Rustico was a really wonderful dining experience. From the moment we sat down, the atmosphere felt relaxed and welcoming, and the service made the evening especially enjoyable! The bread service was fantastic. The tomato focaccia and the baguette were both excellent and I had to remind myself not to fill up on it before the main meal! LOL! We started with the calamari which was very well seasoned and clearly not the typical frozen version you often see from foodservice distributors. It tasted fresh, was crispy, and well prepared. For dinner I ordered the margherita pizza which was simple and delicious. I ended up ordering a second one to-go for my partner who couldn't make it to dinner. He also loved it - even after it sat for ~30 min or so while we chatted more, then drove home to the Maywood area. I would imagine their delivery is pretty good based on that! My mom had the rigatoni vodka with added crumbled Italian sausage which she loved, and my dad ordered the Marcelino. He loved the generous amount of seafood and how well seasoned it was. My parents are big wine drinkers and my dad was especially impressed with the wine list and the selection available. Oscar was an incredible server!! He struck the perfect balance of being attentive while still letting us enjoy a relaxed, unhurried evening. The support staff and food runners were also fantastic and very friendly, making the entire service experience feel polished! I also loved the kitchen was more open which gives you confidence in the quality and care that goes into the food. The dining space is inviting with a nice bar area and an additional room that looks perfect for busy nights or private gatherings. Overall a great restaurant that we would absolutely return to!! read more

See all

I almost didn't know what to make of our visit. We were here about a week ago and things started pretty slow. The table bread didn't come out until we ordered and we waited quite a minute to order because our waiter would take a while to come back each time. The restaurant was not crowded at all so it was hard to understand what was taking so long. The first batch of bread was hard and my child's pasta pieces were also somewhat hard. It was just a bit of a mess at first. Then all of our food finally came, plates were smelling good and that helped lift our moods. My husband said that his pasta was just really spicy and the flavor itself wasn't really there. My pasta (vongole) was actually pretty good. We had to ask for Parmesan which helped with flavor for sure but I tried to have no complaints once our dishes came out. It was a nice place to try. If I was to visit again, I would be going to try their paella. read more

See all

I came here for one of my closest friends birthday. Cozy warm and inviting atmosphere. Our server himself was a 10 out 10. Attentive, polite and professional. To start off for our appetizer, we ordered the toasted bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and basil Not a fan, too salty and the bread was soggy. We both ordered the Chicken Piccata. It was freshly cooked and well seasoned. The lemon flavored sautéed chicken and potatoes were cooked to perfection. A generous portion of food. After, we finished our meal, our server came out with a dessert for my friends birthday. The service is Superb. The vibes are chill and relaxing. Delicious food minus the bruschetta. read more

See all

Rustic is a true neighborhood gem where you immediately feel at home yet special because of the elevated food served. The servers are amazing, the space is loud, but you somehow can still hear everyone at your table and the food comes out super fast. We started with the charcuterie and loved it. Kids had pasta with vodka sauce, we got a chicken dish and a short rib and everything was excellent. Again, portions are huge, and they could easily cut them and reduce prices a bit. Dessert was some lava cakes for the kids and the caramel banana for me! read more

I've been here twice, and it really feels like a friendly neighborhood spot. The food is good and gets the job done, especially since there aren't many dining options in this area. One thing to note: the tapas dishes aren't really tapas-sized, nor are they tapas-priced. It would be nice if they were smaller to match the concept. A few other downsides -- the silverware was dirty during one visit, and the dining room felt stuffy for a while before they finally turned the fans on. Overall, it meets a need locally and has potential, but a bit more attention to portion sizing, comfort, and cleanliness would go a long way. read more

See all

The restaurant is beautiful inside. I loved the decor and the floor was very unique. It's a pretty large space. I was sat down quickly. I started by trying the special drink, an apple cider sangria. It was light and refreshing. They served you two types of bread. Both were good but I preferred the one with crispy crust. We tried the brussel sprouts as an appetizer. They were crispy and good but didn't have very much of the sauce on them. The sauce was a little sweet. I had the beet salad as my entree. It is not very big, so I wouldn't recommend it as a meal. It had a good flavor but I would have preferred a little more toppings (nuts and cheese, etc). It had two different types of beets. Both were good, but more beet than traditional salad. My friend enjoyed her salmon ravioli but did feel she needed a little salt on it. It was a good portion size. We ended with sharing the tiramisu. It was fantastic, definitely the best part of the meal. read more

Rustico - Apple cider sangria - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

