Ordered the garlic bread, linguini and clam sauce, chicken francaise, seafood pasta special, and canolis. None of the dishes was particularly bad per se but also not great. The portions were quite large, but I prefer smaller portions and higher quality food. My linguini was okay, sauce was lacking in flavor for me. Had a bite of the seafood special. The sauce had a nice spice but the calamari was so chewy. The chicken was fried nicely but the sauce was kinda oily. Not bad just not particularly good. Cannolis were freshly piped and the shell was good. The filling was thinner than standard caniki cream bust tasty still. read more

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I was really, really disappointed. When we first came in, the staff were super friendly and so helpful! I had high hopes because usually when the staff are that good, the food is too! But when I tried to order something, they were out. I tried to order something else and that was missing ingredients, too. It seems like a lot of dishes are missing key ingredients. My husband tried to get a drink and even that didn't have what he wanted (just some jameson)! When I finally was able to pick something that had the ingredients it was good, sure. But it wasn't what I had wanted. And I'm usually not this picky, but after all that, I was a little irked that the hand dryer in the bathroom didn't work either. I've heard good things about this place but I'm really not happy. I don't think I'm coming back if they're missing so much. read more

Bland taste for pasta and sauces. The garlic bread has to be the worst I've ever tasted, even vs a frozen garlic bread. Soggy, thick, soaked in oil, disgusting. Can't believe we wasted near 40 bucks on this garbage. Seriously, garbage.....wouldn't buy it again even if it was 10 bucks. read more

A pretty unimpressive experience from top to bottom. Date of Visit: 4/5/14 We placed a delivery order consisting of bruschetta, mozzarella cheese sticks, fettuccine alfredo, veal piccata, and tiramisu. Of those, I would say the cheese sticks were the only truly edible piece, and even those screamed "out of a package". The alfredo was one of the greasiest/oiliest pasta dishes I've come across, the veal was so overcooked and grey that I didn't finish it (Note: I eat just about *anything*), the bruschetta was basically sliced bread with a pile of unseasoned tomatoes, and the spaghetti/sauce that came with the veal could not have tasted less homemade. We were hoping to at least end the night on a good note via tiramisu, but that was forgotten during delivery and instead of going to pick it up ourselves (per the restaurant's recommendation), we chose to take the refund. I would not recommend this place to anyone who has an even remotely good palate or interest in true Italian food. read more

***Please note: someone from the company wrote a response to this review shortly after it was posted. I appreciate that they reached out and are looking to rectify the situation. Please read other reviews on Ruffinos to give you a balanced perspective. They are a local business and had this experience not occurred, I would have returned. Hopefully my experience was an isolated incident. I'll possibly return in hopes to the restaurant and update this with a more positive review*** I hate, hate, hate giving a local business in my neighborhood a 1-star review. I visited Ruffino's for the first time in over a year. My reviews for Ruffino's have been on a steady decline with each visit and I fear that this is my last trip to this lil' Italy. How many times has a waiter sloppily sauntered over and greeted you with, "Heeeeeeeyyy wuz suupp y'aaaaaal" in a sit-down restaurant? Actually, I thought he was pretending to be stereotypical frat boy. Alas, this was reality. When the waiter came by to take the order, he removed a chewed toothpick from his mouth before asking if we were ready to order. Sanitary much? When I ordered the special, the waiter looked perplexed and said, "Sorry, I've never heard of that before. They, like, change the specials every day." I used the stand-alone sign as reference for my order, there is a well marked section in the menu with daily specials and there is a sign on the back of the restaurant with specials. Basically, if you walk in through a door, you can see the specials. While my companion ventured to the washroom, the wine came. I made a joke that the half carafe was for me and he said, "Are you a wino? Well, I'm a wino too..." Really? The waiter delivered the food with the same hands he used to remove the toothpick. I assumed that he'd return with parmesan cheese and the complimentary bread. I saw the other waiters walking towards me with the cheese in hand, as they always have, but my waiter was nowhere to be seen and the cheese was delivered to nearby tables. I enjoyed my wine and finished my water before finally digging in. No quality check. Too bad, I would have sent the "special" back. The chicken tasted like it had been in the freezer too long and it was bland. By the time the waiter returned, both water glasses were empty and we'd been done with our meal for some time. He asked how everything was and I did something I rarely do; I complained about the meal. I had ordered the $16.00 special, the Chicken Divinici (or Da Vinici?) I explained the problems and I had left 1/3 of the meal on the plate. He said, "I don't know man, both chefs are in the kitchen and they should have been putting out their best stuff. (his tone belittled the chefs) I haven't had it, otherwise I would have told you not to order it." WTF? I'm okay when waiters are pedestrian as long as there is a mutual respect for one another. When you have exude a sense of entitlement and babble unprofessional nonsense, and belittle your chefs it's embarrassing. I waited tables for years and I never forgot who my audience was. After complaining, it was a bunch of "Yeps" and "Yeahs" and a hurried and insincere "ThanksForComingIn" as he was walking away from us. He slid the check across the table as if it were Bo & Luke from the Dukes of Hazzard sliding across the General Lee. It was obvious that we were a problem and needed to leave. Well, it's now for me to say arrivederci. There are plenty of other well prepared and seasoned fish in the sea. read more

