had it prepared by their table which is very interesting and entertaining to watch. Will definitely be back when in the area.

Stopped in after visiting the San Diego Zoo because I was craving pasta. RustiCucina did not disappoint. We had two types of pasta the garlic bread and the Brussels sprouts. All were delicious and the portions were perfect!

We came here for Mother’s Day late brunch. Because I worked until 1pm, so we booked the reservation at 3pm. I glad we didn’t come here at rush hour, it was very quiet, wide space and comfortable, especially we had baby in stroller. They had a Mother’s Day’s menu, it was pretty nice, we ordered the cheese wheel pasta, fried burrata, calamari and Caesar salad, plus lemon cello cake for dessert. Everything is pretty delicious, especially the Burrata, calamari and Caesar salad. The cheese wheel pasta is nice but I hope the truffle flavor can be stronger, and the pasta they used is fettuccine, I think I prefer angel hair or spaghetti better. The dessert is so so, it’s too sweet for me and the taste is kinda too normal. Comparing to the price. They can do a little better. The service is pretty good at the beginning but a little slow at the end because not a lot of customers so there’s only one waitress. She checked on us regularly but we still need to wait a while for water, check and other services.

Very kind, welcoming and attentive service and a cozy no-frills atmosphere. My food was tasty; by no means the best Italian I’ve had, but got the job done. However the pasta and sauce came out cold :(. It was not busy in the restaurant when that happened, which makes me a bit hesitant to return (purely from an opportunity cost standpoint), but overall the experience was still good.

Celebrated my 24th birthday here. Everything was perfect from service to food. Vodka pasta was delicious, as well as the filet mignon. Only complaint was the Cacio e Pepe had wayyy too much pepper.

We celebrated my niece's birthday. We had a great time. The place is nice and clean. Service is great. All the servers are friendly and attentive. All the dishes that we ordered are flavorful and delicious. We were very satisfied and we highly recommend this restaurant.

Ashley the bartender was amazing and made a great drink. Enrico was our server and was very patient with our large group. Jessica is An amazing hostess and deserves a raise . The truffle fries were amazing

My favorite Italian spot in San Diego. The food is fantastic, the win is delicious, and the service is excellent. I love creating my own pasta combo every time I eat here!

Here's your revised review without dashes: Rusty Cucina Review We had a fantastic experience at Rusty Cucina! The food was very good across the board, and the ambiance made it a perfect spot for a date night. Service was excellent, attentive and friendly without being overbearing. The cheese wheel pasta was not only delicious but such a fun, interactive presentation. The bruschetta was absolutely incredible--fresh, flavorful, and one of the highlights of the meal. I also really enjoyed the cucumber vodka cocktail; it was refreshing and perfectly balanced. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a great dinner with a bit of flair and a cozy, stylish vibe.

I was in the area and didn't no where to go, my brother recommended Rusticucina and WOW! Normally a place I'm sure you need reservations... but they took me and my 2 adults & 3 kids guests from out of state. Now past the hospitality, the decor/ambiance was amazing! Really cozy & rustic (unavoidable pun), and classy! Definitely a date spot! The food was ABOVE PERFECTION! My guest looked to me for recommendations (chef) although I've never been here. I recommended the Gnocchis Carbonara: Roasted onion, crispy bacon in a brandy cream sauce topped with raw egg yolk. And for my other guests I recommended the, Pappardelle: With shredded short ribs in truffle cream sauce. I enjoyed the, Lamb Osso Bucco Over saffron risotto. The kids all got flatbreads & meatballs (traditional large). Needless to say, this place is a perfect

Hands down one of the best dining experiences I've had in San Diego! We came to RustiCucina for dinner and were absolutely blown away. From the food to the service, everything was top-tier. We ordered the Ragu and the famous cheese wheel pasta, and both dishes were beyond delicious. The Ragu was rich, hearty, and full of deep flavor. And the cheese wheel pasta was a whole performance and a meal. Watching the pasta get tossed in the massive Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel was almost as satisfying as eating it. The vibe of the restaurant is warm and lively, with just the right mix of rustic charm and modern energy. But what really made the night special was the staff. Our waiters and waitresses were incredibly kind, attentive, and genuinely fun. You can tell they love what they do, and it made the whole experience even better. Whether you're a local or just visiting, RustiCucina is a must. Can't wait to come back!

