We wanted a good pizza. Well.... we found it. The pizza was thin crust with plenty of toppings. The prices were reasonable. The service was great. The staff was very attentive. Good for large or small groups. read more

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Brown lettuce isn't cool We love our little town of Blue Ridge and hope to see the restaurants stand up to the beauty you find here but as chef/owner Danny grabs more of the footprint, is quality suffering? His newest acquisition, Cucina Rustica used to be a consistent go-to place with good food offerings, great wine prices, and friendly service. Since the acquisition, we have seen a menu expansion, a new and bigger bar but are they missing the basics? We arrived at Cucina Rustica promptly for our 7 PM reservation only to be told we would have to wait in the bar for 20 minutes. Really? Then why are there at least 6 empty tables that we can see through the window? They shuffled some things around and seated us quickly. We found our waitress, Jazz very friendly and selected our salad and entrees. We have always understood that the chef uses produce from his own property for his restaurants. So how is it possible that brown lettuce is served? And especially when the chef is in the house to see what's being delivered to the tables? This wasn't cool at all. And the bread seemed to be more than a day old and very uninspired especially when the owners have multiple ovens perfectly suited to make great options. I chose manicotti and my husband chose Veal Parm which he said was really good. Maybe I chose the wrong entrée but why mess with a good thing and try to put fresh? tomatoes on top, an undetectable amount of protein in the middle, overcook the pasta and put almonds in the filling? Will we go back? Not sure as our hope was that the chef was going to make this one a highlight in the area. Maybe they are still in a transitional phase. Let's hope so. read more

The lobster penne with mushrooms was fantastic. My daughter had the brick oven cheese pizza & hubby had lasagna. I enjoyed the rustic, Italian atmosphere. read more

Cucina Rustica - Italian Near Me - Morganton, Georgia

Yuck! We have been long time customers of Cucina Rustica. Wow! This place has gone down hill! Nothing like it has been in the past! The hostess was very friendly...however; we were told we need to wait for our table. We were totally fine with that. We were thinking it was really busy and that our table needed to be cleared. When we were finally seated...half the restaurant was empty. I even witnessed the hostess as she turned someone away saying they were unable to accommodate them unless they had a reservation. When looking at the menu, we noticed that our favorite Chicken Parm was removed from the menu. We did decide on something else. When the hostess brought the bread...(as they said they were short staffed) the bread basket looked as though it had been on another table where someone tore the bread to small pieces. I even asked for another bread basket. When it arrived it looked like she has just ran it through the toaster to freshen it but still looked like the same bread. $40 for a filet is a little pricey but that is the only thing my son liked so he ordered it. The salad is not family style as it once was however; we did think it was pretty tasty. When the meal arrived the portions were large. I noticed that my son's steak was raw in the middle. The waitress was very nice but did not return to check on us until we were halfway done with our meal. We didn't want to complain but when she asked how things were, we asked it this steak was medium as it was requested. She agreed that it looked pretty raw to her. I really think that the chef should of come out and apologized and removed it from the check. This did not happen. Needless to say, I don't think we plan on returning. It is funny, that I was talking to a co-worker that used to visit Blue Ridge. She asked if I had ever eaten at Cucina Rustica. I said I love that place and that we had reservations to eat there while we were visiting. Well, she will be disappointed when I tell her my experience. Sorry Cucina Rustica, I know you were trying to make it your own...but why change a good thing? read more

Cucina Rustica - Italian Near Me - Morganton, Georgia

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My husband and I went to the mountains for a romantic weekend. The cabin rental company recommended this restaurant and we are SOOO happy they did! The atmosphere was romantic and the service was excellent! The absolute highlight is the food! I had the lobster ravioli and it melted in my mouth. My husband had the lasagna and he said it was the best lasagna he had ever eaten. I tried it and have to agree with him. And before the entree is the salad, and OMG, it is delicious!! I highly recommend this restaurant. You will be very glad you tried it! As an update to Carrie's review, they do serve beer and wine now. read more

Restaurants in the North Georgia mountains are take 'em or leave 'em, but there are a few that we tend to frequent and will be adding Cucina Rustica to this list. They have apparently been open for close to a year (since Nov, 2007), but we have been staying on the Ellijay side of Blue Ridge until recently and therefore missed the fact that this spot on the hill overlooking Hwy 515 was now the best restaurant in the North Georgia mountains. That may be saying a lot for a first time, but the salad (family style w/ an excellent vinaigrette), bread (garlic focaccia) and entrees (Veal Rustica and Tortellini) were all great. It is still in a dry county (not their fault and wouldn't drop stars for that :) ), but you can bring a bottle (or 2) with you and kick back, at least until the ordinance passes :). There were definitely more locals there than tourists, which was great and very good sign. Everyone was very friendly and I have every confidence that this will be one place in the Blue Ridge area that sticks around. At least I hope so! We will definitely make sure to visit each time we come to the area! Thanks John & Isabella for giving us a great spot in the mountains to grab a great dinner! FYI - We were pretty lucky to walk in there and get a table, would definitely suggest making a reservation. read more

