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Rust General Store

4.2 (168 reviews)
Closed • 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

About Rust General Store

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Business Info

RUST GENERAL STORE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for kids
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Rust General Store

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CANDY!!!!
Cynthia C.

Cuuuute general store w/jars of candy and complimentary samples. Tried Dark Chocolate Irish Cream, but it wasn't "chocolate enough", so I went for a sample of Death by Chocolate and it was the perfect bite of dark chocolate. Mr. Bertolino was an excellent host, reminding me of "The Candy Man" from '71 "Willy Wonka." Such a joy! I wasn't planning on buying anything, but he was so winsome, I just HAD to! Hubs was intrigued by the Green Apple sour candy, but sweets are a "no, no" for him, so he just enjoyed a sample. Prices seem in line with tourist spots and Mr. Bertolino let us know that the candy in the jars is sold "by the scoop", or you can purchase pre-bagged. I'm guessing it's 6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of the other, but I didn't mind. It's a treat. Loved the overall look of the store, with the high shelves of jars of candy, display of baked goods, interesting books and loads of souvenirs. Pop in a take a look. If you can resist a sweet treat, you're a stronger man than I. Cheers! "CC"

Strawberry lemonade
Analiea M.

I stopped in here hoping to get a water but after looking at the menu, I had to get myself a strawberry lemonade. It was very sweet, but super refreshing. I also got a pickle on a stick and these pickles were amazing! Super crispy and juicy. The service was also great, the guy at the counter was very helpful. He recommended the pickle lemonade which I'll definitely try when I'm back! Overall, good service and yummy drinks. It's something you really only stop at if you're already walking around in old town, as it is extremely hard to find parking in the areas. Especially on the weekend.

Store
Betty H.

Located in the heart of 'Old Town San Diego State Historic Park' in the picnic area. Rust General Store is a must stop for us when we visit. This lil store takes you back to the 1860's. You will find housewares and a bistro serving Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Lemonades, Pickle-on-a-Stick, Ice Cream Floats, Fresh Cookies, Pretzels, Popcorn, and so many more goodies that you can enjoy right outside. I love seeing the friendly staff in such era-themed outfits, so unique and fun. They offer a Traditional Tea Service in their private garden on Saturday and Sundays at 2:30 PM by reservations. I enjoy their Iced Vanilla Latte with a Pretzel. Their fresh lemonades are so refreshing and so so good! Overall, it's always a good experience at Rust General.

Prickly
Brad W.

Tries the prickly pear lemonade at $7 for a large. Thought it was sweet, but enjoyable. Cookies looked good.

Joyce Z.

When we went to the Tea on Sunday afternoon and it was delicious and so refreshing to sit under that big pepper tree in the backyard

Sandwiches
Alyssa M.

Rust now offers afternoon tea in their backyard! The backyard area is decorated so cute and the vibes are so nice and pleasant. Super chill! There are different teas to choose from, scones, sandwiches, and the most decadent desserts. Everything was delicious. Our server was Ms Riley and she was delightful. Grab your girls, make a reservation, and enjoy a splendid afternoon. It's super shaded so even when it's warm, the backyard is comfortable.

Risto K.

Fantastic tourist store resembling the General Store from the old west! Lots of small items, tourist trinkets. One corner serves as a coffee shop as well. Ambience is rustic hence the name Good coffee and delicious Bavarian pretzels!

Rust General Store & Bistro food and drink menu
Mia G.

I was walking around Old Town for the day with a good friend, and we were craving a cold drink on an extra warm day in SD. We decided to check out their cafe/bistro inside! We got their fresh lemonade and cookies (tho I didn't see any vegan or GF options). They were both delicious and just hit the spot for us! My friend found their outdoor patio area, which we loved. A huge hidden patio tucked in busy Old Town. If you have a large group with you or looking for some peace and quiet, then you must check this outdoor area out. There are many wooden tables to choose from. Before we left, I spotted some cute summery kitchen towels. They were $12 and were good quality fabric, and so glad I got them. Cashiers for both the cafe and general store were fast and friendly. Most definitely support the Rust General Store!

Spicy lemonade
Jenna B.

If you like spicy, sweet and refreshing stop in for their specialty lemonade! Really friendly staff, and a nice gem in old town.

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Great find in Old Town. Sandwiches and service are great! Cute area in back to enjoy your food.

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11 years ago

Best sandwiches in San Diego! They also have a plethora of candies and pastries! I love going there for finding unique gifts.

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Cute store customer service at the coffee bar was horrible. Very rude. Spent $24 in drinks and they acted like we did them a favor.

