Eggplant Parm is absolutely FANTASTIC. Never eaten a better portion of food in my life. Seriously, I came in because some of my coworkers spoke highly of the place and I can't say no to a caprese salad. So I went, the place is small and cozy, playing beautiful italian opera nice and loud so you can't ignore it, not that you'd want to. The wait was a fine especially if you know it's good. The salad was great, could use some more tomatoes but besides that I enjoyed every bite of my meal. The side of eggplant parm was just enough with my salad. read more

Had an amazing dinner here tonight. Totally unassuming place that serves up totally incredible food in a super warm, inviting setting. The owner and her father served us -- real nice story of a young entrepreneur with a passion to own her own restaurant, doing a kickass job at it. Had the lobster ravioli, sauce could have been served as a soup it was so good, chicken parm sandwich (really good), and the antipasto + caprese salad ... one of the freshest, tastiest salads I've ever had. Portion sizes are huge, the prices are totally awesome, all homemade, and you can't say enough about the warmth of this place. Totally not to be missed! A block away from the heart of North End at half the price, and 40x as good!!!! read more

The plus is wonderfully cheap compared to all the chain sandwich places nearby, and you get a ton of food. The prosciutto leaves something to be desired, but everything else tends to be fulfilling. If you order a salad, the guy (I'm assuming he's the owner) hands you two fresh baked rolls. It's impossible to leave this plus not stuffed. Also pretty sweet: It seems to be designed for people that work nearby to just run in and out, because the prices are adjusted so that they end in an even number after tax. No need to come in or leave with ridiculous amounts of change. I can just walk in there with my apple bottom jeans and my asscheeks will be the only things filling them. read more

This is one of those places that I am not sure I want to write about because i don't want it to be overrun with people! Seriously my favorite place for lunch! The Chicken Parm Sandwhich is my favorite! The salad special is also very good! Excited to try the pastas because they look amazing. They have the most amazing pomo sauce!! A Local Jem!! read more

Absolutely agree with all those other lower reviewers, the service here is subpar. Don't go here if you are hungry because a luke warm sandwich will take 15-20 to make!!!The most offensive was that several people got their food before me when they had places their order after me! I don't know their workflow but it's seriously inefficient and the kitchen seemed really confused most of the time. This is the third time this has happened and I shall not even attempt to go here anymore, not worth the poor service and hangry-ness! read more

Great homemade food! Better than any restaurant in north end at half the price. Meatballs, gnocchi, chicken parm sooooo good! New owner a couple months ago, she's so sweet! She restructured the menu so it's all homemade. I highly recommend it! read more

Really really really good everything. I come here every lunch break even though I try to tell myself to try new things. My 2019 goal is to try everything on the menu read more

This great little hole in the wall Italian spot is right near where I work and should not be missed if you're wondering around the North Station neighborhood on a weekday. In particular, try going at a slightly off time, like a 2pm lunch instead of in the midst of the rush. The owners/chefs have a short but creative menu, reasonable prices, and a good attitude - helpful, but tough and efficient. All their pricing is designed to come out even with taxes, which is creative. They will take custom orders without too much of a raised eyebrow, but do you best to try to pronounce things correctly. They are generous with portions, consistent with quality, and in the classic Italian fashion, generous with little condiments like olive oil and cheese. Hidden gem on the menu, the tonno. I don't understand how it is so good, but a salad with tuna is no lame pale pasty mush of fish flakes here. Salad with tonno at Rustico is fresh colorful greens, tomatoes, cukes, and onions, and then what looks like a whole can of succulent oil packed deep pink robust tuna fish that will meet your protein needs for at least a day. Check them out. read more

The Salad Special (it has grilled chicken, tomato, onion, cucumber, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing) from Cafe Rustico is probably the best salad I've ever had. All the ingredients are fresh and taste great, the grilled chicken is real strips of grilled chicken, not the gross processed stuff most places throw in. They put the dressing on and it is the perfect amount and is on the entire salad, not just sitting on the top. They also throw bread and butter in with it. I've only had this salad and a slice of their pizza but I can only imagine the rest of their food is great too. Only bummer is that they close at 3pm! read more

Found this place on yelp. Asked them what they recommend and got the sausage parm. Awesome sandwich full of flavor. Employees are super nice and friendly. Will definitely be coming back for more! read more