SAVED BY SERVICE! You ever get into trouble for doing something illegal , but then as your about to get into arrested the cops let you go because they know your father... we'll in a nutshell you hat describes my experience at RustiCucina. I will spare you the details on the arrest, but in this case the "Father" was the wonderful servers waiters mangers ect. Who with so much joy and laughter served with excellence humility and joy!! I mean seriously and it wasn't fake either. At one point. I saw two waitresses in the corner hugging and looking at all the tables like "oh how we love it here" hahah Oh wait the foooood..... If you go order 5 order of the zucchini blooms!! They are truly magical. I asked the owner (who is also a super nice guy, brought out or meatballs himself) I asked him how do you make these... and which he replies "I don't know... they chief?" Hahaha still funny(guess you had to be there! Quick Tip: Make sure you read the books!

Come for the appetizers and some of the desserts. Had an early dinner (5p) here with a large group on a weekday. Service was attentive. Appetizers Caesar salad - simple but flavorful Crispy burrata - tasted good but could have used more than 3 crostini for the amount of burrata it came with. At least double but triple is more ideal. Mediterranean salad - very fresh and flavorful Calamari - fried well with good flavor Entrees Mixed reviews all around. First, my order was messed up but they did remake it and leave the incorrect order for the table to share. I ordered bucatini with salsaccia cinghiale (wild boar sausage, mushrooms, parm) but they brought out fettucine. Not a big deal, I told them I would eat it. But they did remake it. I was happy once I tasted both because the bucatini version was way better than the fettuccini which was mushy. One person ordered the filet medium rare but it was overcooked. Another person ordered the carbonara but the guanciale was undercooked and they didn't end up eating much of the food at all. At least they took it off the tab. Similarly for someone else who ordered the cacio e pepe. Short rib pasta was good. Desserts Limoncello cake - definitely the best dessert. Great flavor and not overly sweet. Molten chocolate cake - I personally did not try this but everyone liked it. Cannoli - hard to share Tiramisu - very large piece of tiramisu. I've had better but it was ok. Parking at this day/time was easy. Metered parking. 2 hours max at a time. Pay via app.

one of my forever favorite restaurants - delicious food at good prices with a lovely ambiance. got seated very fast, and was offered complimentary prosecco as it was our anniversary. we did the date night special - 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, dessert, and a bottle of wine all for 60. vodka with pacheri- really good, the sauce was very rich! bucatini with wild boar sausage - even better than the vodka pasta, the parmesean was soo delicious. have gotten multiple times and it's always amazing lemon cake - very light and airy. really delicious too! one of my favorite restaurants in sd for sure :D

My husband and I were looking for a cute Italian place to eat for date night and this place was recommended to us - I am SO glad it was!! From the time you walk in, to the time you walk out everyone was so attentive. We were never left waiting (or looking) for our server. Our table was always cleared after every meal. They really take pride in providing excellent service - which they nailed!! The food was delicious. Our server recommended the fried zucchini & OMG - it was delicious (I'd go back for just those! Haha). They have an indoor and outdoor patio area. Both are super cute. This place is great for ANY occasion. We'll definitely be back!!

This place is great! I've taken my wife on a few date nights here and we've always enjoyed our experience. The food is great and the servers are really nice. Perfect date night spot and it's never too busy. This place is certified bussin!

Went for dinner last night. I will give them a 3.5 The place is really cute and cozy inside. The drink I had was good. Cesar Salad was good. However my pasta meal lacked flavor big time. I had the short rib pasta. The actual pasta was very fresh and you can tell it was homemade. However, the dish as a whole fell flat. It had no flavor or seasoning. Service was just ok. Probably would not return here.

