Kicked off my birthday season with a very nice dinner here with the fam. I have stumbled into Rustica for drinks many moons ago, but always kept it on my radar for a meal. The decor is to die for. There's a "lounge" area by the area with large couches, velvet assents and little tables. the rest of the venue has warm tones with classy accents. overall, i truely liked it. half way through the staff dimmed the lights, overall its a warm, welcoming atmosphere. I did not partake in the bar drinks this time around, as im taking a break from drinking, but he other tables seemed to grab some nice looking craft cocktails. overall service was slow, there was only 1 staff member on board this day, but it was just myself and 2 family members here for 45 mins. i dont think this was the servers fault. it seemed the kitchen was a bit relaxed. the calamari was fresh and large rings, but complaint was that they were not as crunchy as ive had in other locations. i think they needed a minute or 2 to fry a little more. it comes with a dip, not a marinara sauce. i grabbed the chargrilled octopus. i loved this. only downfall is that it comes with a large salad. i would have rather less salad and more octopus itself. for my entree i had the scallops over risotto with ginger carrot sauce. there were 5 medium scallops provided. they also needed another minute or 2, they were almost perfect. the carrot ginger sauce was nice, but mainly carrot flavor. i liked the risotto, but i think they needed to tone down on the salt. the tiramisu was very good! they brought out a candle and a free glass of champagne. i would come back for drinks and another meal. read more

came here for birthday. Saturday was live music at 7:30. restaurant was half empty when i got there- for a saturday night probably not a good sign. parking lot is very small but you can park on the street too. portions were really big. food was mediocre- i felt like the food was reheated- the mussel was so tough i spat it out. Service was decent. Decor was in like an old world vibe. Would i come back? maybe if the food improves. read more

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Went here for a birthday and had a great dinner. Everything tasted great and the live jazz was fantastic.

Opened in 2018 along New Jersey's Golden Coast in Cliffside Park, this real gem in the concrete jungle is a modern "American-Italian" bistro located off of Gorge Road. A reservation was easily made via OpenTable for a party of 4 to catch up yesterday. Upon arrival at Rustica Lounge Bar and Restaurant for some of us as first-timers, my partner, our friends, and I were greeted by the staff and got a table at the front where thick bare wood beams stretched over the space in the glow of a sparkling chandelier with a cozy and relaxing vibe. The decor was very inviting with the velvet-upholstered chairs, modern fireplaces, and very cool art that adorned the walls, adding a great feel. Besides the indoor dining, this establishment also offers an outdoor patio garden for one's dining pleasure to enjoy when the weather is nice. Their menu comprised salads, steaks, fish, pasta, and more. As appetizers, we selected the Charred Octopus, Crispy Artichoke and Garlic Shrimp. For our main meal, we decided on the Fettuccine Mare E Monti (opted without mushrooms), Filet Mignon 6oz., Chicken Capri, Duck Alla Rustica, and a side of Four Cheese Au Gratin. We even saved room for dessert and got the Ricotta Pistachio Cheesecake and Warm Chocolate Souffle. Complimentary bread with butter and olive oil started our meal and to wash them down with Lychee Martini, French Martini, and Jersey Lemonade. The various dishes were crafted with high quality so one knows your meal is one you can feel good about. Truly delicious food prepared using locally sourced ingredients, with skilled attention and superb presentation. The band skillfully played jazz standards during our meal. Staff were very warm and friendly and made us feel very valued all evening. Our server was Visar. We had an amazing 4-hour experience with good value for our money, which we can recommend. read more

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Classy, beautiful, elegant and quality. Great for a first date or to take that person you feel very attracted to. read more

Absolutely amazing!! The food was great the drinks were so good. The service was great we will be back thank you for my sisters birthday so special! read more

My experience here was extremely delightful. From the time I walked in the restaurant until my stomach was full when leaving - everything was nice. Service was very attentive. The drinks were absolutely amazing. The appetizers and main entrees were also good. I just needed touch more salt. Some parts of our choices were bland but I will not short them a star because the overall experience was really good. The decorum and ambiance was so cozy and relaxing. It elevated my visit here that much more. I will be going back. read more

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Food was excellent. Very flavorful & delicious. However service was really horrible. Server would disappear and we had to ask for everything. Was't a busy night either perhaps 2 or 3 tables but definitely bad service. Ambience was superb. Loved the decor. Cosy, comfortable & romantic. We will give it one more shot. Could be one of those days for the server. Happens. Ask for salad dressing on the side, comes drenched in dressing otherwise. read more

Decided to come try the outside seating area on Father's Day to then be shocked with the sauna temperature. We saw a fan on but it felt like the heater was on as well. The plastic roof definitely is a bad idea for the summer. They should know that by now. As for the food, I guess now entree sides cannot be replaced due to allergies. I have done this in the past but today they are claiming this is not an option. Sad change. Update regarding the food to come. read more

Rustica Lounge Bar & Restaurant - Paper Menu - Italian Near Me - Cliffside Park, New Jersey