Pizzeria Rustico - Salad Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The egg to bread ratio on the bacon egg and cheese on an english muffin is on point. I get 2 or 3 a week. read more

It appears that the (Yelp) masses have spoken and the "New Management" of Cafe Rustico has listened!!!! I decided to formulate my own opinion and give this establishment another shot! After a rainy walk along Canal St looking for a tasty lunch, I was pleased to see so many people sitting and appearing to enjoy their lunch within the cozy confines of this small hidden gem. Upon entering, I experienced an atmosphere of welcomed camaraderie and fantastic service. Secretly observing with a trained eye, I noticed that the entrees looked and smelled excellent, the soup appeared hearty and generous, and the bread and butter was rustic and plentiful. On this particular day I was in a bit of a rush and ordered the "sandwich special" of the day - which happened to be a breaded pork cutlet ensemble. After just one bite, I would describe this as a classic sandwich, boasting high quality ingredients, and it was perfectly prepared. The thinly sliced pork was moist and tender, the Italian bread crumb mixture that coated the pork was seasoned to perfection and the ensemble of additional ingredients was an expert marriage of culinary perfection - All of this was served on a scrumptious Italian bread (long sliced, buttered, and delicately seared on an open flame grill - somewhat Panini style). Service staff was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to please! Worth noting: This "daily special" also included a Soda and a bag of (my favorite) Cape Cod Potato chips - all this for a grand total of $8. I tip my (Chef) hat to the "new management" team of cafe Rustico! They listened to their customer base, rapidly implemented changes, and created my positive experience! I'm here to stay Rustico!! Bravo Chef Rustico & Grande Lavoro! read more

Osteria Rustico is a tiny restaurant near North Station where you can get a sit down meal of Bertucci's quality for $8-11. Last time I was there I got the pasta with broccoli, which was delicious and big. Without the chicken - which you can get on the side - I believe it was $9. And it was really good and filling, although, I must say that the garlic stuck with me for the rest of the day. Beware the garlic. I have also had sandwiches there, which were a little cheaper and perfectly good. But they come with potato chips, and man I hate that. Give me something that will fill me up. I'd give this place three and a half stars, but what the heck, I'll round up. read more

Love Osterio Rustico. Perfect for those who work in the area, always makes for a satisfying lunch. Their gnocchi dish is to die for, so fresh and nicely portioned. Chicken, broccoli, and ziti is great too, and they use tomatoes AND sun dried tomatoes which put it above average. Very fair prices for what you get. Would not recommend getting a table. The restaurant is too small and cramped, with limited room to move around and no place to wait for your take out. read more

I wouldn't even feed a dog their food- and that is being polite. Yes, the staff are very nice people but they do not know how to do food! I am not sure why I waited so long for a hot sandwich which was cold when I bit into it. The thin slices of provolone had not even melted. The 'grilled chicken' must have been grilled from earlier in the morning or the day before and was refrigerated and was like a cold rubber band when biting into it. Not only was the texture frightening it smelled and tasted like 'chicken.' It is kind of like fish should not smell or taste like 'fish.' This was not a sandwich drenched in a tomato sauce to disguise any flavors. It was very simple grilled chicken with 'melted' provolone, roasted red peppers and greens with some balsamic. It went straight in the trash after one bite- still hungry! read more

Figured I'd chime in since I've been eating here for 10 months and lived through the transition of ownership. They got off to a rocky start but I think they are hearing the cries and fixing it to the level of quality the prior owner delivered. As far as the new menu items, I'd suggest trying before dissing. I had the steak tip sandwich today (I normally get pasta there, I next door for my sandwiches) and it was awesome. Worth $8.50? Not quite...$7 would be a better price...but it was still some of the best tips I've had. I can say confidently they are meeting my expectations once again on the sauces. Dropped the ball at first but they seem to be getting it right. Their ravioli and gnocchi are great and the sauces incredible. The portions for pasta, friggin HUGE. Easily feeds 2...but you probably won't want to share it. :) Lobster ravioli for $11.00 that feeds 2? Hard to beat that. Disregard the harsh and obviously unhinged reviews and try it out. They are also now open on game nights. read more

Only a couple minutes walking from my work place, Cafe Rustico is a great little Italian restaurant. Prices are fair (~$10) and portions are fairly large. And you get delicious bread as a free appetizer. The first time I went, I got the gnocchi. It came with this tomato sauce with this cheese deliciously swirled in. Absolutely delicious on a cold, rainy day. I came here again the next day and ordered the cheese ravioli with regular sauce vs the meat sauce. It was also delicious but the sauce wasn't as great at the gnocchi sauce! The servers I had both times were polite and sweet. Service is relatively quick. A great place for a weekday lunch! read more

