Came here for a girls night! The place was cozy and cute, drinks were good. The appetizers were not bad either, I recommend the brussel sprouts and calamari. The pasta itself didn't blow my mind because I liked the pappardelle I got but thought my other friends pasta was aight. Also check in for free garlic bread! The garlic bread was just ok tho but always nice to fill your stomach more haha read more

Rusticucina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Incredible ambiance with banging service! Great Hillcrest spot for dinner and drinks. Alvin ensured we had an impeccable experience with unmatched hospitality. Cheese wheel pasta is a must order!! read more

Alvin & felipe 10/10!!! Great experience!! Cheese wheel pasta was incredible, definitely will be back again

great place for larger gatherings and bigger parties!! we came to rusticucina to celebrate my friends birthday! she reserved a set menu dinner with a party of 15~! once seated, we noticed a customized set menu with our friend's name on it, which is such a nice touch! def gives a very personal feel to the whole celebration. we had a three courses menu and I'll dive into the details below: FIRST COURSE - caesar salad (4/5) pretty good, I do like my salads - calamari fritti (5/5) I loveee when a place does fried calamari, you can't go wrong with it, the batter was also not too thick and fried to perfection. - charcuterie board (3/5) did really vibe with much of the items but if I had a glass a wine to pair def would be a great snack SECOND COURSE - gnocchi pink sauce (4/5) love the color of the gnocchi and eat bite was bursting with creamy texture - pappardelle al brasato (5/5) def the best out of the three options, the noodles were thick and creamy and the flavor was nice and savory - paccheri salsccia di cinghiale (didn't try) DESSERT - tiramisu (5/5) sooo good, unfortunately, I was so full at this point that I couldn't finish but I took it to go for a late night snack :3 - limoncello cake (didn't try) overall cost for the set was around $80 per person (w/ tax & tip), so not bad! I was sooo full by the end of it and the servers were really nice and attentive to our party. parking: no dedicated parking lot for the place, so you'll be looking for street parking. found one in the neighborhood behind the restaurant! read more

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I ordered the Rustico pizza and was very disappointed. It was unappetizing--when I cut into it, the cheese was still stringy and not fully melted, and the pizza itself was cold. I've had frozen pizza that was better than this. We also ordered the salmon, which was underwhelming and not impressive at all. Overall, the food was not worth the price. read more

Rusticucina - Rustico Pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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In my husbands words "this is probably my new favorite pasta place, it's the best we've ever been to" and that's a bold statement considering we eat out at Italian a lot! We got the lobster ravioli and the cheese wheel fettuccine pasta and both were 10/10. We ll definately be consistent customers from now. read more

Rusticucina - Cheese wheel pasta and lobster ravioli - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Had an amazing dinner here tonight! From the moment we arrived, all of the staff were so friendly. We ordered the Pacherri Salsa alla Vodka pasta, Caesar salad, and the Fiori di Zucca. Everything tasted amazing! (Only regret not taking pics of our food!). Our waitress for the night, Ashley, was so sweet and really made this experience a 10/10. I will definitely be back to dine here again! read more

Amazing food, amazing staff. Would recommend. Alvin our server was awesome, definitely ask for him when you get here!

Spent our New Years Eve dinner here and it did not disappoint! Everything was perfect. Nathan was amazing and went above and beyond for us! The food, shoot where do I begin. We had the calamari, burrata and the beef short rib pasta. Every bit was eaten and we were just happy as can be with our full full bellies! Everything tasted perfect! On top of everything else the atmosphere was super fun and upbeat and the restaurant itself is so cute inside. Highly recommend! Even if your not in the area lol read more

This was a perfect Italian dinner. Good food, great service and good ambience. The Chef Charcuterie board was a good size and had a variety of meats and cheese. The Trofie Pesto E Gamberi : 5/5 I love me some pesto and this was a perfect execution. The Gnocchi: I forget the preparation since i thin it was a special but it was delicious. They even gave us a complementary birthday cannoli for a birthday we were celebrating! read more

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From the moment we walked in, the adorable and warm decor made us feel right at home, charming, cozy, and full of thoughtful touches that set the perfect tone for the evening. What truly made our experience unforgettable, though, was our incredible server, Ocean. She created such a welcoming and comfortable environment, attentive without being overbearing, genuinely funny, and full of fantastic recommendations. The lemoncello cake made me raise my hand to the sky and thank the lord. Her energy added so much to our night! I ordered the cheese wheel pasta special, and it was honestly one of the best dishes I've ever had. Rich, creamy, and served table-side (it's not just a meal, it's an experience). My wife tried the "Spice Up Your Life" cocktail, and we were both blown away. It had layers of flavor--complex, balanced, and deliciously unique. Can't recommend this place enough. We'll absolutely be coming back! read more

