Rustico's new space on Oak Park Ave. (in the old Oak Park Brewery) is incredible in terms of its aesthetics. Very open, high, exposed bow-tie roof trusses, reclaimed wood plank ceiling, a really cool floor (tinted concrete?), and exposed brick walls. Totally cool vibe indeed. Myself, my wife, and two 21 year old kids dined there 1.5 weeks ago and it was awesome. Upon arriving, we were seated immediately. All of the staff that helped us were great: fun, personable, and attentive. We ordered the seafood Paella, Carbonara, Fruitti Di Mare, and Braised Short Ribs. All seafood in the Paella and Fruitti Di Mare was cooked to perfection-nothing was the least bit rubbery and everything was quite savory. The Carbonara was so tasty and incredibly decadent (which, when ordering Carbonara, you almost expect!). The Braised short ribs that my son ordered were so good (based on his review), but unfortunately, decorum prohibits printing the words he used to describe his love of the dish herein. When the bill arrived, there was absolutely no sticker shock and in fact, my wife and I felt that the entrees were very reasonably priced (especially given their generous portions). I don't think that many diners leave this place hungry. Personally, I love Rustico as the food is awesome but the restaurant is anything but pretentious. We will most def be back soon! Jimmah!
Karolyn Denson Landrieux
Very good food and attentive staff.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Justin Haynes
The food was delicious but the drinks double shots seemed like no alcohol was in them at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Dessert
JudyR C.
Food was good , but martini's lacked sufficient alcohol. There were 5 of us. One guest complained about it and his particular next ordered martini was much better. We should have complained abt the other ones we had ordered. C'mon, let's make the martini's right, the first time.
Connie B.
This place was recommended to us. I wanted authentic Italian food. Not commercialized like Olive Garden. They knocked it out of the park! We all chose different dishes so we could sample each and we were not disappointed. The prices were reasonable and portions were large. I would highly recommend them.
Rob W.
I don't really like to do a first time review of a restaurant based on a take out order, so I might be back to update this. Had never tried this place and wanted someting a little different for dinner, so I checked the menu out online and gave it a shot. Nice variety on the menu. I decided to try the Short Rib Gnocchi along with an order of Lobster Corn Chowder. Gave the order taker my info - 20-30 minutes $36 and change I was told. When I arrived I noticed the place was pretty busy for a Monday night, While it wasn't full, Rustico is a fairly large place and there were a lot of people enjoying the food and atmosphere. The order came right out even though I arrived on the early side. Both items were still nice and hot when I got home. The chowder was nicely done; good mix of corn and lobster bits within it. The gnocchi was a good sized order - the beef was pretty lean for short rib beef, so I was happy with that. Some bread with the order would have been a nice touch - if there was a shortfall, that would be it, but overall I was pretty happy with the food I received. I'll definitely go back and check out the table service and other items on their fairly large menu.
Matt Denny
Pasta was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
AB03
We had a reservation for 7 for a birthday and Alex was our waiter. We couldn't have had a more wonderful time. Alex was attentive and kind and the food was phenomenal. We enjoyed their signature cocktails and wine, and they also helped us with choices for a younger member of our party who preferred simpler fare. Truly a fantastic night.
Ryan Kim
The absolute best paella and crème brûlée I’ve ever had. Beautiful atmosphere and a delightful family.
The food, drinks and atmosphere at the new Rustico location on Oak Park Ave are even better than at the old Lake St location. Unfortunately, the attentive and warm service we experienced at the location has become very unengaged, lukewarm and uninviting in our two visits to the new location. Servers have been distant, distracted, and not engaging, leading to a feeling of not being welcome. I suggest management deal with this issue to ensure return customers. Because the food, cocktails and wine, and atmosphere are all quite good.
I just wanted to give a quick shoutout to our waiter Ricardo at this amazing restaurant we just dined at. He was seriously fantastic. He took the time to explain all the different dishes on the menu to our mom, who was a little unfamiliar with some of the cuisine. And let me tell you, the food here was top notch. Like seriously, we loved every single dish we had. And the service was just as great as the food. Our waiter was so attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. We even got some great recommendations on what to order. Overall, we had such a wonderful experience here and we will definitely be coming back. So if you're ever in the area, I highly recommend checking out this place. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Piccata
Lena Hayden
I came around 3pm on a Sunday. I was solo and I was able to choose my table. The cocktails are well crafted. I had soup and tapas. Everything was good and hot. The gelato is to die for. This is now my favorite place. No pictures because I was too busy enjoying the meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tapas, Dessert, Seafood
MPMP
Loved the food and enjoyed the new space. Our waiter seemed to be rushing us for no apparent reason. But other than that, it was a great experience. Really hoping they do well here!
Cire R.
Great service and the food was excellent! Tried the salmon ravioli and a beet salad. Very delicious!
Bill C.
My wife and I had a great experience, starting out with the beet salad and apple salad, both came as ample servings. My wife's rigatoni with vodka sauce was delicious and my salmon ravioli was outstanding. She wished that her lady fingers for dessert had more coconut but my caramel bananas were great as was the cappuccino that capped off dinner. Service was very attentive and friendly. All in all, highly recommended!
