Not my cup of tea. The red sauce has an odd taste to the point that I thought it was spoiled. I didn't get sick but will not be going back.

Need something to eat and stoped in. It was ok. Not mind blowing however was hungry. Staff were pleasant.

I think this may be my new favorite neighborhood spots. I loved the traditional environment. I loved the staff. I loved the food. What else is there, I mean, really? Oh, good wine. YES. We started with the toasted ravioli which was served dry. Not my favorite, but moving on...I ordered the Veal Castellana which is a veal/ eggplant combo dish. Every bite was delicious. My intent was to eat some now and save some for later...that did not happen. I eated it ALL and it was scrumptious. I do not remember what my fiance ordered, as I was far to deep in my own plate, but I do believe his plate was left clean as well. The only comment I have about this experience is the location. It is sketch trying to get in from the left side of the street. U-turns and round the blocks are necessary to get behind the building to park. But, well worth the effort. read more

Great food and an Arlington institution! My family and I have been going there for years. The tortellini with cardinal sauce is da bomb! Mangia! read more

Enter and welcome back to the 70's. A classic family restaurant from way back. Do you remember those little, bulbous, red candles that restaurants used to use? Well, they still have them here and use these in lieu of standard illumination. Think Fast Times at Ridgemont High (even thought that was early 80's). The garlic bread was fresh, toasty, buttery, and very garlicky. Not bad. My Spaghetti Calamari Diablo dish, was tasty and spicy. Ok, fine it was only ok. I'd go back, just for the atmosphere. The food was inexpensive, and acceptable quality. El diablo came back to haunt me like only a diablo should. Locals seem to like the place. Look for the signs that say "Spaghetti House". I don't know if Ruffino's name is visible. Parking is in the back in a dark alley (nice touch). "dude, that's my skull. I'm so wasted" read more

Someone once asked me: "Whatever happened to good ol' Italian casual dining?" I smiled, as I day-dreamed about Ruffino's. You see, in the Med area, restaurants almost never close and most of them have such a loyal cliental; a good restaurant is a place you grow up with, go again and again throughout the seasons, throughout your years. I have a love story with Ruffino's that started over a decade ago when we moved to the area and looked for nearby restaurants. As I took my first bite from the Manicotti with cardinal sauce, I knew it was love. When you set foot in the restaurant as it is today, you will not understand how different it looks today versus what it used to look like over a year ago, and I will describe it for you in four words: : It needed renovations- BADLY. Still, we found ourselves so intrigued by the food, by the fantastic staff, by the friendliest owner you'll ever meet; that we came back again and again dirty walls or not. (and to be fair: it always had a good atmosphere!) A year ago, they renovated the place, and now it looks amazing. Now, it's the whole package. I would highly recommend going to try them out. You will enjoy an amazing and friendly owner, as amazing and friendly restaurant manager, and fantastic staff. You will enjoy casual Italian dining that is far from pretentious, fresh cooked meals that will make you feel so happy that you decided to eat out tonight, and it will not break your bank. So whatever happened to good ol' Italian dining you ask? Well, Ruffino's happened, and they make theirs so good, that no one else can top it. A decade in, a decade older, I still find myself crave the Manicotti with Cardinal sauce and that dish, is my personal "eat-out" comfort food. read more

A nice place and environment. Went there with my girlfriend for lunch. Service was good but not much else. I was displeased with the food quality. We ordered veal in mushroom sauce and it felt as if the meat was microwaved and the sauce was cold and inconsistent, something like out of a can. The spaghetti was good but the tomato sauce also seemed out of a can. read more

This place has had an aura about it for me since my beau and his dude crew instituted the manly tradition of monthly "mafia" dinners at Ruffino's. For years, these guys have gushed about the food, the house chianti and the staff, who have let them come back to the kitchen to thank the chefs personally for their dinner and a Sopranos-esque evening. After finally getting to experience Ruffino's in the flesh, my fantasies were more than fulfilled. The butter-drenched garlic bread was a dream come true and like a stick of Doublemint, my chicken castenella ( basically chicken and eggplant parm combined if my memory is serving me correctly) doubled my pleasure as well as my fun. t also arrived with a heaping side of spaghetti, which saved me from having to politely request some pasta from my date. Our waiter could not have been sweeter and more attentive and the atmosphere is perfectly cozy and cute. This place ain't Milano, but it's not trying to be. Quality, generous portions, kindness and endless carbs are all delivered at this adorable spot. As a gal who's been around the Little Italy block in NYC, I'm happy to endorse Ruffino's as a perfect destination for a date night or any impending man meal. read more

