Having been to ChurchKey, the beer mecca of dc (sorry brickskeller), I really wanted to check out some of the other places the Neighborhood Restaurant Group had to offer. Rustico had two things that I knew I wanted: Pizza and Beer. I mean, they have other things, but they have a few hundred bottles and lots of yummy pizza. So, on Saturday, Valentine's Day Eve, the lady and I embarked upon an early dinner at 5:30 (only one available). The only "troubling" part of the evening was that we were about 5 minutes or so early and were told to wait in the bar area. Soon after, several people were seated and so we moved to be seated as well. Our server was delightful and very helpful in answering questions. Especially the all important "what should I get." I hate it when you ask what is good and they say everything. That is a lie, I know it and they know it. Upon the servers recommendation I had the oyster special appetizer and the lady had the deep fried dates stuffed with blue cheese. My oysters were awesome, and not like the standard blue points. According to Anna, the dates were "the best fried food in the world." I tried them and can agree, they were bombtastic. For the main course, we opted for pizza, though she ordered the chick pea crust which is gluten free. I got the mushroom and spinach pizza which was excellent and offered more than your garden variety mushrooms, at least 4 varieties in there, including shiitake. We of course ordered some beers, though I wont get into those. We saved room for dessert (after bringing home a whole pizza combined) at Buzz Bakery across the street. I will definitely come back and try more beers and maybe the Duck Pizza. read more

Rustico is one of the more well-decorated, inviting non-chain sit-down restaurants around Ballston. However, because of this, I think it is often over-hyped and extremely over-crowded considering the quality of service and food. It's a solid three-star restaurant. Ballston is lacking in sit-down restaurants that are not well-known chains or fast food. For that reason, Rustico is often packed and there have rarely been times where I did not have to wait upwards of 30 minutes for a table. In the 5-6 times I've eaten there, the service has been noticeably slow about 4-5 of the times. Perhaps they need to hire more servers, but it often takes quite a while to get even drinks to your table. The food has always been pretty decent, but the portions are fairly small and a couple times my food has been over-salted. The steak for instance - WAY too salty! The scallops are always a good tasty option and most of the pizzas are good. Another problem however is that the menu is quite small and so there are only ever about 5 entree options on it at a time. It'd be nice to have a little more variety to choose from. Many great beer selections at Rustico though! The catalyst to me writing a review now was a visit to Rustico last night with 6 friends. Knowing we were a larger party, we broke into two tables to make things easier. We sat for quite a while without service. Finally we moved over to the bar where we noticed 6 open chairs (a rare thing there!). One of us was being a little loud (NFL games were on all day and we'd all had a few drinks but were not being obnoxious in the slightest).The bartender immediately said she would not serve any of us... unbelievable.... The whole bar area was being fairly loud and Rustico has never been a quiet, uptight place - in fact it's always bustling and loud! It was just really offensive, considering most of us live nearby and frequent that restaurant and bar. Just the icing on the cake of the numerous bad service experiences I've had at Rustico. What a shame. read more

The restaurant is clean and the food comes out in a timely manner. I think the food prices are a little high for the amount you receive. There is limited street parking with another lot with limited spaces. read more

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I stick to going to this place for what they do well - beer. They have quite a selection of it, which I love. I enjoy sitting in the bar area where the bartenders and the servers all know what they're doing and seem to enjoy their job. The food is just so-so. I did enjoy the pizza but it seems a tad overpriced for cheese and sauce and basil. I balked completely at paying $18 for shrimp pizza (go ahead, call me cheap if you must). From the little plates, the tuna tartar was good and paired very well with the Hefe that my server offered as an option. The beer cheese soup was not good and the asparagus soup was too watery. Again, these seemed over priced as well ($8 for soup?) I definitely see this as a place to come for happy hour. A couple of pints, maybe some fries, move on from there. As long as they keep the good beers flowing, I'll keep going. read more

Rustico manages to be a first class restaurant without being too expensive or too posh. The interior of the restaurant itself holds a great deal of appeal. The acoustics, seat spacing and lighting are all conducive to comfort. The staff is courteous and energetic. They have a dedicated carry-out system so that you can call ahead or order and wait at the bar without trouble. It's never taken me more than 15 minutes. Furthermore they have a gluten free menu, including a gluten free pizza crust! The food has always been fantastic, and includes a changing menu of seasonal items as well as a large beer selection and beer mixers with recommended foods. I'm always surprised at the quality of the food, though some of the combinations can be a bit adventurous. The owners also own the Buzz Cafe across the street, from what I understand. Rustico can be a tad pricey for the bar enthusiast but I recommend at least checking it out. read more