Rustico's new space on Oak Park Ave. (in the old Oak Park Brewery) is incredible in terms of its aesthetics. Very open, high, exposed bow-tie roof trusses, reclaimed wood plank ceiling, a really cool floor (tinted concrete?), and exposed brick walls. Totally cool vibe indeed. Myself, my wife, and two 21 year old kids dined there 1.5 weeks ago and it was awesome. Upon arriving, we were seated immediately. All of the staff that helped us were great: fun, personable, and attentive. We ordered the seafood Paella, Carbonara, Fruitti Di Mare, and Braised Short Ribs. All seafood in the Paella and Fruitti Di Mare was cooked to perfection-nothing was the least bit rubbery and everything was quite savory. The Carbonara was so tasty and incredibly decadent (which, when ordering Carbonara, you almost expect!). The Braised short ribs that my son ordered were so good (based on his review), but unfortunately, decorum prohibits printing the words he used to describe his love of the dish herein. When the bill arrived, there was absolutely no sticker shock and in fact, my wife and I felt that the entrees were very reasonably priced (especially given their generous portions). I don't think that many diners leave this place hungry. Personally, I love Rustico as the food is awesome but the restaurant is anything but pretentious. We will most def be back soon! Jimmah!
Very good food and attentive staff.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
The food was delicious but the drinks double shots seemed like no alcohol was in them at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Dessert
Food was good , but martini's lacked sufficient alcohol. There were 5 of us. One guest complained about it and his particular next ordered martini was much better. We should have complained abt the other ones we had ordered. C'mon, let's make the martini's right, the first time.
This place was recommended to us. I wanted authentic Italian food. Not commercialized like Olive Garden. They knocked it out of the park! We all chose different dishes so we could sample each and we were not disappointed. The prices were reasonable and portions were large. I would highly recommend them.
I don't really like to do a first time review of a restaurant based on a take out order, so I might be back to update this. Had never tried this place and wanted someting a little different for dinner, so I checked the menu out online and gave it a shot. Nice variety on the menu. I decided to try the Short Rib Gnocchi along with an order of Lobster Corn Chowder. Gave the order taker my info - 20-30 minutes $36 and change I was told. When I arrived I noticed the place was pretty busy for a Monday night, While it wasn't full, Rustico is a fairly large place and there were a lot of people enjoying the food and atmosphere. The order came right out even though I arrived on the early side. Both items were still nice and hot when I got home. The chowder was nicely done; good mix of corn and lobster bits within it. The gnocchi was a good sized order - the beef was pretty lean for short rib beef, so I was happy with that. Some bread with the order would have been a nice touch - if there was a shortfall, that would be it, but overall I was pretty happy with the food I received. I'll definitely go back and check out the table service and other items on their fairly large menu.
Pasta was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
We had a reservation for 7 for a birthday and Alex was our waiter. We couldn't have had a more wonderful time. Alex was attentive and kind and the food was phenomenal. We enjoyed their signature cocktails and wine, and they also helped us with choices for a younger member of our party who preferred simpler fare. Truly a fantastic night.
The absolute best paella and crème brûlée I’ve ever had. Beautiful atmosphere and a delightful family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood Paella Mixta, Creme Brulee
The food, drinks and atmosphere at the new Rustico location on Oak Park Ave are even better than at the old Lake St location. Unfortunately, the attentive and warm service we experienced at the location has become very unengaged, lukewarm and uninviting in our two visits to the new location. Servers have been distant, distracted, and not engaging, leading to a feeling of not being welcome. I suggest management deal with this issue to ensure return customers. Because the food, cocktails and wine, and atmosphere are all quite good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Beet Salad
Restaurantji Recommends
I just wanted to give a quick shoutout to our waiter Ricardo at this amazing restaurant we just dined at. He was seriously fantastic. He took the time to explain all the different dishes on the menu to our mom, who was a little unfamiliar with some of the cuisine. And let me tell you, the food here was top notch. Like seriously, we loved every single dish we had. And the service was just as great as the food. Our waiter was so attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. We even got some great recommendations on what to order. Overall, we had such a wonderful experience here and we will definitely be coming back. So if you're ever in the area, I highly recommend checking out this place. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Piccata
I came around 3pm on a Sunday. I was solo and I was able to choose my table. The cocktails are well crafted. I had soup and tapas. Everything was good and hot. The gelato is to die for. This is now my favorite place. No pictures because I was too busy enjoying the meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tapas, Dessert, Seafood
Loved the food and enjoyed the new space. Our waiter seemed to be rushing us for no apparent reason. But other than that, it was a great experience. Really hoping they do well here!
Great service and the food was excellent! Tried the salmon ravioli and a beet salad. Very delicious!
My wife and I had a great experience, starting out with the beet salad and apple salad, both came as ample servings. My wife's rigatoni with vodka sauce was delicious and my salmon ravioli was outstanding. She wished that her lady fingers for dessert had more coconut but my caramel bananas were great as was the cappuccino that capped off dinner. Service was very attentive and friendly. All in all, highly recommended!