I've been here multiple times since they reopened. Originally it was five stars for us. Waited until now to post my three star review. The food went downhill. The service is always decent. And it's a cute place. Did they fire the cook?? That was her go to place and now we find other places to go sorry not sorry read more

Food was delicious! However a little feedback. Restaurant can't really accommodate a group of 5 or more. Steak toast(my dish) was delicious as well BUT I would advise diners that the portion is ridiculously small and really more of an appetizer that was $24 one little toast with no sides is not work that. I would recommend 2 and just increasing the price or encouraging a side for the dish. But the food was amazingly delicious. read more

Service is great and food up scale from what it was Inside is fun and comfortable Highly recommended read more

Gave this unique little treasure a shot for burgers and was not disappointed! The funky atmosphere is like no other, and the service was warm, friendly, and efficient. I asked to sub a salad for fries and it was no problem at all. The lettuce was fresh, the balsamic dressing moderately applied and had just the right blend of tang and tart. But the burger....ohhhhh, the burger... was OUTSTANDING!! For the first time ever, I omitted condiments because the burger seasoning was just right. Pricing was very reasonable for the quality. We shall return, and soon! read more

Service was friendly and attentive. Casual food. The best sticky toffee pudding dessert!

My friend and I had a blast at Rustic Cafe . I would love to come back and try some other items on their menu . We tried the stuffed clams .. Delicious!! Such a fun place !!! read more

now open may 2025 with new owners! great food , as someone said, run don't walk ! it is awesome read more

Delicious food and beers. As a starter the fried pickles are a must. I had a great burger, lots of flavor and cooked perfectly. My wife has a scallop sandwich, with I have never seen on a menu. She loved it! Definitely recommend this little gem! read more

Rustic Cafe - Scallop Sandwich. - Music Venues Near Me - East Lyme, Connecticut

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It's more pub/bar than restaurant. The drinks are strong and the food is fried. The fried pickle spears was the starter. The batter was light but slid off the spears. The burgers are good; the fries are okay (could be crisper and hotter). You can get the burgers how you want it with the many different topping combinations. I got the fish and chips. It was hot and crispy but I felt it was missing something, though. Maybe some seasoning on the fish or having it beer battered would add flavor? Service was alright. See the other reviews. There's some truth in it. Also, the green house is unheated. Blankets are provided if you decided to sit there. read more

Super yummy burgers! Was there with my mom and a friend mid-day on a Sunday in February and it wasn't very busy which was fine with us. We all had a different burger and they were all perfectly cooked as ordered and delicious! I know this is a hopping spot in the summer, and it's fairly small inside, but we were able to take our time, chat, and enjoy our lunch. read more

A diamond in the rough. So glad we didn't drive away. Tiny place with a wonderful bar (and bar tender). Delicious burger (sorry forget to take a picture) and spicy fries pickles. Bartender was also server and was friendly, attentive, and proud of the establishment. What a great surprise this place was. read more

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Wanted a good burger so my wife and I chose the rustic. Our server treated us like we were a bother to her even though we each just ordered a draft and a dinner choice. Took almost an hour for the meals to come out and this place has like 10 tables total. Only time she came over to us was to say they were out of one of the toppings on the burger I chose. Food came and it's still one of the best burgers around. Had to ask for the check at the end - then ask for it again 10 min later. And again, this place is tiny - she just didn't want to service us. Great food Ornery service Sloooooowwww for a pub read more

Had lunch here after kayaking and I could not love the ambiance more. There's an attached greenhouse that is such a cozy vibe I cannot wait to go back. Cute outdoor area w fire pit as well and I hear they have great karaoke. We got malt fries and they were a perfect start! Salty and malty and still crispy! I got raspberry jalapeño burger. Came with bacon, grilled jalapeños and strawberry jam. Burger was cooked perfectly on a toasty roll. Bacon was crispy and salty and put against spicy jalapeños and sweet raspberry jam there was nowhere to go but flavor town after one bite. We tried the malt salt wings and they were crispy and full of flavor too. Bartender was on his own and took a triple seating when we arrived and he handled it perfectly! Food was quick and hot and we didn't want for anything. A great find and we will def be back to try more of their huge burger menu read more

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So when you come to the rustic café understand the name of the restaurant! If you like a rustic atmosphere and a great outdoor spot then this is your place! We were looking for a nice place to go for a drink and a casual atmosphere outside and we found it at the rustic café. Definitely a hometown feeling and the best burgers we've had in a long time with some fabulous toppings! Don't miss it read more

Rustic Cafe - a double rainbow in the sky - Music Venues Near Me - East Lyme, Connecticut

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Ok. This is another locals watering hole. It is NOT a cute little bistro that has an engaged kitchen serving solid food. A friend & I went there recently & the 50+ yrs olds at the bar were wasted. They were clearly regulars as everyone was on a first name basis with each other. They also only had fried food available on the menu which was a huge disappointment. It was also very pricey for fried food. Honestly, the only thing that was compelling was the cute small enclosed patio. The drinks were very strong also which wasn't very impressive. The waitress was nice & attentive. but that was pretty much it. I won't be going back & I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a good restaurant & bar in the area. There are plenty of other places that are much better. read more

