Rustica Cucina Italiana

The food is exceptional — particularly the chicken parm. I visit from CT ~ 1x per year, and this is THE BEST every time (consistent, for 3-4 years) — and excellent value. The pasta special (perhaps a play on steak Marsala, plus spinach and tomatoes) was phenomenal — per my wife’s very high standards. This restaurant [and chef] is underrated with anything less than 4.8/5.

We have lived in Maine for 7 years and this is the best restaurant we've found, period. The food was fresh and prepared to perfection, the service was timely and attentive but never overly so, and the atmosphere was lovely. And even though it is a somewhat smallish space, and they were filled to capacity with a waiting list, the dining room did not feel crowded. Perfection.

A group of six had dinner here for my wife's birthday. The food, service, and drinks are very good. Waitress friendly, The only thing I didn't like was the pizza it just tasted like a frozen pizza. I'm a pizza snob, so it's hard for me to find a great pizza. I'm sure a lot of people enjoy it. We ordered caviteli saltimbocca, chicken parm, shrimp picatta fettuccine, pasta rossa, fried calamari, artichoke salad, house salads, goat cheese pizza Just a suggestion revamp the menu a little. Add a couple more steak options and sea food dishes. Over all its a nice place.

Excellent Italian food. The chef knows what he is doing in the kitchen and my bolognese was outstanding! My husband had the cavatelli and it was also outstanding. We also shared the calamari which was very very good. The tomato sauce that was served with it was delicious. I had cannoli for dessert. It was not a traditional Sicilian cannoli but it was very good. Only thing I wasn’t fond of was the bread. It tasted as if they had in stored in a plastic bag all day, so it wasn’t fresh. They could’ve heated it up. Service was great too

Hands down the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. I say run, don't walk to Rustica Cucina. The chef is the owner, so you could not ask for a more invested chef! The mussels are the BEST we've ever had (and that says a lot, I order them everywhere!). The desserts are worth saving room for! I highly recommend this restaurant. I can only offer empty plates in my photo because we ate ALL of the foods!

Consistency is key and Rustica always delivers. The Bolognese was as good last night as 15 years ago and every time in between. The portions are generous and the staff take good care of you. Love this place!

Excellent Italian. Bit of homey feel. Not pretentious. Wonderful food. Look forward to going back

Absolutely AMAZING food!!!! Great and friendly staff as well!! We got the shrimp & polenta, and calamari appetizer, the Cavatelli Saltimbocca and baked penne for dinner, and the crème brûlée and tiramisu for dessert!! I’ve had Italian from California to Italy itself and this was by far one of the best meals I’ve had! Highly recommend!

Went for dinner after North Atlantic Blues Festival based on reviews and it was wonderful! Ordered Cavatelli Saltimbocca and Rigatoni with Pork Ragout. Both were delicious. The Cavatelli had a rich brown butter cream sauce that was divine! The Pork Ragout had been slow cooked and had a depth of flavor and tenderness that only comes with time. An outstanding dinner. Would definitely return.

Restaurant apparently closed for renovations - checked website - no mention of being closed - called and a recorded message giving their hours with no mention of them being closed - drove to restaurant they were closed - appeared to be painting (ladder setup inside near door)

We decided we needed to have Italian. We were not disappointed. Great food and I recommend the Calamari as an appetizer. It's very good

Excellent service at this lovely Italian restaurant in Rockland, ME. We had calamari, and I had a creamy brown butter pasta dish with spinach and chicken. Absolutely delicious! My fellow diners had the linguine with shrimp! Very lemony! Dessert was crème brûlée and I had a melty chocolate torte that everyone had a bite of! Nice tea selection, cappuccinos, and cocktails for my fellow diners. They made me a skinny Roy Roger's - a Shirley Temple with Diet Coke. Very nice. The waitress was SO friendly and attentive! 5 stars

Excellent dinner...service was great. We waited a bit for drinks because the restaurant was very busy but no complaints. The mussels were scrumptious! Highly recommend eating here if you are in Rockland. Never had a bad meal In all the years we've been vacationing here!