Would have rated it higher but they felt the need to have every single fan going when it was 40 degrees outside. Hard to enjoy my dinner when I'm freezing and can't even remove my jacket. Feels like you're not trying to keep customers comfortable and catering towards someone else. read more

This is a little gem of a place in Morganton (well - Morganton Adjacent). We were promptly seated for our 8pm reservation for 5 - and greated by a lovely waitress who was very personable and well versed in the menu. The service was never rushed - we had a chance to enjoy a bottle of wine with our appetizers, and actually finish them, before the next serving came up. This is a fairly novel concept in the city!. We had the Crostini (which were average at best) and the Anti-Pasto for two which was amazing! Their supplier provides them with some great italian meats, cheeses, olives, and sundried tomatoes. My entree was the grouper - the flavors were spot on - but I could tell the entree was ready for well before I was ready for it. The fish had lost a little of its crispness, and the sauce had settled a little. This in no way ruined my experience. I cleaned my plate! The others at the table had the Veal Rustica - which looked amazing and oozed cheese when it was cut into. All in all - this is a gem of a place in the mountains. Better service than most places in atlanta - and the food was well made with authentic italian flavor. The atmosphere was delightful as well. And well priced - two appetizers, two bottles of wine and five entrees only set us back just over $200 Note that there are three restaurants in one - the Veranda, Cuchina Rustica and the Pizzaria - and we only visited Cuchina Rustica. read more

While vacationing in Blue Ridge, we came across this wonderful gem of a restaurant. We thought we would be among the only diners there, but we were in for a surprise! The place was packed late on a quiet Wednesday evening. Service was slow to begin, but once it began it was very good. Helpful, attentive and understated. Our waiter answered our questions happily and gave a wonderful recommendation for their tortellini. He said that his family always orders the dish and never varies. Upon hearing that the recipe came from the owner's mother, I decided to try it. It was without a doubt one of the best meals I have had in a long time! The pasta, clearly made in-house, was delightful. It was tender and melted in your mouth. The sauce was decadently rich and creamy, containing a very generous amount of prosciutto. My husband ordered the lasagna and was equally pleased. We also enjoyed the house salad, dressed with a most delicious balsamic vinaigrette. Be forewarned, the salad was heavily dressed so you may wish to ask for a lighter hand here. We have been so pleasantly surprised by the quality of food offerings in this little North Georgia town. Cucina Rustica is at the top of our list and we plan to come here every time we visit. From the sound of delighted diners all around us, this sentiment is heartily shared. read more

This off the wall fantastic. Plan to spend an hour and a half. Food is fresh and cooked perfectly Sauces are outrageous. Service perfect. Make reservation. You get what you pay for Rachel was super knowledgeable. read more

Fabulous dinner. Five star food with great wine in this adorable little rustic restaurant in North Georgia. A must visit ! Friendly, knowledgeable efficient staff. read more

Great authentic Italian, homemade food. Good wine list & great service. Love this place.

The broiled veal chop is truly outstanding--as good a dish as I've had in any restaurant in any major city. You'll barely notice it on the menu among the more elegant--and also very good--options, but be sure that someone at your table orders it. The house salad is inexplicably delicious. I've been here about ten times now and have had excellent service five of those times, very good service three of those times, and fair service twice. Doesn't matter--the waiter could call me an a-hole, and the food would keep me coming back. read more

I'm pretty picky about Italian food and often find it overly "gloopy" with sauce, but this place did not disappoint. Cucina Rustica keeps a simple menu - they don't try to go overboard with too many choices. Hubs and I both got the lasagna bolognese, which was quite good and came with a simple but flavorful salad (large bowl for the table). Gal pal had the Rollantine di Melanzane (Eggplant Rollatini) and pronounced it delish. Service was pleasant and not overbearing. No appetizers and we split a lower priced bottle of wine; before tip the bill was about $35/pp. It is not a dressy place, but we were slightly under-dressed in shorts. I highly recommend reservations; we were able to get in with a minimal wait on a Saturday night, but we were pretty early. read more