Was craving a pink sauce pasta/ ravioli and rusticucina delivered. It was delicious, but I did feel like the dish was a bit small and if we didn't order an appetizer I think I'd still be hungry. My husband ordered the lasagna. We thought it was good but not the best lasagna ever. I also went here a couple years ago for my birthday and ordered the cheese wheel dish. From what I remember, I liked it more for the experience. I believe the cheese wheel dish actually rotates as well so can be different depending on the day. The service was quick but we also came pretty late at night (which I was grateful is actually open somewhat later) The restaurant is very cute inside and ideal for a birthday dinner or date night. Parking can be tricky since it's street parking only in the north park area, but it's not in the main area of university and 30th.

Simply a great quality restaurant--food, service, and vibes are all there! Even though we were a bit late to our reservation, we were still welcomed with such friendly hospitality and got seated right away. We got the build your own pasta with pappardelle and carbonara and the rigatoni and vodka sauce. My personal favorite was the pappardelle carbonara because of how light yet creamy and decadent it was. My group of 4 felt like we were invited into a home for a home cooked meal. Would recommend this place for a humble yet high quality Italian meal!

I cannot say enough about RustiCucina. It is such a pleasure every visit. If you haven't tried the grilled artichoke, do yourself a favor, go for it! Yesterday I went with my sister and we had the Chilean Sea Bass. Today I went with my daughter and we had pasta. Many choices in pasta & sauces. Both days we enjoyed the grilled artichoke and lemoncello cake. Sabrina was our server on the 4th of July and today it was Marcello. All personnel are delightful!

This restaurant was absolutely fantastic. From the moment we walked in, all of the staff and servers were so kind and welcoming. Our server, Vincenzo, truly went above and beyond. We came in for a friend's birthday and he took such special care of us, making sure we were always satisfied. The team even helped decorate the cake we brought and all of the servers came to sing with us. We felt so welcomed and like we were a part of their little family. The food was also exceptional. We got the pane di casa for an app and it came with their fresh rosemary bread and 3 delicious dips. For mains we got lasagna, lobster ravioli, salmon, shrimp fettuccine, and cacio e pepe. Everyone was extremely satisfied. The food is high quality and made with heart. It truly feels like you are in the middle of Italy. The restaurant is well decorated, nicely lit with a dim setting, and offers both indoor and outdoor seating options. Overall the place WOWed me and went above and beyond my expectations. I highly recommend!

Service was great, everyone was very nice and hospitable. The inside and outdoor seating areas are also very beautiful. If I could give them a 3.5 I would. The Cesar salad was great (and easy to share), I feel like it's hard to go wrong there. Unfortunately the build your own pasta wasn't much to boast about. I asked if the chicken was grilled and my server said yes. When my pasta came out the chicken was mixed in and that's probably because they're using small cuts of chicken thighs (like what you can buy at the store if ya know what I mean)--not a fan, it just tasted like boiled chicken. The vodka sauce was really good but I got a dime-sized amount of whipped ricotta which seemed significantly smaller than the pics posted on here. And the pasta itself could've been boiled in saltier water for flavor because it was very bland. Not to mention there was a small mosquito flying around just FEASTING on my legs. I came home with 10 bites :,( I would give this place another chance just to try their other menu items, but I'm definitely hesitant because it was so expensive for very mid quality food :/

We came for Valentine's Day and got the $59/pp set menu! It came with 1 appetizer, 1 main, and 1 dessert for each person which was an amazing deal. To preface, we were not sure if this is how authentic Italian food normally is, but everything tasted bland to us. All the ingredients do taste fresh, but there is just minimal seasoning. The dessert was the best part of the whole meal. All the scores reflect our personal opinions and taste buds :) Appetizers: Fried Calamari - 7/10, It was crispy and delicious, the sauce helped with the flavor but again no seasoning tasted in the fried calamari itself Polpette di Nonna - 6.5/10, Meatballs were perfectly cooked, however the sauce lacked flavor and the meat wasn't seasoned Mains: Pappardelle al Brasato - 7/10, the sauce has a little more flavor but overall still fresh tasting and minimal, there was a good amount of short rib Short ribs w/ Mashed Potatoes - 5.5/10, the short ribs were super tender, mashed potatoes were plain and the sauce was bland Dessert Tiramisu - 11/10, The best thing ever! We loved this and ate it so quickly, it was delicious Limoncello cake - 9/10, This was great and wasn't too sweet, the lemon tasted great Service was good as well with the waiter checking up on us often, not sure if we would come back due to the food but the ambiance is great for a date night!