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and my man's heart was in rough shape when I stumbled upon Ruffino's at quarter to 9 on Easter Sunday. Luckily, Ruffino's served up the perfect noodles to soothe the soul. Since I was ordering take out for two I picked the gnocchi in alfredo and the eggplant parm with red sauce over linguini . Something for whatever your feeling. Both were delicious. The red sauce was bright and acidic, a far cry from the muted flavors you find in a jar. The eggplant was thick and covered in sauce an cheese. What we didn't finish that night I ate cold the next morning and it was fantastic. The shortfall of the dish was actually the noodles themselves, which were somewhat chewy. But OH DEAR LORD, the gnocchi in alfredo. I'm not normally a white sauce gal but I would happily slather every food I ate in Ruffino's. Add to that wonderfully tender gnocchi and I lost track of the number of times my eyes rolled back in my head. Did I mention they were open at near to 9 on Easter? Oh, I did. Well it bears repeating especially since they were snappy and pleasant about getting my food to me. Other pluses include available parking behind the building, an easy to find location and free bread even with your takeout. For $22 I got a generous serving of Italian medicine and should I find myself back in Arlington I will definitely go back for another dose. ...mmmm alfredo... read more

Finally, the Rock has come back to Ruffino's!!!!! Long ago, when I was just starting out in this wallet crushing area of Northern Virginia, I would spend my eating out budget in search of little hole-in-the-wall spots that provide great food at an even greater value. For me, Ruffino's provided both for a healthy stretch of my life as I would dine there quite frequently. Minutes from where I used to live, the Spaghetti House used to provide a good, solid Italian dinner, in an environment and a price that made you think you were somehow transported back to the late 70's. Of course time moves on, as did I, and it had been at least 10 years since my last dining experience here. So when I had heard that they had shut down to renovate and recently opened back up for business, I planned on stopping by the next time I found myself in the area. Luckily, that happen early this week. The new digs look really nice without any hint of stuffiness. Clean, new tiled floors, exposed duct work, and a full sized bar adorn the new dining space. All in all, a very comfortable and cozy place to dine. As for the food, same good solid Italian cuisine at even better prices. I had the Gnocchi with meat sauce ($11), the garlic bread (still eerily good, $2.50), and a house salad ($4). Tab came out to under $20. Can you get better italian in the area? Sure you can. Food has evolved to the point that the old school stand-bys get outshone by the gourmet, deconstruction trend going on currently. If you are looking for the knockout of all Italian in the area, head to Tosca or Fiola in DC, have a gourmet meal, and pay accordingly. But if you want simple pasta dishes from recipes used for years, that since 1975 still produce a consistent and tasty product, AND you want a tab that will make you feel as if you got one of the best bargains around, then head to Ruffino's. And tell them that the Rock sent you, suckas. read more

I ordered two dishes via Dr. Delivery. I gave them one star because the food was hot. It was also inedible. i ordered a seafood dish and had to spit out the calamari. I could not chew it. Really, it was that bad. The shrimp were hard. The mussels were so "smelly" that I decided not to even try them. In an attempt to salvage the chicken dish, I did something I never do, I added salt (a lot of salt)...didn't help. The bread they sent was a wheat loaf of some kind, sliced...dry and hard. I'm reading other good reviews and either they are planted or they didn't have the two dishes I had. If other dishes get high ratings, they should focus on those dishes and never ever serve seafood marinara or chicken francaise again..never ever. read more

