Very friendly bartenders and incredible small town ambiance. I got the rasberry-jalapeño and chipotle cinnamon chicken wings. The raspberry wings were unlike anything I've eaten before - basically plain fried wings dipped in jam. Not bad at all - I was glad to try it. The chipotle wings were underseasoned. Great local beers and a fun atmosphere. Definitely stop by if you are in the area. read more

Wonderful folksy local establishment. Good food! Menu specials are great. Service outstanding.

Great food, great drinks! Was just a little weirded out that the bartender was very pregnant and serving. She had to get in the middle of an almost fight between a guy and a girl... super awkward to watch. Her pour is perfect Def will be back! read more

This place is so amazing! Such reasonable prices and great service. Loved the wings. Such a hidden gem

A great local place with a welcoming staff. Food was really good (except for some of the desserts which were only ok). But the various specials like the Mexican food and the burgers were more than good. They were really great. This is a "Cheers-like" place where you get a warm welcome from the first time you come in. Great history. Great service. Really good food and drinks. read more

Don't let it's size fool you! Good bar food, good drinks and friendly staff. Karoake is fun on Saturdays. It's nice that it's not far from home. read more

This is a small place, but has really good food. I had Duck taco, it was delicious, little pricey but worth it. My friends were very satisfied with their meal also! Sometimes it's hard to get a table.... read more

Great spot after a day at Rocky Neck beach. Standard clam strips and fish & chips. Don't judge a book by its cover!

The Rustic is always the place where I meet up with friends. It is always friendly and inviting and the staff is welcoming. The food never disappoints. Homemade and delicious. It is my go to place no matter what. It never disappoints. read more

Excellent food Friendly staff Good drinks Too many flies need to address this and I will give it five stars read more

Excellent food, good drink and reasonably priced. Why only 3 stars then? Because they have a tall blonde girl who works there who may be the nastiest person I've ever encountered in a food establishment. Rude and nasty both times I've had the displeasure of crossing paths with her. I need to find out if she's the owner so that I can stop patronizing if in fact, it is her place, but I don't think it is. Eliminate her from the equation and it's a great little place to get a drink and meal. read more

I live right around the corner and see the parking lot filled to overflowing and wondered what the draw was until my husband and I decided to walk over one cold midweek evening. The place looks like it could not house all the people from the cars in the parking lot. Had a pan seared sesame tuna dinner that came with a seaweed salad and hubs had a scallop dinner. We each had a cup of NE clam chowder and it was great. Both of our meals were delicious and fresh. The beer menu is decent and the crowd was a mix of singles, couples and a family with two small kids. There are about 35 seats in the whole place. I can see them outgrowing the building in no time. I will DEFINITELY be back. read more

Rustic Cafe was a gem when I found it and as of recently all things have gone down hill, beginning with the service and ending with the atmosphere. I rarely/hate to write a bad review as I am from the restaurant industry but after more than two attempts at trying to bring back what I once loved about Rustic, I'm afraid it's gone. The woman who appears to be the owner was far from friendly. The food is decent, but hard to enjoy with such terrible service. read more

Very dissapointed from the moment I walked in and the owner Stephanie greeted us with "you can grab a drink at the bar and sit anywhere but inside .." the place was crowded but still open tables inside. Not until a "local" friend walked in behind me did she say "Oh... you're with her... ok u can sit inside." Completely abrasive approach and selective on who she wants as consumers. read more

My husband and I have been coming here for years (obviously from my last review) and in terms of who I am as a person, I'm not fussy. For instance, the last time I sent food back was in 1993 when a restaurant gave me a cup of coffee with lipstick on it! Anyway, I took one bite of a scallop tonight and it tasted really off. Not fussy, but not up for a potential GI problem with stuff that tasted like it had been out for days. The waitress was great at first, took it back to the kitchen, but then brought it back saying nothing was wrong with it per the owner/manager and was fresh. Offered something else but honestly lost my appetite after that. Why would I want something back I found inedible that I couldn't eat? The icing on the cake was not taking it off the bill. Seriously? Really? Good luck with that business model long term. read more

Terrible service. Waitress refused to give us separate checks (2) because she didn't want to hand write them! So we left before we even ordered. So can't comment on the food. read more

greasy food. tasted like oil needed to be changed both times i ordered from there this past year.

