Closed! Sorry to see you go! Everything is removed, the tables are off the street, and the bar is being cleared out...
sequoia connolly
Great food with unique aesthetic. Plethora of beer, wine, and choices. Cocktails available as
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Salad
Becca M.
went out for dinner here and it was slay! we just got pizzas and i thought they were really good. great service too. the whole place was very "love" by lana del rey coded. need to go again soon
Hada M.
On a pleasant Friday evening, we decided to visit this establishment for an early dinner, and to our delight, we were met with reasonable pricing that left us content. Hailing from the heart of the Midwest, my standards for pizza are quite high, but I must say, the thin crust slice we indulged in exceeded expectations. The appetizers were nothing short of delicious, tantalizing our taste buds and setting the stage for an enjoyable meal. The varied selection of ciders and beers added to the experience, providing the perfect accompaniment to our meal. The laid-back ambiance and casual vibe of the place resonated with us, creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that made our dining experience all the more enjoyable.
Daverd71 ..
Sign on the door says open until 11:00. I walk in at 9:06 and ask for takeout, get told that the kitchen is closed. Needs a little truth in advertising.
Jay P
Was really looking forward to eating here, but the food was positively disappointing. And maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought that salads came with dressing? Got a salad that had no dressing, I might as well have just eaten the head of lettuce with a knife and fork. ? And the food was definitely overpriced.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Calamari, Salad
Eva H.
The Hawaiian pizza here is so good! If you like thin crust then you'll definitely like this. Our waiter was super attentive and our food came out very quickly!
Michael William Majorczak
Great food and great beers. Amazing beer selection. Limited menu, but they do it well. A bit pricey though. Waiter wasn’t very attentive, they seemed understaffed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Kate
Our server had too many tables and had no sense of urgency. 2 out of 3 drinks arrived just before the food and the third came 1/2 through the meal almost as an afterthought. No apologies or recognition of timing. 2 entrees arrived in good speed the third came 10 min later and was lukewarm. Where had it been sitting?! No apology or recognition of the wait or fact that eventually the others started their meals because food was getting cold. When we left the dishes from the entire meal remained from the appetizer plates to the entrees. We left to find dessert somewhere else. Rustico - you are our regular go-to for good food and value but service tonight was bad, bad, bad. You can do much better.
Mira S.
They have incredible vodka pizza. Their beetroot salad is also delicious. The ambience is nice on the inside, but I would say that the service is pretty average. I did have to ask a few times for my check as well as a box. Overall, though I will probably be back given how great the food is. They also have a really nice outdoor patio space which is great for the summer months and spring.
A truly disappointing experience. My husband and I made reservations in Arlington based on our positive experiences at the Alexandria location. Upon arriving, however, seated in a dark corner and left alone for at least 10 minutes After flagging down a waitress to get our drink orders, we had to wait again for a different person to come and take our food order at least 15 minutes later. No one introduced themselves or gave us their name (more to do with management than the servers). Our pizzas arrived quickly, but were pretty greasy and had very little taste. for the prices we paid I expected much better quality ingredients Due to the cost of $75 for two drinks and two pizzas (as well as slow service), we Unfortunately will not be coming back
coolerking75
The sole star belongs to our server who may have not even been our server but stepped in all the same. This place wreaked of understaffed and poorly experienced atmosphere. We'd been to other Rustico's that were great but not Ballston on a Monday, I guess. 1) We were seated at the far end of the mostly empty bar area that had literally no lighting. It looked like there was wall lighting that was in the middle of replacement . We couldn't figure out why we didn't just get seated in a booth that had a working overhead. 2) When I went to ask the matre de if we could be moved he left his post while noticing I was on my way to him to move a table together elsewhere. When I finally got his attention he interrupted me before I could even complete my request and told me to “just move anywhere”. Didn't seem bothered about the dark section at all. 3) My wife had to flag down the young lady who would become our server. No one approached us. She was just fine but we never got her name and she appeared to be the only waitress serving that half of the restaurant. 4) The food was abysmal. We both ordered pizzas and cheap grocery store pizzas would be better. I ordered the Vodka pizza and my wife ordered the Sgt. Pepperoni. Both pizzas were incredibly greasy with thin, wimpy, crusts. I couldn't wait to brush my teeth to get the taste out of my mouth. 5) The drinks were OK.
