I've been here multiple times and I've never had a bad meal or bad service. Their pizza is amazing, my favorite is the mushroom, size is somewhere between personal and sharable. They also have tons of draft beer options. There are two small parking lots behind the building if you're lucky enough to get a spot - if not there is also some street parking available. Atmosphere is beautiful and unique. I highly recommend stopping by this spot! read more

Rustico - Mushroom Pizza - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Great local place to meet friends and grab a nice meal! Awesome selection of beers with very knowledgeable bar tenders. read more

Rustico - Alexandria Va. - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Came here after a recommendation and I would say I was very disappointed, not in the atmosphere but in the service provided the moment we stepped in the front door. The hostess was crying and looked very discombobulated, I told her party of two for outside and she ran off, acquired 4 plates and napkins/utensils, then we proceeded to the beautiful outdoor patio. Once seated she told us the waiter would be right over with menus. I overheard the table next to us complaining about how long the check took to the manager on duty (I knew this was a bad sign). After a 20 min wait, even after waiving down the staff nobody came to help, we decided to blow that popsicle stand....business lost Worst service evUR! read more

Rustico - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I've been to Rustico a few times now, and I like the atmosphere and décor. What I do not particulary like is the service. The service has been mediocre at best - typically unfriendly and unattentive. During my most recent visit, we were seated promptly, the server came right over with water, then never came back. Finally, ten minutes later, I had to flag down a manager, who served us the whole night, and kept apologizing for "the snafu". What snafu, buddy? The one where your employee can't figure out how to serve a table? The thing about Rustico is that they carry my most favorite beer ever - Aecht Schlenkerla Oak Smoke. I am in love with this beer. Granted, they charge me $15 for it, which is completely ridiculous, but still...they carry this beer and many other places do not. I've enjoyed some of their other beer offerings as well. I've had various dishes here as well - 3 different pizzas: white, basil & mozzarella, and spicy shrimp. I did not care for the white - thought it was very salty. Basil & mozzarella is OK, but the spicy shrimp pizza is amazing. I love shrimp on pizza - it is different, but good. And the crust is fantastic - crispy outside, soft inside. The orzo mac and cheese is delicious and the pretzel topping adds a nice crunch. During my last visit, we asked for bread because we were really hungry, which they do not have, but the manager did give us sourdough crostini that typically goes with the mussels. While the crostini was fine, it is definitely more suited for dipping in broth than olive oil. Fabulous beer, decent-to-good food, and spotty service make Rustico an interesting mix and closer to 2.5 stars, but the beer pushes them up to three. While I would not rush here, I would not veto, either. read more

Back in February I tried to book a table for 10 for my husband's birthday. Like many restaurants in the area, Open Table will only let you book tables before 6pm and after 9pm on a weekend. So I decided to call the restaurant and see if they could accommodate us. The first manager I spoke to said they usually block out that chunk of time since they are so busy but he would love my business. He said he would call me back after speaking with his supervisor. I waited a couple of days and didn't hear back, so called again and spoke to another manager. She told me the best they could do is book a reservation for me at an earlier time and we could keep calling to push back our reservation to get to the 7:30 time slot I was requesting. Being that I found that incredibly rude to the wait staff and a good way to have terrible service, we booked elsewhere. The Friday before his birthday (which was on a Saturday) the restaurant called and told me the first manager had instructed the hostess to call and tell us to show up around 7 if we still wanted a table and put our names on the list. Um. No. No thanks. Fast forward 5 months later and my husband wants beer with a side of dinner to celebrate a promotion. I immediately thought of Rustico booked us a reservation. That's actually why I wanted to take him there in the first place. Beer centered dinners are his faves. We show up a little early and are immediately whisked to our seats. The restaurant is beautiful. It's an open floor plan but has a nice cozy feel to it. The ambiance is exactly what I was hoping for and the beer list is HUGE. I was feeling pretty proud of myself right when we first sat down. About ten minutes after staring at the beer list our server shows up and pours our water and then disappears. When she comes back she asks if we have questions, which of course we do, and she asks if we have ever been there before. We tell her we haven't and she takes the beer list out of my husband's hand and replaces it with the smaller draft list. Tells him those are the drafts and specials. Um. OK. So we order drinks, aps and dinner all at once. Our drinks came out first and were gone by the time our aps came out. But even then we had to flag down our server and get a second round. Then the table next to us (that was seated about twenty minutes after us) got their dinner before we did. By the time our dinner came out we had been looking for our server for a refill for a while. But alas, the refills never came. Another server came over to our table to tell us there was a backup at the bar and our drinks would be right out. However, having already finished our pizzas we decided to cancel our drink order. Our server finally comes back and asks if we want our meal boxed up. Then we are brought the check. The food was good, but definitely not worth the $100 bill. read more