Jamie M. and I decided to give this place a try after frequenting Buzz's across the street. As with Buzz's, you have to be pretty lucky with parking or else you will end up a mile down the street! Needless to say, we both entered the parking lot as someone was leaving, so luck was on our side. I decided to be a good Catholic for at least one Friday of Lent, so I ordered the macaroni and cheese. Not your typical mac n cheese though. This was flavored with fontina, asiago, and parmesan cheese, and sprinkled with mushrooms! Although it certainly delighted my palate, I wish that it wasn't quite as pricey ($16) for about a cup. A decent place otherwise...and if I weren't driving, I would have definitely sampled their full beer menu! read more

I (HEART) Rustico. Putting aside, the massive beer selection that others have waxed poetic about, putting aside the amazing selection of other incredibly mouth watering tasty treats.. putting all of that aside, they have gluten free pizza!!! And here is the kick in the shorts. It tastes amazing, even for those glutenized folks who can't appreciate the chick pea crust for the delicacy that it is for those of us who can't enjoy just any ol' pizza. Rustico is our go to spot for out of town guests, and it's not only an excuse for me to get my gluten free goodness in the form of pizza. The most telling moment for me is a toss up between when my father-in-law decided to share a gluten free pizza and when my 11 year old step daughter claimed that it was the best restaurant in the whole world and that she wanted to go there for her birthday dinner. Yeah! Their beer menu is amazing, they actually need a three ring binder to hold all of it. They have a couple of pretty decent gluten free beers as well as a long list of others; the best part is that it is arranged by taste so that you can try new beers that appeal to your taste in beer. Like those brews smoky? Check. Fruity? Check. Ales? IPAs? Oh yeah. Service has always been friendly and helpful, recommending new dishes that I probably wouldn't have otherwise tried. Carrot hummus? Oh yeah, despite how it sounds, it's incredibly tasty. Is it reason enough to invite folks in from out of town? Oh yeah. When are you guys coming? read more

I got the pork schnitzel, overall an OK meal, the pork was tasteles, mediocre sour kraut, good potatos. All the servers were great and fast.

Came here on a Sunday for an early dinner before a movie; sat in the bar, split a pizza and the addictive grilled ceaser salad; no complaints. A few weeks later, buoyed by this previously enjoyable outing, we tried again around 9 PM on a Friday. The place was slammed despite the crappy weather, so we rather than wait awkwardly by the police door guards for a table, we decided to just grab a beer at the bar and worry about food later. After standing at the bar, beer menu and credit card in hand & ready to order, for no less than six minutes without a single acknowledgement (not even a nod, a smile, or a 'be with you in a minute') from any of the THREE bartenders, we walked out, without so much as a "have a nice night" from the hosts. Rustico is an interesting place to explore when not crowded, but is absolutely unprepared to deal with crowds. I've encountered nothing but horrendous customer service, from the hosts to the bartenders to the managers (!), when the place is busy. Cannot recommend for any time other than early evening. read more

Beer selection: great Food: good Service: lacking Been here twice now and feel I can give a proper opinion. We arrived between meal times and the hostesses quickly told us it's not dinner yet. I told them the bar menu is fine and I had to ask if I could sit somewhere. It took 15 minutes before someone arrived and that person was not too kind either. The food was good. Parmesan tots and pizza were our most recent purchases and they were good. just good, not great. I'd be interested in trying the other menu items, but there are other places with better service. read more

I used to love this place. It had a relaxed, neighborhood-y atmosphere with delicious, simple meals, and a great beer selection. And then, they changed chefs. The menu completely changed, for the worse. The wood fired pizzas are still on there, but now they have the mosaic menu, where you can order a trio of similar foods (such as three varieties of meatloaf, soup, or calzones), or order piece by piece. My mom and I decided to split one of the trios as well as a pizza. First of all, they used to serve bread and oil for a starter. Not anymore, and when we asked for some, they gave us a few crackers with no topping or dip for them. The pizza was cold, the crust was so thin and soggy that I couldn't lift it off the plate without it falling apart, and I swear it was about half the size of the pizzas they used to serve. And as for the trio, if that had been my whole meal, which they advertise it as, I would have been very disappointed, and very hungry at the end of it. Three tiny plates of "air dried beef" which were alright, but they all tasted the same, and came with nothing else. I'm really disappointed. I'm sure the bar is still a fun place for a chill evening, but I won't return to the restaurant unless they decide to drop their new chef. read more

Below average, which I suppose is really below average... Food: mehh. Lukewarm mussels, Applebee's caesar. Overly reliant on butter and salt, and I haven't had a meal considered too salty since sitting in a Wichita Macaroni Grill in September 1997. So disappointed! Waiter was a dick, too. Good beer selection, though. Won't go back. read more