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I went here for brunch a couple of weeks ago. It is a nice little spot. Its a little more than your average pancakes. It is also a cool date night place. The parking lot is tiny so you will be subjected to street parking. We came on an early Sunday afternoon so parking was easy. Service was A-1. We ordered primarily from the brunch menu but I would return for the oysters and the spicy paloma alone. The eggs benedict with smoke salmon was pretty good but I didn't like the cerviche. We paid about $120 before the tip. I will definitely return soon. read more

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I am so glad that I stumbled upon Rustica in my search for a local restaurant for a date night. As soon as you walk through the door, you are greeted by an elegant and cozy ambiance. We started off our evening, sharing a dozen oysters, which were absolutely divine. Sometimes you don't get as lucky with the size of the oyster, but these oysters were large, and they were meaty. For our second round of appetizers, we went for the rice balls, as well as the beef carpaccio. The rice balls were our favorite, but we weren't too wowed by the beef carpaccio. I think we would've had a different opinion if it was paired with toasted bread; although delicious, the carpaccio alone didn't really stand out to us. For my entree, I decided to go for the bone in pork chop. Pork chops are another thing that I'm a sucker for and if I see that on the menu, I am most likely going to get that. This dish did not disappoint and I was able to leave with leftovers because the portion size was huge! One thing I will also note, is that we came here on a Saturday and there happened to be live music. That was a nice touch, and it really added to the whole ambience that evening. If you are looking for a quintessential yet unique unique take on Italian -American fare, Rustica is the place to go! read more

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New in the area, we had our first dinner here several days ago. It is a lovely space, the food was excellent, and the service was very friendly and prompt. This is a fine restaurant! We will be returning soon, likely to enjoy their Sunday Brunch with live jazz music. read more

Went to brunch with friends and it was wonderful. Food: Brunch had a bunch of options for me as a vegetarian but it doesn't look like there are as many options for dinner. Service: Was wonderful. Ambiance: Perfect. It was so cute we all talked about going back. read more

Beautiful place, indoor and out. Promising menu and extensive drink selection, though I didn't drink and my companions all had bottled beer. There's live music too, which we missed, but that's fine coz we just wanted to talk anyway. We ordered small plates and shared. Food was good. Brussel sprouts were a bit oily, but I guess that makes sense if they were fried. read more

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I had to update my review . I've been here several times and always bring a new friend to enjoy this place . But sadly it's changed so much from my last visit in august . Last year they had set up a pretty courtyard dining space because of Covid . Airy , plants just lovely . This time they covered the whole back yard in tarp that created a steamy greenhouse effect . The swampy heat hits you the minute you step into the area . I managed to grab the only table literally in front of a fan . and summer is not here yet ! There is endless , hideous rows of black tape all over the roof to what seem patch it together . And you can see mold accumulating on the plastic . to make matters worse the many of the wicker chairs were changed to VELVET seats . Imagine sitting on that in the heat . ??? it's doesn't look cohesive with a outside dining ambiance . i certainly won't be taking anyone or going back there myself . Service w read more

Rustica Lounge Bar & Restaurant - mold on the plastic ?? - Italian Near Me - Cliffside Park, New Jersey

I had such a wonderful time here with my girlfriends. Thanks to Faiz, our Sunday brunch was absolutely perfect. He took care of us from beginning to end and we couldn't have been happier. Service is 10/10. We did the bottomless brunch that comes with unlimited mimosas and an appetizer and entrée per person. We loved each dish, including the tuna tartare, ceviche, and beef carpaccio. The brunch dishes have a lot of egg dishes, we had the Paradiso & benedict with smoked salmon, both delicious. We were all very surprised by the amount of food they give. The bread here is really good, we asked for a second round of bread. The servers are always making sure your glasses are not empty and they continue to refill and take away empty glasses. I loved the garden area outdoors with the live jazz band playing. Ambience is beautiful. This is my favorite brunch spot in the area so far. There are a few parking spots in the back of restaurant, otherwise you will need to find street parking. read more

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The food was eh. The service was not great at all. The ambiance is really what you pay for.

Came here in back in June, seated immediately, ambience is beautiful and there are a lot of photo ops for people to use. Food was absolutely amazing, tasted freshly made with love and came quick. Would definitely come here again and recommend to others! read more

When the highlight of your date night dinner is creamed spinach, something somewhere went wrong. We were very excited to go to rustica for our date night and to try their tomahawk. The ambiance is beautiful! Nice jazz playing in the background. Lots of dark wood, leather and velvet. Perfect for a date night. Our first disappointment, no tomahawk, 10 minutes after taking our order the waitress comes back to tell us that they don't have that cut of meat tonight. Fine, my husband orders the rib eye, medium rare and I order the lamb chops medium. The waitress comes back with two lamb chops. We clear up the confusion, and the waitress promises to bring his steak, it was then that we realized my lamb was medium rare. Rib eye- by the time the steak finally gets to the table my entree is cold. Right temperature? Sure. Seasoned? Debatable. The sides were roasted vegetables and roasted potatoes. The vegetables were meh and the potatoes were cold. Lamb chops- beautifully medium rare (not what I oredred but fine) demi glace was the highlight of the dish, well executed and the peppercorns were a pleasant surprise. They were served with mashed potatoes and spinach, which were nothing special. Creamed spinach - omg!!! I could've come to the restaurant and just ordered this and my review would've been 5 stars. The parmesan and cream complemented the spinach perfectly without being overpowering Truffle fries - good, arrived pipping hot but needed salt. The drinks were strong and well balanced. My recommendation would be to go there for drinks and maybe an app. read more