We weren't sure what to expect, but loved it. My wife and I have not ordered a pizza in a restaurant in literally 20 years, but went for their goat cheese pizza and loved it. We also liked the shrimp and polenta appetizer and the fried artichoke salad very much. Service was great too.

Visiting Maine again and needed a nice place to feed the family (5 total, 2 kids) on a Tuesday evening in early July. Everywhere was either a TWO hour wait or closed on Tuesdays! Found Rustica and so glad we did ... it was downright superb! Seriously, the chicken parmigiana was magnificent. Everyone was so happy with their orders ... even the kids were talking about how good the food was at this place. Even better, the service was on point ... the girls were working hard to do it all right. It was so busy, but they were able to squeeze us in within 30 minutes. Check it out, you'll like it ... still thinking bout that chicken parm!

Rustica has always been on of my favorite places for Italian in Midcoast Maine. You can beat the appetizers with the garlic shrimp and polenta and the menu options with the saltimbocca pasta and the bolognese. Excellent night out, and great service as well!

Hostess found us a table without reservation. Server was skilled and the food and kitchen performed well. Good experience.

Truly delicious food. Beet salad app so very fresh and tasty as well as the baked penne. No room for dessert but the menu looked tempting. Friendly well informed service-we were a party of 8 and very well taken care of . Cool vibe, 2 quaint dining areas, high ceilings, brickwork and local art. Bar is cozy. One drawback our table was in front of the entry way, and even with 2 entry area doors it was cold when guest entered, especially if they held the door open. Host should've invited them into the restaurant to keep the doors closed.

If your looking for an Italian dinner, I don't know why your not going here. The food was amazing and the home made pasta is perfectly thick and doughy! 10/10 would recommend to any one! Oh! And the wine selection is perfect!

The food is absolutely worth it!! Trying to make a reservation was tough for a big group on a Friday night. We were offered the bar & took it without hesitation, although part of our group was arriving a little later with a child. We made it work as did they with holding a table for 2 & 1/2 close by to us. Madison the bartender was the best!!! Fun, friendly, polite, accommodating & happy to have us as her guests. Such a doll. If we were locals, we might become her regulars. Great recommendations as her favorite dish was what I ordered & truly was delicious. Cavatelli with chicken, prosciutto, spinach & wine cream sauce!!! Fantastic. Calamari app was great, pizza phenomenal, meatballs were full of homemade flavor & baked penne was top notch! Excellent dinner!!!

I have been going to Rustica for 10 years. Almost exclusively, I have had their "Risotto of the Day". It has been different every time and never a bad experience. I was there yesterday and had the risotto again. It was a risotto on a bed of eggplant ragout topped with a roasted "airline chicken breast". It was the best risotto dish I have ever eaten. The service was very good and properly attentive. I look forward to my next visit to see what new risotto creation is offered.

Favorite restaurant in Rockland/Camden. Always a good experience. Good variety on menu, pleasant and efficient service staff, and well prepared meals. Good value for the money.

AVOID THE PICATA. Everyone else had a great meal, everyone with a red sauce dish had an amazing experience. I had the shrimp picata and it was not good at all, very bitter, not saucy, the shrimp was over cooked, and used too much oil, and it also was made with linguine, which for such a light and thin sauce didn't stick to it at all. I feel bad I didn't say anything and try to get a better dish but I was so hungry and scarfed down the almost naked noodles, and I can't believe I let a terrible plate of pasta ruin an otherwise great evening. Tiramisu was pretty decent though.

Love this place! I have come here a few times and it is always great. They have a great menu that is small but plentiful. Vegetarian options are available, and taste fantastic. Last time I visited, I had the pizza. Open a little bit later than the other places in town. They are also really great about covid cleanliness, masks and sanitizer available. Bathrooms and clean and private!

Too loud, too loud, too loud! Dark and depressing environment! Food nothing special! Can make better at home for sure! A place to avoid! I would not go out to eat at all if this was my only choice! There is another restaurant close by that is excellent. Would not waste my money at Rustica! Suggestion: better ambiance and a new chef! Never go there until those things happen!

Absolutely AMAZING food!!!! Great and friendly staff as well!! We got the shrimp & polenta, and calamari appetizer, the Cavatelli Saltimbocca and baked penne for dinner, and the crème brûlée and tiramisu for dessert!! I've had Italian from California to Italy itself and this was by far one of the best meals I've had! Highly recommend!