Great food, wonderful drinks and the service is top notch. If you love pickles, this is the place to go. Pickle backs, fried pickles, and pickle martinis. Do you love burgers? Chocolate burgers with/without bacon, burgers with caramel, Gorgonzola and all the above. You will not be disappointed, tons to choose from! read more

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Covid-19 era: because of distancing this small place is even smaller, but call ahead orders and outdoor dining means you can still try their glorious seafood if the few indoor tables are already in use. I suggest getting it to-go for one awesome beach picnic like we did. We arrived early and had time to enjoy a pint/popcorn. Seasonal and local beers were on tap, and Spatan went well with the autumn day. The couple in the corner was enjoying their pickle back whiskeys ("I usually never like whiskey, ooh!"), so pickle back's on my to-do list for our next visit despite the curious-and-or-icky name. Our food was neatly packed, and the generous amount of buttered lobster packed separately from the toasted roll. Consider getting bubbly with your seafood since it's that good. The small but stocked bar is too cozy and clean to be called a dive bar, and the bar tender/host was super friendly. For now I can only enjoy reading drink specials and their commentary on the Rustic Cafe website, and the I'll be dreaming about everything on their seasonal dinner menu specials, but I can't wait to return! read more

Rustic Cafe - Picked up a super-filling buttered lobster roll. Won't be the last. Yummy beers on tap; watched a couple enjoy their pickle whisky. - Music Venues Near Me - East Lyme, Connecticut

The excrementitious I-95 roadway (which if it fell into the LI sound I would not be sad.) does not give any immediate dining options besides the usual fast food options paired with gas stations so its probably best to look for something a little off the path. With the Rustic Cafe you found a good one! Rustic Cafe is a great little spot which offers up some really excellent food for not a lot of money. The warm lobster roll had a generous amount of tender pieces inside its buttery roll with even more butter for dipping. The scallop roll packed every bit of space inside that roll with some of the best, perfectly fried, sweet scallops. The tartar sauce was perfect with this as well as the lightly dressed cole slaw. I added some well made fries to my order. I liked that they support local business using ingredients, beers, etc from the surrounding area. This seemed like a place for locals with the one woman show bartender handling all the orders swiftly, with a lot of good energy and banter. I recommend stopping in at this place for a little while to enjoy the great food and friendly vibe in this cozy spot. Don't worry, the large trucks and traffic of the I-95 will still be waiting for you when you decide to return! read more

Rustic Cafe - Scallop Roll - Music Venues Near Me - East Lyme, Connecticut

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Food is always good. Small spot limited tables inside. Decent sized free parking lot available.

Used to be a favorite place for tasty creative dishes. But now, no food. We miss them.

What a Find! This is quintessential spot where the locals ask you how you even found the place. It's in the middle of no where, but what a great surprise. The place looks like an old beat up house. It is very small inside. A wonderful energetic atmosphere and filled with friendly patrons. Here is the key, the food! This place specializes in seafood and boy does it do it well. Lobster rolls, scallop rolls, clam rolls, and a great fishermen's platter. There are a lot of fried items, but they really know how to fry food properly with a light not greasy coating. The fried scallop roll is awesome. Food and drink prices are very reasonable and the staff treats you like a regular. This spot and the Half Keg bar in New London are my favorite spots on the south shore of Eastern CT. Tip: the bar specializes in shots with a "pickle back." They're good. Find this place! Thanks read more

We ordered 2 burgers to go and were told 20 min. One hour later we got our burgers. The buns were so toasted that the edges crumbled. The burgers were like hockey pucks, charred on the outside. Tough. Not flavorful. What happened? This has been our favorite burger place. Seriously, save yourself the $28 and go to Burger King. read more

Zero stars really- Ty let us know his owner Stephanie fesko ( who scares him and he didnt wanna lose his job) breaks ADA laws by not allowing us and our well trained service dogs to eat inside where it's cool on a hot summer day as we drove by. We were discriminated and he didn't want to lose his job. We feel bad for Ty and hope he is able to get a better job with people that appreciate his work effort and dont make him break laws. Keep on driving by this discriminatory cafe. What a joke. read more

Stopped for lunch today. Fish and a chips were delicious as well as the Lobster Ravioli. We had the calamari appetizer which was served with a delicious sauce. Ty made a fabulous margarita as well. We will definitely return. read more

What happened to the rustic? We arrived on a Wednesday, it was not very busy - an average crowd, but it took us 20min to get our drinks and order in and then another hour and a half to get our two burgers- which were decent but not worth waiting that long. read more

Changed from a terrific burger joint to just a bar. Bad move! No reason to go there if food is your Qwest

We were looking for a place back from Branford. Found this on YELP. After a few wrong turns, we found it and were a little apprehensive about the appearance but we decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad we did. The exterior doesn't prepare you for inside. A small rustic bar continued into an airy glass room. It was unique but in a good way. The service was great and if you like burgers, this is the place. So many interesting flavors to choose from. We enjoyed the food, music and atmosphere. We will go again. read more

