I'd driven by this place a number of times, but had never really given it a second thought. But, last night I found myself there on a date and could not have been happier with the whole experience. We arrived about 40 minutes early. Without missing a beat, we were still seated within a couple of minutes. I would've been happy being directed toward the bar until our reservation as well, but it definitely showed the staff's ability to adapt to change during a busy 12-top at one end of the room. We started off with the Botoni, a nice light Muscato that was just delicious and the Antipasto. I could've probably had two or three more because it was just that good. The bread was perfectly toasted and seasoned, the meats, olives, mushrooms, and other tapas-type items on the plate were wonderful. I had the fish special and my date had the peppercorn walleye, which she gave me a sampling of and it was amazing. My fish was perfectly cooked with a rare center. The outside was done just enough to give it a beautiful golden color and give it a slight crispiness without being overdone. The beef broth that the fish came steeped in, I thought would've been an odd pairing, but it really wasn't. It may not be for everyone as some of the entrees were on the $30ish side, BUT, I will say that every penny spent was worth it and if you're looking to celebrate a special occasion or just have a nice quiet night out, this would be one of my recommendations. The service was great, the setting was clean, warm, and very pleasant. All in all, I'm looking forward to returning. read more

Excellent restaurant, best in Moorhead by far. One of the best in the area. Burrata, pork belly, stuffed dates are all outstanding apps. Big fan of the nightly fish feature, the pork saltimbocca, filet medallions, and prosciutto wrapped lamb are all winners too. Top notch service and a great ambience. They have recently opened up a tavern side with wood fired pizza and now have patio seating available as well. Highly recommended. read more

We passed through Fargo and on line reviews indicated that this was a good place to eat. The reviews were right! We just had appetizers and a glass of wine at the bar but everything contributed to a very pleasant experience. I had the meatball appetizer and my wife had a salad. The food was great the atmosphere pleasant and the staff was friendly and helpful. When we pass through Fargo again this will be a destination! read more

One of my favorite spots! Love their happy hour. Pizza is delicious. Decent beer selection. Cool casual vibe. read more

Rustica Eatery & Tavern - All Day Ale. So refreshing. - Soup Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

One of our favorite local restaurants. Amazing happy hour deals, especially on their pizza, which is some of the best in town. We always like to bring out of town company here and it's consistently a favorite. read more

Fantastic - you cannot go wrong. Pizzas are innovative and high quality. Happy hour excellent deal. Highly recommend. If in Fargo, drive to Moorhead. We had the French Farmer pizza, the Haole, meat balls and Spinach salad tonight. In a prior trip had The Decoy and The Quixote. Favorite pizza is The Decoy. read more

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I prefer the Tavern over the Eatery side. The Tavern has 5-star, easy-on-the-eyes service, and glorious, to-die-for fried chicken, which I've been known to dream about at night. My friends and I are big fans of the salads, especially the kale. Highly recommend. read more

Rustica Eatery & Tavern - The epic chicken at Rustica. - Soup Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

Outstanding. We just moved from the Cities and was not expecting much BUT we're we surprised. The drink/cocktail menu was outstanding. I had the pork loin, my hubby has the filet and our son had the fried chicken. Every meal was amazing. Our waitress Grace was also fantastic. Well done Rustica we will be back with friends!!!! read more

Hit and Miss on this joint guys. Pizza, spot on baby, one of the top 3 spots in the metro for pizza. I could end the conversation with that and it would easy be 3-4. The downer is the miss on the rest of the menu. The appetizer buttermilk fried chicken was so lacking in flavor and any kind of seasoning/spice, I wonder if they forgot the buttermilk brine. That was the thread that strings the menu for me, just lacking that seasoning/spice element. That or an extra ingredient / garnish that just isn't needed. But I'll always stop in for the 'Za when I'm in that part of the metro. read more

In town and took my MiL out for her birthday on Wednesday. I didn't bother making reservations because....well, it's Wednesday. When we arrived shocked to find every table full and no openings until much later in the evening. Reluctantly, we sat at the bar and ordered cocktails deciding if we should stay or tough it out and eat at the bar. Luckily, James and Mark were behind the bar. My partner and I are foodies and eat out quite frequently, but the MiL does not. James and Mark did a great job of making her feel at ease and was patient with all of the questions. I ordered the duck - which was cooked beautifully, it came with a berry relish, butternut squash puree, and Brussel sprouts. My partner and his mom ordered the Walleye which came with chilli tomatoes, potatoes, and was enjoyed by both. There are comments that the price point is too high for the area. To that I say, you pay for what you get. Life is too short not to pamper yourself and you need to splurge every often. We had two salads, 3 entrees, and each of us had 2-3 cocktails and our bill was less than $200 - which is impressive for what we got. Next time I visit his MiL I will definitely be back here. Sit at the bar and ask for James or Mark, you won't be disappointed!! read more

Great food in a rare downtown Moorhead location. Smaller establishment so wait times can be a little linger but worth the wait.