It was Saturday, and we arrived at 11:50 a.m. There were a few other patrons in the restaurant, but it was very quiet and uncrowded. We sat at the bar and started with the beer list. BEER SELECTION: 5 stars out of 5. This place has as many beers as Pizzeria Paradiso, our former go-to establishment in Old Town, but the beer menu was more highly organized into flavor profiles. My husband made his own 4-beer sampler, choosing off the draft list, which had more than 20 beers on it. I chose a pint draft beer. Our bartender, Gregory, helped us choose. Every beer we had (and there were many) was interesting and/or excellent. Manager Jonathan came by to check on us. We ordered lunch. FOOD (TWO SANDWICHES): 4 stars out of 5. The cheeseburger and pretzel steak sandwich were very, very good. The fries were excellent. The portions were perfect: not at all skimpy but not overwhelming. We heard that most of the ingredients were locally sourced, which is something that the menu doesn't mention but that comes across in the food. Absolutely no complaints about the food, but I can't give 5 stars without experiencing a few more options. SERVICE: 5 stars out of 5. Gregory and the trainee, Allie, were knowledgeable, helpful, and very friendly, sensing exactly when to converse and when to let us savor our meal. The service was so good that I actually asked to speak to the manager (Jonathan) so that I could tell him how well we were treated. OVERALL: 5 stars out of 5. Great beer, great food, great service (and great atmosphere--I like low-key spots and appreciated the lack of a noisy crowd; I know the place can get really crowded). We will absolutely be going back. read more

Loves the hummus app. Eggplant Parma and pork shank were both up to par and better than expected. I really love their tasting concept for beer. Just about every beer can come as a taster and you can order any amount from 1 to ... This would be a great place in the spring and summer to relax outside at a table. I can imagine they get really busy and especially in the cooler months when the patio is closed. MAKE A RESERVATION so you won't be disappointed or frustrated. I'd recommend a 5:30 reservation instead of 7:00 pm (or order an app if your food order is larger or specialty item) If someone in your party is a beer lover they will love you for bringing them here. Service was fine, but I can bet that the kitchen gets backed up with orders because there are a lot of complex dishes on their menu that requires focus from multiple people on the line in the kitchen. read more

Friday night dinner; we were a party of 7. We all shared two starters; risotto balls and pretzel bites. The risotto balls were lovely, and easily enough for the table. However, the pretzel bites were very salty, all you could taste were salt, and the sauce was also salty. All in all, salt! I had the burger. Again...salty. I feel like I'm hating on salt right now -- but it really was a lot! My beer was also very warm - I sent it back to be put in a chilled glass. Rest of the table got 2 pizzas. They were okay but not great. Good sized though, the table brought home doggy bags. Service was good - our waiter was attentive and parking was easy. Unfortunately though I wouldn't go back in a hurry. read more

Good food? Yes! Good beer? Yes! Good time? Yes! I have been to Rustico several times over the past year for dinner and happy hour. Every time the service was good. The waiters are versed on the beers they offer. I also found the food to be delicious. I really enjoy going there to try new beers and enjoy a few laughs with friends. read more

Rustico is a love/hate type of place. I know friends who love this place and others who don't care for it at all. This place is a local neighborhood restaurant and bar. I lived two blocks from Rustico for over five years, it had great food and an excellent bar atmosphere. The food isn't the norm, it's more upscale as is most of the clientele. The place is split into two spaces, on the left is the formal restaurant and the right the bar and lounge. Both sides serve the same type of food but the bar area has more open seating, television, etc. The menu constantly changes but there's always the staple dishes. Many come here for the pizza, which is somewhat overpriced for their size, but it's fresh made and very good. The burger is probably the best value on the menu and it's huge. At around $13 the hefty burger will not leave your stomach empty. Lets not forget the drinks. There's over 500 beers available, most of which are very unique but very expensive. You can easily drop $30+ dollars on just a few drinks. Add on food and you're already around $50 for one visit. Even when I lived two blocks away I didn't visit Rustico every week, it's too expensive but the place is very clean and the food/beer is always fresh. read more

I can't seem to have a good experience at this Rustico. The servers are unwilling to let you finish a sentence. The seating is the most uncomfortable seating you can imagine. I like their food but rather go to their Arlington location. I have given this location several chances over the last few years but it just doesn't deliver on the customer-oriented service component. If you're geographically bound to Alexandria try TJ Stone's instead. Also, is anyone at Rustico minding Yelp? How has Marcus not been fired? Why is management so callous? What is the point of your useless $25 cake fee? read more