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I was visiting friends in Alexandria, and they recommended Rustico for a quiet, low-key dinner. It's a place they go to pretty frequently - him for the beer and her for the pizza - and I have a "no chain restaurants" rule for vacations (which, as far as I know, this is not). We sat in the bar rather than wait for a table - it seemed oddly crowded for 7:00 on a Sunday night, but maybe those Virginians like to party. I was impressed by the three-ring metal beer binder they slapped down on the table - about sixteen pages of cream this, stout that, and lambic the other. Beers range from $3-12, but there are four-glass samplers available, including one grab bag where you might get anything. All of their beers are also available to go, though I can't see paying $30 for a six-pack. Since the pizzas came so highly recommended, I tried the duck confit and cracklin' pizza ($14), which also had onion, brie, and some leafy green. The cracklin's were surprisingly delicious, and I ended up picking those off first. The rest of the pizza was SUPER salty, even sans cracklin's, and pretty large for one person - I only managed to finish half. With a salad, one pizza could easily serve two, or you can take half home. My friend had the fried chicken, which came drenched in thistle honey butter and a side of green beans, and she said it was the best fried chicken she'd ever had. We also tried the mac 'n' cheese "poppers," which sounds like it would be deep-fried, but I don't think it was - they were basically Ding-Dong-sized pucks of twice-baked mac 'n' cheese in a white cheese sauce. They were OK, but not something I'd get again. I do like their decor, which classes it up a bit with the dark wood floors and furniture and the nifty tile mosaic on the front wall that includes whole teacups protruding from the surface. If you're hankering for a particular obscure beer and you really love sodium, then Rustico is the place for you, but I wouldn't make a special effort to go back (and not just because I live 3,000 miles away). read more

Rustico - Rustico's duck confit and cracklin' pizza. - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We ordered Uber eats. Love love love the brussel sprouts,, fall pasta and feta dip. My daughter who is a teenager said it's her new place!

I've been here four times, usually during the week for lunch. Free and easy parking is a big plus. Small weekday crowds another plus. Food has been inconsistent. A lot of the group I have gone with have loved an entree one time but it has fallen flat when ordering it a second time. This past visit I ordered the Rustico burger and for the price it just didn't feel substantial enough. It was so so and missing some of the toppings promised on the menu. read more

This place just confused our entire party of 5 (ha ha). There's a line out the door but we get to the hostess stand and the place is empty. This is about 1:30 pm on a Sunday- a beautiful Sunday where you'd think everyone would be out sipping lemonade outdoors people watch at a place such as this.... Back to my critique. The artistic details to the interior are very clever. The menu options all sound amazing- my spinach, ricotta tart had entirely too much salt (picture uploaded). Our friend said her gluten-free pizza was as good as a gluten-free pizza can be. Service was terrible. Maybe Rustico is better for dinner? read more

Rustico - Spinach and ricotta tart... Being devoured - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Absolutely awful experience. The food was mediocre and it took over an hour to arrive. We came in for Mother's Day and spent almost 2 hours. We ordered drinks and it took 30 minutes to get them. The food was incredibly overpriced for the portion, the only thing that was edible was the pizza. The salmon Benedict was two silver dollar size pieces that still had the silver skin attached. The biscuits were clearly old and bought from a store. Really hard to mess up breakfast food, but they did. It was half full in there and they still took forever. All in all one of the worst meals I've had in the area. read more