This is a great place to eat lunch if you work in the North Station area and you are tired of Subway, Au Bon Pain and the rest of the food in the area. It is small and cozy. The food is very good Italian-American fare. My favorite is the gnocchi, which is not quite as good as my off the boat Nana's gnocchi was but very close. The prices are very reasonable and the staff is friendly. Stop by if you are in the neighborhood. read more

In possibly the worst area of the city for food, Rustico stands out as a consistent and excellent spot for lunch. Their ingredients are always remarkably fresh and the smell of their amazing bread that comes with everything, always makes me twice as hungry as when I walked in through the door. Their caprese salad really is the best in the city and it is definitely the incredibly fresh ingredients that make this true. Carmine, the owner, is such a nice guy and since he has a regular customer base, he knows almost everyone by name. As others have remarked, compared to the large portion sizes and quality of ingredients, this place is the best deal around. They have always been cheap, but unlike many businesses that used the economy as an excuse to raise their praises in 2009, Rustico actually lowered their prices without changing their portion sizes to accomodate their customer's shifting priorities. Now that is service! read more

The food here is amazing. I had an internship down the street and came here for lunch 1-2 times a week and I was almost always happy with my food. I always got the food to go so I don't know about the waiter/waitress service. My favorite thing to get was the rustico. The mozzarella was really fresh and went great with the prosciutto. If I decided to get something else the gnocchi was really good. They gave lots of bread and butter to go along with it. The portions are huge and a great value. If anyone is in the area looking for lunch this is the place to go. The owner was always really nice and very helpful. Bonus was usually they would have candy on the counter so it was a nice treat for after lunch. read more

Even though Rustico is in a great location it still feels like you've discovered a great whole in the wall when you walk in. Honestly Italian food is on every corner in this city but I had a great eggplant parm sandwhich that stood out to me. I've now been twice and I'll go back again because of the variety of really good lunch options. Owner is a sweetheart and a real local! read more

In the waste land of the Garden area Rustico brings good lunch time fare. I have had the Rustico (the Prosciutto was wonderful) and even ventured to the Espo (Sausages, Peppers and Onions). Great stuff! Thank goodness because between the bars and bad pizza places Rustico stands out! read more

I love this place and wish it were open for dinner on non-game nights as well, but whatever. The rustico has to be my favorite sandwich here, and I've been coming back to this place, even though for most of the last 7 years it's been horribly out of the way, just for this. Prosciutto, arugula, olive oil, mozzarella...I have no idea what else is in there, (it really could just be a dab of salted butter on the bread), but the entire thing is awesome. Soups are very very generously portioned. The butternut squash was awesome. Tried the lobster ravioli once on a whim and like everything else, it's so much better than you might suspect. read more

waited in line for 15 minutes at the slow-ass place for them to tell me they're not serving breakfast anymore even though there's nowhere on the sign that says so. S*** on the ground outside of the restaurant. Half the menu they were out of the food they were advertising. read more

Good services and a decent omelette make for a four star breakfast combination. The fifth star would be there if they had better coffee. It's no cafe so i didn't expect a prefect hand-poured artists cup, but ai'd like a little more of a kick in the ass from my coffee. At least buy Dunkins or Starbucks. read more

Pizzeria Rustico - Busch of tables and close to the courthouse - chow before sentencing - Salad Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I love this place. They're food is fantastic. I love the Aunties Favorite Salad. It is my main go to. Yes, the service is a little slow and food can take a few minutes to come out, but it's freshly made to order, so I come here when I have a few extra minutes for lunch and thoroughly enjoy the food and the short break from work. read more

I find their breakfast and lunch really good and get the home cooked feel. I enjoy their create your own omelette. read more

Pizzeria Rustico - Salad Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

No free wifi like the listing said. :( The steak and cheese sandwich was pretty good, although in a to-go situation, the grease went through the paper plate, and through the brown paper wrapping. They should really give you a plastic bag for those type of orders. (Luckily, I had brought my own). Staff was nice and the place seemed clean, although it's a bit on the crowded side. read more

Lost this place. I love how its small, family owned place! Favorite Dish- Lobster Ravoli Service is fast and friendly. read more