Amazing experience overall. The pasta is clearly homemade, on the thicker side. You will definitely have left overs to take home, which you WILL eat. Suggestions 1. The gnocchi is like beautiful bite sized clouds. They are so light and at the same time creamy. I am not generally a gnocchi fan cause it's usually a little too much dough for me, but this one was different. 100% mush. 2. The table side cheese wheel pasta was cool. Not the best of them., but the experience is cool. 3. The brussel sprouts are to die for with little perfectly portioned sweet figs.

This was our first visit to this Restaurant let me just tell you food is AMAZING!!!! If we had room in our tummy to try every single item on their menu we would have. Their drink menu has a great selection and flavor profile. The service and the organized staff made this place a great experience during our early dinner. We were seated outside the patio due to our dog was comfortable and they had a heater. We'll be back for more!

We had a delicious dinner. Fried burrata was delicious. The wait staff was especially cordial. I'd like to return and try their pasta in a cheese round soon.

Absolutely love this place. Great service and the pasta is so fresh. Their chicken parm is delicious! They have half bottle prices Tuesday and Wednesday's . Such a great deal!

This is a 3.75 star restaurant. Appetizers of Polpette and flash-fried burrata were very good, especially the burrata where the outer layer was meaty and the interior was wonderfully creamy. The caesar salad was a nice portion but the croutons...oof! This place has plenty of options to make their own bread products. Why use tiny, crappy out-of-a-box croutons in your Caesar salad?!?!? Who made that decision??? Garlic bread was awful. Skip it and thank me later. Again, this place needs an in-house baker who can significantly raise their game on the bread products. The pastas shined, the rigatoni being the star with a thick and doughy texture and a really nice chew. As for the sauces, we had pesto, alla vodka, cacio e pepe and carbonara and all were nicely prepared and amply covered the pastas but they were all weak in terms of flavor and need some "punching up". The garlic bread could have used the help. Service was knowlegeable, attentive and not at all bothersome. The foundations are here for a really great restaurant but first they need to take it up a notch in the kitchen.

-Table for 6 reservation was easy on OpenTable. -Service was attentive and just what I'm always looking for. Not stuffy and relaxed especially with my crazy family. 5 stars! -Atmosphere was loud and busy that my crying baby wasn't going to bother anyone! But yet still classy enough to celebrate a special occasion. We were celebrating my parent's anniversary and prefer to eat 'Family Style'. So the strategy in not over ordering is getting one less entree... the portion sizes aren't really meant for this. Order the extra entree or eat more appetizers. Food I would return for: -Squash blossom -Short Ribs in truffle cream sauce -Salsiccia Cinghiale (Wild Boar sausage in mushroom sauce) with half rigatoni -Nostro Hamburger (hint of truffle, double patty & filling) -Salmone Al Pistacchio -pistachio doesn't have much of a strong flavor. Fish was cooked perfectly and the Brussels w/fig were delicious! -Sourdough loaf comes HOT and the dips are alright, nothing notable -Calamari was a good portion size -Lemon cello cake - Although complimentary it was really good! Other dish we got but not special: -Cheese wheel pasta.... Seems like everyone is doing it. On top of that "Market Price" so I had high expectations.... Mehh... The Short Rib pasta was still more flavorful and the portion size was really for one. We also had Caesar salad. lol Ohh and parking.... I got 2 kids now, I can't Lyft everywhere. So we used the lot outside to unload the kids. And Daddy walked 3 business days to join us. So good luck!

I picked this place to celebrate my parents 30th wedding anniversary with our family. Service was amazing and they even wished my parents a happy anniversary multiple times through the night. Food wise, everything was delicious! I got the cheese wheel pasta which changes daily but was absolutely phenomenal. They gave us a dessert on the house for the celebratory occasion which was a nice added touch. We had a reservation for 6:15 on a Tuesday evening so getting close to sundown. We asked for a different table and they happily accommodated. Not too loud, and not dark. Plenty of light to see the menus and food. This might become a go to for "special occasions" Price wasn't terrible or too cheap but right in the middle.