I was in town to run the Marine Corps Marathon and needed to carbo-load the night before. My friend who lives in Arlington found this place near his house so off we went. What a cute old-school restaurant. When we walked in, the place was packaged including a huge group of 15 or so. We had to wait maybe 5 minutes for them to set up our table for 4 and while we waited (which was no problem at all), 3 different people (a waitress, and the managers or owners?) came up to us apologizing and saying it will just be a few more minutes. Nice that they took care to acknowledge us as they set up. The menu has all the classics and I liked that you can mix and match pastas with different sauces. I had the eggplant parmigiana and it was huge. The sauce had a spiciness that I was not expecting - maybe extra cracked red pepper? It was tasty and I had plenty of leftovers. This is a classic red-sauce joint, homey and no-frills. What really stayed with me is our waiter Abel (sp?) He was so friendly and personable. He made the night enjoyable with his jokes and bright smile. read more

Aweful!!Aweful!!Aweful!! Experience Ordered a pizza and shrimp spaghetti with garlic sauce,pizza was ok but shrimp was like they have been frozen for days.It tasted very very off and when we told about that to our server he said that the shrimp was fresh.Cmon dude!!Grow up!! Another thing that surprised us was that he said he took off the item from our check but he charged us full even the pasta and he didn't gave us an itemized receipt as well. Won't be going back again!!! Pathetic food and service!! read more

This place is just really good Italian food. It's not fancy, no frill and the prices reflect that. I have never had a bad dish there and while it may be simple, the flavors are outstanding and the portions are generous. You never had to wait for a table, the staff is beyond courteous and they have parking in the back! What more could you ask for?! We live close by and are regulars. Don't let the semi-sketch strip of shops it sits in deter you. This place is yummy, affordable and delicious. Bottom line. read more

Everything is under seasoned and the sauce has a very sour taste. I had to add a lot of salt to the spaghetti to even eat it. Very disappointing and a waste of money. read more

Get the spaghetti with meat sauce and roasted green peppers. Eating this now. Recommended by my server, Abel. Dining solo so decided to live-yelp.. read more

Ruffino's Spaghetti House - Spaghetti. Meat sauce. Green Peppers. Parmesan. - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I'm surprised so many 1-star here. Since we're regular customers, I'd like to write something to support them. We used to come back once every week, only one time I remembered one of our dishes didn't not meet our satisfaction, and they tried to fix it as soon as they realize it. Other than that, for all of other times of visiting this restaurant, our experience was all positive. The servers are always friendly and the service was always fast. I prefer add salt and pepper myself, so the "tasteless" was not a problem for me. I really don't like a dish too salty and you cannot fix it. I guess they don't add much salt because everybody prefers different level of salt. I almost always order chicken castellana, my husband likes their veal pastas, never failed. Today I tried the special-- chicken siciliana, I also like it a lot. Not trying to convince anybody or what, just sharing my experience with this restaurant. read more

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

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READ YOUR RECEIPT CAREFULLY Ordered 4 entries and an appetizer today, noticed the total price was higher than usual. There was a menu stuffed in the bag, so I looked them up. They added $1.00 to each entry and $0.5 to the appetizer. Called the restaurant. They said prices can change without notice. read more

I decided to try this place out after driving by it for years and it was an absolutely terrible dining experience. The food was trash, some of which was uneatable. I will never eat here again. We got mussels for an appetizer and they were covered in sand, some were sour, and the sauce was gross. The bread it came with was cold and worthless. Worse. Mussels. Ever. We ordered garlic bread and it was stale and not very good. For entrees we got a chicken dish that was okay, but not great and I got the seafood pasta special. It was the same story with the mussels and everything else about the dish didn't seem fresh, was bland, and turned me off. I have never spent $60 on a meal and been so completely disappointed. I will never give this place a second chance, they blew it. The service was okay, but I go to restaurants for the food and the food I got was disgusting. read more

They're very generous with their portions and house wine :) the meat balls on the spaghetti was some of the biggest I've ever seen (insert: that's what she said) and I really enjoyed my time here. The waiter was very attentive helped us McGyver our plates around the table. read more