It's a gem. The food here is quality, the service is warm and inviting, and for being just a little place far separated from more highly populated areas, this place has a genuine ambiance that can even be romantic...depending on the other guests. My favorites: 1) the extroverted -- but not artificially bubbly -- wait-staff. Very kind and talkative, but still self-aware and not taking over your dinner. 2) The "holy shit this is authentic" *garlic* bread. It's not freezer style texas toast folks, this is the real deal Head and shoulders above others I've had. 3) Tiramisu - it was sooo good. Sooo good. You couldn't taste the alcohol, it was the right proportion of chocolate to cream to cake, and it was the right temperature....not toothache freezer cold, just thoroughly cool. I came here with a groupon, but I'll be glad to return without one. Thank you Ruffino's for your attention to detail on the food, for selection and training of your staff, and for the occasional Frank Sinatra in the background. read more

Ruffino's Spaghetti House - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I've always enjoyed Ruffino's, but wanted to recommend it again. It's recently come under new management. The menu has changed somewhat. They also offer delivery now. It is excellent!! Menu changes include an expanded appetizer and pizza sections. They offer calzones and Stromboli now. Wing varieties. Various sandwiches, too. All along with the traditional Italian fare. Today I ordered their margherita pizza. It was AMAZING!! The crust was light, thin, and crisp. They've changed their house marinara sauce, and I quite like it. It's great because with free delivery, you can order more choices whenever! As always, Ruffino's is clean and well run. read more

I hadn't eat at this place in years. My last visit there, I picked up an order to go and while waiting for my food, I could see in to the kitchen (swinging door made that possible), and it was a mess. Food and trash all over the floor, counters were a train wreck. Worse than most restaurants I've been to, and it wasn't peak time either (not lunch or dinner time). Unfortunately, I was craving Italian today so I decided to give these guys another try. Big mistake. I ordered the chicken parm with a salad. The chicken was like cardboard. Tough, flavorless and pretty much disgusting . They tried to mask the horrible chicken with a half gallon of marinara. Way too much guys. And the chicken still sucked. And the croutons were super stale and hard as rocks. Avoid this place. Won't be back. read more

One word, amazing!!!!! My second time here and it was as good as the first time. Good prices and plenty of food. Once again I had to get a to-go box. The staff was so pleasant. If you're are anywhere near here, stop in. You'll be glad you did. read more

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The food was terrible. The waiter messed up several orders so that our guests had to wait for their food. The appetizers were good but the main courses were bland and definitely overpriced considering the quality. We didn't risk dessert and got it somewhere else. read more

Hmmm. Shouldn't meals be prepared with olives that DO NOT HAVE PITS in them? I ordered Eggplant Rolitini yesterday at Ruffinos, which came with a side of spaghetti with puttanesca sauce. The first bite I had went CRUNCH!!!! and out came an olive pit from my mouth. I've bit into pits before (like an olive from a salad bar) and BROKEN my tooth. I mentioned it to the waiter and he said "oh yeah, I should have told you. I'll mention it to the chef". A real restaurant would have comped the meal or prepared a new one for me. I really want to like Ruffino's because I'm a local and I want to support the small restaurants in the area, but these guys have to really need to up their game. read more

Yeah, No, that's a hard NO! I placed an order with this place earlier today, the order was VERY late and was WRONG. I'd driven past this place a million times, wondered what it was like, tried it vi delivery. The food was promised after 30-45 minutes, I was finally able to get through on the phone at 60 minutes, was told it was just a couple minutes away, but it took another 10 minutes. The delivery person was politely apologetic. And then. I ordered Chicken Carbonara. They sent Shrimp and Chicken Carbonara. Fortunately I don't have allergies (or that would have been and easy lawsuit) but I don't care for shrimp. So, what, was I supposed to wait another 70 minutes for a replacement. I will not be patronizing Ruffino's ever again. And I wish I had my tip back. read more

was tasty. the Gnocchi soup was truly delish! tasty and i'd go back just for that. the lasagna was also tasty. the only negative was, the main courses serve without bread. if you want a garlic bread, you have to order/purchase that separate. for the price, i felt it should include bread. i'll go back though - that soup and the lasagna was top-notch. read more