A wonderful night out! David, the bartender has been there for 16-17 years and is a charmer... the ambiance is great and the food is DELICIOUS A casual, super friendly crew in a very well established family business in a delightful Maine town... What could be better?

Delicious food! We shared the mussels and they were super fresh in a white wine sauce. The eggplant parmigiana was fantastic! We highly recommend this restaurant! Service was quick and engaging!

I grew up in Rockland, but have been living in Portland area for years (we have a ton of good restaurants). My mother took me out last night, because I had never been and I can say it was one of the best meals I've eaten out in a long time! We both had the risotto of the day which was a braised beef risotto with carrots, onion, garlic and spinach with a red wine sauce phenomenal! We wanted to lick the plates but I don't think people would have enjoyed that haha I'll definitely be back!

AMAZING!!!!!! we recommend everyone silt the portions are great! We got the baked penne, side of meatballs and a Cesar! Everything was to die for! We highly recommend! Can't wait to come back!

Made a reservation for 6 when the door opened at five pm because we heard it was hard to get in later. Salad was huge and delicious. Ginger carrot soup was terrific (and worth trying to copy at home.) The chicken parmesan, sausage and eggplant pasta and "special" of asparagus, shrimp and squash in fettuccini were all spectacular! Visiting from Durham NH and would eat here again. Highly recommend this place.

Wonderful food and lovely service for three generations of our family. Nice, relaxed atmosphere, too. What a way to rap up

Loved eating here! Wish we didn't live 23 hours away :) I had the fettuccini (amazing) and my fiancé for the baked penne with the hot sausage and said it was one of the best pasta dishes he's had. Wonderful service and delicious bread.

Delicious food! My girlfriend and I got takeout from here. We got the Beet Napoleon and Calamari as an appetizer. Both good, the lemon aioli with the Calamari was very good! As a meal we got the Chicken Parmesan and the dish with sausage, fried eggplant and fettuccini. Both were delicious. The pick up process was very easy. I have not eaten indoors during the pandemic, but when picking up I noticed the restaurant was pretty full and some tables were close together making people closer than 6 feet.

Lovely little place on Main St in Rockland with a very pleasant and attentive staff. Had to eat alone because my wife was ill. I love veal saltimboca so jumped on their "chicken saltimboca". Oh, it is nothing like the normal dish I have been used to for decades. As you can see, it is rather a bowl of spaghetti c chicken cubes, cheese and bits of guanciale in a light cream sauce. I ate it, it was good but it was NOT saltimboca. Sorry.

Great!! Highly recommend when you are tired of lobster. Great salad. Excellent pizza. And the main course chicken dish was excellent as well.

If you are dining at Rustica, come with your expandable trousers--as others have noted, the portions are huge, and you can easily make another meal out of your leftovers. There's nothing like a plate of steaming pasta on a cold foggy Maine night. I know that substitutions can be irksome for the kitchen staff, but I appreciated the ability to substitute a tomato sauce in place of a cream sauce on the housemade cavatelli with spinach and chicken. The kitchen had run out of the complimentary table bread, and was instead doling out portions of a tasty seasoned flatbread--an upgrade, in my view. Less successful dishes included the overly dressed house salad and a too rich, too sweet chocolate cake. The waitstaff is extremely hard working, and will try to quickly accommodate everyone, even if you haven't made a reservation. The high-ceilinged main room can become really loud if there is a large table that is drinking a lot (we seemed to coincide with an after-work party of bros hitting the sauce). Otherwise, this was a really pleasant dining experience on Rockland's main downtown thoroughfare.

Good dinner place if you're in an Italian mood. A little bit of a wait on a Friday night, 10-15 minutes wasn't too bad. I had the mussels and chicken parm, wife got the Caesar salad and spaghetti & meatballs. Mussels were simply excellent. For only $10, I put down a delicious bowl of them that I could tell were fresh. Great price for the amount and quality of the mussels. My wife loved her spaghetti and meatballs, this place has a very tasty marinara sauce. Four stars because my chicken parm wasn't too good. It was over-breaded - at least 2/3 of the thing was the breading and there was only the thinnest of chicken strips in the middle. Way overpriced at $18, plus it only came with about three forks worth of spaghetti. Stick with the mussels and pasta dishes if you decide to visit!