Over-priced, over-rated, and under-performing is my best description for this restaurant. Came here for the first time early on a Saturday night- it wasn't busy so we hoped there wouldn't be any issues with waiting, stressed servers, or "sorry, we're out of the (insert favorite dish special here)" syndrome. Our server came fairly promptly, but looking at the menu I was overwhelmed at the description and prices of the drinks, especially the beers. In several cases, they wanted to charge up to $5.00 to SAMPLE a beer- really? I stuck with water and perused the scanty food menu- other than specialty pizzas, and a very modest dish selection, there didn't seem to be much that interested me. I decided on the pricy-but-thought-I'd-get-a-good Bistro Steak plate. My wife asked about the specials- the waitress, who admitted she was new, needed to "check" on those- the one dish she wanted was already "out", and the server couldn't remember the other dishes. Several minutes later, after having to tease the specials descriptions out of our server, my wife just went with the safe order- pizza. Meanwhile, I was walking my daughter around and getting stoic looks from staff (and some patrons)- this appears not to be a kid-friendly place- maybe it was that everyone was watching the play-offs and their team was losing, but still not a good excuse to "dis" children. Meals arrive- my nearly $30 steak is a child's portion, full of gristle, and the potatoes and creamed spinach are barely warm. I ask for a re-warm, which took over 8 minutes (did they put my plate in a cold oven and wait to turn the heat on?). Meanwhile, wife and daughter are enjoying their pizza, which admittedly was good, but that didn't really help me. I get my plate back, the sides still weren't as hot as they should be, but my steak went from medium-rare to medium (so now it's even tougher)- thanks guys. Manager comes over, asks if everything's alright- I tell him about the poor quality steak, and he looks at me puzzled like he's never heard of gristle in steak (where do they get these managers from?). To his credit, he finally, after being silent for some time, apologizes, and offers a dessert "on the house". My wife takes the bait, but, sorry Rustico, that doesn't make up for it- you can't sell an almost $30 steak, have it be of poor quality (with cold sides), and then smooth things over with a few donut balls and sweet sauces. Two stars- they have decent pizza and an attractive mosaic ambiance, but if you're looking for a quality steak, excellent service, and reasonable drink prices, stay away (which I will be doing from now on). read more

I took my parents here when they were visiting from out of town. The only saving grace was the beer selection. We got two orders of wings and they were the smallest wings I have ever had. They were small with no meat, and the sauce was bland. The pizza almost had no cheese on it, which wouldn't have been AS bad if the sauce wasn't so bland. The service was okay, standard. I don't think I will return. read more

Picturesque neighborhood setting and outdoor patio - check. Spacious bar with high tops - check. Pizza - check. AMAZING beer selection - check. Across the street from Buzz Bakery - check and awesome location plus. Creamy, yummy mac and cheese - UNchecked since apparently the new chef is above making such things! How dare he! Lack of mac and cheese isn't a deal breaker, however. Come for the beer alone and you'll leave a happy camper (same beer director as ChurchKey). They do have a full bar for those of you who might love pizza but aren't too keen on beer. Make sure to call ahead on busy nights. They don't take reservations and you will be looking at a wait of an hour or more. I don't mind waiting, however. That's why God created bars and beer, right? Makes the time fly by. read more

I came in with no expectations. Upon walking in, I immediately wanted to love the place. It had such a cool and surprising vibe inside and the menu was promising. We were met with prompt and friendly service. 5 stars for ambiance/hospitality. The food? Ehhh. Didn't work as well for me. My girlfriend and I shared the mac and cheese which just left me scratching my head. They use orzo instead of traditional macaroni and that just didn't work. Think floating rice in a sea of cheese. And the crumbled Rold Gold pretzels on top just screamed to me that they were trying too hard. My grilled pizza was loaded with garlic cloves everywhere. I use garlic is almost everything I make, but this was overwhelming. I love love love tons of meat on my pizza and salt all over my food, but the entire surface of the pie was covered by meat that was so salty I was chugging down insane amounts of coke and water. I would give this place another try because it's a really cool spot in an area otherwise devoid of places like this, but the food I had was just not very good. read more

I had been wanting to try Rustico for awhile. I suggested it on 11/3/12 as a place to meet for dinner with a friend. I liked the atmosphere of this restaurant. It felt elegant and relaxed at the same time. The menu had some ingredients on it that I had to ask the waiter to explain. I greatly appreciated the waiter did not act pretentious when I asked. The hard to pronounce menu is not reflected in their price(s). I felt considering the type of ingredients being offered the prices were reasonable to what you'd expect for the area. I LOVED their beer menu. The beer the waiter suggested hit the spot. Okay... now for the not so good stuff (or I like to say the ways a business can improve). The parking for this location is not great. Although, there is a back lot; it has a limited amount of spots considering the size of the restaurant. Although, I am personally not a fan of valet parking; Rustico (and the surrounding businesses) might benefit from double parking cars (to make more room). The location of this restaurant makes it near impossible to take public transit. If you arrive at Rustico and don't want to wait for 30 minutes to 1 hr for a table you're going to be stuck. The surrounding businesses are Buzz Bakery, ice cream and retail shops. In other words to kill time waiting for a table you might have to do reverse meal (don't worry I won't judge). In conclusion, if you're in the Alexandria/Del Ray area it is great option for dinner (but plan to make a night of it between finding parking and waiting for a table). read more