Krishna T.
Rustico is a go-to whenever friends or family are in town and I want to take them somewhere nice in Ballston (in terms of food and ambiance!) I've visited for dinner before and loooooved their penne allá vodka (maybe some of the best I've ever had). Today, I stopped by for lunch. It was fairly empty so not the same vibe as in the evening; however, our sever, Tia, was so attentive and helpful! I was a bit bummed to find out that pasta isn't served during lunch (which I hope they will reconsider!!) So I ordered the lunch box, which gives you the option to select 3 items off the menu (only certain items, those marked with a star) and includes a soda or iced tea. I thought this was a good value meal. My personal assessment: The cheese and herb risotto tots were delicious. Beet salad could have used more dressing, but still yummy. Meatball sub was a miss for me - hard to eat due to portioning and meat to bread to sauce ratio.
Marvin I
The food at Rustico is good - not great, not outstanding, but good, homey food. The service was a bit of a problem the other night. Our appetizers and drinks came out quickly - followed in about three minutes by our entrees. We had barely picked up our forks to start on our appetizers when the entrees hit the table. Whatever happened to the concept of a leisurely dinner?My wife and I both had pasta dishes which, as I said, were good. We had last eaten at Rustico about 4 years ago and both remembered it as being much better than it was the other night. Maybe it is just that there are so many more choices of high quality restaurants available now than even a few years ago, that Rustico has simply not kept up.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Alanna
Everything here was just ok. We ordered two pizzas and both were just alright, they were thin crust and each one was personal sized. Also ordered the penne with vodka sauce and it was definitely over priced. The service was very slow especially because we came here on a Wednesday and it wasn't super packed.
Closed! Sorry to see you go! Everything is removed, the tables are off the street, and the bar is being cleared out...
Great food with unique aesthetic. Plethora of beer, wine, and choices. Cocktails available as
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Salad
went out for dinner here and it was slay! we just got pizzas and i thought they were really good. great service too. the whole place was very "love" by lana del rey coded. need to go again soon
On a pleasant Friday evening, we decided to visit this establishment for an early dinner, and to our delight, we were met with reasonable pricing that left us content. Hailing from the heart of the Midwest, my standards for pizza are quite high, but I must say, the thin crust slice we indulged in exceeded expectations. The appetizers were nothing short of delicious, tantalizing our taste buds and setting the stage for an enjoyable meal. The varied selection of ciders and beers added to the experience, providing the perfect accompaniment to our meal. The laid-back ambiance and casual vibe of the place resonated with us, creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that made our dining experience all the more enjoyable.
Sign on the door says open until 11:00. I walk in at 9:06 and ask for takeout, get told that the kitchen is closed. Needs a little truth in advertising.
Was really looking forward to eating here, but the food was positively disappointing. And maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought that salads came with dressing? Got a salad that had no dressing, I might as well have just eaten the head of lettuce with a knife and fork. ? And the food was definitely overpriced.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Calamari, Salad
The Hawaiian pizza here is so good! If you like thin crust then you'll definitely like this. Our waiter was super attentive and our food came out very quickly!
Great food and great beers. Amazing beer selection. Limited menu, but they do it well. A bit pricey though. Waiter wasn’t very attentive, they seemed understaffed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Our server had too many tables and had no sense of urgency. 2 out of 3 drinks arrived just before the food and the third came 1/2 through the meal almost as an afterthought. No apologies or recognition of timing. 2 entrees arrived in good speed the third came 10 min later and was lukewarm. Where had it been sitting?! No apology or recognition of the wait or fact that eventually the others started their meals because food was getting cold. When we left the dishes from the entire meal remained from the appetizer plates to the entrees. We left to find dessert somewhere else. Rustico - you are our regular go-to for good food and value but service tonight was bad, bad, bad. You can do much better.