I read the PRE-PANDEMIC reviews and was excited to give Rustica a try, and boy was I disappointed! The waitress was incredibly rude when we didn't order what she wanted us to eat. And when the food came it was cold as if it had been sitting under the heat lamp too long while she was off chatting with the hostess. Not a place I will ever return to, even if I was going to be in town for more than a couple of days. Too many other better options for my dining dollars. My recommendation? Move on to somewhere that wants your business.

Our food was fine- it was the server- WOW. As she stared out the front windows while telling us the specials we hoped things would look up w her. Nope- when I got a beet dish vs a beef dish, I asked if there was a mistake. She snapped it was beeT and proceeded to shove a menu at me to back up it was my fault- c'mon honey, its your tip, at least fake a bit of sympathy. I owned it- guilty for not bringin' the readers...but when a companion said "arent you disappointed" this lovely server wheeled around with "What did you say!?" I even tried to smooth things telling her the beets were actually very good, which they were. I normally tip big but only did 15%- and by the way she grabbed the signed check while we were still talking in a "time to leave" move- no thank you, nothing. Sheesh- whoever you are Maaam, consider a position outside the hospitality industry.

We had a fantastic dinner here before seeing a show at the nearby theater. The appetizers and main courses were among the best we've ever had. The portions generous, the staff gracious, and the cost extremely reasonable.

Rustica was amazing! I came with my family and everyone loved their meals and drinks! The meal pictured is gnocchi. Their salads were also delicious! Definitely coming back!

I thought I would leave a review for this quite little Italian Restaurant. I'm from NY and have eaten lots of pasta, but Rustica's Penne Bolognese was the best dish I've ever had. The meat sauce was AMAZING, loved the texture and the flavor. The added spoonful of pesto to top the dish off was a great addition to the dish. 10/10, best ever!!! My family and I loved every single item we ordered

On May 10th, My manager and I are in town for business and decided to get dinner at Rustica. We arrived at about 6:45PM and it was busy and had a wait for 25 minutes. The hostess invited us to the bar which was also busy. After standing at the bar for 6-8 minutes I asked the lady bar tender, " excuse me can we order drinks?". She did her best to not look at us and then responded with an answer that ... I start down the end and work my way up "which is how we do it around here". We said to ourselves "F You" and walked out and went to Hills Seafood and was warmly welcomed and had a great dinner. You don't treat patrons this way like your the only act in town, because your not the only act in town. Furthermore, the bartender bitch needs to be schooled in proper etiquette, and the owner needs to "step up" and have someone else who can pour a goddam beer. One and Done!

Dining during Covid has been a challenge but Rustica Cucina Italiana has mastered this! We were able to eat inside in a safe, socially distanced way. The waitstaff was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. We started with the fried artichoke salad which was served on a bed of mixed greens with thinly sliced fennel, orange wedges and the lightly fried artichokes all tossed in a light and refreshing citrus vinaigrette. Do NOT miss this salad! It was a perfect starter. Hubby had the cavatelli saltimboca (off the menu) that was salty, cheesy, creamy and delicious. The pasta was cooked perfect and the diced chicken and fresh baby spinach were perfect additions to this dish. I had the risotto special that was with grilled chicken, garlic butter shrimp, lightly sautéed zucchini and tomatoes all in a perfectly buttery cheesy risotto. We ended our dinner with tiramisu and creme brûlée. Outstanding! Highly recommend this Italian Restaurant for a great meal!

This place was excellent! Walked in without reservation, was seated immediately by nice hostess (it's a Tuesday evening, an hour before close). Atmosphere was very cozy and clean. Looks like a restaurant you could dress up to, but everyone was casual. The waitress was prompt in serving us our drinks, food, and bill. She was present without lingering. Was very professional! I ordered the mussels ($10) from anti-pasta menu. My husband ordered the chicken Parmesan ($18). The portions were huge! The mussels are perfect for sharing with two or as a meal for one. They were incredibly flavorful, with garlic, white wine, bacon bits, and pesto. It was quite salty, but I am a fan of salty food. My husband wasn't such a fan of the chicken parm, since it was less chicken and mostly tomatoes. They brought complimentary bread, and there was really good EVOO on the table. I ordered a glass of Cabernet, while hubby drank a beer. Hostess would fill waters, and I appreciate how they work as a team here. There were two sides for seating, but it wasn't crammed, and it's a wonderful place to socialize and relax.