Rustico - Salmon Benedict. Two small pieces and they left the silver skin on. - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I get it. It's Friday nearing 11pm. You close at midnight. The kitchen closes at 11pm. Heck, we even called when we parked because we are sensitive to restaurants and staff. Figuring an hour was plenty to eat and go, my party of 2 entered. We got in under the wire to order pizza. We were reminded 3x by three different people the kitchen is closing. Yeah boss we got it. Anyway... I'm not going to call out my server by name. Why? I had a crappy day and I was going to do my best to end it on a high note with some positivity and pizza. I even left a tip greater than 20%. Why? If I ever do step inside this place again, I want the server in question to remember I'm a better customer than his ability to ask me if I want a fucking drink. Yes, this is about a drink. Seems petty, right? Wrong. The dude just wanted to take our order ASAP to rush it to the kitchen. He came back with waters quickly and left. Didn't even get the chance to ask about the beer, nor did he offer to place a drink order. I gave it ten whole minutes before I decided to walk my ass to the bar for a beer. As I'm ordering, our server suddenly rematerialized from Narnia or wherever he disappeared to. I could hear him telling the bartender that he doesn't understand why I'm ordering at the bar because he is serving my table. Oh are you? Wasn't clear you were still with us, buddy. The bartender offered to put the drink on my already established ticket after that exchange. Cool. Whatever. Took myself and my beer back to my table. The food. Hot. Tasty. Would recommend. That's the saving grace for the evening. The server only came back once to see how we're doing. I actually did want a second beer but declined because I'm not trying to increase the tip that he didn't deserve. I imagine the tips are split across the house, so what I gave hopefully made more of a difference to others working there. If management is reading this, be direct with your staff: don't rush guests to order fast and then forget to take their fucking drink order. I'm not likely to return in the immediate future, but if I do, I hope to Satan that same server is not my server again. Just quit if you don't want to be there, guy. I rather tip someone happily, not in spite of your lackluster service. read more

I will admit, I was a bit skeptical coming to this Rustico location. I had been to the one in Ballston, and I just had an ok experience. Last time I went for happy hour, this time I went for brunch for a friend's birthday. From the start, our service was awesome. We made reservations and they were able to seat us all in the same section. We basically had the back to ourselves. We were a party of 20 and 1 waitress took care of our entire party. She was fantastic! She got everyone's order correct and checked on us as often as she could. I was impressed considering our group ordered multiple things plus drinks. My partner in sharing was my boyfriend. This is what we ordered: Brunch burger, breakfast pizza, and thick cut fries with truffle oil and parmasan (I don't mind truffle oil but I know there are some people who are not fans- Anthony Bourdain being one of them). The brunch burger was delicious-bacon, cheese, a potato pancake, and a fried egg on top. The breakfast pizza was good too- they also had an egg on their pizza, sounds odd but it worked. The fries were hot and crispy fried goodness. Our friends also shared an order of doughnuts- half covered in cinnamon and half covered in powdered sugar with caramel and chocolate dipping sauces. The doughnuts were good; it was like eating a sweet pillow. Very soft for a doughnut. I preferred the powdered sugar and caramel dipping sauce over the chocolate dipping sauce. Rustico has an extensive beer and wine list which is what their are known for. Since it was brunch, we decided on mimosas. The mimosas were my only complaint. They were 10 bucks for not a big glass. I've been to places that cost less and give you more for the money- and taste better to in my opinion. Overall, a good experience. I would consider coming back for brunch, but I'll probably hold off on mimosas and just stick to beer. read more

