Cucina Rustica is an extraordinary hidden gem. It hits all the bases of wonderful flavorful food, extraordinarily good service, and a cozy old Italian ambience. My rack of lamb with an Italian flavored seasoning twist medium, rare, perfectly prepared with roast potatoes and side salad was expertly prepared. Add an appealing presentation and you have the perfect combination. My guest had eggplant Parmesan, and as they say it's all about flavor which the dish represented. The slightly salted fresh homemade Italian bread with a butter surface wash was a delicious diversion. You had to be careful of before the entries arrived. All this with an excellent dessert, glass of white wine, and friendly attentive service was the way to start the new year. We will be going back. Joe MERSNIK read more

Things seem to be looking up- the food was solid and the service was good. The renovated bar looks cheap and the staff is grubby looking.

To improve you need to cook your food to meet FDA cooking standards. Raw Chicken is not acceptable and will send people to the hospital. read more

Cucina Rustica - Raw Chicken Parmesan. Be careful about what you eat here. - Italian Near Me - Chagrin Falls, Ohio

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Seems like the end is near at Cucina! Went there Wednesday night. Completely empty dining room at 7:30. I was one of five people at the non attended bar. Young waiter/ greeter/bartender took my order and brought out old, hardened pizza dough rolls. Side salad was ok, and then came my chicken Marsala. I only had time for three bites before the FIRE ALARM STARTED BLARING FOR TEN MINUTES AS THE STAFF COULDN'T TURN IT OFF! I got my meal to go and got no discount offered. I was there maybe 25 minutes total. I left as the fire department came for the false alarm. What a horrible experience read more

I've lived down the street from this place for the past 4 years and never tried it based on some reviews. In my opinion, the reviews are wrong in this case! Home style Italian cooking. We order the Chicken Parm and Chicken piccata. They use the same fried cutlet for both meals. They just top them with different sauces and that was fine my us! read more

Service was basically terrible, and imo the food was just ok, nothing outstanding. Yes we had a large party with reservations, however their estimate of what size table we would need was light. I cant imagine we will ever return read more

This was our first time back after a dinner here fifteen years again. Friends invited us to join them for an early dinner with another couple so we decided to try it again thinking things have changed. Well it was 6:30 on Saturday night. We decided to order. Our friends ordered a pizza. The rest of us ordered chicken parm, chicken piccata, the special of the night (walleye). The waiter came back and told us they were out of pizza so they had to order eggplant parm. My chicken parm was two breasts of chicken pounded paper thin and breaded then fried so long it was like eating cardboard. They put melted cheese and bad tasting sauce on it. My friend ordered chicken piccata that looked just like my dish only put capers on it instead of sauce ( never seen piccata using flat breaded fried chicken. My wife ordered the walleye special but the waiter came back and said they don't have the mushrooms for the dish. I had ordered wedding soup as a side. It came out ice cold like it was stored in the bowl in a fridge. Sent it back and they returned with hot soup. We were reminded why we never went back after our first visit 15 years ago. Also, the patio is built in their parking lot so plenty of noise and fumes. How do you have an Italian restaurant and tell your customers you are out of pizza. Never again. read more

Had a fantastic time! The service was a tad slow but the food was beyond excellent. The bread was so soft and cheesy and the Italian salad dressing was great. I got the pasta vongole which was wonderful and didn't use too many capers. My mom got the veal Parmesan and loved it! She got the risotto as well and it was one of the most creamy and cheesy things I've ever had. My dad got the spaghetti and meatballs and he liked the spaghetti but the meatballs were too dense for him but the spices were perfect. Overall a wonderful time with great food read more

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Great service and even greater food. Love the new remodeled interior. Staff was very friendly and accommodating

Great Remodeling job The ambiance is very nice Great food The best soup around, great pizza and pasta. I highly recomend this Resturant. Tony D read more

My wife and I ate here May 2024. We were seated promptly. The service was prompt. My wife had Chicken Parmigiana. This was pretty good. However, the pasta which came with it was in an extremely bland marinara sauce. I had Salsiccia Rustica (sausage with peppers and onions). This was quite good and the sauce with this was well developed and good. Unfortunately, it also came with the same side of pasta with a really boring, poor quality marinara sauce. The contrast between the excellent sauce with the sausage and the really bland sauce with the pasta was striking. So, overall what would have been a 4 star rating drops to three stars based on the marinara sauce. read more

Has a great dinner on the beautiful patio, I would definitely recommend this restaurant!

