I wouldn't have bothered to write a review, namely a negative one, because I know that it can potentially dissuade potential patrons. There are plenty of other people who have had experiences on the opposite spectrum of mine, so I highly doubt mine will be very impactful. However, I have truly given this place a lot of "2nd chances" and after the most recent experience just yesterday evening, I feel compelled to give my honest opinion.
I first tried Rustic Goat when it initially opened, since I lived in the neighborhood. It was highly anticipated and it is an absolutely gorgeous building/interior, so for that, I give 5 stars. My first experience was sub-par; I had ordered the chicken marsala and it fell flat, not to mention it seemed like a small portion, even for a rich pasta. My friend had the skewers at the time, which I believe was steak and reindeer sausage, and it was extremely dry and over-cooked. We chalked it up to the regular trials and tribulations of opening a brand new restaurant.
Being in the neighborhood and not always being inspired/motivated to go very far, we kept trying. I have since tried the leek/sausage pizza (which was pretty good), the pulled pork nachos (way too sweet and not tangy/spicy enough, but then again, who can really turn down nachos), and a number of other dishes on their menu. This was probably over the course of a few visits. Soon it was decided that while the food wasn't exciting, their patio area was a great place to enjoy drinks, and they do have a good beer selection. So I would say that the main attraction was the ambiance/decor.
Then came the dreaded 2nd to last visit, which was when I had ordered "cioppino." It should be a rich flavorful broth with a beautiful, healthy portion of seafood. I really don't mean to be scathing, but again, this dish was the sole reason I had given up on this place (until last night). The broth literally tasted like the canned Campbell's tomato soup - the same taste, the same consistency, and really no evidence of freshness or herbs or anything resembling cioppino broth. This is such an important part because then you can sop it up with delicious crusty bread. But no. And the portion of seafood was actually insulting. There were 2 little portions each, and if I remember correctly, it was like 2 clams, 2 mussels, a couple bay shrimp (not even big fat shrimp), and then topped with smoked salmon, which completely took over the taste/aroma of it. I love smoked salmon, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it belongs in cioppino. Especially not with such a meager seafood representation otherwise. I would give this dish alone a negative star if possible.
I hadn't been back in over a year, but due to others' reviews and telling myself that my previous visits must have been "an off day" or "just a bad experience," I decided to give it another shot, especially because my boyfriend hadn't yet been and was interested to try. We both went basic and each ordered the "weekly burger special" medium rare. Well, they were out of the "special" (bison meat) so they had to substitute regular ground beef. Fine. Our appetizer was very yummy, the fried cauliflower. So I give that 5 stars as well. The burger was nothing short of disappointing. Neither burger had any bit of pink- they were straight up medium. And that was made a bigger problem because the burger patties themselves were bland and flavorless as if they forgot to season the meat (or went super shy on it). As someone who has been guilty of underseasoning when cooking, I know that this is not out of the realm of possibilities, but for actual restaurant chefs, I expect more. The burger toppings barely salvaged it, but only because they were so strong themselves (bacon jam, arugula, gorgonzola). It was essentially a bad version of Spenard Roadhouse's bacon jam burger. The parmesan fries were delicious (also give those 5 stars), but again, who doesn't enjoy fried anything.
So with my overall experiences, I had to give a 3 stars. I may continue to go for a beautiful setting for a drink, both inside and on the outdoor patio, but I feel that we have officially reached our end-point in the food department. read more