What a nice surprise! we thought it was a combo pizzeria and italian restaurant, and not sure what to expect, but they are actually two separate places. Definitely not your 'typical' Italian. Yes, you can have lasagna (some of the best, btw), but they have so many other wonderful dishes! Our group had the night's specials, seared scallops, bone-in strip steak, and sea trout. REALLY good. Caesar salad unique and excellent. The house bread is great. Large beer and wine list. I would say it is fine dining in more laid back atmosphere. read more

Gave Cucina Rustica another chance and the experience was no better. Our waitress admitted that she was new, and service was spotty as a result, but she was sweet and did her best. That would have been a small issue if the food had been better... One person in our party ordered a medium rare filet mignon that was served over medium, with very little pink and then only in the very center. Strangely, it was presented on a sizzling metal plate reminiscent of an old-style steak house that (we think) kept the steak cooking after it should have been done properly. He sent it back having eaten only the innermost, pinkish section. I ordered the signature stuffed veal dish (Vitello Rustica), but while the steak was overdone, my stuffed veal was only warm on the outside and was almost cool in the middle. The porcini mushroom sauce tasted strangely bland, but the meal was edible (and I was hungry!). Still, I wouldn't order it again or recommend it. Interestingly, when the waitress brought a smallish serving dish containing one portion/ scoop of mashed potatoes with some veggies, I though those were for me and that another was coming for the other diner who also ordered these sides. However, we were informed that the sides were served "family style" and that we were meant to SHARE what was really a single serving of potatoes and vegetables! We expressed our surprise to the waitress, but she didn't offer us any more/ another serving. The head waitress later explained that the restaurant does not wish to waste food (not a bad thing), so they give a small, shared serving of sides, but that we would have been welcome to have more if we had asked (which we would have done if we had been told this during the meal by our waitress). The third member of our party made a mistake in her ordering, but was willing to try a new dish (Penne Alla Vodka) when it came to the table. However, that meal, too, was bland and the pasta was mushy. She ate very little. When we politely mentioned these problems to our waitress after dinner, she called over the head waitress, who was pleasant and suggested that most people usually like the dishes we ordered, and she comped us the steak. Based on all the great reviews, we were super excited about eating here again. However, it was a very disappointing experience that we will not be repeating. read more

The food was amazing!! We came in for dinner and really enjoyed the food and the service. In our party, we had the chicken parmigiana, the boat ragu, and lasagna. So yummy!! read more

Very nice meal and really great service! Can't wait to go back! Eggplant was so good and the veal Parmesan was great!

We have been visiting Blue Ridge for many years. In my opinion, this is the best meal you will get in the area. Everything I have had has been amazing, the meatball app, the lasagna, all the pastas. The tiramisu is also amazing. read more

Cucina Rustica - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Morganton, Georgia

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We thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance, staff, and dinner. We had the clam appetizer which was wonderful. I chose the filet mignon which was cooked to perfection with the peas on the side. My coworker had the pork piccata which was good. Our server Matt was great. read more

As I sit and eat my dinner alone and slowly. I enjoy the nice atmosphere by candlelight and beautiful Italian music. I drown out all the conversations around me. My waitress is very nice and very attentive without being too intrusive of my dining experience. Perfecto ! I did hear one gentleman speak of two dishes I did not try but sounded good wS the Veal Rustico and the Grouper sambucco. They are raving over the flavors of both and keep uuuuhhhmmmming! Lol! They ate every bite I hear. My meal was the Classico wood fire oven pizza. Just cheeses. It's got a nice crunch and thin crust. Good flavors with the taste of the wood in the bread. This is my love! Smokey woodsy flavors! My special ravioli is nice. It's a buffalo mozzarella and spinach ravioli with a tomato cream sauce. I was told the pasta is not from scratch but all sauces are. So that's why I took away one star. I love great home made pasta. It was nice and creamy with a slight tooth to the pasta. Overall a good dish. But I must stop so I have room for the good wood fire pizza. Ill definatelly be back! read more

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Yelp is blocking poor reviews of this place. I suggest you make sure to read the non recommended reviews of this place to get honest reviews. there is no way it is a 4.5 our of 5 since John sold the business. read more

What an excellent find; on family holiday and was our first local hit on Yelp. Great Italian food, enjoyable ambiance and good wine list. Enjoyed the eggplant rollatini. They also had a perfect health rating - 100%. read more

Cucina Rustica - Excellent Health Rating - 100% - Italian Near Me - Morganton, Georgia