What? I've never reviewed Rustico? When I lived in Alexandria, Rustico was often an afternoon favorite to sit back, have some pizza, drink beer, and work using their free wifi. During the summer, this also included sitting outside and getting some Vitamin C. Nights get crammed with folks, although Sundays are usually okay. I've never had bad food here and although I usually stuck with my usual salami margherita pizza, the burgers, salads and desserts are all stellar. And like most NRG establishments, the beer menu is stellar...although don't get too attached to anything because it may be gone. read more

I tried this place after telling myself for months that I was going to give it a shot. I finally decided it was time and made it out to find that it could have easily been much better. I was excited about the possibility of a beer outside on a lazy Sunday afternoon and the beer selection was very open to this but it soon went downhill afterwards. After perusing the menu for about 15 seconds I found that their bread and butter was nothing more than a few routine pizzas. Nothing exciting or unique whatsoever? Come on, you should have given me something more! The food was decent pizza and the hearth fired pizza does the trick but, again, it wasn't anything that made me sing. The real problem was that when I got my bill they had charged me $2 for sausage. You may say 'that's not a lot', and you're right. But, when I said I wanted a pepperoni pizza, because the menu says pepperoni or sausage, and the waitress asked if I wanted sausage as well I asked if I could have both, 'you can for sure' was her response. That would have been perfect timing for her to say that the sausage was $2 extra rather than have me assume it was free. Rustico would have gotten 3 stars had I not felt like I was taken advantage of and I will probably return for happy hour with the beer selection but this past Sunday was not all Rustico had been cracked up to be. read more

3.5 stars. A friend of mine said "Let's meet in Old Town". While in reality it may actually be there it really is just outside in this weird no mans land between GW Parkway and Route 1. They do have a good beer selection and a happy hour on Sunday! So no complaints there. I really in general have no complains about Rustico. They do have great pizza and unusual ones. We share a pizza with duck and brie. So very tasty. Apparently the roasted mushroom and the gorgonzola, prosciutto (sp?), fig jam ones have a cult following. The food was great. The waitress was great, very attentive and knowledgeable. But the ambience of the place is just OK. Thus the 3.5 stars. There is some exposed brick and this "interesting" shards of porcellain installation.. it must be the size of the place or all the TVs... or that it is in VA! (-: No, just kidding. The ambience is lacking but the pizza is definitely worth the trip! read more

Bottom line up front: The fact that this place has only 3.5 stars is a travesty--it's definitely a four: food is delicious, atmosphere is cool, service is top notch--Go here. (Like my reviews? Add me as a friend: http://bit.ly/19TU1Tn) My Experience(s): The first time I came here was for brunch. We strolled in a little late, so it was not packed and we were seated right away. The service was friendly and fast. I know this sounds a little silly, but they give you a whole bottle of water on the table, and serve the water without ice which for some reason I really like. The ambiance is nice--easy lighting, good for conversation, and a window into the kitchen so you can see the pizzas as they're prepared. My second crack at Rustico was for dinner--I would rate it essentially the same level of great as brunch but honestly the entrees weren't quite as amazing as brunch. Dish by Dish: Buttermilk Biscuit Slider: First, I'd like to point out that this is a snack, we did not eat four main courses. Second, how cool is it that they serve snacks? They're perfect when you want a little something--not a whole app--and they cost two bucks. The biscuit was crunchy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside exactly as your imaginary Southern grandmother would've made them. Holding within a scrambled egg, smokey italian sausage and light slice of white cheddar this is a must. Oh, and did I say it was two bucks? You know what you can get for two bucks at most DC area restaurants? Free advice. Deep Fried Devil Egg: Again, a snack. Again, two bucks. I really like deviled eggs to begin with--Rustico's are perfection: Savory, rich with a hint of smoke and spice, Now, take that same deviled egg and deep fry it, and I am forced to seriously consider adopting it, mentoring it as it gets good grades through high school, sending it to an ivy league college so it can settle down with a nice pre-law deviled egg and raise a delicious deviled egg family of 5. Brisket Hash and Sunny Side Up Eggs: If there was an animated series about hash this dish would play some type of super hero. Picture diced chunks of tender, perfectly seasoned brisket mixed with soft, delicious potatoes and onions seasoned in a savory tornado of fantastic. Drooling? Me too. Topped with a sunny side egg and paired with a pepper biscuit and you get a breakfast fit for a king. Baguette French Toast: I was a little skeptical when my wife ordered this one. Then, I saw one swoop past us to a nearby table and was immediately a believer. Hearty chunks of fresh french bread made soft and moist by whisked egg and then doused in a sweet syrup with caramelized apples and whipped cream--as my wife put it, "It tastes like a perfect fall sunset." In my opinion, a must. I won't do full write ups on our dinner entrées because the real take away from this review is go here for brunch, but we had the glazed pork chop and the cheddar burger. Pretty good, but just not on par with their breakfast offerings. They did have a great beer selection and the parmesan risotto tater tots and steak tar tar snack were awesome. If we head back for dinner I might just get those. This help? Let me know by marking it useful! read more