RustiC is a very cool spot and we can't wait to go back when it's not so crazy. We dined Thanksgiving which had either price fixed or a la caffé options. They were packed! My expectations were light because how crowed they were but they delivered. My father in law said "it was the best salmon he's ever had" Sure my pasta could have been a little hotter but better to have the fish perfect. We'll go back and I can add more flavor, but Thanksgiving was a success.

A friend and I dined here for dinner during Restaurant Week, and it was a new adventure for both of us. We both ordered the calamari for our appetizer, and found it delicious, especially with the chipoltle sauce, and a generous portion. For my second course, I ordered pasta in the cheese wheel, which was finished table side, and was lusciously rich and delicious, and, again, a generous portion. Dessert was a slice of beautiful lemoncello cake, which was also superb. Service was friendly and attentive (and seemingly all Italian men, from Italy!). Parking was a little challenging, but worth the effort. My new favorite restaurant!

I'm so glad I gave this place a try! We ordered the Sicilian Garlic Bread, Calamari, Ragu Della Nonna Pappardelle, Pesto Spaghetti with Shrimp, and the Salsa Alla Vodka Gnocchi with Chicken. Personally I really enjoyed the Pesto and Ragu Della Nonna. It's a very cute and cozy inside but because of how tightly packed the restaurant is, it can get pretty loud and hard to hold conversations. The service was great, everything everyone says about the staff is true they are so kind and attentive. Street parking can be difficult to find but there is a lot nearby where you can pay to park (it's quite expensive). I look forward to coming back and trying the rest of the menu!

Came to RustiCucina as it was recommended my friends and it did not disappoint. We came here for my boyfriend's birthday. I had a reservation made, so I'm not sure how it would be if you were walking in, but it doesn't look like it would be a big issue since they have plenty of tables! All of us shared calamari, truffle fries, and garlic bread. The garlic bread was free after checking in! All the appetizers were good and having three definitely filled me up. I'm a red sauce girl so I had to order the Ragu Della Nonna with pacheri pasta. My boyfriend got his favorite, the carbonara with spaghetti. Our friends both got the Salsa Alla Volka. One with half rigatoni and the other with pacheri pasta. Sometimes I feel like the red sauce pasta at restaurants disappoint, but I was really happy and I loved the texture and shape of my pasta. I was so happy I had leftovers! I'd definitely recommend if you love a red sauce like me. All the other pastas were great and everyone loved their choice. I really can't say anything bad about this place. They took a little longer to bring one pasta out and they gave us a free cannoli. They also gave my friend a limoncello slide of cake. Both were so delicious and not heavy at all. Highly recommend coming here for a nice little meal ! The staff here is extremely friendly too.

Keep in mind that Restaurant Week is very hectic and kitchens are feeding many more people than usual - so if our food was a little off, compared to most reviews here that are raves, it may be because of the night. The ambiance was nice and the customer service was very good. And they also had one of the best restaurant week deals in town - 3 courses for $36. SO got a la carte and I tried the SDRW menu. He got soup of the day, minestrone, and thought it was very good. His favorite part of the meal. I got caesar salad, which a friend had ordered here earlier today and really loved. Mine was really underseasoned and underdressed - it tasted like nothing, even the parmesan cheese alone (which I'll usually scarf up on its own). They were very apologetic and would have remade it, but I decided to switch to a la carte (meaning getting 2 courses instead of 3). We also got for our appetizer their house bread with 3 spreads. The bread was very good, and I liked the stracciatella mousse a lot. My SO liked the nduja sausage spread. The basil ricotta mousse was ok but less good than the others. Entrees: I got the salmon with pistachio sauce, carrots and brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts and the customer service are the main reason I'm giving 4 stars - the brussels were amazing. And there were a lot of them on the plate. Definitely order these as a side dish - among the best in town. The salmon and pistachio sauce was good. SO got the chicken parm and thought it was just ok. It came with some fettucine marinara which I tasted and liked even if it wasn't exceptional. No one offered him fresh parmesan to put on either, though I saw people were getting offered that at other tables (we would have asked but didn't think of it). Dessert: I am not crazy for lemon, but everyone on Yelp raves about the limoncello cake here so I gave it a try. Yes, it was good for something with lemon (creamy, not too lemony) and I enjoyed it. My SO's molten lava cake was not good. It's really hard to say that about that dish - where can you go wrong with half-baked chocolate? But it was not even half-baked; it was like a sludge of not very good chocolate. He offered me a taste and I didn't want anymore; it was not really worth eating. Again, I have seen people praise this, so maybe the timing was off tonight and they served it to us cold and not half-baked. Drinks: I enjoyed a glass of the Il Ducal Sangiovese (a pretty good Tuscan wine). I started with the Aperol Sour, which was ok but a little unbalanced (too much lemon flavor). The atmosphere is nice, and they're extremely kind. They brought us some limoncello on the house because they felt bad I didn't like the caesar salad. A few of the things we ate were really tasty. Given the raves I see on here, I'm hoping that we just didn't get the kitchen's very best tonight, especially with the salad and the molten lava cake!