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I concede the point that this IS a pretty nice authentic Italian restaurant for northern Georgia. It is far better than most and obviously better (in most ways) than the usual swill which passes for American Italian chain restaurants. Unfortunately,however, my family and I did not enjoy our visit here just prior to Memorial Day. First the pros: 1. This place hosts an impressive wine selection. Far better than most other "fine dining" establishments. Truly impressive. 2. Friendly, courteous, and professional wait staff. 3. Easy scheduling of reservations. 4. An impressive sounding menu. Now the cons: 1. Dreadfully slow service. We joyed a superb prosciutto appetizer complete with authentic ricotta, fig jam, and honey. Soon thereafter, I enjoyed the frito misto. A VERY very long pause then followed before we received our main courses of pizza and the special halibut dish. Nearly 30 minutes...my daughter was beside herself with hunger and frustration as we kept waiting and waiting for two pizzas and two halibut's to be brought forth. 2. Many missing menu items: No stracci. No gnocchi. No veal. A fairly basic and boring desert menu. 3. The climate control was set to sub-zero. Seriously, raw meat could be hung up inside the dining area. Absolutely frigid. Me and my 76 year old father (from Florida) froze the entire time. My seat was literally right over a floor vent. I anxiously looked forward to the meal ending just do I could warm up. I understand that the cooks and wait staff are moving a lot and working in a hot kitchen, but that does not warrant such a cold dining area. This place disappointed me and my family on multiple fronts. Despite the freshness of the menu items and that apparent attempt to offer an "authentic" Italian dining experience, Cucina Rustica fell very short if our expectations. My wife, a native of Padova (a true Italian, not an American fromNew Jersey with Italian great grand parents) also found numerous errors in the wording on the menu. Specifically, "contori" is not a real word in Italian. Rather, the correct usage is "contorni". In the end, we did have good food and wine here, but found the timing of courses exceptionally slow, the dining area frigid, and the menu lacking. I will not return. read more

We went there last Sat. Night had reservations and were seated right away. Nice ambience and waitress new the menu and was very nice. Don't think we'll go back though. 2 reasons. Basket of bread was cold and chewy and some other bread kinda like cornbread and I love good warm bread. Ok the meal came out. I had the rollatini. It was very bland and skin still on eggplant was chewy. Hubby had lobster cannelloni. Same thing very bland. Like they just plopped some ricotta on and covered with cheese. Will stick with pizzeria next door and not nearly as pricey. Had higher expectation ad we have home there. read more

Terrible dining experience! Took 1 hour and 45 minutes before our entree arrived, and my wife's fish was dry and tasteless. My Ravioli was bland but just ok. Terrible service. A lot of money to pay for a horrible dining experience. Maybe avoid Saturday evenings. read more

We went with family for our anniversary, hoping to have a nice Italian dinner out. What we found was an over priced restaurant with a chef who is full of himself. Our daughter in law is allergic to red sauce and asked for Alfredo sauce on her fettuccine. The chefs message to us was no, the Alfredo sauce does not mix with fettuccine. ??? They serve Alfredo sauce over other pasta, but would not substitute. She ended up not ordering a meal. I ordered veal parmigiana, but you can get better at Italian chain restaurants. My wife's eggplant was hard and impossible to eat. The bread was burned. The tables are plastic with paper table cloth. . Do yourself a favor if you want a very good Italian meal. Find somewhere else! read more

We came on a short getaway to a cabin in Blue Ridge and found this gem off the main highway. Easily missed, tucked off the side of the road. We ordered several things and shared. We had margarita pizza, salad with balsamic dressing and lobster cannelloni. All were delicious. We had no intention of ordering dessert but were persuaded by limoncello blueberry tiramisu. So delicious, it was worth the Weight Watcher points :) Friendly helpful server named Laura and sweet, polite busboy Tristan. We will be back! read more

We very much enjoyed our anniversary celebration here. The service was exceptional - Thank you, Jazzy. The food was wonderful and presented beautifully. Great atmosphere. The prices were slightly higher than some of the nicer chain restaurants, but not extreme as some of the reviews have suggested. This will certainly be on our list of favorites for our next trip to the mountains. read more

I love their crust & sauce. I had the Mona Lisa pizza & what I didn't like was that after it was cooked they just threw fresh spinach on top. I think that if they just sautés it for a few minutes & baked it with the other toppings it would of been better. Also I think it is very expensive for a 14 inch pizza to charge 19-20$ for a pizza. read more

This place is great for being in the middle of Blue Ridge. Actually it's amazing! They close early and no bar, only downfall but the food and service is great! read more

Cucina Rustica - You MUST get this! Veal Rustica! Enough for 2 to share to be honest. But it is their signature dish. It's a must do! - Italian Near Me - Morganton, Georgia

The pizza continues to get thinner and thinner. The new owner of this place has ran a really good place into the ground. There is somebody new cooking every time you visit.NO MAS read more