This place feels like it belongs off the Garden State Parkway, not Lee Highway. From the generic paper place mats with cocktail recipes on the table to the hackneyed prints of Ancient Rome on the wall, everything about this place screams mom n' pops New Jersey hole in the wall. In an area rife with overpriced franchises, Ruffino's is definitely a welcome relief. The food -- not quite authentic, but far better than a Macaroni Grill or an Olive Garden -- is the kind of Italian comfort fare I grew up on. It's also reasonably priced. The bathroom was foul, so I'm giving it four stars out of five. read more

"I could eat. I mean not necessarily spaghetti and meatballs but, you know, not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs. I mean, I really like spaghetti and meatballs. Man, if I don't get some spaghetti and meatballs I may literally die." So said Archer, so felt I. But here in the DC area, getting that feeling on a Saturday afternoon can be problematic. It's not like we're in NY or Chicago or Philly where there's at least one *great* red checkered tablecloth Italian place per square mile. The area's one reasonable facsimile, Carmines, requires at least a week of advance planning to satisfy a weekend red sauce craving. And indeed most great places will require advance planning on a Saturday night. This has happened before; and I have a list. At the top of the known: Espotitos in Fairfax, good enough to go to but still a decent chance of a last minute table on Saturday. At the top of the to be tried: Ruffinos. Evaluating Ruffinos' requires you to take a stand in the great red sauce (or gravy) debate. What's authentic? What's good? Somewhat sweet, not overly seasoned, chunky yet otherwise thin - I think that's baseline authentic and when well executed, also very good. And that's what you find at Ruffinos. It works well on the pasta. Not so well on the fried calamari. Still, it was about exactly what I was hoping for to satisfy my S&M craving. The meatballs were good. The veal parm was good. The calamari was good. The salads were good. The house Chianti was good. menu is down the middle of the fairway red check tablecloth Italian, and the execution was fine. So why 3 stars and not 4? Just the little things. The 2 tops are so tiny you can't fit bread and appetizers on them at the same time, and so close together that refilling the next tables drinks gets you a facefull of waiters ass. The bread is just OK, and not only wasn't it served warm but it was borderline chilled. The meatballs were good, but they had that ground to a paste texture you find in frozen meatballs from a bag. The Parmesan cheese seemed like Kraft pre grated in a tub. And despite what appeared to be a 1:1 server:table ratio when we arrived, it took a very long time to get greeted and a drink order in (although once we got rolling the service was quite prompt). Still I'd go back without hesitation when that red sauce craving hits, although I'll continue searching for the perfect spot. Fix the table situation and get better bread and cheese and I'd stop searching. read more

If you are a generic diner who loves corporate chains, stick to Olive Garden and leave this neighborhood gem to those who appreciate it. Waitstaff was very friendly to our party of 12 including 4 generations of my family. I was especially pleased by how engaging they were to my grandmother. They were very accommodating and took care of us the entire night. Our drinks remained full to the brim, wine was flowing, meatballs tender and flavorful and an overall great experience. As always, the garlic bread is amazing while paired with a tiny bowl of marinara. I like the renovation, but it certainly lost a little of it's mom and pop feel. They did keep the picture of the baby with the spaghetti on his head (why me?) much to my appreciation. Best dinner experience I have had in a while. Definitely recommended! read more

Location: Nothing special about the location. It is located on a fairly busy street, with parking behind the building strip. (3 out of 5) Atmosphere: We got a lovely table nestled in one of the front windows. It made for a great view and romantic dinner for two. Authentic Italian bistro! (5 out of 5) Service: Waiter was Italian-American and had an accent. It was sometimes difficult to understand what he was saying, but added to the authentic feel. Service was good, the waiter checked on us quite a few times and made pertinent suggestions for food and wine. (4.5 out of 5) Food: We started out with the garlic bread appetizer, which was adequate. Megan ordered the fried ravioli special and absolutely loved it! Keith ordered the linguini with mushroom, meatballs, and marinara sauce but instead received spaghetti, meatballs, and marinara. Although he did not get the correct order, he found the food to be well above average. The sauce was a little sweet and had very good consistency. The portions for both dishes were perfect. (4.5 out of 5) Overall: Definitely a place we will be attending regularly and would recommend it to anyone interested in some authentic Italian dining. (4.5 out of 5). read more