The Virginia Spots were not Virginia Spots. They were cut up filet of whitefish with burnt edges. Broccoli was fresh but undercooked. Eggplant parm was tasty. Marinara was fine. Server was unhappy. Drinks were good. read more

We love this place. Paula always takes great care of us. Our favorites are the pasta vongole, veal parm and their pizzas!!!

We visited Cucina Rustica this past week and all 6 of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The food was made to order and very fresh. We had everything from pizza, veal, pasta and dessert. Everything was spectacular, I highly recommend Cucina Rustica! read more

Cucina Rustica is a quaint restaurant and banquet hall in Bainbridge. We stopped here on a whim, craving Italian on date night. There is very limited parking in the front of the restaurant, thus we parked in the back. Upon walking to the front entrance, we saw the back patio bar. We asked the hostess and were told abruptly to walk to the rear to seat ourselves. We sat at our table for a lengthy amount of time as several waitresses walked past without greeting us. Our waitress had a party of 14, who were regulars celebrating a special occasion. We were finally given menus and ordered drinks. We enjoyed a couple beers and the Reisling with the house bread as we patiently waited to order our food next. The house bread was very doughy with several Italian herbs. We ordered the Chicken Parmigiana and Penne Pasta Aglio and Oglio. I added chicken to the Penne Pasta Aglio and Oglio. Both entreés come with dinner salads. The Chicken Parmigiana comes with an additional side. He ordered Garlic Mashed Potatoes. The Chicken Parmigiana had two large breaded chicken cutlets with tomato sauce and provolone on top. The Penne Pasta Aglio and Oglio is penne pasta, broccoli, and sundried tomatoes tossed in herbs and olive oil. It was very delicious. Definitely would try Cucina Rustica again! read more

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My husband and I visited this restaurant last night, (Valentine's Day) which is typically a very very busy night for restaurants. We were seated soon after arrival, and greeted by our server Sarah. I have to say I am a stickler for good service, and Sarah did not disappoint. She was friendly, knowledgeable, humorous, and attentive. We started with the calamari aglio olio. It was tender and had wonderful flavor. For me personally I would love a calamari dish that wasn't deep fried. But I wasn't sad I ate it lol. My husband had the eggplant Parmesan and I had cavatelli with marinara and meatballs. The meal was accompanied by delicious garlic bread We enjoyed everything! I would highly recommend this restaurant! I know my husband and I will be frequenting this establishment. read more

Cucina Rustica - Italian Near Me - Chagrin Falls, Ohio

My visit to Cucina Rustica with a friend was very enjoyable. I hadn't visited in a while so we were quite sure what to expect. The ravioli and shrimp pasta dishes were generous and delicious. The salad house dressing was tasty and loved the tiramisu! Our server was friendly and attentive. Remodeled interior very tasteful and comfy. read more

Excellent service! Excellent food! 10/10 recommend! This place is wonderful. Bring your family, clients or whoever! read more

Cucina Rustica - a plate of food on a table - Italian Near Me - Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Food remains excellent. Menu has gotten a tad smaller over the years. Still has that worn-feel to it. Service is solid, if a little detached. Biggest complaint is it feels click-y. Seems to have a lot of regulars that occupy the service staff. We go here a fair amount, but not enough that we would be regulars. It is not fine dining, but is a solid, neighborhood that satisfies on most counts. read more

We were hoping for a nice dinner at the end of our work week, but instead, we were treated as an imposition by the angry server behind the bar. She nearly broke the glass as she slammed it down so hard. She told us the kitchen closed at 8:30 pm (on a Friday!), but she'd see if she could still put our order in. She was swearing- not under her breath. Clearly annoyed that we had the nerve to arrive before closing( but while they were still open for business), she made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. How stupid were we to expect to be welcomed to overpay for their food. She didn't return to take our order after a long time. We ended up leaving and ate food elsewhere. We are trying to support local restaurants after the pandemic. We can be patient if treated nicely, and certainly understand staffing issues, but rudeness and anger is not something we are willing to put up with. We will cook at home now. It will take a lot to go back out right now, and believe me, it won't be at Cucina Rustica. read more

Not that great of a place. We had a party of 7 and most of us had something wrong with our meals. I had the veal parmigiana and it came out burnt and saturated in grease. Very disappointed to say the least. I know of 3 other Italian restaurants you can go to that are 100% better than this place. read more

I have since gone back after writing this post, and I still stand by the rating for the most part. My last visit there, everything tasted great! Which is a step up than what I was experiencing on my last review. However, I just can't let it go that they changed the menu to all be à la carte. Meals don't even come with a simple salad, it's extra. Who wants to pay $15+ for a small sized main entree, and then some more for side dishes? A little ridiculous if you ask me. read more

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My absolute favorites are the Peperoni Farciti for an appetizer and for dinner I love the Chicken Parmesan and also the Spezzatino Di Salsiccita! I have been coming here for over 13 years and I love it! The staff is always friendly. They are usually busy on the weekends. Oh and they also bring you a basket of assorted bread it's delish! It's exactly what you would expect on the inside from the name. It is wooden and rustic and cozy! If you're in the area you must try it! read more

I only gave it a one because I could not give it a zero. I grew up out here and have not tried this place until today with my boyfriend. When we walked in we were starred down by the bar outside. As soon as we were seated the men staring at us at the bar moved even closer in their seats and spoke very loudly about how slavery reparations should not exist and "what do I get for being a white man in the country for 60+ years & I was here first". My boyfriend was the only black person in this restaurant. He asked me not to engage so we could enjoy our meal (1/10) We were watched our entire meal. Everyone in the restaurant was brought bread except for us. The waitress spilled mussels down my boyfriends leg and did not even clean up her mess on our table or give up napkins for him. His water had floaters in it. The food was truly a 1/10 other than the motz triangles (10/10) the gnocchi left a floury unflavored texture in my mouth and the Alfredo had no flavor and no creaminess to it. I would say it was giving middle school lunch. The bartender yelled "this place is going to give me a fucking an aneurism" while screaming at our waitress for a messed up bill. It was an awful experience and a waste of money. Terrible people, terrible food, and a terrible time. read more

I am Italian and this is one of our favorite restaurants. Authentic sauces and dishes, some of the best veal and pasta in town. I highly recommend this place and in the summer they have a nice outdoor dining area with bar out back. we have been patronizing this place for past several years. so sad that owner Gino passed away, however, since his son took the reigns it has worked out well. there were some minor bumps with labor and hours but it rocking now. read more

Parking is limited in the front - I had to park in the way-back. They wouldn't substitute soup for salad. "They can't do that" was the quote. Docked one star for that. The bread was stale. Docked another star for that. I ordered the Gnocchi which was fresh and delicious. Other patrons' dishes looked very good as well. Wine selection was adequate. This is very much a locals joint. I *might* come back for the food - but not anytime soon. read more

Absolutely the best restaurant in the Chagrin area! Unbelievable food, the friendliest of staffs, and a good old fashion neighborhood hangout with locals catching up after a long day. Whenever I return for a meal, it feels like being home catching up with family. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of our community! read more

Stopped for dinner at 5:00 on a Tuesday. Friendly service. Complimentary garlic bread was yummy. Apps of calamari and mussels. Calamari was good, mussels not so much. Quite a few had sand, and the broth was very bland. I ordered a side caeser but they don't offer that which I realized when it was delivered and then on the bill. Dressing is not the creamy caeser as stated on menu but it wasn't bad. Ordered braised brisket off the specials menu - sooo good! Other plates at the table: chicken parmigiana, stuffed sausage hot peppers, and Rocky's tortellini. All were good. Big portions so we all took half home. Would definitely go back. read more

Great authentic Italian restaurant! Every meal I have had here has been awesome. Super service and extremely favorable portions of superb ital read more

I ate at Cucina Rustica last evening with friends - 9 in total. The restaurant was crowded, and if we did not have reservations probably would have been turned away. We all felt less than welcome by the hostess - the only negative of the evening. The food was superb! I was hungry, but did not order a side salad and opted for veal Parmesan with a side of spaghetti with marinara. Several at the table ordered the caprese salad - wow what a great salad. One salad was large enough to share with two or three people. It was fresh, and well prepared, and did I mention good. We all had salad. My veal - another wow. Simple, fresh, flavorful and well prepared. Reminded me of several of the restaurants on Mulberry in NYC. The marina was good and spaghetti a good side. Others at the table had veal piccata, egg plant Parmesan, lasagna and pasta. Everyone of the dishes received rave reviews. My bill - for two, 4 glasses of wine, and the al a cart menu - just over $50. I'm happy. I am not sure, and have seen the other reviews, where the other people went, but am sorry I have not come here sooner. This is one of my reasons for writing this review - don't miss out! I will come back! Don't let the grumpy hostess or the review keep you away! (4 stars instead of 5 due to this person) read more

My husband and I recently visited Cucina Rustica. Started out with a great bottle of wine. We shared the Escarole and Beans for our appetizer. My husband had the chicken parmigiana with a side Salad. I chose the Bolognese pasta. The employees Were very friendly. The owner/chef is from Italy The food did not disappoint. A definite neighborhood Gem . read more

My girlfriend and I went there for dinner two nights ago. ( Girls Night Out) We started with a nice glass of montepulcino wine . Our appetizers were Escarole and beans and Meatballs.... both excellent. We each had a pasta dish. Lasagna and Cheese Ravioli....both Yummy! We shared a cannoli for dessert. The staff was very friendly, the owner even Stopped by to make sure everything was great. The restaurant has an Italian cozy atmosphere. read more

Love Cucina, Gino, Sarah, Linda and the team. Miss them. Always have good food and better service! Looking forward to seeing them soon.

Have they gone back to the old menu? We would eat here weekly then the menu went a-la-carte and we went bye bye. Too bad, really. We used to split the chicken parmigiana and all the stuff it came with (we were ok with the share fee) and nibble on the great garlic bread. And some drinks. Then the menu changed and the bland bread sticks were offered. read more

Started off bad when the Owner/Hostess was rude from the start. The place reminds you have a cheap banquet room attached to a biker bar! But things got a little better, the waiter eventually threw us (literally) the specials...and finally came over to take the order. In her defense the waitress was busy, but not the best thing for a first impression. The food was alright...nothing to impress you! I had the chicken Parmesan, and it's first bite reminded my of a Chef Boyardee sauce, which I can not make up my mind if thats a good thing or something pitiful but it got better with every bite. Prices were great (feed 4 adults for $85) and that's the high point of this review. Recap: rude hostess (owner), over busy waitress but she was kind and very pleasant by the end, horrible atmosphere (nothing rustic about it), the food was mediocre at best! read more

Was here this week. Had their special called Lobster Frangelica. Had the same a few months ago. It was wonderful with real lobster meat. This time it was monk fish imitation. No lobster meat. The actual owner prepared it. I think that is called "false advertising" and cheating the customer. Not coming back! read more

One of my FAVORITE restaurants in the area. The atmosphere is quaint and cute, and the service is always prompt and kind. It really feels like you're dining at a small family restaurant. It can get crowded during dinner time on weekends and as a result can get quite loud, but in a sense that only adds to the lively atmosphere that's already been created by the beautiful interior. Of course the food is absolutely delicious. My favorite thing to do is just get a bunch of appetizers and share them between friends and family, and none of us end up having any room for an entree. The calamari is a MUST GET, and if they have escargot as a special that is always delicious too. The mussels are also amazing. They also have an extensive wine selection, making it a perfect place for a family outing, girls night out, or date night! read more

Clean that disgusting dumpster behind the patio please-so gross its totally ridiculous-also wash the floor if you are going to leave the rear kitchen door open by the patio gross-pure black disgusting to think you are cooking food in there-you must know people who work for the city not to be cited ==sickening dirty read more

if you are looking for a comfortable, Italian-family style dining experience then Cucina Rustica is the place for you! Owner Gino Oppedisano opened the ristorante back in 1991 as "East Side Grille" & has since updated the name as well as the menu & atmosphere while keeping the same great qualities & charm that once attracted so many customers all those years ago. Perfect for a date night or even casual dining, Cucina Rustica is affordable & practical & will leave you totally satisfied! read more

Cucina Rustica - a menu for a restaurant - Italian Near Me - Chagrin Falls, Ohio