We have tried multiple restaurants in Blue Ridge and this by far is our favorite. The wine, fonduta, salad, lasagna and sonata dessert were all very good. My husband and I shared each dish and it was plenty of food for two. Service was very good too. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. We will make this a "must do" from now on when we visit blue ridge. read more

We came back. Mistake. The food was not great. Need to work on the flavor and how they cook the food. The staff was amazing. Amazing, they are courteous and very sweet. But they can't make up for the overpriced, mediocre food. My kids were asking if they got the food from the freezer section at Ingles; the pizza my son ordered was dripping with grease and my daughter said she felt bloated and unsatisfied. My other son asked why they cooked the flavor out? If my kids are complaining- something is wrong. My husband even complained about the filet. Who messes up a filet?!?! We all wished we were bulimic when we got home feeling horrible spending 300$+. They need to re-tool everything. This place used to be bustling with the old owner, but now, on a Friday night, it's nearly empty. Must miss. I can't say enough how bad this place was. Try treo or black sheep. At least they don't make you want to throw up when you get home. read more

We had the Cucina Meatballs appetizer. I had an interesting pistachio crusted scallop dish and my wife had a kind of ziti. We both absolutely loved these creations and would go back again and again. Not cheap and if you seek traditional, basic Italian dishes, this may not be the place for you. But if you're adventurous and appreciate unique approaches, you should love what their chef concocts. Excellent. read more

This was by far one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to! I was skeptical at first but once I was seated and greeted by our waiter Austin, the experience was starting off on a good note. The fresh made bread was amazing! We had some chanterelle mushrooms as appetizer and let me tell you, AMAZING!!! The richness and texture came together so well! We then had the chef specials of the night which included salmon and sweet potato gnocchi and then a steak and lobster surf and turf combo (the lobster was from Maine and it was bigger then most lobster tails I've had). They were both cooked to perfection and so so good. We ended the night with a lemon and blueberry tiramisu. A must try! If you're ever in Blue Ridge, it was only a 10 minute or less drive and very worth it! read more

I have been coming to Blue Ridge GA for 13 years spending from 2 weeks renting cabins to 8 years owning. Each summer I've eaten in Cucina Rustica at least once. Last night my family and I had dinner there. The quality of the food (excellent) service (outstanding) still just great. Originally owned and operated by a NY family by way of Atlanta the menu and food reminded you of a fine NY Italian restaurant. Four years back it changed ownership purchased by a local company that owns several restaurants. I was worried it would not be the same. Well it is and during this health crisis everything felt "normal" and it is, by far, the BEST. Restaurant in the area read more

My husband and I have eaten here many times in the past few years and the food is pretty good, not great. It's not good enough to be treated cold and rude. They insist on a reservation, even if the restaurant is almost empty. If you get there early, you'll be greeted, not with a smile, and will be told that they will not seat you until your reservation time. I try to be early for things and don't mind waiting until my reservation time even if the parking lot is basically empty. If your meeting friends don't get there right at the reservation time, 5 minutes after your reverberation time, they will come and tell you that they will not hold your reservation more than 15 minutes. This happened to us last night. We had a 5:30 reservation, we got there at 5:20, our friends were pulling in the parking lot at 5:35, when we were told that they wouldn't hold our reservation more than 15 minutes, and it was only 5 minutes past our reservation time. I quickly told them that we'd go somewhere else and never come back here. I enjoy doing business with a local place that appreciates customers and expresses that, not one that acts like they don't want your business if you can't arrive exactly at the reservation time, especially at 5:30, when they parking, is not even half full. Another night we tried to get a 5:15 reservation and was told that wasn't possible, but 5:30 was. We took the 5:30 reservation, no big deal, we get there early and are told they will not seat us until the reservation time; again we're fine with that. They finally seat us several minutes late and we're in a room of maybe 10 or so tables and only 1 other table is occupied. I just don't understand the big deal about the reservation when the restaurant isn't busy. Seems they have double standards also, it's okay for them to seat you past your reservation time, but their customers better not be a few minutes late. Like I said earlier the food is good, but not good enough to warrant poor customer service. There's many other places to choose from who appreciate customers, great them with a smile and thank them for their business. read more

The Frutti De Mare was amazing! Our server Lori gave the best service. This was our first trip to North Georgia and definitely not our last.

We had the veal osso bucco and lobster stuffed ravioli. Both were very good and the portions were large. We both ended up taking 1/2 home. We also had salads and shared an appetizer. The mixed house salad was fairly large salad of fresh greens. The garlic romaine salad was a little disappointing for its price. While it was good, I was hoping for the romaine to be charred on the grill. Service was excellent. There were a couple of large parties in the dining room the night we were there so the noise level was a little loud. read more