I don't know where to begin because I am disgusted and angry as hell right now. I ordered the spaghetti and it was horrid. Absolutely no taste to it at all. Completely bland. I've had hospital food better than this. They should be ashamed of themselves to serve "food" like this. If you've even had ramen noodles without the sauce packet that's what this tasted like. No seasoning in the sauce, the noodle tasted like nothing but the water it was over boiled in. Don't eat from this place EVER!!! read more

The food may be fine. However, we will not be returning to Ruffino's. I got a carryout order tonight and was appalled to discover that, as the COVID Omicron variant is starting to spike in Arlington, nobody in the kitchen or in the front of house was wearing a mask. I asked why, and I was told that they haven't worn masks for six months since the mandate was lifted. I said that the Omicron variant is starting to spike in Arlington, and I was told, "Yes, we might have to start wearing them again." I am not comfortable with this attitude regarding the safety of their customers. read more

My family and I love Ruffino's. They have friendly staff and great food. My favorite is the Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp and calamari. Besides their big portions and lots of shrimp, they are reasonably priced. However, we noticed the big change lately. Besides the smaller portions, the prices are expensive too. I understand the inflation but at least make it reasonable. read more

I love their meat sauce! It reminds me of how my great grandmother used to make it and no, I'm not Italian...not even close. There's a flavor to it that really just tastes like hers and I cant put my finger on it. Anyway, I did a doordash order and in the comments section asked for extra meat sauce. I didn't think they'd do it because they charge for meat sauce but I'm at the end of my pregnancy and desperate for it (cravings are real, strong and oh so persistent) so I figured why not ask. They sent me plenty of extra sauce and I damn near cried from hormones and genuine appreciation for whoever put my order together. They now have a forever customer, here :) read more

We ordered delivery from Ruffino's via DoorDash, and were very disappointed with the food. The chicken Alfredo was tasteless- the sauce had no flavor at all, not garlic, not salt, not cheese. The chicken was bland and had clearly been prepared quickly with no seasoning. The chicken parmesan was also disappointing. The marinara sauce had the metallic flavor of tomato sauce/paste straight from the can that hasn't been simmered. The tomato and fresh mozzarella salad was iceberg lettuce, bland tomatoes, a small amount of mozzarella with pre-made balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Not a fleck of fresh or dried basil. Overall I would not recommend this place to anyone- you can make better Italian at home for less money. read more

We ordered take out from here. The food was great and very tasty. The chicken parmesan and garlic bread were big hits with the family. Our order was ready quickly and was still hot when we got home. I highly recommend this neighborhood gem. read more

We love Ruffino's and are disappointed to read some of these reviews. This is not pricey (but excellent) Italian served to you with a view of the river. This is down-home basic good food served in a neighborhood restaurant. My personal favorites are the chicken marsala and linguine with clam sauce...and I ask for butter and garlic on my side of pasta instead of tomato sauce, personal preference. Is the food sometimes under salted? Sure. But how difficult is it to add a little salt? I know some kitchens that are dialing back salt due to health concerns -- and you can actually add a little yourself. Is that really too much work for a diner? I would rather have it under salted and add some then over salted and throw it away. This is a small, family owned restaurant that works hard to make good, affordable food. Will be ordering curbside pick up this week. read more

I like supporting local restaurants but the food at this restaurant is not very good. I had the chicken fettuccine alfredo and the chicken was rubbery (probably frozen chicken) and had no flavor and the alfredo sauce tasted like the one you buy at the grocery store for. 99 cents. I also had a slice of their pizza - the only good thing was the pepperoni. Also, the bread they served was cold. Overall, very disappointing. read more

I am currently in my office pissed off to the highest level of pisstivity because I am hungry and my lunch was just a pile of foolishness. Most times Yelpers get it right...epic fail today! Maybe it's my changing taste buds but my pasta was inedible. Like...I could not stomach swallowing the food. I tried to just eat the chicken parmigiana (which was just saturated in sauce) but I couldn't eat it either. It must be the marinara sauce. The cheesy garlic bread was ok...right about now it's the only thing saving those around me from dealing with a hungry, angry, pregnant co-worker! Only positive is DoorDash got me the food really quickly. #didImentionIwaspissed read more