Rustico - Breakfast burger and mimosa - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Rustico has one of the better craft beer lists in Alexandria, but I've had multiple disappointing experiences with service in the bar/patio area. My most recent visit was at 2:00 on a Saturday. Even though the section where we sat did not appear busy (multiple empty tables), it took about 10 minutes for us to receive menus, another 10 minutes to place our drink order, and another 10 minutes to get our beers. So, we sat there WITHOUT BEERS for nearly 30 minutes! When our beers came, one was wrong, one was missing, and one was unavailable. To his credit, our waiter politely fixed the wrong one, and brought out the drink he forgot after we reminded him. But dude, not cool making me wait half an hour only to tell me the beer I want isn't available. A couple tips if you go to Rustico: (1) always ask your server if they're not pouring something on the menu--otherwise you could be waiting a long time only to be disappointed; (2) if you sit at the bar/patio area, be sure to ask for your check when your food comes out. read more

Been here about five times, either in or takeout, and every time there was something off. Chorizo burger too dry. Wrong food delivered. And don't get the pizza, it's more like a soup. Great location, mediocre food. read more

Always a good place to eat. Customer service is always good as well. Local bar with great food, tons of beer and good drinks.

We want to review Rustico 'a server who served last Sunday, he was very good communicating with us all the time. The salad portion was perfect and dressing was also the right amount! Thank you read more

Reasons to go: Awesome beer selection and knowledgable bartenders and wait staff Grilled pizza Carrot and hummus with spiced lamb appetizer Fried deviled eggs Nice atmosphere We can usually find seats/a table at the bar even when the restaurant side is full. Atmosphere is nice - fireplaces and tvs w sports on. Easy parking on street nearby or in the lot in the back. read more

Delicious food! The fried cauliflower was beyond delicious. We also got the Sgt Pepperoni pizza which was great. Highly recommend. read more

Rustico - Fried Cauliflower with Korean bbq sauce and miso mayo - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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So happy that this wonderful place is nearby my apartment. Not only do they have a great selection of draft beer and delicious chickpea crust pizza, but they have great customer service. DH and I went here late at night within 45 mins of closing and they cheerfully served us beer and engaged us in conversation until it was almost time to close. I was impressed by their knowledge of craft beer, as well as local and international breweries. So excited to go back here and enjoy the friendly, welcoming atmosphere. read more

This May be my go to for solo date for now on.I like that this place is away from the madness of old town but still gives off a good vibe. I came in on Halloween night and sat at the bar . The drinks and food were really good , I ordered Rose, red wine pomegranate sangria which was so good!! And the bartender let me sample the red mulled wine (can't remember the name but it came hot) my burger was really good. Really chill low key place with good food and drinks read more

We went here on a Friday night during the Alexandria restaurant week. We had made a reservation at 830 and reached about 15 mins earlier. We parked on the street right by the restaurant and it was free.This place was fairly full but we were immediately seated. We were given the regular menus and had to ask for the restaurant week menu separately. It was a couple's deal and we ordered 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and a dessert. We got falafels with tzatziki and pork belly sliders. The falafels were crispy and the tzatziki was rich and creamy. The pork sliders were nice as well. For the entree we ordered a Hickory grilled brisket and a 4-chese pizza. They mistakenly served me a mushroom-white sauce pizza instead but I am big fan of mushroom and didn't complain at all. The pizza crust was made of chick-pea flour and is Gluten free. The food was very filling and served in generous portions. We got their fresh donuts afterwards and they were really hot and crispy. This place also has nice decor and looks quite trendy. It's pretty ideal for a casual outing with friends or even a date night. read more

Rustico - Menu - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I was in town for a conference and met my college friend for dinner. We enjoyed their version of a tomato mozzarella salad that included croutons and arugula. This was different but very good. My friend enjoyed her mushroom pizza made with a chickpea crust, and I enjoyed their BVLT burger. We were full so took orders of donuts home with us. We were there for quite awhile but the staff was pleasant and didn't push us out. The parking lot behind the building and well lit. Cute little place! read more

I'm sad. I used to love Rustico. I haven't been in a while. I'm dating myself bc I loved their grilled cesar salad. Food was terrible and service was terrible. We won't be back. read more