With the beautiful weather we decided on a road trip toward the coast and wanted to try the Rustic after the Yelp reviews. We split the lobster roll, tons of meat and butter for under $8.00. Excellent. Tom had the fried clam strip basket and I had the fried sea scallop basket. Some of the best we have had and one was $8.99 and the other $9.00. Kinda far for us, but really good and highly recommend. I heard the girl behind the bar saying they are the new owners and going to make changes. By all means add things but don't mess with the above; perfect. read more

I went here for the first time this past weekend. The older waitress/bartender waited 20 minutes before taking our order (we had to scan the QR code for our menu). The food was okay. When the food was delivered we finished our drinks and the waitress never came back after waiting another 15 minutes for drink refills. She made eye contact and still didn't ask. I had to walk the drinks to the bar and hand her the cups to get a refill. After waiting another 20 minutes after finishing the meal, I finally get the check so I hand her my card. Moments later I hear my card number being read out loud by some random person at the bar. The waitress claims she couldn't read the number so she handed my card to a random customer to read my card number, expiration number and cvd number for the entire place to hear. When she got back I called her out on it and she said it's only because she couldn't read the card number. Never in my life have I dealt with and seen such stupidity. I will never ever step foot in this place again solely based on how horrible my service was. read more

We were two weary travelers traversing Connecticut to visit myriad friends and relatives during our recent East Coast trip. We were hungry (one of us gets really cranky when he doesn't eat, don't you, Jason?) and looking for something New England-y. There was a good crowd of cars outside this place and we liked it's "Rustic" feel so in we went. It is small, for sure, but that contributes to its rusticity, I think. It turned into a great find! We got a lobster roll that is one of the biggest lobster rolls I've ever seen. There were other road weary travelers in there that night too and we joked with them about the portion size. The meat wouldn't stay in the bun there was so much of it and it was ridiculously inexpensive. Like less than $8. We noted that they have a whole lobster dinner for less than $12! I'm surprised my mom doesn't drive down the two hours from Boston for a bargain like that. When we were there on a Friday early evening there were several patrons there but I'm sure they must queue up from miles around for this kind of deal. We also got some yummy onion rings (with just enough onion and not too much ring), and some other assorted fried goodies. It turned out the guitar playing dude with the quick wit and big smile was the owner who happened to be from out here on the West Coast. How cool is it that he was hanging out chatting with customers? The only deficiency, which the bartender said they were working on, is that they didn't have any local micro-brews. That was only worth noticing for us because we don't spend a lot of time in the Northeast and it would've been fun to sample something from nearby (assuming there is something nearby). But that lobster roll....oh man, that lobster roll! read more

Service was horrible and my meal was horrible. I had the Vinci de Mayo special, a shrimp chile Relleno that had one tiny piece of shrimp. The appetizer was equally bad. If I could give it 0 stars I would. read more

Great little dive. Great pub grub at reasonable prices. Service was friendly, but slower than chilled molasses; probably because our waitress kept doing shots behind the bar, but who's to say. Be prepared to wait...for everything. Would still recommend, just get there earlier rather than later for dinner. read more

After a trip to Rocky Neck, we checked Yelp for a good local restaurant. This one had good reviews and was only 7 minutes away: a win. the place is pretty small inside, but we squeezed in between two couples (sharing a table with one) and had a good time. We started out with clam chowder, one NE and one RI. Both were delicious with big clam chunks. the NE was light, not thick and goopy loaded with cream. I found I prefer it this way. The corn bread and honey butter is amazing for $2.50. my husband tried to say he didnt want any, but once he tasted it, he devoured more than half. For our dinners, he had the petite sirloin with mashed potatoes and cole slaw. the steak was cooked perfectly, sides were delicious. and only $11??? I had the hot lobster roll ($9) which was loaded with giant claw and leg pieces. It didnt seem to have any butter on it, but our server quickly brought a container of melted butter when asked. all in all, this was a fantastic, inexpensive meal with great service and a pleasant atmosphere. we'll be back! read more

This is s tiny little place. Food was excellent. Had the fish sandwich which was one of the best I've ever had. Crisp outside and moist inside. Service was so-so. Was that the owner who sits at the bar drinking at 1 in the afternoon? One bartender/waitress for the whole place. We'll try it again for sure. read more

Yummy found this on yelp on the way home from the casino scallop app was delicious bit pricey but the 9 dollars lobster roll made up for it my husband had a 16oz prime rib for 19 bucks the food was something I would make at home which I loved real comforting and home made taste , bartender was super sweet can't wait to go back and try more read more

The food is good and inexpensive. I would have given 5 stars but customers need to be aware that this is a very small establishment and a positive dining experience can be quickly undone by one loud, boisterous patron. The Rustic Cafe has 5-6 tables and a bar. Both times that we have eaten here (one was a Friday night and another a Thursday night) a very loud customer has made us regret our decision. We will come back, but for lunch or at another time when one might expect the other customers to be quieter. read more

Delicious lobster bisque, crab cake and lobster roll. Very small but charming with friendly service. I prefer thinner, more seasoned fries but that's a minor nit to pick. I would definitely visit again. read more

We love this place! Cold beer, tasty food, Cinco de Mayo four times a year (really)! Undoubtedly the friendliest place around. I'm a pretty quiet guy and I've never been to the Rustic Cafe without ending up in great conversation with the bartender and the other customers. As soon as you walk in, you're family. Most customers seem to know each other here, but first timers are warmly welcomed into the fold. Stop by this homey roadhouse, you won't regret it! read more

Stopped in for lunch last Saturday...their clam chowder had tons of clam meat and potatoes, just the way I like it. The fish & chips tasted fresh as well, the lobster roll was warm, but it had too much claw meat, which has a different texture than other parts of lobster. The place reminded me of a cabin; it only had about 6-7 tables and the bar, good thing we went during lunch so it wasn't super crowded. read more

