What a great restaurant. Food is prepared fresh and you can really taste the level of how fresh the ingredients are. The pasta are home made and delicious They have a great banquet facility as well for all your large party functions. Great menu and I'm hungry for some pasta now writing up this review. Very reasonably priced read more

As transplants from New Jersey we are constantly looking for great Italian food. Cucina Rustica has become our new spot and worth "going over the bridge for"! The food was fantastic especially the escarole and beans with the homemade pasta. Our server was wonderful and extremely helpful. I've always felt a chef owned restaurant almost never disappoints and Brian was spot on. Just two little things perhaps the outside landscaping could be a little more inviting and my cannoli shells were made out of graham crackers simply not my favorite. Again the decor inside was sweet and rustic hence the name and the staff were amazing. Cannot wait to go back! Laura G. read more

been here multiple time now love and will continue to return . great atmosphere, great food and great service i highly recommend it but note this is a place for a great night out meal.....not so much for a great beer read more

Food was great. Waitress was very cordial. When the owner/hostess came to the table with the bill and leftover containers, we were still eating!! That is not acceptable!!! We told her we felt we were being rushed and she said "well we are busy "! Very disappointed! read more

This is one of my FAVORITE restaurants! My boyfriend and I go here at least two Wednesdays a month for "buck a shuck". I love the ambiance and the food is excellent! Calamari is also one of our favorites! Chef Brian was on the show, "The Pressure Cooker" on Netflix and loved the show too. Big fans! read more

Nice Cozy Atmosphere We got there around 5pm to avoid the Saturday night dinner crowd. We sat down right away. The restaurant is very nice inside with a lot of room between tables which is a gives a certain comfort. We enjoyed the meatball appetizer and for entree's my wife had the Scallop Risotto special, my son the pasta marinara, and I the Sunday Gravy! We all loved our dishes. All the pasta is homemade! After the meal we were treated to a complimentary lemon cello which I thought was a great touch! Tip: Top Notch Caprese Salad Highly recommend and will be back. Thanks read more

Amazing experience! We had a wonderful 50th Birthday celebration. From start to finish Kelly and our event staff were responsive, accommodating, efficient and organized. Food was excellent, I couldn't be more please with Cucina Rustica and highly recommend for any event. read more

Mothers Day Brunch Nightmare.. Upon arrival you are greeted with a musty odor and direction to your table. No Hi! Happy Mothers Day, my name is Nothing..Food comes out to the buffet table half an hour after your arrival and so does the drink you ordered 30 minutes ago. The food was just Ok and the selection was just fair. We had to keep asking for items to be re filled, ie maple syrup, eggs, salad etc. The attention to detail at the buffet table was lacking. and as for the service, it was missing in action. No follow thru on another drink, do you like the food, or where's the drink I ordered 20 minutes ago. Do you have a napkin, salt and pepper, another fork. In the end, the desert was apple turnovers which they ran out of. I asked three separate people for a coffee and an apple turnover. Finally someone said "we ran out". And to round out the mood, the owner was at the bar feeding a baby! Classy. No wonder these places go out of business. With so many good restaurants in RI, I am shocked this place is still open! read more

Went tonight for a comedy show in the banquet room. Parking lot was a comedy show all in itself. I got there a half hour early, (thank god), luckily I found a spot then watched the madness ensue. Traffic jams in the parking lot, people not knowing where to go, backing up almost hitting other cars. Recommendation: next time you have an event like that, have valet parking! Go inside, seated right away. Go up to the bar in the banquet room. Unorganized chaos. $14 for a martini, say what?? Like the littlest martini glass known to man.. go back to my seat. Dinner begins, my tables were one of the first to go up. Food was decent for catering, looked like plenty of portions. By the time the last table went up, they were irate and were making it known to everyone already finished with their meals. Nothing was being replenished and they felt they didn't have enough food. I went back up to the bar after dinner. Another $14 martini in a normal sized martini glass this time. Still not worth $14. Cant justify the drinks. Dessert comes out to the table, I must say, the cannolis were the best I have ever had!! I'd only go back for the cannolis. Was unimpressed with everything else. The womans bathroom trash was overflowing even though they maintain a clean restaurant area. The staff was normal, tried to be on top of everything, not miserable, but not happy, even keel. read more

Excellent food and service. We enjoyed the handmade pasta! The complimentary Zambuca was delicious . The cannolis were amazing!