See all

I think I found my new favorite place in Oak Park. The service is amazing, they are so attentive and kind. I forgot pictures of our drinks but I had the best drink called The Alexander. Of course, the food was what brought us in and it did not disappoint. I do regret not staying for dessert, but I will definitely be having some on our next visit. It's so spacious with high ceilings which I love. It's great for families or a quite night out. Once you step inside it feels like you're out of town and the winter weather cannot reach you. read more

Rustico - Mushroom ravioli - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

See all

We took my son out tonight for dinner at this restaurant near his home for a birthday celebration. We started out with cocktails, old fashioned for the guys and a pisco cocktail for me. We shared an appetizer, the serrano caprese. It was creamy burrata wrapped in crispy prosciutto on top of a grilled tomato served with pesto and balsamic. Yum! For dinner the birthday boy had the bistec rustico, a grilled ribeye with rosemary potatoes. Of course I asked for a taste when I saw what was placed in front of him. The steak was seasoned well and grilled perfectly. So good! My husband had the pappardelle alla bolognese, which he loved. I had the bacalao con almejas for my entrée, which was seared cod with clams, potatoes, olives and capers. Delish! At the end of the meal, our server brought out a warm bread pudding for my son's birthday. Nice touch! I definitely recommend this restaurant. The atmosphere didn't match the elevated menu. read more

See all

I was so shocked to be so let down as I have heard great things about this place, but everything just did not live up to the hype. The lemon drops were so overly sweet I basically babysat the drink through the entire meal because it was just too much, the pizza and pasta were both extremely one note dishes, & the ambience was very overwhelming. The alfredo tasted entirely like heavy cream, almost like there was no parmesan in it at all & the pizza just tasted like borderline nothing but cheese? even though there were so many toppings. It was really surprising. Something good I can note is the portions were very generous and we had a lot of leftovers. They gave a sort of ice cream cake thing I believe for dessert which was good (has nuts, notify your server if allergic as we weren't asked about allergies before being served it) & I would say the best bite of the night was honestly the starter focaccia bread. Our waitress was great but her service was easily overshadowed by all that was going on around us the rest of the time. We were at a table for two and they had us at the tiniest table that could barely fit both of our menus on it & it was very uncomfortable that every time someone walked by they had to turn sideways to get through and brush past us, frequently bumping into our table or us. It was also extremely loud, so loud I could barely hear the person sitting two feet across from me. Maybe I shouldn't have had my expectations up or maybe we ordered the wrong things, but I'm not sure I would come back here. read more

See all

Went here drinks it was good haven't tried their food yet so can't really review that yet but service was great!!

Ordered to go, so I can't say much about the service just yet but I am very pleased with the food so far. Making notes to come visit in person ! read more

Rustico - Gnocchi was very delicious with great portion sizes - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Pretty nice place, for a casual meeting. I went yesterday and the first thing I will speak about is the elephant in the room. We sat three tables from the front door, there is absolutely no screen door, there is absolutely no protection from the wind and the snow from the entryway. Every single time the front door was opened for entry or departure not only were we freezing but everything blew around on our table.... Talk about an engineering flaw. Service, when we were finished with our appetizer of mushrooms and scallops, it took 15 minutes with staff walking back-and-forth past our table and no one cleaning up the dirty dishes, Very disappointing. I will tell you this and it's the honest truth, a chef once said you need to leave the menu simple, while many would appreciate the extensive menu it gets, of course, when they can't cook and prepare meals to perfection. I obviously learned a lesson when I tried to order the ribeye steak, medium rare at an Italian restaurant. Very poor cut of meat, a $50 ribeye medium rare should be juicy and a little bloody inside, my steak was overcooked, this is what happens when you offer too many items, but never order steak or any type of meat from this establishment. My daughter ordered the crabcakes and they were actually burnt. Two people for a late night Sunday dinner costing $200 was shameful, I myself will spend my money elsewhere. read more

Apple Cider Sangria, shrimp appetizer and the penne were delicious. First time patron and loved the vibe. read more

Rustico - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

This is a great pace to check out for a lowkey, but delicious Sunday dinner. They start you off with a bread basket, which was delicious! I loved the one with tomatoes, very flavorful. For dinner, I got the mushroom and burrata pizza which was delicious. Definitely had plenty of leftovers! My friend got the chicken piccata which she said was really really good. We also got the dessert. I got the chocolate lava cake which didn't feel like a lava cake to me - more of a chocolate Bundt cake which was underwhelming. My friend got the peach sorbet, which she said was good but a large portion. Would definitely go back for the main courses but may pass on dessert in the future. read more