This is my go to place when I want solid Italian food but don't want to make it myself. All of the entrees I've had here have been very good. Their red sauce is very thick, slightly sweet, and a bit heavy so I would not recommend it to someone who wants to eat "light" or if you prefer lighter marinara. I particularly like their veal castellana which is basically veal, eggplant, and mozzarella. Their entrees comes with several pieces of (very good) bread and a container of spaghetti marinara, which I never think I'm actually going to eat bit always do. The only thing I'd stay away from is the tiramisu, which was disappointing. It had no coffee, tons of whipped cream, and possibly no custard which are my two favorite parts of tiramisu When I order, I typically order from delivery.com and can count on it being ready within 30 minutes, which is convenient. The owner is always hanging out in the eating area, and is a really funny, outgoing, friendly guy who will come to your table and chat for a bit. Overall Ruffinos isn't really a hip, sleek, or even gourmet Italian place, just a casual local Italian hole in the wall but that's actually what I like about it. I don't think I'd ever crave it specifically or desperately want anything from their menu, but it's solid for something quick and tasty and I'll definitely return while i live in the area. read more

Looking for child friendly dinner out. This place is for you. Pizza, chicken fingers and pasta for the kids. The grownups can eat real Italian food like veal piccata and chicken Marsala. The meatballs are good. I am a meatball expert as an Italian American. 5/26/2017. After several trips out with the kids, I updated this to 5 stars because dining her was better than anyplace else in recent memory. read more

Small place but you can always get a table. Food is good and affordable. They use a lot of garlic, which I love, but some might think it's too much - like my kids. It would be better if they included a salad and bread with an entree like many others do. read more

The food was pretty good, but nowhere near the quality I expect for that price. The ravioli was $12, a decent portion size, but very boring and the filling was mediocre at best. I would have been happy paying around 8 dollars for that meal. In addition, I was the ONLY person in the shop, I arrived around 2:30 PM on a Tuesday. Despite this, I was there for a whole hour, 30 minutes of which was just waiting for my check - I had already finished my meal and the waiter had taken the plates, but he didn't bring the check until much later. I was hopeful that this would be a good place, as it is a convenient location and I got a craving for ravioli, but I probably won't be back. I agree with other reviewers that the atmosphere is nice, and I WANT to like it, but I can't give a good review to any place that takes an hour to dine at when there are no other customers, I'm eating alone, and just want a quick meal between my two jobs. read more

Was in NOVA on business and was looking for a mom & pop Italian restaurant. Ruffino's is it! The service is top-notch, the food was excellent (recommend the veal). The owner was out working the floor, waiting tables and talking to customers. Great place if you're in the area. read more

I vowed I wouldn't go back, but I decided to try it again, just to see. Had a decent crowd in there, probably 12 people or so. Server/manager was prompt. I did take out, so I can't comment on the service, but he was trying to keep everyone happy. Food was markedly better, to the point where I will at least consider coming back. The owner did respond to my previous review, but I never do a review expecting a better experience or free stuff. Guerrilla dining is much more reflective of the true experience. Pasta was cooked better this time, although I got spaghetti instead of linguine. No big deal. Sauce was still on the sweet side. But it didn't have the metallic taste of last time, maybe it was a little bit more fresh for dinner. It was significantly faster from order to out the door, probably 8 minutes tops, which is very fast for a place like that. That being said, the quantity doesn't match the price. I was disappointed with the value here. However, I was not offended by the food this time, it was actually pretty okay. Will return if it is a crappy night and I'm in the mood for Italian. read more

The food is pretty good. This is a small cozy spot. The special pink lemonade is amazing.