Such friendly and efficient service! They really take good care of you here. We had a lunch special antipasto platter that was very generous. Yummy imported olives, Gardiner's pickled veg's, meats and cheeses. The only disappointment was the flavorless bread. We also ordered a bowl of fresh pasta with marinara and a fat meatball. Mmmmm. No fillers in this meat mass. The pasta was frilly with layers that grabbed the sauce. Interesting shape of pasta and I imagine difficult to produce properly. Add a glass of Chianti and you are doing well. read more

Cucina Rustica - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

Went with 6 of us for a last minute graduation party and Outstanding all around, Service, Food, Atmosphere. Everyone's Main Coarse was Delicious, and the Meat and Cheese antipasto is Better than Twin Oaks, Veal Chop was Best I ever had. Would highly recommend to Anyone. read more

Cucina Rustica - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

My food was great (Salmon Piccata). My friend had chicken parm which was a giant serving. She ate half and my husband was happy to be brought home basically a full dinner! Only complaint is the restaurant was sooooo dark. We are in our 30s and couldnt see the menu. If the lights are going to be that low then they should add candles to the tables at least. read more

The quality of the food and service here are outstanding I love their red gravy in particular ..the veal parm that I had was fantastic! My husband had a seafood dish and enjoyed it as well. All of the staff are very pleasant, attentive and accommodating!! Marianne C read more

Insane delicious. Went there Thursday night, was so good had to return Saturday night for the same epic veal chop w/ bacon brandy cream sauce. Bananna pepper martini was insane. Wait staff was beyond amazing, and chef personally delivers the dinner. What more could you ask for. read more

Came tonight- haven't been in a while. The food is so good. One of very few places in RI that makes their own pasta- I think there were 6 or 7 different kinds tonight! Amazing food and service. So so good! Wish to see you guys busier. Better than any Italian place on the hill-no comparison! Horrendous tonight- got there at 7:00. Dining room was full minus two tables so we opted for the bar. We should've left when we weren't greeted properly and Crepe Erase infomercial was playing on the tv. Took 15 minutes to get drinks- apparently there were "call outs" so the bartender also had tables- the manager? In jeans who was helping in the back for a party mumbled Jesus Christ about 10 times. We ordered our drinks and pizza at the same time- we asked for bread because 30 minutes had passed and we were starving. The bartender said "I have it over there but I can't find any silverware- they were also out of martini glasses. our pizza finally arrived and the first bite was raw- what a shit show. When she dropped the pizza she asked if we wanted to put in our order and I said we had waited 45 min and you never took it! She said I know but the kitchen isn't backed up just the service-lol. After she confirmed the pizza was indeed raw we happily left when she said "you guys are all set"... what a mess. Such a shame because the food is amazing. However, it was like this on a Wednesday a few weeks ago so not sure why they can't staff their restaurant correctly.... read more

Went with a party of 10. Service was incredibly slow with only one waitress taking care of our large group. Food delivery came 2 at a time and prob took at least 20 min until everyone got their meals. Food was just okay, nothing special. The homemade pasta had a nice texture and was cooked well but the sauce was bland and nothing special. Many requests went unanswered, salt on table, glass of ice... I don't blame the waitress, she was obviously overwhelmed. Everyone in our group of 10 left underwhelmed. Won't be back. read more

That was our first and last visit. We were celebrating my mom's birthday. We waited way too long for our dinners, so long that I feared we'd be celebrating her next by the time the food came. The food, in a word...awful. They did offer us after dinner sips of Sambuca. I'm thinking because they saw all the plates coming back barely touched. The waitress was sweet but could have updated us while we were waiting for the food. Aside of the company, not a good experience here. read more

Uninspired American food posing as Italian food. If you've been to Italy, you'll know.... The bad: 1. Overly chewy calamari 2. Red sauce on pasta was so sweet 3. Veal chop very dry I don't see any reason to go back, quite frankly. read more

Phenomenal Italian food in a classy atmosphere. My girlfriend is the native Rhode Islander and recommended Cucina Rustica for dinner and it did not disappoint. I've been here a couple times now and every dish has been divine. Veal Parm, Salmon, homemade pasta, you can't go wrong. Service was also friendly and there are clearly a lot of regulars (always a good sign). I cannot say enough good things. We will be back. read more

Cucina Rustica - Amazing homemade rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

Great food, nice atmosphere. I would definitely go back. Everything was very good, you can also get their homemade pasta for an additional charge. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. Over by the kitchen they have the coal fired oven so you can see everything that's happening. We went on a Sunday evening and not many people were there so there was no wait. They have a separate room for parties or private functions. read more

See all

Another great meal. Home made pasta tops it all off. Great staff. CannoliChicken Parmigiana

Just had dinner at the Cucina, sat at the bar. The food and service was fantastic. Rhe chef owner actually served our dinners. The shrimp scampi with homemade pasta was the best I've ever had ! my friends clam zuppa was perfect. Will always go back ! read more

I had built it up for many years and finally decided to go. We ordered the chicken parm and Sicilian chicken. The chicken was juicy and very good. The portions were large. Their sauce is so disappointing. For a fancy Italian restaurant I was expecting a more authentic sauce. If you go skip anything with marinara and 100% get the limoncello mascarpone. read more

Went there in a whim because I wanted to try somewhere New close by. Walked into the restaurant and was impressed by the greeting, and the decor. We were seated in a nice Booth right by the open kitchen. We ordered a pizza margarita and also decided to pick one of their specials which was a beautiful pork chop dish with lovely vegetables. Being the freak that I am I decided to start videotaping the open kitchen. Wow it was so amazing to watch them. The chef came by and asked how our food was and I invited him to sit down and I started video recording him to describe what he had served us. He was such a wonderful man as was all the kitchen staff. The food was great and our server Katie finished the night beautifully by coming by and offering us complimentary Sambuca.With the coffee beans inside the glass. I really have to give this establishment 5 stars even though I didn't try the dessert or much more on the menu. But this establishment deserves it because of their service, the ambiance, and the great food that we did try was excellent when I start taking pictures I thank the staff thinks I might be someone important. We all are. And the service was excellent as was the food that we enjoyed. read more

Cucina Rustica - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

I went here with my wife and friends and we all said the food is excellent and the service was great.Definitely will be back to this restaurant. read more

This place was amazing for an after funeral luncheon. We were in a jam to book a place and Kelly was just wonderful and kind. She was so perfect to deal with and made the booking process so simple. She was there on the day and always made sure everything was great. She said we would love the food and we did! Highly recommended because the food is great but even more because the staff is great. read more

I went there for a wedding last night. I had heard the food was delicious and I was excited to try the food. Unfortunately, the Veal Marsala had a vinegar taste. Also, the veal didn't taste like veal it tasted more like a processed veal patty. The restaurant took on more then they could handle that night. There was a party next door to ours and we were only separated by a curtain. The servers didn't know which party to help first. I won't be going back. read more

Let me preface this review with this one thought, my wife & I have become friends with the owners of this restaurant. However, if the food was anything but perfect, I would not give a review. As you walk in to the restaurant, it doesn't give off the typical Italian vibe, however, the food you are about to have will make your mouth water as well as enter your dreams until you return! All the pasta is made in house THAT DAY! If you have a food restriction they will work around it. If you want something special, and they have it in there pantry, they will make it for you! It's like you have a personal Chef at your disposal, kinda cool. If your somewhat adventurous you must try there GRILLED ROMAINE, it is to die for. The flavor profile actually tastes (at least to me) like your eating a quality burger! The Veal Parmigiana is the best I have had since my Mom made it for me! (and that's saying something) Actually anything on the menu is truly amazing, the staff is right on point and the owners are always there. They have banquet facilities, with a private bar. The banquet staff is the best (well next to the regular wait staff). read more

Had dinner tonight with my cousins who were visiting from out of town. It wasn't busy as it was a Monday night. Our server was Kate, and she was sweet, attentive and helpful. She was extremely patient, as it took us awhile to order because we were talking and catching up. A few of us ordered the pasta with littlenecks and it was amazing. All of the pasta is homemade, and ours was cooked perfectly. We also ordered house salads which were fresh and good. One person ordered the sea scallops and they looked incredible. She said they were delicious. Another ordered chicken marsala, and loved it. When we finished our meal, we were offered a choice of Sambuca or Amaretto complimentary. Nice touch! The restaurant itself is spacious and comfortable. I would definitely return in the future. read more

Cucina Rustica - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

Went here recently for dinner, and the three of us all enjoyed the food very much. The restaurant is called Rustica, but it's actually fairly modern looking inside. Nice, clean, comfortable. Our waitress was pleasant and knowledgeable about the menu. We had a couple of questions about the food and needed one or two minor modifications to some of the dishes, all of which were handled perfectly. The food here is much better than I had expected. They have an open kitchen and a wood-burning pizza oven, so you can see what's going on and the food as it's getting expedited. Everything that came up was served steaming hot and immediately, which is a really good thing to see. I didn't notice anything sitting there at all - always a waiter ready to take it. Kudos to the kitchen for excellent expediting. We started with a bruschetta app - sausage and rabe on hearty bruschetta. We did ask to not have the balsamic drizzle, and it was superb. My pasta dish was also superb - house-made rigatoni with cannellini beans and pancetta. Outstanding! The one thing that I didn't care for was the butter they served with the bread. It was sweetened, and to me that doesn't jibe well at all with the flavors of Italian food. The waitress did bring us plain butter, so it was all good. Just a weird misstep. Even the olive oil dipping thing that's so prevalent now is better than sweetened butter. We also shared a Margherita pizza, which was perfectly cooked. Wonderful light crust, great crispiness and slight char here and there. Really really good! They had some guy singing covers of Sinatra and other similar Italian-American songs over by the bar. It was unnecessary in my opinion. He wasn't bad and the volume wasn't obnoxious but if that's the music you want, why not just play the originals? Service - excellent Food - excellent Ambiance - good. read more

Cucina Rustica - Margherita pizza and chicken parm, both excellent! - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

Pasta is made here. Specials during week will astound you not just for taste but for freshness and price. My husband had pork shank that was tender and succulent. I had the veal chop Milanese. Omg what a dish Pasta is al dente the Chef knows how to cook pasta !! Service was excellent. Ask for Micaela she was attentive without being over bearing. If you are a Foodie you must try this restaurant read more

Cucina Rustica - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

We purchased a $50 coupon for $25 from a radio ad and decided to try it out. We ordered a baby kale Caesar salad with anchovies (to my wife's delight).It was plenty to split and was fresh and crisp. She ordered Cioppino, an Italian fish stew which was supurb... 3 Scallops were the size of my fist , little necks, shrimp, mussels and whitefish in a delicious light broth with chunks of tomato and onion.very flavorful. I had the "brick chicken" which was started on a Himalayan salt block on a gas stove and transferred to a cast iron skillet and finished in an oven .. This was served with rabe and roasted fingerling potatoes in the same skillet.This was served in a sauce with capers... Absolutely delicious ! The kitchen was open to the dining room so you could watch the chef making his presentations.. He certainly knew his craft. There was a brick wood burning brick oven for pizza. We saw one go by and it was thin crusted and looked good.. The service was right in the money.. I thought the prices were a little bit high but that's the only criticism I care to make.. I don't usually make long tedious reviews but I just kept writing.. Sorry... 4 star for now, (until I go back to try the pizza) . (-: read more

See all

Our visit was so poor that we left confused about how popular the place seems to be. We made a reservation through open table, but they were going off names and numbers scrawled on a piece of paper. They almost sat us at somebody else's reserved table before we mentioned there were only two of us for the 4 menus they sat down. Our mistake as it took another 15 minutes until we sat down. Then it was another 15 minutes before we saw our waitress. I ordered a cocktail that tasted like water when it showed up 10 minutes later. Another 5 - 10 minutes later and they decided to plop some cold bread down on the table for us. We were just unimpressed with the bread, but soon became disgusted when we discovered that the bread basket was a obviously well used napkin inside a metal frame. The entire bottom of it was filled with stale crumbs and it was lovingly dusted with past customers skin flakes. Another 15 minutes later I received my ribeye steak and my partner received her salmon dish. I ordered the steak to be medium and it came out nearly well done. I can forgive that, but there was literally no flavor to the steak. My partner and I agreed there wasn't even a speck of salt on it. The cold green beans and mashed potatoes didn't add much to the experience. My partner said her Salmon was ok so no marks against them there. What really brought everything to a gloriously bad apex was the literal 20 minutes it took to get our check once we asked for it. It got to the point where my partner went outside to get in line for the valet (one guy btw). Good thing too because we ended up waiting for our car since the valet "couldn't find" the car of a person waiting ahead of us. OH YEAH AMD THERE WAS A LADY SINGING KARAOKE SONGS BY HERSELF AT THE FRONT DOOR! The whole time she was singing stuff like " the time of our lives" with a laptop spitting out midi tracks. Again, SHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON SINGING IN THIS SMALL RESTAURANT FULL OF PEOPLE. read more

Great food! Great company! And we practically had the place to ourselves on a Tuesday night. My only complaint would be the calamari, it was a tad bit chewy. My meal was delicious (fresh pasta with escarole & beans) I could have literally drank the broth that came with it as well as the other guests I was dining with (chicken special with eggplant & ricotta cheese). The dessert was scrumptious too (tiramisu & lemon marscapone cake). I will surely be back for the fresh pasta, escarole and beans! Our server was also fantastic, wish I had remembered her name. Thank you for a great night with great friends! read more

Cucina Rustica - Fresh Pasta w/ Escarole & Beans ... To die for! - Italian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

See all

CUCINA RUSTICA is located in Cranston and does have a nice atmosphere. I don't suggest ordering anything that is not part of the menu as they don't have control over the taste or whether the item is cooked thoroughly. The bartender was cordial and there was a good amount of parking. We requested a bereavement package for 50 ppl. There was a bar in the back that was open to those who only showed to have a drink (which was many). Those who drank left nice tips. Due to the funeral some distance away, some came in and bought cake and other items for the family members. However, at departure, the staff stated they were told to increase the number to 75 because they didn't know who ate or didn't eat (i.e the bar), nor could they say whether those who they counted were even part of our party. The wing addition was a last minute add to increase billing to ~$30/pp for the 50ppl requested. Now they establishment says that when you ask for a specific number, they change the term to "the minimum" and though they didn't receive authorization nor cooked or brought in any additional food beyond the request for 50 ppl, they should be paid $1100 more for some arbitrary head counting vice the established food set for 50 ppl for a bereavement. No one says it's an open tab to charge whatever the restaurant wants without any verification or documentation. That is why you give a number of your party. How about I stand around your party of 10, sit down near your group, then the wait staff says, you should pay for 11 people because they counted and there were 11 people near you and I could have had a bite of something or not, could have only had a beer I paid for, but I was there. Should you pay the additional $30 for me too after your verbal order for 10 ppl? Should you argue with them repeatedly during the event? The notion that the establishment makes up stories about free food and not wanting to pay is ridiculous. Even they posted, "we prepared food for 50", Exactly. 50 ppl didn't eat the customized menu package. I disputed the charge at the time of service, and requested the receipt, and it has not been a month- less then. I tried to leave a partially favorable review, but the below made me thing twice and update accordingly. read more

Have been wanting to come here for some time. The food was delicious and the staff was so friendly and accommodating!

Phenomenal food & phenomenal waitress ERIN!!! homemade pasta to die for & amazing drinks too.

I love the food here. They have aa great red sauce and make home made pasta. Came with a few friends, I got the twin pork chops dish with vinegar peppers which was great. My friends got the burrata salad and baked seafood and they were both happy with their meal. They have pre fixe meals, 5$ martinis and wines before 6 o'clock everyday. Great deal. The only reason I couldn't give 5 stars was the wait time. We came in at 5:30, didn't get our soup for 40 minutes. It took over an hour to get food which we didn't expect dining early. Then our waitress left a bill that was off by one hundred dollars over. When I brought it to her attention she said she accidentally added two bills together. I don't know how you possibly do that. When we got the bill back it wasn't itemized they were just a few totals together. I don't even know if the bill was correct but we had to get to a show and I didn't have time to scrutinize it. I think they need to update their system and give people itemized bills we should know what we're paying for. Good thing I noticed the discrepancy in my bill or we would have paid an extra hundred dollars.... read more

See all

LOVE this place! I've been a number of times, have sat at a table once but mostly at the bar. Food is always fantastic! Best pink sauce in RI hand's down. I've tried the steak specials a couple of times and it was cooked to perfection and decadent. I normally stick to local beer, they have a pretty decent selection in cans, no taps (not a concern to me but may be to some). They carry some local whiskeys and my favorite local rum Thomas Tew. The wine list looks good but I haven't yet tried any. Service has always been friendly and on point, they've even offered a complimentary cordial at the end of my meals when sitting at the bar. Probably my favorite 'Italian' restaurant in RI currently! Try the radiatore pasta, it holds the sauce so well. read more