What is a guy to do when he's committed to a man-dinner-date? Well, let's see... no man date would be complete without ample beer and unpretentious eats. Though one could opt to enjoy traditional dude fare at institutions like Hooters or revel in melted cheese on sirloin at Applebee's -- a classier choice would be a quality gastropub - which means a trip to Clarendon for Liberty Tavern or EatBar or into the city for Birch and Barley. So how surprised I was to be introduced to Rustico. I had heard some buzz about this place from a colleague who was raving about a version of a carbonara with a runny egg atop some orzo. The space near Del Ray was divided into two different restaurant experiences -- a bistro and a very casual bar area. Regardless of where you are seated, the menu offers up some amazing dishes that one does not normally expect of such a place. Yes, you expect the pizzas, but some of the appetizers are really smart reinventions of pub grub. Carrot hummus with lamb is inspired. I was also happy that they allowed me to add morel mushroom sauce onto their already divine mushroom pizza -- earthy, satisfying. To round everything out, they got a knock-out beer menu. Arlington and Ballston are lucky to have these eats in their neighborhoods. Serious eats + not-taken-so-seriously atmosphere = mulitiple visits per week. read more

Let me start by saying this place is near and dear to my heart. Everytime I have a buddy pop into town this is the place I take them to their first night in town. The beer list is absolutely amazing. Thirty drafts and over three hundred bottles and one cask ale. Simply stellar. I always stick to the drafts and I have never gotten bored. The food for me has been hit or miss. As a cook I totally dig the menu. The chef has the cojones to put some really unique things on the menu (i.e. the "butchers block" section). There have been times when I have eaten there that the food has been excellent. The entrees have always been truly spot on during the slower times. However, when I have dined there during the obvious "dinner rush" timeframe the kitchen has seemed to struggle with consistency. The pizzas have either been really excellent or lacing color and doneness on the bottom. Another time, my grilled cheese was burnt on one side and missing half of the bread on the other. And just be warned, the mac and cheese, while excellent, was definetly a small serving. The duck pizza is truly not one to miss as well as the braised pork with rigatoni. The dessert menu, the one time I tried it, was lacking in the most horrible way. Bold flavors are needed to end a meal full of beer and good food on a high note. There were no such flavors to be found here. The Apple Pandowdy that I shared was lacking in flavor and texture. All that being said, I still love this place because of the beer. That alone would be enough to bring me back again and again, and it has. read more

Ugh, YET ANOTHER restaurant I wanted to love that disappointed me. At 8pm on a Monday, it was packed. Good sign, right? Wrong. I was seduced by nearly everything on the menu prior to ordering, and that almost never happens to me. Our waitress was pleasant enough, but after we sent her away once to give us time to decide, the manager came over to take our order, which I found kind of weird. After expressing I was having trouble, he recommended the fried salmon sandwich, which I had my eye on, specifically saying it was very popular and that people loved the roll it came on. OK, sold. I had my eye on it anyway. Food came out very quickly - almost too quickly. I was immediately turned off by the disgusting, yellowish, mushy, looks-like-someone-bit-it Vlasic-style pickle on my plate. What restaurant serving $14 fish sandwiches with chips (NOT FRIES) doesn't think to serve it with an actual deli pickle? My sandwich was terribly disappointing. People who love bread will, indeed, love this sandwich, because it was pretty much all bread. The slaw wasn't good, and the fish was greasy yet over fried. Fail all around. The homemade chips, though I would have preferred fries, were good. I guess they just couldn't possibly give away fries with their sandwiches because they have the cajones to charge $8 for an appetizer serving of them. My boyfriend tried a mushroom and fontina pizza with a cream sauce since he's not huge on marinara. It was absolutely, positively, nothing to write home about. In fact, it was nothing I would order if I was forced to go there again. I make better pizza crust than this, and my crust is admittedly sub par. My boyfriend was really turned off by the takeout box we got to take the pizza home - it was the thin cardboard kind that oil soaks through immediately. We mentioned it to the manager and he said they were "looking into" changing that. And the prices??? $40 for a small pizza and a fried salmon sandwich is INSANE. We both had WATER, mind you. I'm sure I should have gotten a beer or something, but I'm glad I didn't because this place doesn't deserve any more than two stars and the influence of good alcohol may have tempted me to give it one more. read more