I went for happy hour with a friend, which is daily from 4-5, and all specialty cocktails were only $6. My favorite was the pornodivo. We sat at the bar and the bartender was helpful without being overbearing. It's well-decorated indoors and the patio is nice too when the weather is good.

The food.. delicious. The service, spot on. The ambiance, wonderful. 10/10 recommend. Thanks for a great evening!

From the moment we walked in, the adorable and warm decor made us feel right at home, charming, cozy, and full of thoughtful touches that set the perfect tone for the evening. What truly made our experience unforgettable, though, was our incredible server, Ocean. She created such a welcoming and comfortable environment, attentive without being overbearing, genuinely funny, and full of fantastic recommendations. The lemoncello cake made me raise my hand to the sky and thank the lord. Her energy added so much to our night! I ordered the cheese wheel pasta special, and it was honestly one of the best dishes I've ever had. Rich, creamy, and served table-side (it's not just a meal, it's an experience). My wife tried the "Spice Up Your Life" cocktail, and we were both blown away. It had layers of flavor--complex, balanced, and deliciously unique. Can't recommend this place enough. We'll absolutely be coming back!

This place is amazing! The environment! The people! The pasta! Also the cocktails are some of the best I have had in town

We came here for Mother's Day late brunch. Because I worked until 1pm, so we booked the reservation at 3pm. I glad we didn't come here at rush hour, it was very quiet, wide space and comfortable, especially we had baby in stroller. They had a Mother's Day's menu, it was pretty nice, we ordered the cheese wheel pasta, fried burrata, calamari and Caesar salad, plus lemon cello cake for dessert. Everything is pretty delicious, especially the Burrata, calamari and Caesar salad. The cheese wheel pasta is nice but I hope the truffle flavor can be stronger, and the pasta they used is fettuccine, I think I prefer angel hair or spaghetti better. The dessert is so so, it's too sweet for me and the taste is kinda too normal. Comparing to the price. They can do a little better. The service is pretty good at the beginning but a little slow at the end because not a lot of customers so there's only one waitress. She checked on us regularly but we still need to wait a while for water, check and other services.

First time experiencing this beautiful establishment and left with no complaints! Came to celebrate an anniversary and check out the famous cheese wheel. We were first sat inside which, at the time, was busy and crowded. Normally I don't mind, but for an anniversary I was hoping for something a little more intimate. The manager, I believe, saw me looking around and came to make sure everything was ok. I told her everything was good, I could tell they were busy and didn't want to bother. My partner knew I wanted something a little more quiet so he asked if we could be moved elsewhere. Even with everything going on, they very kindly made a little spot for us to accommodate. I'm sure they were annoyed but they did not show it at all and that's what makes this review 5 stars. Food and drinks were fantastic, we ordered some antipasti options and the cheese wheel special. We skipped dessert because we had some waiting at home but the options looked great. Loved the food, the service, and overall experience! Definitely would recommend giving it a try.