They have incredible vodka pizza. Their beetroot salad is also delicious. The ambience is nice on the inside, but I would say that the service is pretty average. I did have to ask a few times for my check as well as a box. Overall, though I will probably be back given how great the food is. They also have a really nice outdoor patio space which is great for the summer months and spring.
Restaurantji Recommends
A truly disappointing experience. My husband and I made reservations in Arlington based on our positive experiences at the Alexandria location. Upon arriving, however, seated in a dark corner and left alone for at least 10 minutes After flagging down a waitress to get our drink orders, we had to wait again for a different person to come and take our food order at least 15 minutes later. No one introduced themselves or gave us their name (more to do with management than the servers). Our pizzas arrived quickly, but were pretty greasy and had very little taste. for the prices we paid I expected much better quality ingredients Due to the cost of $75 for two drinks and two pizzas (as well as slow service), we Unfortunately will not be coming back
The sole star belongs to our server who may have not even been our server but stepped in all the same. This place wreaked of understaffed and poorly experienced atmosphere. We'd been to other Rustico's that were great but not Ballston on a Monday, I guess. 1) We were seated at the far end of the mostly empty bar area that had literally no lighting. It looked like there was wall lighting that was in the middle of replacement . We couldn't figure out why we didn't just get seated in a booth that had a working overhead. 2) When I went to ask the matre de if we could be moved he left his post while noticing I was on my way to him to move a table together elsewhere. When I finally got his attention he interrupted me before I could even complete my request and told me to “just move anywhere”. Didn't seem bothered about the dark section at all. 3) My wife had to flag down the young lady who would become our server. No one approached us. She was just fine but we never got her name and she appeared to be the only waitress serving that half of the restaurant. 4) The food was abysmal. We both ordered pizzas and cheap grocery store pizzas would be better. I ordered the Vodka pizza and my wife ordered the Sgt. Pepperoni. Both pizzas were incredibly greasy with thin, wimpy, crusts. I couldn't wait to brush my teeth to get the taste out of my mouth. 5) The drinks were OK.
Rustico is a go-to whenever friends or family are in town and I want to take them somewhere nice in Ballston (in terms of food and ambiance!) I've visited for dinner before and loooooved their penne allá vodka (maybe some of the best I've ever had). Today, I stopped by for lunch. It was fairly empty so not the same vibe as in the evening; however, our sever, Tia, was so attentive and helpful! I was a bit bummed to find out that pasta isn't served during lunch (which I hope they will reconsider!!) So I ordered the lunch box, which gives you the option to select 3 items off the menu (only certain items, those marked with a star) and includes a soda or iced tea. I thought this was a good value meal. My personal assessment: The cheese and herb risotto tots were delicious. Beet salad could have used more dressing, but still yummy. Meatball sub was a miss for me - hard to eat due to portioning and meat to bread to sauce ratio.
The food at Rustico is good - not great, not outstanding, but good, homey food. The service was a bit of a problem the other night. Our appetizers and drinks came out quickly - followed in about three minutes by our entrees. We had barely picked up our forks to start on our appetizers when the entrees hit the table. Whatever happened to the concept of a leisurely dinner?My wife and I both had pasta dishes which, as I said, were good. We had last eaten at Rustico about 4 years ago and both remembered it as being much better than it was the other night. Maybe it is just that there are so many more choices of high quality restaurants available now than even a few years ago, that Rustico has simply not kept up.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Everything here was just ok. We ordered two pizzas and both were just alright, they were thin crust and each one was personal sized. Also ordered the penne with vodka sauce and it was definitely over priced. The service was very slow especially because we came here on a Wednesday and it wasn't super packed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3