It is always a good sign when there's a line out the door at lunch time. Cafe Rustico is a tiny restaurant with a large following. Their traditional Italian food reminds you of home cooked food. Large sandwiches and mouthwatering pastas. The first time around I got the gnocchi pomodoro and it was the best I've ever had. The gnocchi was perfectly made and was complemented well with the tomato sauce. The second time I got the chicken pesto sandwich. I was presented with a HUGE sandwich, crisp bread, and plenty of yummy-ness stuffed inside. It was perfect for lunch and a bit left over for afternoon snack. This place is crazy crowded during lunch. Don't expect a quick in and out. Though the food is worth the wait. If you mention that you want to food to go, you get it packed away. As the dining room is small, I would suggest you get the to go option. The woman working behind the counter is personable, friendly, and obviously knows the regulars. She was friendly and more than willing to offer suggestions. I hear they just started serving breakfast. Can't wait to try it out! read more

Again, up north in urban and unknown territory for me, I was expecting stingy and small plates and meager servings of food, but I was knocked out of my shoes by the enormous bowl of baked gnocchi. Like... whoa... I've had the "real thing" in small town central Italy, but North Boston, if you know where to look, can seriously change your views on what "the real thing" is. I don' t think I'll ever be able to look at Italian food the same way again.... This is serious folks! read more

I went to Rustico to get lunch to go during the week. I got a caprese salad with chicken cutlet, which cost a few dollars more. The service was friendly with about a 7-8 minute wait...they were busy. The salad was huge and full of fresh arugula, tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and the chicken cutlet pieces. Everything was drizzled with sweet balsamic dressing and accompanied by olive oil on the side. It was excellent! read more

Pizzeria Rustico - Caprese salad with chicken cutlets - Salad Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place is amazing. The food is fresh and delicious. The arugula salad is one of the best salads I've ever had. Add chicken and it's heaven. Better yet, add salmon. Heaven. They're a little pricey, but the quality is worth the price and it's expected for the area... Save a few pennies by going outside of the lunch rush hour (you get a discount). The chicken can run a little dry but it has wonderful flavor and works really well on the salads... read more

I was taking my sister to Mulligans for some delicious George Wright and found it closed (on vacation). Desperate and hungry we decided to try Cafe Rustico which is right next door. The only reason? They had a sign that said: Sicilian pizza...pizza being one of the main food groups my nephew eat from, we decided that at least they'd be happy. The sister didn't order anything...said she wasn't hungry. When the waiter brought out my Clemenza salad (add chicken, hold the onions), she couldn't keep her fork and knife out of it. Such a simple salad of arugula, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, cucumbers, chicken and balsamic vinaigrette has no business tasting this good. I'd eat this salad again and again. Why only 3 stars? The pizza was just o.k. On a side note: this place was PACKED for lunch...it seems to be a place many locals get to go during their lunch hour. However, there are a few tables and they are quick to serve you. read more

Awesome food !! Best Italian Eva ! Service with a smile. Consistently the best in town !!

I'm a big fan of Rustico for their vegetarian options, they have one sub in particular called the Veggie that has tomato, mozza, zucchini, eggplant and pesto, which tastes very fresh and is oily but in that italian clean-olive kind of oily. The staff is friendly and talkative and is happy to make little tweaks if you like it a certain way. Only thing keeping me from 5 stars is their bread options. I much prefer wheat or multigrain, something healthier. read more

I eat lunch here way too often...best red sauce in town!! It gets busy at lunch, the smart move is to phone in your order for pickup. Love the staff and owner Kiki! And don't forget to take a loyal customer punch card...after 10 meals the 11th is free! read more

I've dined here twice and had it catered at my current job at least twice. The prices are good, but I still haven't found a dish I truly love/could stick to. The pastas that were catered weren't the best. The sandwiches were alright. However, their staff really cares about what they do, and I appreciate that. read more

Ordered the casalinga salad in a wrap, unfolded, ( great options for vegetarian and vegan, made to order food) it looked amazing , tasted as good as it looked great place to have lunch , owner and staff are wicked friendly read more

Pizzeria Rustico - Awesome casalinga wrap , unfolded my personal style .great vegetarian options - Salad Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is a great authentic Italian restaurant. Great food and great people!! The gnocchi reminds me of my grandmas, which is bigger praise than I can express :) Don't miss this great little place!! read more