Rusitco's menu is small but they execute well on what they have. Hubby and I ordered: Pretzel bites; They are small, and they are bites, but they are hot, doughy, salty and served with cheese. Hard to mess up, and they don't. Brussel sprouts: While certainly somewhat a recent restaurant fad, I'm completely onboard with it. Roasted crunchy seasoned brussel sprouts are amazing and rusitcos are right up there. Lamp Pasta dish: I ordered the half order and was impressed with the size for the price. It's a mild but pleasing flavor profile, slighty savory and they didn't skimp on the lamb. With the apps, I only ate half of my half and am looking forward to getting it for lunch. Pork chop: Hubby loved this dish and was very happy with the perfect medium making the pork nice and juicy. On other occasions, I've had their pizzas and have no complaints. With an excellent beer selection and comfortable bar seats where you can order full menu, Rustico is a great go to read more

Food and drinks were great and reasonably priced for the area! The bar staff was really attentive & made it such an enjoyable experience! Will definitely come again! read more

Great pizza, handsome and nice bartenders. Lack of Coors Light and PBRs is very frustrating though.

Between Pizza Paradiso and Rustico, Pizza Paradiso wins hands down. The big attraction about Rustico would be its emphasis on beer (similar to Churchkey) and gourmet pizza. But if I wanted beer, then I'd rather go to Churchkey. With regards to pizza, they even have a chickpea crust for those who need a gluten-free option. While novel and interesting, the chickpea option ended up tasting like a dense biscuit. At the end of the meal, I couldn't help but wonder why everything ended up being so expensive. The pizza's okay but I still felt that a $15 price tag was unnecessary. Even Papa John's might be a better option at that price. The $13 crabcake was tiny and medicore. The $8 potato fries were tasty but lacked crunch (a little soggy). When everything left you wishing that you had eaten somewhere else ... Rustico ends up being a place that you ought to try at least once for the ambiance but you might not be clamoring to return. [Original Visit: August 20, 2011] read more

So...I have lived in Alexandria almost a yr...how is it I've never been in here before? Been meaning to, but...story of my life. Anyway, we went. For lunch. It was basically 3:00 PM on the dot, and when we got to the door we started to turn back when we read that they closed at 3:00 to get ready for dinner--good thing the BF peered through the window and proclaimed that there were people inside, so went in to do recon. Eating at the spacious bar area worked for us (but only at the booth, since I am so short that those kitschy vintage-looking bar chairs were impossible for me to sit in without sliding off). I like the look of the place. The wood-fire smell. The cool mosaic wall that incorporates dishes. Like the whole vibe. I'm not a beer drinker, but appreciate the seemingly well-curated craft menu with lots and lots of Great Lakes-area selections (gotta rep my home). The waitress recommended a blackberry pear cider (Fox Barrel) which was the slam. We kept it simple: split a grilled Caesar salad, the BF got a burger, I ordered a pepperoni pizza. We were not disappointed. Have you ever had a grilled Caesar salad? It sounds crazy, I know. My fav resto in Philly, Valanni, introduced me to the concept yrs ago, and it has been my fav Caesar twist since then. Rustico doesn't prepare theirs the same way, so the salad looks like any old Caesar when they bring it out. But it's soooo much better! The warm, smoky grilled romaine gets me every time. The BF, who is basically a Caesar connoisseur, was super impressed. Just try it, seriously. The BF scarfed down his burger like it was a fight to the death, so I didn't get a bite. But he loved it. He likes his cow bleeding, and that thing was definitely juicy enough to drip, so I know it was perfectly cooked for him (which doesn't happen often). I can't even pretend like I didn't commandeer his fries. OMG those fries! Dark, perfectly crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and sprinkle with kosher salt, which I like. Sooooo good. Apparently, fries are the one thing Alexandria has perfected. Rustico has somehow managed to be the only place I have ever found in the "South" to successfully approximate NYC-style pizza, and I don't think they were even trying. That pizza was some of the greasiest pizza I have ever seen. But it was damned good. I would ask for paper napkins next time, but when I want straight pepperoni pizza, I will be back. It was perfect: thin, foldable, not too big, salty, cheesy, not too much pepperoni, good sauce. Totally hit the spot. Big enough for 2 people, too big for 1. We took half of it home. BF ate it promptly, so apparently it held up. Service was a tad slow, and there weren't many people, which was admittedly a bit annoying. The parking look limited, so I'm not sure what kind of a nightmare we'll encounter trying to come here during a dinner rush. The menu is very creative, which I'm excited about since we can keep coming back. I foresee many happy hours here in my future. With more blackberry pear cider. read more