We stumbled upon this place after not getting into a different restaurant and it did not disappoint. We were seated quickly on a busy night and were very well taken care of. Our server Nathan was very nice and informative of the menu. Will definitely be recommending this place and coming back!

To begin with, the service is impeccable. Upon entering we were greeted with a warm smile. Our waitress, Ashley has been attentive, informative, and kind. Genuinely a great evening with my coworkers. Ambiance was cozy and romantic, but totally okay if you're going with friends! The food....AMAZING. I had the vodka pasta with meatballs. Sensational. The fried balls. Also sensational. 5/5 don't miss out!!!

We had a great dinner here! The decor is adorable and offers a very cozy Italian kind of vibe. The pasta tasted fresh, great texture and every sauce exceeded expectations. Garnishes on the drinks were beautiful and I appreciate the fun mocktail options. Truffle fries had just the right flavor, dipping sauces was okay... but I enjoyed the fries on their own. The garlic bread was also yummy and great to get every last bit of sauce from our pasta dishes. I will definitely be coming back for more. Happy eating:)

Rusticucina has great happy hour specials. It's a narrow window from 4-5pm, but I highly recommend it. It's fairly empty at 4pm and that makes it an even nicer, quieter experience. I did have to specifically request the happy hour menu (they didn't provide it to us when we were being seated). As for cocktails, we ordered the cucumber spritzer, aperol sour, and pornodivo. The cucumber spritzer was HUGE and refreshing! The aperol sour was good and frothy, no complaints here. But the pornodivo (which comes with a shot of Prosecco as well) was one of the best drinks I've ever had. I highly recommend this one if you like a sweeter, fruitier cocktail! We also ordered the garlic bread and calamari as an appetizer. I would skip the garlic bread next time, it wasn't worth the calories for me. The calamari is lightly breaded and for HH pricing, it's a huge portion size. Both sauces make a good pairing. I would order the calamari again. For our entrees, I had the bucatini carbonara, and my husband had the half rigatoni with wild boar sausage sauce. I tried a bit of his and it was really good. The guanciale in my carbonara was cooked crispy and the pieces throughout also had a bouncy texture from the fattiness-- such a rich dish but I liked it a lot. I wish that the egg yolk was served on top so that I could break it and spread it myself, though. The pasta was a big enough portion to split into 2 meals. The interior is also cute and the service was very friendly and attentive. We actually were celebrating our anniversary here and while they didn't know that, they helped make our day special. I would return here for sure during happy hour. They also have "date night" specials for $50 on certain nights of the week. 5/5!

Service from Ashley and Alvin was impeccable and the food was absolutely lovely! Overall environment was inviting and quite spacious! Mediterranean salad was exquisite!

Everything was very pleasant. The food tasted like home, it was served hot and fresh. What I liked the most was the friendliness and attention of the staff. We had a wonderful time in a quiet and comfortable environment. Such places remain in one's memory.

Amazing food and amazing service! Marcello was very polite and upbeat, and made sure we had everything we wanted!

Came for a girls night and had Giacomo as a server. The service was amazing all around and the food is absolutely delicious!! Highly recommend coming here, thank you Giacomo!

Authentic, delicious flavors, I can recommend every pasta dish we tried without hesitation! We had the carbonara, the ragu, and the cheese wheel pastas and they were all on point delicious. I would skip the artichoke appetizer as it is super sour for no reason.

Why haven't I heard about this place sooner?! Happy hour is from 4-5pm and definitely one of the bestttt happy hours in town. I stumbled upon here with my boyfriend as we were in the area and wanted a quick bite/drink before hitting the gym. There were plenty of meter parking when we arrived at 4:15pm and scored a spot literally steps away from the restaurant. We didn't have a reservation but there were only 2 other parties at the restaurant so we were immediately seated. Both outdoor and indoor seating was available and this can be a cute date spot for sure ! What we ordered from the happy hour menu: - Cocktails (Pornodivo, Rustic smash, Rustitini, Spice up your life): All good and refreshing but the most memorable one was definitely the Pornodivo. Slightly sweet and tart from the passion fruit puree, served with a shot of Prosecco. - Meatballs: Tender and cooked perfectly, the sauce it came with was perfect to dip our bread in. - Calamari: Lightly fried and came with 2 dipping sauces (marinara and chipotle) - Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta: I've had this dish at many restaurants before but this was definitely my favorite. They serve it with fig jam and that hint of sweetness mixed with the melted cheese when you bite into it works soo well together. Also free garlic bread when you check in on Yelp! I wished I had more stomach space but I'll definitely be back to try the build your own pasta and fried burrata!