My first and what will likely be my only experience with this restaurant, was an order for delivery. The caesar salad was good and decent, the lobster and corn chowder was good, although the corn was tough and tasteless and frankly gross within the soup. The eggplant parmesan was tasteless, had way too much breading, and hardly any sauce. The pasta served as a side dish with the eggplant parmesan was equally tasteless and lacking in flavor. I regret spending $72 on these dishes and to have them delivered to me. read more

There are better dining choices in Oak Park. We decided to leave after ordering a drink at the bar. The staff is not friendly or welcoming. The bartender was annoyed when I asked him a question about the ingredients in my cocktail. read more

Gnocchi-delicious! Salmon ravioli-delicious! Calamari-delicious! Portions-small :( Cost-extravagant!! Over $100 Really?? read more

My favourite paella!! All the pastas I've tried here are good, and the ambiance is lovely. I recommend going on a date here or with a big group to try lots of dishes read more

Rustico - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

This place is the best! Had a birthday dinner there for 30 and from the menu, to my over the top table request, to the service, top notch all around. Someone left a hand written note on the table and it was accidentally thrown out and they (shoutout to Lulu!) insisted on finding it and they did. Latine owned and will be my go to going forward!!!! read more

This establishment is within walking distance of our Oak Park AirBnB and the L-Train. Very convenient, well lit and decorated. The food was so so good and big servings. We should have shared. All the pastas were so delicious and the bread, too. I tried to stay away from it but couldn't. Espresso martinis were also yummy, and I'm picky. Our waiter helped with everything, was attentive but not pesky, and even divided all our checks for us. Wonderful place for dinner with associates or your family. read more

Okay, so this was the fourth time we visited this restaurant so I obviously like it a lot. I got the braised short ribs (again), and this time it seemed like I received a larger portion. They are always consistent and awesome. I also ordered the fried calamari as an appetizer. It was very good, but I'd say the portion size was a tad small, and it was only the rings (no spiders, as a call em). This time, our party size was 5 (wife, son, daughter and daughter's boyfriend). Son got the chicken Alfredo which he slurped up in less than a minute. He said it was good. Wife got the seafood ravioli but was disappointed that the portion of salmon was less than usual. Daughter and Bill got a combo platter of lamb, duck, potatoes, and blueberry reduction. They loved it. Also got a shrimp dish appetizer that they said was also good. We did get dessert which was superb. Spanish Tiramisu, bread pudding and some banana thing that my son wolfed down in ten seconds. Guess he liked that as well. Okay, so the food was fantastic, for the most part. I did have to ask for more water and a refill on our soft drink. We also had to ask for the check after waiting a while. I'm trying to be nice here. Our server seemed to be a little distracted or preoccupied. However, it did not take away from the overall experience, which was once again, pleasant. I will be back. read more

See all

My phone was charging in the bus so I didn't get any pictures. But I highly recommend the beet salad. The servers here are excellent, and the restaurant is very nice. I also had the sausage penne, and it was delicious if not a little heavy on the garlic. This is a great place for lunch or dinner in Oak Park. read more

Wow this spot is awesome! Great for a family dinner or date night, the space is open and casual but still nice sit down energy. Food is great here! Super flavorful and their known for their fish so any seafood option is a win! Service was nice too! read more

The staff were friendly. The service was fast and the holiday fare was cozy. The owner or manager walked around checking in on guests which was nice. The food had nice flavor and not too salty, enjoyed the zucchini frites, mozzarella sticks the 4-cheese pizza (no red sauce), classic margarita, and the vegan pizza (If you are vegan had a good flavor). I wish it was a location closer to the city of Chicago and the parking lot had limited spots so had to park around the corner at the parking structure. If you are in the area nice kid-friendly place and pizzas you can share. read more

This was my 1st time experiencing your Resturant. I hate to admit it but, more than 75% of my meals are ordered via Grub Hub or eaten on the go. The meal was more than expected. Very flavorful and the ingredients were very fresh and the portions were extremely appreciated. As a result of the above, I will be not only order from here again. My husband and I are planning on physically coming to your establishment to enjoy a wonderful dining experience on site. Thank you for choosing to care about your customers and value the quality of ingredients used in your meals. Sincerely, Jacqueline Morgan read more

I feel like I'm missing something. I'm not sure why this place gets such good reviews. Over the years I've gone here at least three times. The ambiance is lovely, but the food is meh, and definitely not at the right price point for what it is. I want to like this place, but I just can't. read more

Wonderful place for a family Sunday brunch!! Everything my family ordered was delicious and great portions! I got the grilled octopus and it was so savory. The owner/manager was very attentive and welcoming. Definitely planning to come back! read more

Rustico - Grilled octopus - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Very pleasant restaurant with excellent service and yummy food. Great menu. Wonderful Oak Park neighborhood.