Let me start off by saying: The beer selection here is of higher quality than anywhere in DC (YES, including "The Brick") There were about 20-30 taps and almost all of them were rare, unique, strong microbrews and imports. Allow me to geek out to some of the beer on tap: Creme Brule: an Imperial Milk stout from Southern Tier brewing in NY. Creamy, caramelly, malty goodness. A sweet, rich, dessert beer packing a 10% abv punch. A German "Gose" beer: I have sampled over 1,100 beers and I have never in my life seen this style of beer available on tap or bottle. Not in the US, not even in Germany. It's very unique, quenching, and rare. A German wheat ale brewed with salt and coriander (sounds gross, but it's good...trust me). A German "Sticke" altbier: usually available only at the breweries in Dusseldorf. This beer is odd in that it's a highly hopped ale, something German breweries rarely do. I could go on and on about the beer here, but I'll stop. I'm getting way to excited. Wait...I should also add that my bartender REALLY knew his shit when it came to beer, I was very impressed. He was also incredibly nice. He asked my name when I sat down, shook my hand, and remembered it the entire night! What about the food? Most of it looked pretty good/interesting...if a bit pricey. I ordered the sea scallops which made my belly feel good and my wallet feel bad. Why no 5 stars? The atmosphere here was just a little bit too trendy/yuppie/prentious for my tastes. This is a bar I'd visit for the amazing beer, but not to attempt to chat with/meet people. read more

Came with co workers some time ago and forgot to write a review. I remember it was about eight of us and we all got something different. I remember the ambiance of the place being humble and welcoming, reminds you of a cozy hookah spot on U Street (sort of). I got a side salad and a pepperoni pizza, it was decent. Not something to brag too much about.... I actually wanted to bring my husband back for a fun quick date night eat! Yea, I would recommend to other folks;) read more

Very good food. Pizza is very filling but very good it douse have pieces of lettuce on it but you can easily take them off. Tatertot's where very good to. They had high top chairs with armrest's very comfortable. They had a floor which's good because you don't want to fall into nothingness. The menu has words on it which is very nice if you would like to order food instead of just sitting there weirdly. The wall is Wally and full of wellness. The water was very wet and watery. I did not eat dessert but I think the dessert was very delicious. Very nice place overall I would recommend and definitely go back to this place. read more

Rustico is awful. Tried to do a very easy pick up on a weeknight--chicken Caesar salad w/ extra dressing. So I go and pick up--beyond charging nearly $22 for a Caesar salad with chicken, I get home and they FORGOT the chicken. The manager, Allison, told me apparently they put the chicken in another to go order??? Wouldn't it be placed IN the salad???? Rather than comp the order, she gives me $6 off, or whatever the cost of the chicken. Its like ordering spaghetti, and not getting sauce, and then they give you $3 off for the cost of the sauce! In summary: terrible service, no real desire to make up for admitted mistakes, and the salad was very bland...could make one better myself, and will next time. After they go out of business, I hope there is room in that space for a Fresh Market, for Old Town residents!! read more

We've come here for both brunch and dinner. The bloody Mary's are delicious - ask for the jalapeño mezcal! I had the chicken fried steak which was awesome!! For dinner the pizza is super tasty as well as the wings! They also offer an enormous beer selection! The service isn't the greatest but it is what it is. read more

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Food was alright and the servers were good too, but something has happened since the new manager took over (Ms Rupal?). The place has just gone down hill. Everything seems to be a lover the place. Need new management or bring the old back. Will not be back as long as she is there. Awful management! read more

Best beer selection in NOVA. I came here on a Saturday night to watch football and drink a lot of beer. In my attempt to sample all 40 beers on tap, I watched the Cincinnati Bengals clench their first AFC Championship since the 1980s. My wife spoke of the great beers and food - the everything pretzel & pizzas were delicious & filling. Will definitely be coming back and recommending to all of our friends! read more

I had the Greek salad pizza which was surprisingly fantastic!!! I've never had a salad on a pizza before. Then we ordered the donuts which were hot with a choice of caramel or chocolate sauce! Oh....em....geeeee!!!! Those were dangerously good! The service was excellent!! I would definitely recommend this place! read more