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Extraordinary Desserts

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This place is properly named extraordinary dessert for a reason. They are known for their desserts…read moreboth in taste and in aesthetics. Desserts: 5/5 We got a blood orange scone and a strawberry danish. The scone was warm and delicious. The orange essence was well infused. The danish was crispy and creamy. Everything was so picturesque. Food: 3/5 Unfortunately, the food was not the best. We got the smoked salmon sandwich which was not very flavorful. The salmon was also slimy. The pesto spread was good though. It was creamy and the artisan bread it was served had great variety. Ambiance: 5/5 This place is such super cute. When you walk in, the desserts all look super appetizing. The seating areas are super cute and the floral decor are stunning. Service: 5/5 It is an order then sit down establishment. There is great attention to their dessert. I saw them heat up a knife just to cleanly cut the cake. The food service however did take some time to come out.

Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a simple and enjoyable sweet treat turned into a really…read moreunpleasant experience because of the extremely poor service we received. This was not our first time visiting Extraordinary Desserts, which makes this experience even more disappointing. Sadly, every time we come back, the service seems to get worse. The waiter's attitude and level of attention were unacceptable, and the overall customer service was simply not there. For a place that is supposed to be about enjoying beautiful desserts and having a nice experience, the quality of the service completely ruined our visit. Service, attention, and hospitality were all a zero.

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Pappalecco

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4.3(3.1k reviews)
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Absolutely amazing! That was the first thought that came to mind after my first bite of the…read morecroissant and my first spoonful of gelato. Alex helped me choose my gelato flavors, and she was so patient, friendly, and kind. There were so many different gelato and sorbet flavors to choose from that it was honestly hard to pick! The moment I tasted them, I felt like I was back in Italy. The flavors were rich, layered, and complex--you could actually taste the different ingredients, rather than just tasting sugar like you sometimes do at other places. Everything was so delicious and thoughtfully made. Definitely a place I'd love to come back to!

A cute authentic Italian neighborhood cafe in Little Italy serving coffee, treats, gelato, and…read morepaninis. My friends and I were just looking to get a coffee in Little Italy, but when we walked in and saw all the delicious treats we had to try something else as well. I ordered a latte and neglected to tell them it was for here so I was given a paper cup, but they give real cups if you ask. The latte was good, and my friend bought a kitchen sink type cookie with chocolate, coconut, and macadamia nuts. It was warm and gooey good! Another friend tried the gelato and said it was very good. There are a few tables inside and tables out in front outside. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful San Diego weather. The decor and tables definitely gives you an old school Italian neighborhood vibe with Italian markets right next door. If I am in the neighborhood again, I would definitely come back here to try the gelato and/or a piece of an excellent looking lemon pie bar I spotted.

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Solunto Ristorante & Bakery

Solunto Ristorante & Bakery

4.0(1.2k reviews)
2.8 mi•Little Italy
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Little Italy has no shortage of Italian restaurants, and area el fresco, so this one didn't…read moreparticularly stand out at first. Solunto we chose it was because it shares (owns) a space with a dessert and gelato spot. We ordered the carbonara, which was very good, and the salmon pesto pasta, which was full of chunky salmon! The pesto sauce was so good that I honestly wanted to lick the bowl clean. The food was so satisfying that I didn't even have room for dessert, which was the whole reason we came here in the first place! Service is good.

Positive: food was great. For me, portions of the protein are small so that sucks but can't argue…read morewith the quality. We both liked our dishes a lot. The outdoor seating was nice. It was a warm day but we got there at 5:15pm and the sun was starting to go behind the downtown buildings. Negative: service. It seems if you are a regular, like the two tables near us, they chat it up and talk about how things are. If you aren't a regular, they just quickly come by and say "anything else?" the two times they came by. Im a huge water drinker so the carafe they brought only refilled our cups once. Never got another one until we were done and they came by asking about dessert. They weren't busy by any stretch on a Tuesday evening but apparently the frequent customers either tip really well or they prefer familiar faces. I assume the latter. So, I mean the food itself was great but service was not good. I mean we went when it was slow too and the host was talking it up with a frequent customer also asking about the changes recently to parking in their area nearby.... So, it puts this review as a 3/5.

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4.1(581 reviews)
2.7 mi•Little Italy
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Food: - fungi pasta: 7.5/10, strong mushroom flavor…read more - carbonara: 5.7/10, too much sauce and noodles were overcooked - lemon meringue cheesecake + Sicilian cannoli: super authentic cannoli, cheesecake was good but nothing special Service: - hostess was not friendly - they ran out of white peach Italian soda but instead of asking what other flavor we would prefer, they just brought out a vanilla Italian soda - ordering took forever but once our food was in, it came out in less than 10 min Ambiance: - outdoor seating Skip Barbusa (sister restaurant) and come here instead, at least there is better dessert

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