Love the name we had to try it. This place has so much potential. Great location and service. With a few minor improvements such as fresh mozzarella and homemade sauce this place could be amazing. We had sautéed mushrooms, Casear salad, garlic bread and spaghetti with meatballs and green peppers. All was forgettable and I could have made it better at home. A friendly atmosphere and great service. read more

Ruffino's Spaghetti House - Spaghetti with green peppers - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Atmosphere: Cozy, only about a dozen tables plus bar seating. Nicely decorated, music was pleasant (volume just loud enough to hear, but didn't interrupt conversation - our evening soundtrack seemed to be the Frank Sinatra XM channel, which I was quite happy with). Service: Friendly, quick, and very accommodating. Our host/waiter had food out to us a lot quicker than I expected. Food: Husband ordered the French Onion soup, I ordered the Chicken Picatta, and our daughter had spaghetti with marinara sauce. The chicken Picatta came with a side of pasta - which the husband enjoyed with his soup. I didn't try anything other than the Picatta - but it was DELISH, and husband seemed pretty happy with the soup. We did have the garlic bread as an appetizer - which was gone almost as quick as they brought it out!! Would definitely recommend and re-visit. read more

Ruffino's Spaghetti House - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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The food was delicious. Thoroughly enjoyed the stuffed chicken marsala. It feels like a dish made at home which is perfect. You feel like there is an Italian Nonna in the back preparing the food. The ambiance is a little dated, but I feel like it adds to the appeal. This feels like a family owned business with family recipes handed down. I'm not mad at all. I will definitely be back. read more

The state of this restaurant is in decline. I came here about two years ago and enjoyed it, but the reason for this poor review is because of my most recent time. I get that it's COVID and everybody has that added stress but that doesn't mean you get to make mistakes. As I was eating my salad (that was freezing cold) I found a chunk of plastic Saran Wrap in the salad as I went to take a bite. My experience this time wasn't the best so I will be dining elsewhere. read more

We went into this restaurant based on the decent online reviews and prices. However, the sauce on both entrees was one of the worst I've ever had. It looked and tasted more like burned gravy than any kind of tomato based sauce. No spices whatsoever and a weird taste. The meatballs and calemari were pretty good as was the garlic bread, although the bread almost tasted like it was out of the freezer section of the grocery store. Usually I end up taking pasta home with me but not this time. Left it all on the plate. Will not be back. read more

Delightful little restaurant that provides really quality Italian food at reasonable prices. Menu is very creative with many choices.

Been going here since 1994 but after tonight, no more. Salab was mostly brownish lettuce. Entree was rancid, thrown away.

Very unimpressive. Alfredo sauce on fettucini was bland and lack lustre. The cheesy garlic bread was far too spicy; it contained something that tasted like a heavy dose of white pepper and came without dipping sauce. The worst was my chicken francaise: swimming in oil and had a burnt smell to it and there was no sauce on it (it indicated a lemon sauce on the menu) but what it came with was just a cold, hard half lemon on the plate to try and flavor this mess. If I wanted bad chicken, I would have made it myself. Not to mention that any artful plating was non-existant and the prices were high for what you received. Just...BLEH! read more

So I ordered clam linguine with extra sauce. Plus bruschetta with stuff on the side. It was delivered in a timely matter. The bruschetta looks ok( haven't tried it yet) but the clam linguine didn't come with any sauce (except what I can assume was white wine from the clam sauce). Disappointed! read more

I really enjoyed my meal at Ruffino's. Classic, old style Italian restaurant with great service and food. We went with the basics --spaghetti and meatballs. This was very well made, and I especially liked the meat sauce. The garlic bread was good as well, and when asked our waiter to wrap up a few pieces to take home to the family, he gave me a full order to go. Our server was great -- attentive and helpful. Overall, a great experience. We'll be back to explore the menu a bit more. read more

Good Lord, where to begin? A nicely decorated quaint location. They have parking behind the restaurant, which is a gigantic plus. The food is so good it borders on divinity. The garlic, basil, and tomato sauce is amazing. Everyone else said their food was fantastic. Price per serving is good as well. Abel is one of the most pleasant and entertaining hosts we have ever had at any restaurant ever. Do yourself a favor and give them your business. You will not be disappointed. Easy to get from downtown to here in a short 15 minutes. read more