Rustico - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We continued our DC craft beer and food journey with a stop at Rustico for a private Cask Beer event with Terrapin Brewery out of Athens, Georgia (also in town for the beer event). An overall good experience at Rustico. I love that most DC places with extensive beer menus offer 4oz glasses at a very reasonable price. It helps you try lots of great beers and still drive home under the legal limit ;) The restaurant looks like a modern American restaurant. Big open floor plan, high ceilings, a bar, varied seating, stand alone tables, high tops, a long bench with several small tables ponied up to it. The place looked busy but its so huge in there, we were seated immediately. We only ordered an appetizer as we were eager to head into DC and get to Churchkey (same owners) and check into the hotel. The server recommended the calamari wrapped seared ahi tuna. This was an extremely good choice, and paired nicely with our dry hopped IPA brews from Terrapin's cask. Beer selection is good. There are about 20 beers on draft and lots of interesting and changing options. There are some interesting obscure beers available. For bottles, great selection, nicely done. Probably several hundred bottles. Organized by style / flavors. An interesting way to organize the menu. Very enjoyable experience and I hope to return soon - maybe on our next drive up north. read more

Rustico - Calamari wrapped Ahi tuna - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Like a lot of reviewers, I liked the food but was utterly unimpressed with the service. Food: Had the Butcher's Block pizza with thin crust. It was really good. I've also had the Tagliatelle, which was also very good. Service: very spotty and uninterested. Had to grab silverware off of another table because we had none. Had to flag down someone to ask for coffee, then later flag down someone to ask for a bill. These are all small things, but Rustico is a nice & expensive restaurant. For these prices, there should be some decent service. If I lived close by and it was convenient, I'd prolly be back. The food was almost good enough to make up for the service. But I don't live close by, so I guess that's it for Rustico.... read more

Always wanted to try Rustico. The ambience and staff is great...the food and price, not so much. Dined here for lunch. For 3 of us, it cost us $62 (not including tip). Soda: $2.75/Each Thick Cut Fries: $5.00 (thick cut meant Boardwalk, not steak cut) Beef Stew (appetizer): $8.00!! Note to self....should have asked for the price before ordering Pork Panino: $11.00 - Portion size of this was equivalent to a Panini you order from Panera) Chicken Panino: $12.00 - Came in a toasty/crispy naan/flat-bread like sandwich...overpriced in my opinion Basil Pizza with Pepponi: $15.00 (the pizza itself was $13.00, pepperoni topping is $2.00) They have a huge selection of beer; however, I don't drink so most likely, I won't return as I believe the food was overpriced and was just mediocre read more

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3.5 stars - 3 stars for food 4 stars for great service The service was good here. I rejected the bottle of red wine after tasting, but the server was so nice about it and brought out two more glasses for testing. What a great service! I picked the one of them and drank it all with my friend :) Here are my recommendations: - Risotto Tarter Tots : MUST TRY!!! It was soooooo good! - Lamb meatball : Good - Sea Scallops : not bad FYI - I didn't like their doughnuts. That's because I like more deep fried ones. The inside of doughnuts were not fully cooked (?). I know this is their style, but it wasn't my kind of doughnut. Bon Appetite! read more

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Bottom line: Really great food but needs to drill down in management. Drinks too expensive. Ate at Rustico for the first time. Lunch with my family (wife, 2 small kids and I). I'd heard about this place from friends of mine. Food was very good. Had the Green Machine pizza (name might be off--it's the one with Tomatillo sauce) with Chickpea crust. Kids had eggs and bacon and a small pizza. Everything was really good. They had crayons for the kids too. Couple improves-- most oriented on basic management. Rustico's menu just changed and all of their online pages reflect the old one. We had three different servers come up and ask to take our order. Professional managers should be all over these types of things. Lastly, a can of beer should not cost $7. read more