Maybe the best happy hour in San Diego? $6 craft cocktails and half off build your own pasta, and everything is delicious. Very simple but traditional feeling vibe, we got served by the bartender I believe and she was amazing. Every drink and food item was perfect and I'll absolutely be coming back!

For how pretty it looks was pretty bland. The waiters were very quick and accommodating. The place is gorgeous.

Highly recommend making a reservation, especially if you're planning on coming here during the weekend. I came here with a friend on Saturday night and I'm so glad we had a reservation because the restaurant was packed within 30 minutes of being there. I got the carbonara with rigatoni while my dining companion got the chicken parmigiana. I personally feel like the portion sizes were very disproportionate, as my amount of food was almost twice the size of my friend's. I was unable to finish my pasta, partially because of the size, but also because of the richness. We also ended up getting dessert (I wasn't gonna be the boring friend who doesn't get dessert.) The chocolate molten cake seemed like it was good (friend's dessert,) and the crème brûlée was good with the exception of the caramelized top being too hard to crack. For 1 alcoholic beverage, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts, it was quite pricey, which I kinda expected for this area. Everything came to $125, including tip...yikes! I loved the ambiance, and the employees were very friendly and hospitable, but the amount of times people checked in on us was a bit much for my liking since it interrupted our conversation a lot. I'm glad I tried this restaurant, but I definitely don't think it's worth returning to if I visit San Diego again.

Good pasta, especially the gnocchi, and we all liked how customizable the pasta dishes were (i.e., pick your pasta shape, sauce, and optionally add protein). They also have a pretty good happy hour special, with the build your own pasta for half off, but FYI the half off does not apply to any protein you add or the +$2 for picking gnocchi as your pasta shape.

Loved this charming Italian spot! Such a warm and inviting ambiance with friendly service. I'm glad I made a reservation because it was busy. There's a great cocktail selection, though we ordered wine for the table. We also ordered the pane di casa to try three different spreads with the bread; the bread came out warm and crusty and the spreads were delicious. Everyone was happy with their meal choice, and I especially enjoyed mine. I went with the caesar salad and lobster ravioli. The caesar is enough to share between two and the ravioli was generously filled with lobster goodness. They also have the pasta in a cheese wheel which has been popping up at popular Italian spots. Though I wouldn't say it adds a super cheesy factor, it adds creaminess and saltiness to the dish. Plus, if you want extra parmesan to sprinkle on any dish, they bring a dish around for you. We ended the night with limoncello shots and a slice of the delightful lemon cake to share, thanks to our server. Though I ate here part of a group, it's a buzzy enough place, I'd feel comfortable dining solo as well. P.S. They have a small parking lot, but it was full and street parking was a pain on a Saturday night (no surprise). We found several street spots all the way down Indiana if you're ok with a short 10-minute walk.

Came here for a friend's birthday party since they take reservations for large groups. Patio seating outside was really nice and the ambiance was great. It does get loud once the area is filled up. Gimlet (4/5): made well, could have used more lime. Fig Mule (2/5): just tasted like a sweet mule, nothing special. Rigatoni w/ Vodka Sauce (3/5): pasta was nice and al dente, sauce could use more flavor. Bucatini Carbonara (2/5): once again, the pasta itself was great, but the sauce just tasted like cream, not much flavor. Cheese Wheel (2/5): just for show type entree, expensive and just tasted like cream. Chicken Parm (4/5): everyone who ordered this seemed to like it. Overall this place has potential if they worked on the flavoring of their sauces, especially the ones with cream. Service was also pretty slow from getting our drinks to our check, we waited forever. Our table also only had one heater so the people on the other side were cold, the other tables had heaters on multiple sides. It also smelled a little like sewage. Probably would not return.