Food 6/10 Staff 5/10 - Staff didn't pay much attention to us. Décor 8/10 It was incredibly noise for an Upscale Restaurant, could barely hear each other speaking. Rather would have gone to Mezzaluna or Toscana. read more

Great service and menu. The pizzas are wonderful and the stuffed dates are to die for! Everything else we have tried has been delicious too. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable and made sure we were well taken care of. A definite go to spot for date night!! read more

This is one of the best places we have been in the F-M area. We had a few of the appetizers to share (1/2 price before 6:00) and I couldn't say of the seven dishes we tried and shared what would be my favorite. The bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed dates were amazing. I wanted to take 30 of those to stuff in my pocket and snack though out the day. The fried chicken was perfect. Light and not greasy. The seared scallop and prosciutto wrapped shrimp I heard was good. The people I was with loved it so much they didn't share. I did taste the saffron risotto and it was perfect. The Spanish meatballs are now one of my favorites. The cheese plate was glorious with the toasted bread. We can't wait to go back and try the pizza (and everything else). Great service, great atmosphere an awesome place. read more

It is definitely worth crossing the river into Moorhead for this restaurant! Props for having a gluten-free menu and GF parmesan rolls! My sis has an allergy, and so she was especially impressed with this restaurant. The server (Laren) was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. The soup of the day, Southwest Carrot with Cilantro Oil, was the highlight for me. We also ordered the Mahon appetizer....fried cheese...need I say more?! Both the soup and fried cheese appetizer were seasoned to perfection. I ordered the chile braised beef pasta, egg I expected to have a kick to it, plus the server highly recommended it. It was the opposite of what I expected; it needed more salt and spice. The rest is my dining companions were very pleased with their entrees, so I guess I was the only "miss" of the table. The atmosphere is very warm and friendly, and it is fun to watch the chefs from the back window of the building. read more

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Great happy hour specials, love the burrata plate and pizzas. You can get either one of these dishes for $6-7 and the portions are generous.

I'm being generous with four stars because my person experience was only worth three. But Rustica hosted a large group of us after an art opening and they were clearly not very prepared. Or they tried, but couldn't quite handle it. The poor server was overwhelmed but he did his best. There were quite a few vegans in our group and the restaurant knew that ahead of time and had a dish prepared but it was very underwhelming. I could have made better at home. The drinks were good though! And the dishes that were non vegan looked great and well prepared. I think that for non-groups this place would be fantastic and I've only heard good things. The others in the group who had dined there before were very disappointed with the vegan dish and said that every other time they'd been there it was better. So I'ill chalk it up to not being able to handle such a large group. read more

Rustica Eatery & Tavern - Very refreshing cucumber drink with herbs. Lightly sweet. - Soup Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

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Super good vibes here. And a lovey menu. I was traveling in Fargo on business and was asking around for nice places to take a client. This place came up over and over again. The food is great, the tavern is super cozy and the restaurant is great for date night read more

The food was phenomenal!! This is my go to restraint if I ever have $30 just laying around. It might be expensive but you definitely get your money's worth in deliciousness!! read more

Rustica Eatery & Tavern - Soup Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

Outstanding meal! Couldn't have picked a better place to eat with my family on my last night in town. We started with both a Spanish meatball and antipasto platter appetizers. In addition I had a Kale Cesar Salad - all were amazing. For my my main course I had a wonderful seafood paella which was perfection. I especially enjoyed the addition of a small side of chile paste for a little extra heat. For desert I had the Tres Leche Cake - fantastic! Also sampled the chocolate cake and the bread pudding, which were just as amazing. And everything was made better by our terrific server, Mark. He made sure our meal was an amazing dining experience. We'll definitely be back again! read more

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Went here for my birthday! The food was fantastic! My filet was the best I have had in the FM area;-)

We really liked the food (we got pizza and a pasta) but we extremely disappointed in the service.. when we got there it took a bit for our drinks (we didn't mind, we had a water at least) but there was about 7-9 tables total and 2 severs on. You could tell they both didn't want to be there. Next, my boyfriend ordered an old fashion. The server grabbed the ice cube with her bare hands in front of us. Next, a table of 4 ladies came in. The server came back and complained to the other server about the tedious drinks they ordered (2 of which I had already ordered myself). We aren't picky, and I used to be in the service industry so am very understanding, but this was hard to watch. Fun place, great food, but had an awful service experience. read more