***DISCLAIMER*** ***Review based on personal OPINION*** Me and my partner love Italian so when we discovered this location, we booked a reservation to try it. The location is fairly small but nicely decorated. It was low lit and had very nice decor. The service was nice and they made sure our table was clean when it needed to be. The food was good. We started with the garlic bread which was pretty good. It came with a marinara sauce. We ordered two pasta plates. They were the lobster ravioli and the ragu della nonna. Although both were exceptional my personal favorite was the lobster ravioli. It was very flavorful and light. We ended the night with a molten chocolate cake. This dessert was our least favorite of the night. Although it wasn't terrible it was the best. For our next visit we will definitely try the other desserts. Our overall experience was very nice and we did enjoy the restaurant. While we feel it wasn't the best Italian place we have tried, it definitely was a very good and reliable location. We would return to try other items. read more

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When we first arrived, we were greeted with a server who quickly seated us. She had a cheery attitude but seated us toward the back in a booth near the kitchen and bathrooms. The spot would've been charming and cozy if only the chandelier above us worked. When we pointed it out to our waitress that we were sitting in the dark and had to use phone flashlights just to read the menu, she simply said,"Thanks for pointing that out." and didn't offer to move our seats or any other kind of solution. I attached a pic just to show how dark our seat was. The restaurant has ambient, dim lighting but we were seriously sitting in the dark with no light. We took a few photos of the birthday girl and after 10 minutes, were finally asked for our drink order. Our drinks came out and we started to look at the menu. It took almost another 15 minutes to wave our waitress down to get our appetizers and food. As the night progressed, the restaurant began to fill up with more people livelier than our own party so I was unsure why the avoidance got worse and whispering about our table began to occur. Other waitresses were visibly seen looking and talking about us while our own waitress was nowhere to be found. We waved her down near the end and she looked our direction and walked away. We were sure she had seen us because, once again, we were sat in the back near the entrance of the kitchen. One of our party members tried to wave down another waitress and upon doing so, the waitress gave our party a dirty up-and-down look and told the waitress who was going to take her tables after her shift ended to go,"See what they want." It took another 30 minutes just to get our bill situated. Horrible service and overall judgy waitresses who seemed to have a preconceived notion about the nature of our party. Food was also whatever. The cheese wheel pasta was fine, I guess. Our members all tried each other's food and determined the food was overpriced and either too salty or too bland. If I could rate this place a 0/5, I would. read more

Rusticucina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here to meet some friends we hadn't seen in a while. Very cute decor inside, dimly lit and relaxing vibe. The staff is very nice and efficient. Drinks remained filled and they kept the foccatia bread "rolling in". Hehehe But really the foccatia bread was some of the best I've had in the States. The bruschetta was great except not really enough to share between 4 people. The artichokes were very good - nicely cooked and tender. Try the gnocchi - I opted for the Carbonara with Chicken and my fiancé ordered the Cacio e Pepe which is a cheese sauce with black pepper. Both were excellent. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for any occasion and I'm sure everything is equally delicious. read more

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Great atmosphere and service. Food was good but not out of this world. We ordered the Fettuccine Tartufo and the sausage wasn't the best. The sauce however was amazing. read more

We stumbled upon this place after not getting into a different restaurant and it did not disappoint. We were seated quickly on a busy night and were very well taken care of. Our server Nathan was very nice and informative of the menu. Will definitely be recommending this place and coming back! read more

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I went twice and loved the experience! Please try the lobster lasagne ! They also make tiramisu

I was in the area and didn't no where to go, my brother recommended Rusticucina and WOW! Normally a place I'm sure you need reservations... but they took me and my 2 adults & 3 kids guests from out of state. Now past the hospitality, the decor/ambiance was amazing! Really cozy & rustic (unavoidable pun), and classy! Definitely a date spot! The food was ABOVE PERFECTION! My guest looked to me for recommendations (chef) although I've never been here. I recommended the Gnocchis Carbonara: Roasted onion, crispy bacon in a brandy cream sauce topped with raw egg yolk. And for my other guests I recommended the, Pappardelle: With shredded short ribs in truffle cream sauce. I enjoyed the, Lamb Osso Bucco Over saffron risotto. The kids all got flatbreads & meatballs (traditional large). Needless to say, this place is a perfect read more

I was really looking forward to trying this place but unfortunately had a disappointing experience. The bolognese pasta was terrible -- the noodles were way undercooked and the sauce was just okay. The pizza wasn't great either, and the caprese salad was nothing to write home about. The only dishes I enjoyed were the lasagna, which was delicious, and the ciabatta bread. The service was very slow, and the restaurant overall felt a bit mismanaged. It also had a strange smell, and the music didn't add to the atmosphere. Sadly, I won't be coming back. read more

First off...Nathan was so amazing. So friendly and we loved his recommendations. The food was amazing. This place is going to be a staple for our hangouts. The ambience was exceptional..very cozy and cute. All around 5 stars! read more

Rusticucina - Truffle Sauce with short rib - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Such a nice spot. First time to dine at the beautiful place and I was not disappointed. The decor is so nice Italian and food did not disappoint. Ocean our server was so sweet and personable, made our experience extra special. My husband had the build your own pasta with shrimp and the shrimp was HUGE! I had the ever popular cheese wheel and was not disappointed. I had never seen that done before and that was why I was there. As a disclosure I ask for without meat as they said it was a spicy pork and I am a NO spicy kinda girl. For dessert we tried the lemon cello cake and cannoli. Should have gone with Ocean's recommendation of the tiramisu. Lemon was not that lemony and could have used more sweetness in the cream. Cannoli was good but not a fan of chocolate chips in it, but was not overwhelmingly like I have had at other places so it was good. Try the tiramisu if you go. read more

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First time here and we'll definitely be back. Thanks to Nathan for making my moms birthday dinner such a special day He explained the gist of the restaurant menu and was very attentive. He was super efficient and friendly! My mom loved him too haha! Sadly we forgot our bag of leftovers at the restaurant (Nathan could have them for lunch haha) Thank you again and see you next time! read more

one of my forever favorite restaurants - delicious food at good prices with a lovely ambiance. got seated very fast, and was offered complimentary prosecco as it was our anniversary. we did the date night special - 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, dessert, and a bottle of wine all for 60. vodka with pacheri- really good, the sauce was very rich! bucatini with wild boar sausage - even better than the vodka pasta, the parmesean was soo delicious. have gotten multiple times and it's always amazing lemon cake - very light and airy. really delicious too! one of my favorite restaurants in sd for sure :D read more

Rusticucina - Build Your Own Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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RustiCucina is my favorite spot in San Diego for happy hour, they have such great deals! A selection of their appetizers are half off as well as their build your own pasta section from the main menu. And it's daily from 4-5pm which is awesome. I love their vodka sauce and it's delicious on any style of pasta. This was my first time having zucchini blossoms as well and I will definitely be ordering again. It's never too busy here during happy hour and I can almost always find street parking close by. The decor is so cute too, lots of greenery and perfect for a date night or happy hour with friends! read more

Rusticucina - Fiori Di Zucca and Homemade Garlic Bread - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food was amazing...but nothing compared to the immaculate service by Nathan! He not only catered to our needs, but made sure to keep us smiling and constantly ordering more! A treasure he is, and makes the experience even more worthwhile! read more

Good evening, This restaurant delivers consistently an elegant experience from the decor to the food. I highly recommend trying whatever pasta is being served from the cheese wheel and their braised rib. It's a perfect place for a date night and the staff is professional. All waiters and waitresses attend to your needs and ensure your food is brought to the table within a timely manner. Highly recommend and suggest to everyone! read more

My pasta was amazing!! Got to say, the pasta would've been better if I added a protein like chicken to it because I just ordered the pasta. But overall it was so great and I'd love to come back here. Don't live in San Diego but would definitely come back when I come back down here. Workers are also very nice too and give me their opinions/recs on what I should get. To add protein is really expensive, I think it should be lowered down because that would've made the pasta better but I didn't want to spend too much today. read more

Rusticucina - Salsa alla Vodka - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here for a friend's birthday party since they take reservations for large groups. Patio seating outside was really nice and the ambiance was great. It does get loud once the area is filled up. Gimlet (4/5): made well, could have used more lime. Fig Mule (2/5): just tasted like a sweet mule, nothing special. Rigatoni w/ Vodka Sauce (3/5): pasta was nice and al dente, sauce could use more flavor. Bucatini Carbonara (2/5): once again, the pasta itself was great, but the sauce just tasted like cream, not much flavor. Cheese Wheel (2/5): just for show type entree, expensive and just tasted like cream. Chicken Parm (4/5): everyone who ordered this seemed to like it. Overall this place has potential if they worked on the flavoring of their sauces, especially the ones with cream. Service was also pretty slow from getting our drinks to our check, we waited forever. Our table also only had one heater so the people on the other side were cold, the other tables had heaters on multiple sides. It also smelled a little like sewage. Probably would not return. read more