Food wise and beer selection wise - this place is a solid 4.5, maybe even a 5. It is a favorite in Old Town. The good: Let me talk a little about the great stuff: Their pizza's - wow! The Italian sausage and roasted mushroom were mighty tasty. I've also tried the basil and fresh mozzarella in a previous visit. Also very solid. One of these days I do want to go there for dinner. Also - kudos to the wait staff waiting the tables. They were as quick as they could be considering all of the people, polite and willing to split a bill at the end of the night. Always a plus in my book. The bad, but not too ugly: Last Friday I have to give the service at the bar a solid 3 stars. This is the second time that we have hosted a happy hour at this location. The first time during the summer, the second one on Friday. Once again - the food was great, the service at the table was great, but service at the bar needed some work. I totally understand that when you take 49 people to a place to drink - getting a drink can be challenging. However, having done this several times in the last few months, I can say without a doubt that the bar staff should never ignore customers. Just a couple of weeks ago we had 50 plus people at a bar (a small one at that) and though service took time, at least the staff told us they would be with us as soon as possible. At Rustico, it felt like the bartenders made a point of not acknowledging when someone was standing at the bar (and there were 4-5 staff behind the bar at any given time). To me that's just bad customer service and borders on the rude side. So - though this is a really solid food place with a fantastic selection of beers - I'm not sure if we can bring a big group here again if the service is going to be bad. For us - that's a shame since we really like the variety of this place. read more

For some reason I thought this place was in Old Town proper, but its kind of on the other side of the highway so there will be no walking to Old Town after. It has a large patio that was sufficiently packed when we arrived so we chose an indoor booth. They have many different beers on tap and after informing our server that we liked "chic beers" he said he would customize a flight for us. The beer he chose was terrible but he was cute so we suffered in silence. Actually, we did tell him we werent fans (probably stick to Allagash White for your chic beer needs) and ultimately switched to wine. Oh and happy hour went on until 7pm on a Saturday! That's pretty unusual and a good reason to come here anytime to take advantage of HH prices. We ordered a couple starters: the risotto tots and blue cheese mussels. The tots were meh but the mussels (and broth) was the best part. The mussels only came with 2 small slivers of crusty bread, which is the BEST PART of the mussels when dipping into the broth afterwards! So that was a bit annoying. We started dipping our tots into the broth for lack of bread. I decided on the top sirloin over the scallops (at the advisement of the server) and it was very pot-roasty. When will I learn to trust my own judgement instead of listening to wait staff? It came with a side of fried green tomatoes but still that was somehow lacking. Overall, there was nothing ostensibly wrong with our food but it didn't wow. I would, however, return for the happy hour specials. read more

Rustico - Mushroom pizza. - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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So we had the salmon and the pork chop which were both fine, healthy servings. The service was fine too. I paid the bill and wondered what the 3% admin charge was for...I thought it was because I used my AMEX. I asked the server what it was about, thinking this was a credit card trend. The person was honest and said that the 3% was for the cooks and others who work in the kitchen so they could even out the wages...to offset servers getting more tips. Seems like Rustico is trying to pass off its labor costs to patrons. I would prefer restaurants to have prices that include service and food, but many places aren't there yet. Rustico has added their kitchen expenses to your bill at 3%, whether you like it or not, subsidizing their labor costs. Not cool. read more

Well, Rustico was alright. Walking in it almost feels like a sit-down version of Chipotle in terms of the industrial architecture. Exposed heating ducts and what not. The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice; I could see it being a great place for a nice date or a joint to just relax with your buddies. The food was delicious! My biscuits with sausage & beef gravy were absolutely divine... and heart-stopping. For ten bucks you get five dense biscuits covered in this rich, white creamy gravy that's full of sausage and beef. It's an excellent combination and you will leave feeling very full. My sis got a grilled cheese sandwich of some sort, which was very good. My mother got a short rib sandwich, we she raved about. The dings come from the slowness of service. Our waitress was pretty attentive but she did like taking her time, and the food took a long time to come out. Some other party sat down next to us a few minutes after we ordered, and they got their food before us. So I wouldn't recommend coming here if you're in a rush. read more

Rustico - Biscuits and gravy! - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia