My wife and I have been coming here for a few years. This was our first time since the new owner took over. Unfortunately, the recent reviews were spot on about the issues. My wife's mushroom ravioli was good. However, they committed the cardinal sin on my eggplant by undercooking it. This made it chewy and lacking flavor. This is an amateur move. As to service, I can confirm what others have said about it being very slow. The waitress absent for extended periods of time. I suspect that much of the delay had to do with the lack of food coming out of the kitchen. The restaurant was less than half full on a Thursday night so I don't understand why the kitchen was having so many problems. We might give it was more try in a few months to see if the get things figured out but I'm not very optimistic. read more

I couldn't find the Cucina Rustica pizzeria but this is the same sister restaurant right next door. The ambiance is very mute, nothing special about this place. The food is very bland. We all had different things but it was a miss. They don't do substitutions on toppings so beware of charges! We didn't want any olives so we were charged $3.50 for tomatoes. It also made one of my friends a little sick. The ONLY reason why they get a better rating is because of Shannon. She was WONDERFUL. We absolutely loved her. She went above and beyond and was so so kind. I'd actually go back and eat the pizza bc of her. If you have NO other option please go see her. Not the pizza, it's not worth it in my humble option. read more

See all

The food was impressive and fresh. The octopus was seasoned and cooked well. The salad was large enough to feed two and fresh. The lamb lollipops were delicious. read more

Had a wonderful meal here. Gave it 5 but would probably give it 4.5 stars if possible. We split the burrata which was excellent. Then split the Caesar salad. It was very good but not great. I had the veal Parm and the better half ordered the lasagna. The veal was fabulous. BH thought the lasagna was good but liked my veal better. Bottle of wine was fairly priced. Too full to even look at dessert menu. We're spending a month in the area and will go back read more

Meatballs? Literally the best we've ever had. Beet salad - OMG! The entrees are excellent and service is top notch. A hidden gem in Blue Ridge! read more

Wow! This place is amazing! The mushroom ravioli was delicious! Pasta made fresh, service was great, my whole family loved it. We will definitely be back if we are ever in blue ridge again! read more

Arrived before our reservation time and not able to sit early despite the empty bar. Apps were very good, chicken parm was over cooked for 2 of us. They wouldn't serve us bread until we ordered our entire meals which we all found odd. I understand being understaffed but expected more for the price. Staff ended up turning off lights and getting ready to leave before we even had our entrees. Wish the experience was better so we could return in the future read more

Waiter was professional and attentive. Food was attractively displayed and tasty. Good wine and good atmosphere. Almost best of all . . . parking, unlike downtown Blue Ridge. For your special occasion or when you just don't want to cook, make it Cucina! Ask for Jordan, great server! Went there with family, and really enjoyed the experience. read more

Food~ average to below taste and choices Service~ poor...non attentive Ambiance ~old not rustic! To be more specific~our Rez was 6:30.... That was ok... we sat down and waited 10 minutes until anyone came to the table...we ordered a bottle of wine.... It came.... The waitress took our order and said we had to order all at once...... we asked for bread... waitress said we had to wait because it was being heated ... we waited 15 minutes and the bread came out cold ... then we waited 30 minutes for an app.... Roasted shrimp ( very average!) we ordered a wedge salad to share the waitress brought it out, set it on the table, but never brought us plates to share... We had to stop another waitress to ask her to bring us plates....Then we waited another 25 minutes for a main course which was way below average. I had lobster shrimp linguine, and my husband had the lasagna bolognese,... both a big disappointment. It was our last night visiting Blue Ridge and we were so looking forward to this special restaurant , but we were very disappointed. We based our choice on their website which shows all sorts of different entrées that were not even available in the restaurant. If you have other choices for dinner, we suggest that you take them. read more

We have eater here for years when John and his wife owned it. Tonight was a great disappointment. Poor service, eggplant was thick and rubbery. We waited for an hour to get a drink refill and finally took our meal to go. Only two wait staff and no manager. We spent $182.00 for poor service and food to go. Never again. Stop cutting corners and provide quality service for the prices you are demanding. We will not return. Good luck. read more

I guess the kitchen is understaffed because it took over an hour to get our dinners from a very limited menu too boot. Food was mediocre at best also, chicken parm ok but sauce weak flavored. Brooklyn was our server and she was fantastic and kept apologizing which is not fair to her, she lost a couple tables because of the super slow kitchen. So remember it's not the servers fault! She was super sweet and gave us complimentary dessert. She still deserved a good tip and got it. read more

Have visited several times. Love the daily menus with great recipes and fresh ingredients. You will need to make a reservation.

This place is fantastic, phenomenal food and an amazing atmosphere! Our server, Zoe, was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and helped us choose the perfect dishes. Everything came out just right. When we return to Blue Ridge, this will definitely be a must-stop spot! read more

This was an interesting experience. We drove about 35 minutes from Ellijay to dine here. It looked closed from the outside and was kind of remote but, we walked in (we saw the open sign) and it was a mix of a room that was a host stand, lobby, dining area and bar all in an open room. However, the only thing that was used was the host stand. The rest looked like an area that was once used long ago and they just decided to abandon the area one day and never used it again. It was hard to see the other dining area but, I could tell there was one table with folks dining. We waited an exceptionally long time for the host to come. He asked if we had reservations (we didn't) which was funny to me considering how slow they were. He said let me check on a table. That was a 5 additional minute wait and he came back to seat us. I was rather shocked to see that there were only two tables seated. We were now the third. How in the world it took that long to be seated (10 minutes total), I'll never know. The menu was somewhat limited but, looked good. We ordered an appetizer, and our main dishes. The Buratta Caprise was good and we enjoyed it. The dipping sauce for the bread was lacking as it was simply olive oil and balsamic vinegar and the vinegar was the only thing you tasted. The most frustrating part of my experience was there was a special featured dish that night that was veal ravioli. They also had veal Parmesan on the menu. I was going to get the veal Parmesan, but, since I saw this was a special. I inquired to find out if the veal was stuffed inside the ravioli or outside the ravioli. The server told me it was pieces of veal outside the ravioli. Well, I ordered that and unfortunately, she was incorrect. The ravioli was, apparently stuffed with very ground up and minimal amounts of veal and cheese inside the ravioli. I would have never ordered it had I known that. It is why I specifically asked. Meanwhile, a table near us got the Veal Parmesan and it looked absolutely delicious and I was definitely jealous and frustrated since I have been intentional about asking. Regardless, the dish was good and I would call it average. Service was ok but should have been more prompt considering how slow they were. The most they ever had was 3 seated tables with a total of 8 guests. Not sure if I will try it again or not as it's quite a drive for a ok experience. They really do need to address the entry as it makes you leery to walk in and the odd lobby area with no one at the host stand makes that feeling intensify. read more

Recused menu( basic frozen food) servers ( too few) food below average since new owners took over, you're lucky to get it "Warm" if not cold and over cooked..... read more

My family rented a cabin for a short vacation in Blue Ridge, GA. There are not too many restaurant options in the area but we saw a sign for Cucina Rustica and made a reservation for dinner. Upon arrival, the entry is somewhat confusing. We came in through the exit because a truck was blocking the entry and when we left, numerous cars came through the exit as well. There are 3 main buildings - a private residence, the main restaurant and a pizzeria. We checked in with the hostess and had about a 10 minute wait for our table. Our waiter was friendly and brought out complimentary marinated olives and an assortment of fresh bread. The olives were tasty and the onion focaccia was light and flavorful. We ordered an assortment of dishes for dinner. First I can never turn down a watermelon salad. Arugula was dressed with a light honey vinaigrette and topped with grilled watermelon, feta, toasted walnuts, strawberries, and picked watermelon rind. The salad was spectacular and so well seasoned and balanced. I had trouble stopping eating it to save room for my dinner. Two people had the special short rib ravioli. The ravioli was nicely cooked, served with roasted root veggies and a nice sauce made with the savory beef broth. Another had the lasagna which was nicely portioned, full of meat in a tomato sauce and covered with a copious amount of cheese. I had the meatballs and ricotta appetizer as my meal. The meatballs were tender good size served with a super smooth ricotta that had a little charing from being broiled. It was served with a tomato wine sauce and toast points. My husband and I were too full for dessert but his parents had the seasonal berry tiramisu and ate every bite. I can honestly say we were not expecting the meal we had. Everything we ate was phenomenal, everyone loved their food, and our waiter provided fabulous service. We dropped an nice sum for dinner and tip but it was totally worth it. read more

since the change in ownership the food went from a 10 to a 1 at best, took friends there for their anniversary dinner and after years of patronage I will never go back, food was "HORRIBLE" not even warm, poor service, Veal Parmigiana was tasteless, chicken parmigiana same, Sauce was rancid, wine must have been left out without a cork or negative pressure , had to ask the server multiple times for simple items ( water, bread) update the furniture or cover it at least. For a better meal I would recommend anyplace but there....( yes, I'm Italian and know what good food really is, this is not it. Worst food in Blue Ridge by far.. read more

Very disappointed! We have been eating here for over 5 years. The original owners have sold it. We ordered the Chicken Parm (our usual!) Last night's dinner was horrible. Chicken was uncoated and tough. The pasta sauce tasted like it was from a jar. They did take 50% off of the entree. I doubt that we will go back. read more

We have eaten there for the past ten years and I believe they have new owners. Went there in November and the eggplant was undercooked and my guest said their meal was so so. Hopefully this review will be used as constructive criticism. read more

The service at this restaurant was great. The food was a huge disappointment. I started with a Greek salad which was flavorful. Unfortunately mid way into it I hit several bits of sandy greens. Really? The waiter did remove this from the bill. I ordered a a fettuccine dish swimming in a red sauce that tasted like it came straight from the can with little seasoning. I added to the dish some shrimp which were cooked perfectly but alas where was the pasta? Very small portion, mostly sauce. My friend had the special which included shrimp but her shrimp looked nothing like mine. They were tiny, gray, and tough. Yuk. Don't spend your hard earned money here. You'd do better getting a bottle of good red wine and some Chef Boyardie. read more

For all those that talked about portions being too small...NO!!! Perfect portions size...in fact more than I could eat! The food was very good and the service friendly! The location was great from downtown blue ridge. I would highly recommend! Dustin was awesome and made sure we had what we needed! read more

The food is good, but not great, the service is good, but not great, the ambiance needs improvement due to the poor condition of the building, seating, etc., at the price point, I would expect better. The portions are small, the wine is expensive, the oven baked dishes are over cooked. Not terrible, but a little updating and attention to detail, and this place would be excellent. read more

Has become very tired and worn out looking. The food has become mediocre... not a lot of options. In my opinion, they are trying for haute cuisine and they are not hitting that mark. I understand this is rustic Italian food, but it is somewhat missing the mark. There are too many other high end Italian and farm-to-table offerings now for diners to choose from. Money and updating are in order for this tired restaurant. Very sad. read more

DINERS BEWARE. This was by far the worst overall experience we have ever had in 50+ years of living. We ordered carryout on 12/23 for our adult daughter's impromptu birthday celebration (she had to work and we didn't expect to see her that day). One appetizer (escargot), four entrees (chicken parm, lasagna, chicken fettucine alfredo, and short rib ravioli), and three desserts. We passed two other Italian restaurants to pick up our order; 30+ minute drive each way. When my husband arrived, it was dark and there were no cars. Someone came out to greet him and advised that their power was out. They were able to cook our meals but refused to pack our desserts, claiming they had a policy against opening the fridge in power outages. That sort of made sense at the time, though it literally would have been 30 seconds to open the door to get them and 30 minutes to open it and put the rest away ... but I was pretty upset when my husband arrived home and told the story and we had no dessert for the party. My husband went to get cake at Ingles (the "best" option we had left at that time) and it was awful. Had the restaurant called to let us know, we would have canceled the order and not driven more than an hour round-trip for an incomplete meal. The meals themselves were mediocre at best. I am Italian and I make authentic Italian dishes (as well as some Americanized ones). The escargot was the worst I've ever had. They provided some oil for the bread but it had more vinegar than anything else in there and was horrible. The "smoked" chicken alfredo had no smoke flavoring at all and there were literally only three raviolis. Then I learned that we had been overcharged for our meals so I contacted the restaurant via Facebook and left a message that we wanted that amount of overcharge refunded. I received several very hostile responses that were filled with excuses and no real apology at all. The person responding said that their menu (posted on their website) says that "MENU IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE." That implies that certain ITEMS may not be available (due to supply chain issues, perhaps, or seasonality) but does not suggest that PRICES can change "weekly" as the person responding claimed. The restaurant charged us more than the menu prices on its website (I was not aware of that until she advised of such. She claimed that the staff called 100 people that night to cancel reservations, but no one called US. The more that person made excuses, the more angry I became. I told her that I planned to file a review about my experiences. The last response I got from her implied that I was seeking a refund of my entire bill, which is something I never asked for or every remotely insinuated. Indeed, my husband was very sympathetic when he arrived to pick up our order and he left a $24 tip (on an order that should have been $116 but ended up being $136). I did advise her that we felt the food was mediocre and would be sharing that in an honest review (stale bread and three raviolis for $24?). When I tried to respond that I had not asked for a refund for anything other than what I was legitimately overcharged and that we simply would never dine there again, I learned that she had BLOCKED me so that I could not respond to her in Messenger and thus could NOT LEAVE A REVIEW on their Facebook page. Ya'll ... that is as deceitful, cagey, and dishonest as a business can get. WORST overall experience EVER. If you want to waste an astronomical amount of money on mediocre food made by people who will make a million excuses for their mistakes and failures, then this is the right place for you. Absolutely unethical and inexcusable for a business to block someone on social media just to prevent that person from filing a legitimate review of her experiences. See the screenshots of most of the conversation, including where it shows that I could not access the restaurant's profile or respond to her message after she blocked me. Too many other quality restaurants around who treat customers with care and dignity. This one should fail because its own attitude towards customers. Everything about this situation was anti-customer. The restaurant failed to call us and let us know about the situation and that our order would not be complete, the restaurant refused to complete our order (wrongfully so, according to its own representative), the restaurant overcharged us for the meals it did provide, the restaurant's representative made a lot of lame excuses for nothing being its fault, and the restaurant's rep accused the customer of demanding a full refund when that was never even remotely hinted at or sought and the customer was simply communicating dissatisfaction with the experience overall. Reward other companies who are more mindful that their customers vote with their money and their reviews... read more

See all

We've been wanting to try this place, but since Covid so many restaurants have cut their hours. So, I decided it was time and went to the Resy app to make a reservation. Lori was our waitress and she was awesome. Absolutely everything was delicious!! read more

Cucina Rustica - Wine selection was excellent! - Italian Near Me - Morganton, Georgia

See all

Really enjoyed the food and service was great. Ambiance was wonderful - really cool set up.

My first tip if you plan to dine here is to CALL AND MAKE A RESERVATION. Currently, it's only open Thursday to Saturday, and the place fills up fast. We got lucky the night we went that someone canceled, so we were able to get a table, but we won't plan on that happening again. The service was excellent, and the food was quite good but the prices are a bit high. Will we be back? Probably. I'm looking forward to trying their pizzeria, conveniently located next door to the restaurant. read more

Says they do take out but they don't do take out "when they are busy". Oh well, so much for supporting local businesses and restaurants during Covid. So if you're reading on Yelp "take out between 4-5" don't count on it. GO ELSEWHERE!!! It's unfortunate as we were looking forward to trying their food. We spent 25 minutes browsing their online menu. Writing down what we wanted, apps, entrees and dessert! Waited till 4 - called and heard, "we are too busy to do take out". Serious? And we won't be visiting any of their other restaurants either as we are concerned they haven't updated Yelp or Website on those either. Not going to ruin another night trying to get food from one of their places each time we visit Blue Ridge. Won't be visiting Harvest on Main, Harvest at Home, their La Pizzaeria or Masseria Kitchen and Bar. If the owner doesn't care about their customers (and new ones) at Cucina I can't imagine what the others are like. No thanks! Wonder what other short cuts they take? Making it my life's mission to tell people about this laziness and disregard for customers. Lots of friends in Atlanta and N GA. read more

So when you look at this place you think you're going into Uncle Buck's trailer but the flavors are just outstanding. We started out with the special appetizer of calamari. I got a little concerned because it didn't have a lot of flavor. We had to add some salt and pepper to spice it up a little. Plus, they had pieces of fried lemon....just not my thing. Thankfully, the entrees were to die for! My BF had the pork osso bucco and it was fall-off-the-bone delicious! I had the eggplant parm that was so delish. The only improvement I would suggest is to replace the arugula with fresh basil leaves. We ended our culinary excursion with a chocolate espresso mousse. Everything was awesome and I can tell you we'll be back! read more

See all

We had dinner here during Thanksgiving week and it was delicious! Our server was very nice and helpful. The arugula and the romaine salads were very good. Everyone loved their entrees as well. Our table ordered the fettuccini Alfredo, chicken parm, lasagne and the pomodoro with meatballs and all of them were so good. We would love dine here again when we're back in the area. read more

Now I can say that I've been to a cozy and seemingly undiscovered hideaway nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. You won't see this Italian charmer from the main highway; instead, there's a small sign off of the side street (Forge Mill Road) that leads you up a narrow driveway to the restaurant located in a small house. Dim lighting, wall sconces and a Tuscan wood-burning oven create a warm ambiance that makes it mandatory to order a bottle of wine and butternut squash ravioli with sage butter all while falling into deep conversation with someone who matters. It was just me tonight, stopping for my first real meal of the day while en route to NC. Hot tea to unwind from the day's traffic, a generous and refreshingly crisp house salad with a balanced vinaigrette, and the star - veal rustica, lightly breaded and stuffed with fontina cheese and prosciutto. A basket of airy focaccia bread arrived in time for soaking up the savory porcini mushroom sauce surrounding the veal. My waitress Christy did not miss a beat, bringing over red pepper flakes and sprinkling fresh Parmesan cheese over my entree as requested. My small tea kettle was refilled with hot water unprompted, which I find rare. This was northern Italian fare to remember. read more

See all

Great food and service. This is a great Italian restaurant in an area where there aren't a lot of choices

Wow! If you're looking for a great spot to eat in the Blue Ridge area, this is THE place to go. The atmosphere was intimate but not stuffy at all. Whether you're with a group of friends or on a date night, Cucina Rustica accommodates all vibes. The food was incredible and filling. They started us off with fresh homemade bread so you know we were off to the races. We got burrata caprese and mussels as apps and both hit the spot. The burrata especially won me over with how fresh and tasty it was. For my entree, I got the chicken parmesan which may have been the best I've ever had. The chicken was cooked perfectly and it was such a large portion. Lastly, the service was perfect. Our waitress was super cool and attentive and helped make this experience top notch. If you're visiting Blue Ridge, this is a must stop. read more

Cucina Rustica - Chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Morganton, Georgia

See all

Amazing food, service, ambiance, ect... A little hole in the wall, family owned business! We stopped here after my google search for best restaurants in Blue Ridge and this is definitely one of them! We almost didn't get a table because they were all booked for the day, so we walked out and went next door to the pizza restaurant and when we sat down the owner ran in there right before we ordered and told us they made it work and set up a table for us so we headed right back! The server was awesome and very knowledgeable with everything on the menu, food was fantastic and flavorful. We loved everything that she recommend! The owner kept stopping by to make sure everything was good. Overall we had a great experience and meal. Will be back for sure! read more

See all

The woolf fish cedar plank was awesome! Wife got the rock shrimp manicotti which is cooked in wood fired oven and was outstanding. Their bread made fresh daily was as good as in France. Caesar said is big enough to share and was the one I've had. Now lets talk appetizer. Answer is meatballs meatballs meatballs!!!! Nothing better on the menu!!! Get 2 because 3 isn't enough! Sauce was like nothing I've had as could and should be a soup- hint hint! No room for desert- sorry. Service- Lori was amazing! She provided us with excellent service and was wonderful to talk to and packed our leftovers which we look forward to eating tomorrow after i fire up the grill for lunch. This is a MUST TRY if you are within 100 miles, i kid you not! You will leave content for having experienced the best Italian this side of Italy! read more

We've been dining at Cucina Rustica since our family purchased a cabin nearby in the early 2000's. Until our visit this evening, the service had always been great and the menu diverse enough for everyone to easily select an option they were happy with. Once seated by the host this evening, it took 15 minutes for anyone to acknowledge us. We considered leaving (in retrospect we should have) but stayed based on our previous positive experience at the restaurant. The menu has been pared down eliminating probably 50% of the previous options including starters, soup/salad, main course and dessert. We started off ordering an appetizer but the server condescendingly asked "is that all you're having" which caught us off guard. Unbeknownst to us, Cucina Rustica now requires you order your entire meal all at once and not as is done traditionally, by course. Don't ask for bread either, you're not allowed bread until you've ordered your entire meal. My wife and I rarely have the opportunity to go out by ourselves and options offering quiet intimacy like Cucina Rustica are at the top of the list. We're always in a hurry so we don't have time to slow things down and enjoy each other's company between courses. Tonight was one of those rare date nights for just the two of us and we both felt frustrated with the service and felt we had to settle on our food choices. It's been a few years since our last visit and things have definitely changed. We will not be back. read more

Bella and the manager were so welcoming and professional. We ordered the shrimp & scallop scampi and the eggplant tower along with salads and sharing a dessert. Wonderful food and service. The atmosphere was cozy and warm. We would recommend dining there if you're looking for a nice menu and very pleasant dining experience. read more

Disappointing experience. My friend and I walked in at 5:00 when they opened on a Thursday. There were two people who walked in with us and they were told that they could be seated in 15 minutes. We were then told we have a two hour wait. The place seemed empty and the staff had no explanation as to the disparity in wait times except that it was 'up to the chef.' We have a cabin down the road and have been looking forward to trying this restaurant, but won't be coming back. read more

We had dinner here about a month ago. Everything was fresh and of a high quality. We dined here while staying in a cabin in Ellijay. I had a mushroom ravioli dish that was out of this world! The bread and marinated olives they brought before the meal are fabulous too. read more

From the reviews this looked like a good spot for an upscale dinner out near Blue Ridge. The restaurant did not disappoint! Our reservation was for just after 6 p.m. Allow a bit of time to drive out to this place, as it is about 10 minutes east of Blue Ridge. You turn a corner and drive up the hill to their parking lot. We found a space close to the door. You enter through what appears to be a standing room bar area, but it was empty when we arrived. We were taken into the main house (the restaurant is in a converted home) and seated promptly. The menu was somewhat limited when we came but it was still not hard to find something to your taste. I got a pear-based pizza, which was quite good! I think my wife had the fish, which she liked. The other tables seemed like early retiree couples enjoying a local night out. If we were back in the area and wanted a finer-er dining experience, I'd certainly return. read more