Insane hospitality in here! We're from NY visiting on business and we were STARVING! I looked on Yelp and found this place by luck! The chefs are the best and bent the rules a little to make my wife and I lobster rolls after hours. Awesome staff! Great food! We're lucky. read more

Rustic Cafe - Amazing Lobster Roll - Music Venues Near Me - East Lyme, Connecticut

Where did rustic go???! I went here two times last year with one of my friends- one in July and once in November. The drinks were delicious, food was amazing! The burgers were unique, decent prices, great portion and cooked perfect and I really loved that about the restaurant. The chairs and tables are so cozy and there were games to play for bigger groups. I was so excited to bring a different friend to this new place I discovered tucked away in East Lyme. Pulled into the parking lot on a Friday night at around 6pm about 3 weeks ago to find it was closed, which was around the same time of day I went here those two times last year. Turns out the hours changed to late night. Not only that, but there is no food anymore. It's just a pub now with late night drinks. I'm extremely disappointed in this because it was one of the most unique restaurants i've ever been to in this area for the better. It was almost easily my favorite. I am moving away from CT soon and will not get another chance to come back here but I hope this review prompts a change back to the old restaurant. read more

I stopped in here for lunch with my family after a baseball tournament in town because the yelp review had four stars and said "good for kids" - yeah, this is a bar and I don't know how good for kids made it onto the page. We probably should have just turned around so as not to bother the other patrons who go to places like this to nkids. It wasn't crowded or rowdy and we were hungry so we stayed and the bartender/waitress who served us was so nice. The food we had was good - lobster rolls and fried chicken and a hot dog for my little one. I'd definitely go back with friends for some drinks and leave the kids at home. read more

I have been by this place many times over the years and I finally stopped in and was greeted by Jen the bartender like we had known each other for years! Food is very good and service is spectacular. read more

What a hidden gem ! We got off the highway coming back from the Block island ferry because of an accident . As soon as we walked in we were greeted by smiles from both patrons and staff . It's that combination of local dive yet amazing food and so clean , we chose to sit outside in a newly added glass room . The waiter asked right away what tunes we wanted to hear which we thought was really cool . I had the best lobster roll and my husband and kids had burgers . Our son said it was the best he's had . Great wine , lemonade and appetizers! We will definitely be back , worth the drive even if you're not local read more

Another local favorite that has great food. Covid has put a big crimp in their hours of operations so it's best to call first. This restaurant has a small kitchen and when it's busy things can slow down but I have always found it worth the wait. Just don't take it out on the wait staff cause it's not their fault. There is an expansion and renovation in the future which will allow this pub/restaurant some needed space. Check it out and have fun. read more

We stopped in to the Rustic Cafe on a whim at around 8 PM for dinner and were seated outside by a lovely roaring fire pit. The charming waitress Nica served us truly great, exceptional cuisine. The special German potato pancake appetizer and fantastic BAKED shrimp were cooked to perfection. We concluded the meal with a perfectly delectable fried Twinkie, and, on the recommendation of the personable owner Stephanie, a pickle back shot as a chaser! A pleasure from start to finish. read more

Rustic Cafe - Delectable Fried Twinkie - Music Venues Near Me - East Lyme, Connecticut

Love the rustic!! What a hidden gem. Great atmosphere, great staff. Food is delicious too.

I'm not sure what's going on with this restaurant but the food has been going downhill. Went last week and ordered the fish and chips. Both were saturated in grease so much it was inedible. The kitchen staff was so loud it sounded like there was a party going in in there. Our only saving grace was Tie and Belinda. The servers. read more

Stay away from this place. Friend of mine and I both ordered the same burger. Waiter comes back with two different burgers and blames the mistake on us - actually points to a sign over the bar saying the bartender is alway right. No apology, no offer to fix the mistake or adjust our bill. And the burger I ordered medium well was served rare. I've eaten in restaurants in third world countries that are better than this. read more

I've come here twice as our daughter just moved here from Manhattan. Outstanding food selections and the chef is world-class. A surprise find with amazing meals such as hot lobsta sandwiches, great begets and salads and the wait staff is exceptional. Did I mention prices? Most reasonable and a real bargain for sandwiches. Free refills on ice tea as well! read more

One of the reasons I enjoy going fishing in the vicinity of East Lyme is heading over to Rustic Cafe to get something to east afterward. The Fish Reuben is one of the best sandwiches ever made. EVER! read more

Rustic Cafe - The Fish Reuben, made with batter fried fresh cod, is one of the best sandwiches ever made. - Music Venues Near Me - East Lyme, Connecticut

Stopped by Rustic Cafe this afternoon for a late lunch. My companion and I ordered a lobster roll and a fat belly clam roll, and we divided them in half to share. Both were excellent -- the taste of coastal Connecticut that we were hoping to find. And the accompanying cole slaw also was good. Excellent service, in spite of the fact that one young woman was attending to all of the customers (including bar orders) by herself. Our visit was on a Monday afternoon in early May. Business was pretty brisk. Based on that, I bet this place is very crowded on summer weekends! read more