Amazing lunch today Al fresco style. I shared the Brussels sprouts which were fantastic. Very buttery & charred. I also shared the Chicken Marsala. The chicken breast was very juicy and the spinach and veggies flavorful. Sitting outside on a beautiful Fall day had very prompt service. The waiter took orders quickly and kept checking in. Great visit! read more

Rustico - Chicken Marsala Lunch - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

See all

Great restaurant in Oak Park. I've been there a few times and they have always been great. The waiter was super helpful in describing the dishes and the food we ordered was phenomenal. It's a smaller size place and does get busy. Reservations are recommended. read more

The food here looks good presentation wise, but after that first bite my mind was quickly changed. The vodka pasta was undercooked and the flavor just wasn't right. I wish there was more cheese in this dish. I wouldn't recommend going here for the food. Ambiance is good for a date night though. And there's plenty of free street parking around the corner. The service is good so I am giving this place two stars. read more

Rustico - Airam's Rigatoni a la Vodka - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

We came here to celebrate my mothers 75th birthday. It was big group, 13 or so. Our server was fine, however, be sure to ask for your salad BEFORE the entree as ours all came at the same time. I ordered the chicken montecarlo...it was good. Chicken slightly overcooked but good nonetheless. Most dishes were ok to really good. All in all it was a fine evening until we got home. At the end of the night we asked another employee to take a few pictures of us. It was late and we had small children so we took the photos, said goodbyes and left. When my mother got home she noticed the employee had made sure to allow his fellow workers the opportunity to photo bomb most of our pictures. She was not happy. While we didn't let that incident spoil the time we had together, its unfortunate (and most unprofessional) that this is the treatment we got after spending over $650. Moreover, after my sister tried talking to the manager the next day she was summarily dismissed. Again, rude and unprofessional. So we've learned two things....not to go back and to always check the quality of the photo when taken by anyone, especially a stranger. I wish folks would make it easier to trust rather than harder, but I suppose these are the times. read more

Short rib was delicious and portions are huge. Great atmosphere and service will definitely return a recommend.

Great food and ambience. Everything was delicious. So much lobster in the lobster risotto! Chicken special was amazing!

Everything! Love this restaurant.4 stars! Some of the best pasta great services too!

We've tried a lot of Italian places and this has been one of our favorites! Prices are not outrageous and food is so delicious. We love the pasta options. Only downside is portions are small, especially for takeout. But ambiance is great for dining in. read more

Lovely. Went with a friend. Got there 30minutes early and the bartender was outstanding company...while he kept working. Small plates on the larger size maybe. The two of us had 4 plates and were stuffed. Carpaccio was at worst the 2nd best I have ever had. Scallops large and superbly cooked. I hate calamari but asked for a couple extra pieces once my friend had me try one- that was the stunner. Heartily recommend read more

Really nice Italian spot in Oak Park! Great spot to sit outside and enjoy the weather. Staff is super nice but it's the food that keeps you coming back! Amazing tapas and the brussel sprouts were first rate. Also had penne pasta with ground Italian sausage and peas in a creamy tomato sauce. Was gorgeous. Chicken tortilla soup had a nice little kick to it and tasted yummy. Could have used a few more pasta dishes on the menu but overall it was a pretty nice menu. Highly recommend. read more

Nice restaurant. I went here because I had a taste for paella. It was solid. I read a review where someone said they had been to Spain and it was not the same. I do agree. But I will say this was the best American version of paella that I've had. The service was extra nice. Not gonna write the favor they did for me because I don't want patrons asking the same thing. But the staff was very accommodating and I appreciated it. My only strike against the place is they gave us dirty silverware. So check the silverware if you go. read more

Rustico - Check your silverware - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Cute little restaurant! I ordered the short rib costilla & the Caesar salad. The salad was for SURE tasty and had a great amount of dressing. Definitely meant for sharing, that's a lot of salad for one person! The Costilla was good... but was a little bland! Needed more flavor. Adding salt and pepper helped out though. The mashed potatoes were a great consistency and the short rib was nice & tender... YUMMMMMM read more

Rustico - Costilla - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois