This restaurant warrants ZERO stars. We had 8:00 reservations tonight for my husband's birthday. We arrived at the restaurant on time. It was a mad house when we entered. There was no leadership, anywhere to be found. When my husband went to check in, he said, "Don't you want my name?", and the gentleman said, "No" and walked away. The other man in charge was drunk behind the bar and was beligerent. We stopped a server walking by and told us he didn't know when we would be seated and shrugged his shoulders. We proceeded to leave and others followed suit. We made our way to Mill Pond House in Centerport, which is our favorite. We were greeted by 3 different people making sure we were seated and comfortable. Service and food were exemplary as usual. Take note, Casa Rustica! You not only lost potential good customers but will never recommend you. Your loss! read more

I had people with me from Milan, Italy with me who rented and raved about this place. Pasta was amazing!! Wine list to die for!! One of the best Italian restaurants on Long Island!! read more

I don't know what the hype is about this restaurant. The food was mediocre, the prices were expensive and the service was chaotic.

I have been here many times and have not had a bad meal. They do pretty much all things well. The pasta dishes are all excellent.

Wow, I'm shocked to see some of these reviews. In my opinion Casa Rustica has some of the best Italian food around, and they have for some time now. I started coming here as a kid about 12 years ago, I remember the food being good then but I also believe it has consistently been good all of these years. The veal is extremely tender the lobster is cooked to perfection and the pasta is always cooked just right, while all of the sauces have tons of flavor. Some of the reviews said it was loud, well most restaurants are, especially if they have good food and draw larger crowds. All in all, I've been dining at Casa Rustica since I can remember and I don't see that stopping in the near future as this is one of our family's favorite meeting spots. read more

If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. I had my surprise Bridal Shower here on Sunday. Not only was the food exceptional, but the staff was courteous and hard working. The private room was stunning and immaculate. The gentlemen even helped us get all of the gifts into the car after the shower was over. I had never heard of this place before my shower - but they have most definitely made a new customer out of me. Will definitely be returning! Thank you to Benny and everyone at Casa Rustica for an amazing day! read more

Beautiful food. Gracious manager/owner. Rude staff. Rude staff. Rude staff. I walked out of there feeling depressed...and broke.

really, really good italian food......right here in town. A staple! professional service, which is a breath of fresh air!

I had my mom's surprise birthday party there. From the planning to the end - very professional, accommodating. Excellent, real Italian food. (unlike other "Italian" restaurants who say they serve the same old Itailan - meatballs, lasagna, ho hum...) When I was planning the party, I spoke with Ben. He went over the menu choices and showed me the dining room. I was allowed to bring in the balloons and cake a few hours early. They arranged the room, seats very well. The party was of 16 people. You can fit about 25 people comfortably in the party room. We had the party on a Thursday night. No valet parking on a Thursday, but we had no trouble parking in the lot in the back. Bathroom small, but clean. The background music was a little loud, so they lowered for us. Ben had the door closed and the room dark so it would be a surprise. Once the party was up and running, Ben was in the room with us most of the time making sure we were all taking care of. He took pictures with us. There were many menu choices for the party. Food was excellent. But for me, I'm not used to spicy and salty. The cocktail sauce was spicy and the calamari and mashed potatoes were salty. The eggplant and veal were excellent. The portions were a bit big. For the price it was a good deal - 4 courses - appetizer, pasta, main, dessert fruit, wine, coffee. When it was time for the birthday cake, they came in with candles on it. and sang "happy birthday with us. They allowed me to bring in my own cake, which I bought from Alphine bakery in Smithtown, excellent bakery. The filling was cannoli and chocolate mousse. Ben gave us a couple of bottles of wine to take home. read more

We have eaten at this restaurant more times than I can remember. We have had parties here as well. Everything has always been top notch with food, service, cleanliness, decor, etc... We were recently there for a friend's birthday party. Everything was perfect. My friend could not have asked for a better party. This is a fun, happy restaurant with great service. They will bend over backwards to make you happy. This restaurant is a staple of ours and should be yours too! read more

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I came to Rustica for a small family celebration. I found the ambiance cozy and chic. The food was exemplar. Loved the bruschetta !!! We ordered the surf and turf special, quite expensive, but considering all you get, a reasonable price. The lobster and filet mignon were to die for . This was served with an appetizer, I chose the scallops.....superb! The service was stellar, they are certainly there to assure a fine dining experience. We did have quite a disruption at dinner, with a loud, inappropriate diner at the next table. An awful shouting match ensued.....the manager (who's name begins with a B) swooped in with the wait staff, and managed the situation, like it never happened. I so appreciated their calm and swift demeanor. Between the fantastic service and divine food, I only wish I lived closer! read more

Best restaurant ever! Owner is a wonderful person. Food is delicious. Truly a great experience.

We didn't even make it into the restaurant. I am writing this review to let others know about the parking situation at the restaurant. We went on a Saturday night, which is one of the busiest restaurant nights of the week, and when we arrived at the restaurant, there were cones in several vacant parking spaces in the front of the restaurant, and a line of cones blocking the entrance to the back parking lot. A guy came out to park our car, as the only parking was valet parking. We asked if there was any parking that was not valet, and he told us to park in a lot across the street. Anyone who has been here, or to restaurants on Main Street in Smithtown (in general), know that making a left hand turn across traffic on a Saturday night across Main Street is nearly impossible, and is extremely dangerous. Then, on top of that, to walk across Main Street is equally, if not more, dangerous. We opted to eat at another restaurant. There is no reason for restaurant patrons to be forced to valet their car when they want to go to dinner. read more

Went to dinner with another couple and while the food was good I don't think we will be going back. Acoustics were terrible and conversation was difficult. Service was slow and inconsistent There are enough good Italian restaurants around so that we will go elsewhere read more

We went to Casa Rustica this weekend and we loved everything about our meals! The food, service and drinks were excellent and can't wait to go back! Our new favorite go to restaurant! read more

I Ate there recently with my wife and some friends. The management understands that if they create ambiance then the prices will reflect this and people will sort of say "Hey,, you have the pay for the atmosphere", The valet parking was great and there is coat checker so you sort of feel like your going to a catered affair. Well, it was certainly upscale, but very noisy. Many of the patrons were clad in Jacket and ties but then you have the tables with folks in sweatshirts and jeans. The background music is to the tune of "very loud people- and alot of them. Not my idea of atmosphere-at these prices. I found the food mediocre at very best and my wife's seafood - mussels and clams dish was lacking ridiculous and very sparse. It took about 40 minutes for the main course to come out, what is the excuse for that????. If your a regular you'll get some hugs from the staff but for me al I got was a hefty check and ringing ears. read more

I have to ask. What was all the fuss about? As a long islander most of my life, have driven by this place a million times without trying it. I have heard raves about it for years. I had the chicken Palermo which was ok, but nothing to rave about. The real test was how the sauce was gonna taste. My wife's rigatoni with sausage and meatballs was amateurish at best. The meatballs were mushy and the sausage was "mezza-mezza". The sauce had chunks of garlic, but very little flavor! Might give it another try, and out of fairness try another dish. I was not very impressed. Nice service and atmosphere at least. read more

This was my favorite restaurant 15 years ago when I was a teenager and last night was the first time I've returned as an adult. It was even better than I remembered! The food was excellent and the atmosphere was probably the best I've seen at a Long Island restaurant. Our waiter and the bartender both made us feel at home and talked with us like we were old friends. Benny checked in throughout the night and made sure we were having a good time (and bought us shots!). There was live music all night at the bar which eventually turned into a dance party/sing along. It was definitely an older crowd (my husband and I were probably the youngest people there by like 20 years--which we had no problem with). Oh, and I had the lobster. It was delicious and it came with dessert! read more

Excellent Food--Excellent Service. They do everything right. It was a pleasure dining here. I had the Veal Cafe Rustica and it was a large portion that I totaly enjoyed. My wife had the lobster. She very rarely orders lobster out because we steam them at home. But this is the exception. She requested a female because we love the roe. That is what she got. They take most of the meat out of the shell and flambe it and then return it to the shell. Fantastic. The restaurant is 5 star in every way. read more

We have been coming to this restaurant for many years, and I must say we have NEVER been disappointed. We had a birthday celebration for all 3 our our kids that are all born in the same week and it was great. All 7 of us cleaned our plates! The baked clams are one of my daughters favorite since she was little, ( Now 24) and still loves them. She ordered the Duck, which was delicious, I had the butternut squash raviolis with pistachio cream sauce that I enjoyed very much. Joe our waiter was very professional Highly recommended. read more

What a horrible meal. Watered down sauce and rude service. We were celebrating my parents 50th wedding anniversary. My mother asked the waiter to repeat something and he replied by saying "I already told you". I don't mind high prices if the meal is worth it....certainly not the case here. In the interest of keeping the evening enjoyable we held our tongues. Not even worth the one star. We would have been better off burning the $700 it cost us for warmth, since the restaurant was absolutely freezing. What a disgrace. read more

Delicious food and beautiful ambiance! Cocktails are great and food is top notch. Perfect for family parties or just a night out! Highly recommend!!! read more

I don't really understand why this place is voted Tops on Long Island. The atmosphere is beautiful, definitely a special occassion type of feel. The service is attentive and stuffy (think old waiters in tuxedos) - very good service nonetheless. However the main purpose of a restaurant is to provide you with delicious food. In my opinion, the food is overpriced and underwhelming. When I was there I tried a cheese and fig appetizer which was delicious. It was my birthday so my husband insisted I have the lobster which is prepared tableside a "specialty" of the house. Honestly, it was $60 and it wasn't anything spectacular. I thought the sauce prepared didn't go well with it at all but I thought I'd try something different - big mistake. My husband had a pasta which was very good but almost $30 for a pasta that isn't memorable is a bit much. I've had much better food on Long Island. read more

This place is an old fashioned Italian restaurant that has everything you'd ever want. Our family has been going here for over 30 years and we've never had a single bad experience. Food is amazing, service is outstanding, and it is family owned and run, making it a very traditional Italian American experience. Absolutely recommend. read more

We've gone there most years for our wedding anniversary. This year was somewhat disappointing. No one was at the door when we arrived. The bartender didn't acknowledge us, even though he wasn't serving anyone at the time, until we called out to him to get his attention. We didn't feel very welcome when we arrived. Finally someone did come over and suggested we sit at the bar while they were getting our table ready . read more

A fine establishment . Hands down the best food and service on the Island. It is very hard to find a place that offers great service and consistent food as well. To name a few of our favorites , burratta , octopus ( it's amazing ) , stuffed chop ( veal or pork) and the lobster specials are incredible. All in all everything on the menu is fantastic. Benny truly knows how to take care of his customers as well. It's our go to place a few times a month. read more

After moving to huntington I found it hard to get a good Italian meal. I was recently introduced to Casa rustica and now I can't get enough. And on a saturday night Benny the owner even greeted us and asked how we did. Love this place! read more

Went to Casa Rustica with a party of 18. We were seated in the private room. The owner Benny met us when we arrived. Professional, pleasant and very amenable. Food from appetizers thru desert was great. Service was out of this world. We were there for three hours and never wanted for anything. Never hovered or rushed us, but were always in the background doing a exceptional job. One of the guests asked for a strawberry tequila shot. The bartender said he did not have any, but said he would make them from scratch by muddling fresh strawberries. They loved them. Who does this? Just a example of the great service, great food and great time. Thank you everyone read more

I will begin this review by stating that rarely am I so aggravated over anything that I post reviews however, based on how I was treated and embarrassed at this establishment last night, I feel compelled to share my horrible experience. As I'm sure most of you are hard working people like myself, I know that dining out is not something we get to do often and therefore, I would think twice about spending your hard earned money at this restaurant. My husband and I use to love this restaurant which is why we suggested the site for my best friends 40th Birthday celebration. A group of 10 of us had dinner last night which was completely horrendous. Not only was the service dreadful, but the food has apparently gone down hill. I'm convinced the majority of what we were served was factory frozen and not scratch made. To begin, it took about 15 minutes from the time we were sat to be greeted by someone, who turned out to be one of three waiters we would have. It was about 30 minutes in to the meal until some of us received drinks, and about 45 until every person was served their cocktails. Finally someone different came over to take our food orders about an hour into our experience. Starting with the appetizers, most were served cold. I had a special of crabmeat stuffed mushrooms which were not only freezing but also super small. They looked like they came from the freezer at BJ's, there is no way these were homemade. The oysters Rockefeller were slimy, lukewarm and smothered in cheese, barely edible. Since I raved about it based on past experiences, three of us ordered the once spectacular table side flambeed lobster which was not even close to what it once was. One lobster was brought to the table to "show off" but then it was whisked away and prepared elsewhere. The lobster was served cold and lacked flavor. This was definitely not flambeed in cognac butter as it use to be. In addition, for a two pound lobster, there was not much meat at all. We considered the possibility that perhaps the meat of two lobsters was split amongst us when these were prepared in the back out of our sight. Naturally I felt horrible as it was my recommendation to the group. Thank goodness McDonald's is open 24 hours a day because $64 later after our tiny lobster, we had to stop for dinner on the way home. The chicken dishes that some members of our group ordered had a strange texture to chew through and had to be sent back. The waiter said "yeah that happens" as if this is commonplace. The birthday girl dined on zucchini fries for dinner as by the time her dish came back, everyone else was done eating. Half way through our dinner some potato and vegetables were placed on our table, apparently they forgot to bring them initially. At no time was their an apology by any staff member or did a manger come over to check on our table. The whole dining experience literally took us 4 hours. Now for my biggest issue of the night, the manager. Following dinner, a few members of our party decided to stay for a nightcap. After paying $70 for drinks while engaging in conversation, our drinks disappeared from the bar. When I asked the bartender what happened, he said he made a mistake and he thought we were done. When we asked him to make us new ones, the manager came over and had him bring us some water instead. When I asked the manager what was going on he said that we "had enough to drink". At no time were any of us acting inappropriately, we were not being loud or making any sort of scene. We explained to the manager that we had a designated driver and that we were not causing any issues but instead of having a conversation about this, he proceeded to curse at us and said he refused to speak to us and the "conversation is over", dismissing our concerns like an angry parent. When my husband asked him politely to not curse at us he stormed off. We were treated as if we were outrageously intoxicated teens causing trouble in the restaurant. As young professionals, not only were we incredibly offended but also disgusted by the managers handling of this situation. If he as a manager felt that we were too intoxicated then why were we served at the bar in the first place? He had no problem taking our $70 which he refused to refund. Instead of giving us back our our money and getting an apology for the admitted mistake on the part of the bartender, he humiliated us and used vulgar language. The bartender even tried to explain his mistake but was blown off. Based on my experience, I will never patronize this establishment again. It is clear that the restaurant is struggling based on the prison grade food and the inept employees. If Gordon Ramsey decides to do Kitchen Nightmares again, this would be a great place to start. read more

Don't know what all the hype is about. Mediocre Italian food and poor service. Not going to return !

So. It's Nov 15. Just walked in and there's no bar available. Just tables and chairs pulled up to the bar for dinner or whatever the event is. Not sure. . One week ago I walked in and there's zero ppl at bar and zero bartenders during prime time. This place has absolutely collapsed from what it once was. Disaster. Hopefully someone will buy this place soon and restore it to something read more

I have been to this restaurant many times... Every time was excellent... They are more than happy, to adjust your dinner just the way you want it... Service and food are wonderful... read more

Impeccable dining experience - food and service are always the best. Attentive staff, delicious food, beautiful decor... what else could you ask for? One of my favorite Long Island spots, highly recommended. Try for earlier dining times, as it gets crowded for the later crowd (as one might expect). read more

"Disappointed" my wife and I ate here last night. The waiters for the most part could not speak English so for them to tell us the specials was impossible. Off the menu my wife had Lobster risotto which was lacking Lobster and the risotto was gummy. I had veal parmesan over capellini with red sauce the veal was great the capellini and red sauce both were overcooked and burnt. Cannot recommend this restaurant read more

Great night of amazing food,great service and a comedy show that was hysterical!! Kit Stewart and Jessica Kirson were Fabulous!!!

Finally my wife and I got a chance to have a date night, and it was well worth it thanks to Casa Rustica ! Love the new decor, felt welcoming as soon as we open the doors. Greeted quick and prompt, waiters were knowledgeable and friendly and offered suggestions. The chef personally came out to see how things were and offered his suggestions. Food was amazing and presentation was even better. We'll be back ! read more

PLEASE dress nicely for this lovely place! I just cannot understand why people dress in T-shirts while go for such an upscale restaurant! Restaurants like this are hardly existed on Lond Island. The waiters are very professional and the food are both great in appearance as well as in taste. Yes, dress correctly and be part of the charming and pleasurable experience. read more

Rob the bartender was as professional a mixologist as any I have encountered. His Sloe Gin Fizz is beyond comparison. While the food was good, the bar service from Rob was second to none; stellar. He makes it a point to become familiar with his clientele's favorite libations and does not skimp on the booze! Rob is a throwback to a time when service was about making the customer happy rather than about only making money. In addition to the fabulous service and attention to detail, Rob is also easy on the eyes. It may be a bit pricey, but worth its weight in gold; if you have the means, I highly recommend stopping by this quaint, rustic, authentically Italian dining establishment. read more

Love the place, the service and my favorite dish after so many years, still the lobster...

In the last few months its been going down hill, service is not what is used to be. Cook does what he likes and not what you want, and it seems that no one seems to care/or do anything about it also highly expensive for what you get. read more