The staff was attentive and very kind. I had the salmon and shrimp and my husband had the filet mignon . The portions were perfect and the drinks excellent . Would recommend for the perfect date night . Compliments to head chef Eric, the scallops were delicious! Thank you. read more

Rustica Eatery & Tavern - Soup Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

We have been sitting here for an hour waiting for our food. It still hasn't arrived. Our waitress is embarrassed, as she should be. I can't believe how screwed up service is in this establishment. It's a lively atmosphere but this service is unforgivable. If you want to know how Kafka felt, come to Rustica when they're understaffed and the cooks apparently don't have a clue. I really can't believe this crappy service. If they make it up to us with compensation, I will let you know. Otherwise, avoid this place like Ebola. Postscript: my aggravation, recorded above, was assuaged. I complained about the service and the pleasant pony-tailed manager apologized. He checked on the problem and comped the two pizzas and for good measure added a gift certificate. That's how all restaurants should respond to such a screw up. I'm adding three stars, since the food is very good and the happy hour (could be expanded) is one of the best. read more

Hit the bar here. Happy hour is the best deal in town. The wood-oven pizzas are excellent, and the beer and wine selection are great and the HH discounts are substantial. The restaurant (next entrance after the tavern) is also very good, but not generally as good as the sister restaurant Mezzaluna. read more

Awesome pizza, salads and craft beer on tap! A welcome addition to the Fargo/Moorhead culinary scene.

Everything I've had food here it has been exquisite. The ambiance both inside and on the back porch is very pleasant and the wait staff are lovely as well. read more

Pizza at the bar is the best. Great service overall and excellent menu. Cocktails and wine and beer, oh my. A lovely companion to Mezzaluna. The layout and decor is extraordinary. read more

If you are not going to Rustica on a regular basis for their happy hour then you are missing the best dining bargain in the FM area. The apps and pizza are all great but we always get the short rib tacos. And the bartenders may be the best in town. Lots of great places in the area to dine but this is our favorite. read more

Everything is great. Service is awesome. My fav is the chorizo stuffed bacon wrapped dates and the scallops. Anyways a good beer selection read more

We have had great experiences here before. We were very disappointed in the recent service we received. Our server didn't come to our table for at least 10 minutes into us being seated. Our server also did not introduce himself to us, didn't ask why we were visiting, or ask about how our food was once we finally got it. There was a nice gal walking around filling our water frequently. We were a few minutes late for our reservation also, and they didn't make it a problem. Overall, it will take quite a bit to get us back in there to spend that kind of money on poor service. read more

Love this place, food is excellent and it's a great stop if you're new or visiting the area. We've been on both sides and I prefer the tavern, but you can't go wrong either way. Be sure to try the chorizo stuffed bacon wrapped dates, they may sound strange but we get them every visit. The pizzas are creative and provide some different flavors than the standard combos you get just about everywhere. Decent beer selection with good local options. read more

When Chairman Walz allows MN businesses to be open Rustica is one of the best places in the FM area to enjoy an evening.

Bad service. Took hour to get food. Filet was luke warm. Have better luck getting my water glass filled in Sarah desert. First and last time here read more

The beef pasta was very good. I would've given this a 5 star review had I not overheard as I was walking out the assumed chef holler at one of the wait staff (who was clearly busy). I've been a server for a long time, and I understand the sometimes power struggle between front and back of house... but keep it contained. Left a sour taste in my mouth. read more

I was in for Valentine's Day. My dates sirloin had a tendon that ran the entire length of the steak. My lobster tail was wrapped in prosciutto but the tail was extremely salty. Everything else was decent. read more

Arguably the best restaurant in Moorhead with arguably the best happy hour special. Every day 5-6 and 9-11 they have half off pizzas and apps AND a $3 happy hour craft beer. The food is fresh and delicious, and the beers are great, and often local. The servers and bartenders are knowledgeable and outgoing. I recommend the stuffed dates, the beef tacos, or the Quixote pizza. read more

Wonderful, original and fantastic service. Treat yourself to something special and unique at this place!!! Cozy too!

A group of six dined at Rustica, where we thoroughly enjoyed our food and the experience. We arrived early enough to order drinks and a few appetizers from the Happy Hour menu. Great appetizers but the shrimp and scallop plate is way overpriced at $14 - we received one shrimp and one scallop. We ordered a variety of entrees which were served hot and were nicely presented. Our server Maddie was very patient with us and seemed to enjoy her job. We finished off the meal with two desserts - chocolate marquise and creme brûlée. Not worth the calories in my opinion. read more

Rustica was a relaxing setting for an after work happy hour. We tried a tasty mix of appetizers- shrimp, asparagus frittata, and a roasted vegetable platter. We especially liked the shrimp and roasted vegetable platter. This was my first visit....will definitely visit again. read more