This place has been around since before I was born, and is right down the road from my parents house. Yet i've never been to it. A few friends were in town for the Marine Corps Marathon and needed their carb fix before the race so we decided to try this place. I never realized how small this place is, but thats not a bad thing. Though I wouldn't suggest big crowds or kids... when i say small this place is basically table next to table with maybe a foot between tables. Our waiter was pretty funny and seemed to really know the menu inside out. We ordered calamari, and I had the linguine with mussels in red clam sauce. I cant remember what everyone else ordered, I think all chicken meals but they finished the whole plate so I cant say that they hated it. Calamari is lightly breaded, marinara sauce was kind of weak, i'm not a fan of watery sauce, but i know some find it more authentic. Regardless the calamari was good. We also ordered two loaves of garlic bread since they dont come with the meals. Yummy you can tell they use olive oil, possibly butter but i want to say they just use olive oil, and garlic seasonings. The pasta is cooked perfectly and the sauce is light but delish. We all shared a dessert, dont remember the name but it was icecream with raspberries and a hard chocolate outter shell. Melts in your mouth good, kind of reminded me of that godiva chocolate bar with raspberry filling. Over all a good experience, we'll def have to try other things on the menu and hope that their service and food is consistant. read more

I'm a local, and while back in the day this place used to be great..it has recently gone downhill. I'm strictly talking about the food, the service and friendliness of the staff is still there thankfully.. just the food has gone downhill. I don't know if there's been a change in management or something, but the food is SO bland these days. No flavor, no taste. I ordered the fettucine alfredo recently, and I had to season it myself when I got home, it was that bad. read more

I just moved to Arlington and I was missing my old place back at home that had quick delivery of decent Italian food. When it comes to take out Italian, I'm not looking for anything fancy; give me a nice pasta and meatball plate and I'm sold. The delivery here is cheap (or maybe free?) and really quick, with food at my door in 20 mins. They bring you basically half a loaf of bread, which was awesome and a touch a lot of Italian places don't do when you order take out. The mozz sticks were ok but the marinara to dip them in was hype. Their meatballs were better than the ones at my old place, and the spaghetti was better quality as well. I definitely will be ordering here a lot more! read more

If you want runny, watery tomato sauce on limp, lifeless noodles, you've come to the right place! Why this has been here since 1972 is beyond me. I am all for honouring Mom and Pop establishments, but this place is just lacking. The best thing about it was the garlic bread. I was always taught, if the bread is good, it's a good indicator of the entrees being good. However, this is not the case with this place. When they renovated, they left out renovating the FOOD. Chef Ramsay of Kitchen Nightmares would have a field day with this place. read more

I got to order from doordash the pasta was as Bland as it could possibly be and the sauce was what seemed like unseasoned plane tomato paste

Some of the less complimentary Yelpers seem to have gotten Ruffino's via delivery or take out. I might agree the food doesn't always travel well for whatever reason. But come to this cozy neighborhood drop-in with its friendly staff and try one of the reliable standards (can't beat the fried mozzarella, and the mussels .. mmmm), delicious specials (tonight I enjoyed salmon in a delicate red cream sauce), order a bottle of wine and you'll have a terrific and relaxed meal. read more

We've been going here for years with some good and some not so good dinners. Takeout last night was a disaster. Never notified that the meal was ready. Entree salad was cheap ingredients and thrown together. You could tell the chicken parm was a frozen tasteless piece of meat. I would not recommend tipping in advance as I regretfully did. read more

Spotted this place last year, but I get to try it last night. Chicken Marsala with linguini was quite tasty! Fresh sauce, fresh mushrooms, fresh chicken breast. But I found it weird that they put marinara sauce on top of linguini, eventhough I already got marsala sauce. So I had to mix those 2 sauces together (I'm not a fan of marinara sauce, that's why I was annoyed.) But overall, it was very tasty! Comfort food indeed! The portion and price were very reasonable as well! Ruffino's Garlic bread was also very fresh, delicious and garlicky.. love it! read more

Ruffino's makes the most yummy spaghetti and meatballs ever! I also love love love their Chicken Picata which is soooo good as well. This restaurant seems to be a fav of the locals in the neighborhood. The food is just homemade goodness... definitely comfort food standard. They serve good size portions. If you like salads - they make a simple but yummy Caesar Salad using anchovies and homemade croutons. I definitely recommend this place for dinner or lunch any day for a casual dinner. read more