Honestly, the food has USUALLY been good, but the venue is so poor that I would knock and entire star off for it. The room the restaurant is in gives the costumers a cramped feeling and the other clientele are concerning to say the least. Not remotely classy, but ok if that's the kind of thing you're looking for. Conveniently located, but if you're willing to drive a little further, do so and go somewhere else. read more

Rustic cafe never ceases to surprise with the quality and variety of dishes they offer. The atmosphere is cheerful and rustic, the staff are friendly and efficient and the draught beer selection is solid. Start with the steamers, grab some burgers (gorgonzola chocolate!!) Or one of the daily specials. Finish with a homemade desert and you have a great overall experience. read more

Love the Rustic! Perfect place for eats and drinks.. always lively with patrons of all backgrounds and interests.. you have to have a pickle back. Truly amazing. The bartender and staff are always happy to see and serve you. Food is really good, particularly if you are looking for pub food read more

The past several times we have come here the quality of the food has diminished and the prices increased. The seating arrangement inside has become unbearable. We ate outside and we're asked to sit at the beat up picnic table but refused and wanted the patio table. Not one other customer cane outside the entire time we ate our on average burgers. The place used to be great until everyone and their brother started going there and no longer an enjoyable place to eat with friends and family. read more

We went to the Rustic Café while in the area for a wedding. We ended up there because it was one of the only places in the area that serve food late at night. We went back the second night because the food was delicious (the lobster roll is awesome), The drinks were strong and large, the karaoke was loud and so much fun, and the atmosphere was perfect local flavor. I recommend this place highly if you are in the area. read more

Busy little place, but so worth stopping in for! Lobster rolls were awesome and coleslaw may have been the best we've ever had.

Loved this spot we stopped for lunch and a beer on the way back from NYC. Delicious crab cakes and steak. We sat out on the patio with our dog and enjoyed some fresh air. The waitress/ bartender had a pretty packed little place all to herself and she did a good job of taking care of everyone. Would stop here again while on a road trip for sure! read more

Consistently solid and a menu that's while not adventurous, always satisfies. Staff is friendly and the atmosphere is comfortable. Worth a stop for a bite to eat or drinks. read more

Wait staff are great! They made room for our large party. Food was decent. Solid pub food and the Mexican was ok. I had the chili Relleno and the peppers were a little under cooked. We had several youth who got burgers and such. A burger order of medium rare was closer to rare. It was all just fine. We're just passing through and are not likely to return. read more

We were visiting family in Niantic but not until Saturday so Friday we dropped our bags at the hotel & had the GPS route us around traffic on I-95 to visit other family in Norwalk... Passed this little "hole in the wall" place & looked it up on Yelp & knew we needed to try it. We went back on Saturday night. We were not disappointed! Our family who has lived in Niantic since the mid 90's had never been here, not once! I think this is our go-to place now when we're visiting. ;) They've got wings for the husband, seafood for me, fries & calamari for our youngest, & calamari & a number of other things on the menu that intrigued our oldest (who isn't as picky as the youngest haha). We were a group of 3 adults, 2 kids, we were seated right away. For a calamari appetizer, 8 adult beverages, 1 kids beverage, entrees for everyone, & 1 kids ice cream just over $100 was a great deal. The restaurant area/pub is on the small side & everyone seemed to know each other but even though we weren't regulars, we felt right at home because our server was such a sweetheart. We got extra oyster crackers from another server with a knowing smile because our youngest saw our oldest had some & that wasn't "fair" - lol. It wasn't a fast meal because they were jam packed but we weren't in a rush & we didn't mind at all. And even though the servers were running around like they had jet packs strapped to their backs, they still took the time to make sure we had everything we needed, had refills when we needed them, etc. They were great! We'd been walking around town all day in the heat & humidity so our server was having to refill our water glasses every few minutes. Eventually she just brought over a pitcher of iced water for the table which was wonderful! I got fish & chips which were great. The husband got two different kinds of wings which he said were alright but he likes East Coast Tacos wings more. The calamari was fantastic & we loved the sauce - it was a sweet & hot sauce, I THINK it was duck sauce mixed with chili but I'm not sure, in any case, it was tasty! Great local beer on tap & they made a great margarita. When our youngest's ice cream came out, she brought out a cup of vanilla ice cream with all the fixings on the side & put it together in front of him just the way he liked it. She had him put his hand out & put the whipped cream right in his hand & he licked it off, then she handed us a few wet-naps. ;) It was hilarious & our youngest got a huge kick out of it as well. Highly recommend, we'll be back, thanks Yelp! :) read more

A little far off the beaten path, but we stopped there after a trip to the Florence Griswold Museum. Rustic in a new sort of way. All redone inside, with faux logs and faux tables carved from logs. A few tables, busy bar at 2pm. We got the lobster rolls straight up, cheap enough and tasty. Wait staff fast and friendly. read more