Aside from the long waits and sometimes oft humor of the wait staff (nothing offensive, we just didn't get the jokes), this place has great food and an AWESOME beer selection (as opposed to other places with AMAZING beer selection and awful food. Brickskellar, I'm talking about you.) Our party of 9 managed to snag half a table in the bar (and later got the whole table). We ordered 3 pizzas (fig & prosciutto, confit duck & cracklins, and spinach). Some of us also split an order of the truffled cous cous carbonara. it was FANTASTIC, so creamy and tasty, plus bacon, how could you go wrong?! The pizzas were delicious, the fig & prosciutto was my fave; bf liked spinach the best (it was perfectly cheesy). I can't remember the beers we had, but it was all good. Bf had this raspberry flambois that was delicious and tasted like juice! read more

One of the best beer lists in the DC metro area. As an added bonus they actually have most all of them in stock, compared to other famous beer joints that will remain nameless in this review. Hearty, new American style food is rib-sticking and if you're getting old enough like me gut-busting. You can literally feel the pounds going on as you sit in the slightly less than comfortable wooden booths and feast on the trio of Mac and Cheese (one with a marvelously streaked strip of bacon on top). The wood grilled entrees are actually cooked to order, god bless a rare hamburger. WARNING! Food coma is a possible side effect...come prepared to drink coffee afterward or you'll need a good nap. One small gripe is that the Belgian beers should be poured with gusto and proper head so you can smell them, not down the side of the glass like an American beer. read more

The restaurant only deserves 3-4 stars. But Rustico gets 5 from me for the beer list alone. The beer list here is one of the deepest in quality and diversity I've encountered in America. There are many, many belgian gastro-pubs with 100's of belgians. There are german places, and there are mega-american-beer joints like flying saucer with a 100 on tap. But none of them show the signs of intelligence that was put into the beer list at Rustico. They've gone out of their way to find the best of all kinds of beers, and to have at least one representative of every conceivable style of beer. For the common types (belgian tripels or american IPAs or pale ales, let's say) the beer list delivers the best-of-class choices and doesn't bore you with the mundane or insanely common. Needless to say, color me impressed. That said, I will also talk to the place and the food. The place is in a random part of Alexandria that many people probably don't know exists...this is because it looks like it didn't exist 6 months ago. Odd location aside, it's a nice place, exposed brick, warm, noisy atmosphere. The pizza was solid. Not amazing, but solid, NY-style (kinda) pizza. The rest of the food was "ok" but nothing special. Again, they've gone with the gastro-American comfort food theme, but a little more refined. The service the time we went was bad, the waitress had a 'tude and didn't care. But I'll chalk it up to her and not the place for now. Lastly, what I liked is that these really are beer people. There were signs in the window for beer-themed charity events, meeting local brewers, raising money for this cause and that a pint at a time. This is always a welcome sign and it lets you know exactly the type of people that set this place up. Good times. read more

I visited Rustico for the first time last night. There was a Dogfish Head event! We had a reservation and were 20 minutes late... their slightly off-the-beaten-path location seemed to be a challenge to my friend that drove us there. After a somewhat sarcastic "Good to see you" from the hostess, we were seated. We went right for the Dogfish Head specials, 120 minute, Palo Santo, Immort Ale... and then were very surprised by the huge beer menu! Our server was training to be a server. She had an older waiter following her around and checking on us to make sure she was doing ok. She did great. We never had empty glasses :) The menu was limited, but it was still hard to make a decision. The salmon was tasty, and my friend's burger was pretty darn good, too. The price was reasonable. The $5 side of fries is tasty and HUGE. I'm really excited to go back again, sit on the patio and enjoy a large selection of good beer! The one-holer bathrooms are kind of crappy (haha! bad pun!). My two male friend ended up using the female bathroom before we left because someone had apparently taken over the mens room for quite some time. read more

I went here for the second time last night. The experiences were both comparable- yay for consistency. The Basics This place has an amazing bar set-up with a variety of beers in bottles as well as on tap. (with exception of my favorite abita strawberry- tear) Some might find the menu a little limited but I actually have always ordered specials and have yet to be let down. The pistachio cheese torte I had for dinner last night was amazing, and I had to stop myself from consuming the entire thing and suffering a bellyache. I've always let my waiter guide me through the beer selection- but I think next time I'll be less co-dependent and try a "flight" to experiment. Why Rustico doesn't get 5 stars... 1. parking always seems limited which can be rather annoying 2. why are the hostesses so snotty? they just don't seem to be very interested acknowledging you and are usually not that knowledgeable about wait times. even if you have a reservation. it is kind of like, go find yourself your own table and don't bother me about it. This kind of surprises me because the wait staff has always been stellar if you can get over the initial challenges, then Rustico is a great place to hang out, grab a beer and chow down on a burger or pizza. read more