This place has it all! We had the calamari fritti to start -- it was cooked perfectly and delicious. Next the salad with fried artichoke hearts and a citrus/vinaigrette dressing; again fantastic. For main courses, my wife had the gnocci with shrimp dish and I had the linguini with crispy fried eggplant. Both dishes were way more that we could eat and both were wonderful. So we had a great lunch the next day also. Service was also very good. Highly recommended. The only thing that was not perfect was that the house red wine was a bit too sweet for my taste. The chianti was much better.

We made reservations for our wedding anniversary dinner. The service was great and the food was wonderful! Great presentation!! We will definitely be back next time we are in the area!

Busy Italian restaurant with candlelit tables and dark decor. We came in on a late Saturday night without a reservation and were seated in about 20 minutes. Food wasn't spectacular but it was good and homey. The spaghetti and homemade meatballs was the standout dish. A little pricey but not too bad.

I'm blown away by the eggplant Parmesan dish! Seriously the best eggplant parm we've ever had, so good we ordered one to go for our hotel room later that evening. The fried artichoke salad was also freakin delicious!

We were in Rockland for the Friday night Art Walk on July 2, 2021 and we were looking for some good Italian food. This restaurant delivered! We were in a party of 5 and everything we ordered was superb! The spaghetti and meatballs were outstanding, maybe one of the best I've had. My son is very hard to impress and he was awed by the quality of food and service. I definitely give this place 5 stars as it was one of the best meals we had while on our 11 day vacation to Massachusetts! While there take in the great art at the Farnsworth Museum too!

Late lunch today. Nice farfalle pasta With grilled chicken and broccoli in olive oil, hot pepper flakes garlic and sun dried tomatoes. Nice size chunks of moist chicken and fresh broccoli with appropriate amounts of pepper and garlic. The dish would be better with no sun dried tomatoes. Seasonal amber ale was tasty. Surprisingly little use of local seafood incorporated into the menu.

This is my favorite restaurant in all of Maine. I absolutely love the "tomato basil with a touch of cream" soup and the chicken parm, I find myself going back for the same two things all the time. Good service and good atmosphere.

Pleasantly surprised by this place. Old converted store front in charming downtown Rockland, ME. Dinners between $18-$24. Nice portions. Lovely and attentive waitress (Kianne). Had the Fettuccine Alfredo w/ jumbo shrimp. Delicious. Many tempting items on their not overly-extensive menu (which is nice) that I am keen to return to try. Highly recommended.

Although Camden and Rockland have some amazing restaurants that are hard to match, Rustica is not 1 of them. Hearing rave reviews from the Inn keeper, I had high hope that authentic food would be offered. Rustica instead served me Americanized Italian food at a huge portion. The food was mediocre at the listed price, and the ambience was rather off-putting. It's casual, but not cozy. There wasn't enough lighting (which is generally OK) but they somehow messed this one up. What a bummer :(

Excellent dinner! The wait service was a bit hectic, but our food still came out timely and was delicious! I had the shrimp piccata, all the ingredients were very fresh. My husband had the chicken parmesan, and it was a beautiful heaping bowl of fresh tomato sauce, and large chicken breast with a next of spaghetti...I may have helped him with it a little. ; )

I just like Rustica. What can I say. It is a rare event to find good Italian in Maine. And Rustica makes a great effort! The atmosphere is cozy, classy, and comfortable. Great wines. Pasta dishes are done really well. I can go there by myself and I am completely relaxed. It is a very social place and I see people having festive conversations. You can always peek at other people's meals to see what looks good and they lean back so you can see and tell you how it is! It's just that warm! I only give it 4 stars because I'm spoiled by NY and Boston Italian. But for Maine it is 5 star!