With excellent interior ambience and a level of staff hospitality and knowledge that astounded me, RustiCucina is a terrific restaurant that I highly recommend. With a warm atmosphere and excellent food, I will probably come back. I got the Calamari as well as the Cheese Wheel Pasta (cacio e pepe for the day I came). The calamari was perfect, with the perfect amount of two great sauces and a portion size that is a meal for a single person. As for the pasta? The cheese wheel pasta is prepared in front of you, and it tasted fantastic. The pasta selected worked excellently with the cheesy sauce, and my only complaint was that the portion was far too big after eating the calamari. As a result I took the rest home, but the nature of this dish mandates that it best be enjoyed hot when the cheese is still liquid. An excellent restaurant worth a return visit. Especially since I didn't have space for dessert this time. read more

Rusticucina - Cheese Wheel Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Been here twice (first time was over 2 years ago) and I'm just going to keep this review short and sweet: Italian food done right. That's it, really. With an abundance of Italian spots to choose from in SD, somehow RustiCucina has won my heart. And my appetite. Thank you! read more

Rusticucina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here for a birthday dinner and absolutely loved the squid ink pasta I got. It was a hit spicy and unexpected but it worked for the plot. Definitely recommend read more

Such an amazing experience eating here!! Nathan was the best and the service was incredible! The pasta - delicious. The drinks - phenomenal! I will come back here! The manager kept checking in every time, such a great environment. read more

Rusticucina - Short rib pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We came during a week night around 5:00. We found parking right out front. It was fairly empty at that early dinner hour so we didn't have to wait for a table. We were seated in the patio area. The decor reminded me of what outdoor dining in Italy might be like. Our server came to our table right away. We started with some wine and the Trio Bruschetta. The bread was warm and fresh and the spreads were all different and all tasty. We had the Paccheri Salsa Alla Vodka and the Buccatini Carbonara. The Carbonara was just OK, too oily and a bit overpriced. I've had better but they do give a generous serving. read more

Amazing happy hour! $4 beer and house wine. We also got some Arancini balls for $4 as well and truffle fries for $5. What a deal! The happy hour is from 4 pm to 6 pm. I want to go back to try their pasta which looked fantastic. The place is really cute and the staff was kind and attentive. read more

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Alvin was amazing! Excellent service and very attentive. They mix pasta in a cheese wheel at the table. Very cool experience!

Came in late night and Alvin was a gem. Quality food and great atmosphere. The lamb shank was my fav

Great atmosphere and the food is incredible. Enjoyed a fun night with some friends. Nathan was a great server and recommended the carbonara. Wonderful recommendation! I'll definitely be back! read more

NATE WAS THE BEST!!!!! 10/10 recommend! Such a sweetheart and so attentive to everyone! Coming back for bae read more

Rusticucina - Vodka pasta hehe - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Return visit summary: Smaller portions, painfully slow/neglectful service. Hard 3 star visit this time, because food was well made. YMMV. Ate here last week and brought a friend who's been listening to me talk about this place for months. (We're not local.) What food and drink we were able to order was good, but we ordered about half of what we wanted to get because the service was so slow we eventually gave up - dropped cash on the table and left. - It took several minutes and then some to be acknowledged when we arrived. - No happy hour menu was given. - Once we asked about it and ordered drinks, our server "went on break" and never returned. - The replacement server eventually took our order and then also largely disappeared. - The kid doing table runs and delivering food was the only one who was pleasant and cared about good service. If we could've tipped just him and the kitchen, we would have. - Meal portions were half what they were just a few months ago when I ate here several times and had amazing service every visit. Which I guess would've been fine if we had had timely, responsive service that allowed us to order additional items. - Servers were constantly chatting with each other and goofing off behind the bar while we sat with empty glasses, no water, empty plates, and looking at the time. So if you're one of the two servers from last Wednesday and think that those two ladies were bad tippers, and that justifies the crappy service you gave them upfront... the 10% tip we left was more than generous, considering how bad the service was. We left still hungry and disappointed. read more

The food here is phenomenal. Everything is a decent price. The service here was also great. I definitely recommend sitting outside for a date night. The lights outside make it extremely romantic. I definitely would recommend coming here. read more