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Some friends and I got together to get brunch. Reservations was for 1pm. When I arrived parking was terrible. I had to park a little ways away. We sat outside and it was so hot, we asked for a fan and they accommodated. The place was decorated very interesting on the outside, very busy. Pinar was our server and she wasn't the best. Her communication with us was very bad and not clear. For example 4 of us decided to get the 2.5 hours, which was stated on the menu, bottomless drinks. She then turned around at 2:45 saying brunch is almost over so we have to cut off the bottomless. She never told us brunch is over at 3pm. That was irritating because we didn't even start ordering until 1:30. I will say the drinks were tasty. For our entrées I ordered a shrimp and pasta meal and she made it seem like there was not a lot of dairy which was false. It came out full of cream. I had to send it back and get french toast. The french toast was tasty. The girls enjoyed their meals as well. There are no prices for the drinks on the menu so beware because some of the girls were surprised how much one drink cost. So now we got the check and one of the girls was charged $5 for a side of hollandaise sauce. The waitress never told her there was a $5 up charge for a small little sauce. They are crazy for that price. They did remove it. This is a spot I probably won't be returning. read more

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Service was close to if not the worst I've ever had in a restaurant. We were one of two tables, nobody came to check on us and we had to flag a server down, to get a wine refill. My friend and I wondered why it was so empty, now we know. The poor service is driving people away. Someone in the kitchen was playing something on their phone with the volume at max. I had to tell the server to turn it off. The food is excellent. I was disappointed that I could not substitute one side for another. The female server just seemed like she didn't want to be there. Then, like salt to a wound, there was an 18% gratuity added to our table for two. It's such a shame because the food is great. The ambience and decor is excellent, except for some wallpaper falling down in places. It's a shadow of its former self. read more

Giving this place 4 stars only because of the Groupon deal. If it wasn't because of the Groupon probably be giving it more like 3 stars because of how expensive everything is. Came on a Monday night without reservations. You have to look for street parking though. Staff members wore masks at all times and they make customers wear masks until you are seated at the table. They attempted to have dividers in between the indoor tables. Even though it doesn't look very effective. But overall, I was very happy with their COVID protocol. Bathrooms were decently clean just the sink was missing knobs. Super cute setup outdoor in their patio area. Very cozy. There is a large tent so that it's ok in the rain. Menu was also available with the QR code. We ordered the Fresh Jersey Lemonade which my husband thoroughly enjoyed because it wasn't too sweet. We started off with Beef carpaccio and mussels for the appetizer that the Groupon came with (two appetizers each under $18 in value). Both were solid. Mussels were fresh and the sauce went well with the mussels and your free dinner rolls! The Groupon also gives you two entrees up to $36 in value. We ordered the Linguine Fra Diabolo which was great. They gave like half a lobster and clams which all tasted fresh. The grilled branzino was also solid. nicely cooked. You can order it whole or filleted. Finally, the groupon came with a dessert. was sad that their mixed berry cake was sold out, but we ordered the tiramisu. If you like the rich tiramisu this one is for you. I personally would have liked it to be much lighter. Overall, it was very solid place! But I'm not sure if I would come here without the Groupon. But great place to take friends I would say. read more

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Made reservations for a 12pm seating last wknd to celebrate a quiet bday lunch/brunch. It was very quiet when we arrived. They took our temperature when we arrived therefore CoVid friendly. It was our first time there and we were pleasantly surprised. We sat outdoors in their garden area. It was perfectly lovey and since it was just noon, it was quiet and felt intimate although it was a large space. My only complaint was that It was cold. They had just opened apparently and the staff kept opening and closing the back door organizing the place I guess. Our brunch dishes were good. My son loved the chicken tenders and fries by what he loved even more was the awesome hot chocolate! Our server was awesome! My son was cold and he offered him a warm hot chocolate even though it wasn't a menu beverage. I tried the lychee martini and it was very refreshing and quite good. We had a lovely time and look forward to returning. We may even try dinner next time. read more

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This place is amazing. Definitely a nice intimate and social restaurant. I found this spot thanks to Yelp! I wanted to treat my partner to dinner & had steak and lobster as the requested meal so my search began. It wasn't crowded when we arrived, but due to its location street parking can be limited. I do believe they also have valet if need be. Their food was delicious. I ordered crispy artichokes, & the lamb chops. My partner ordered filet mignon with the addition of a lobster tail. For drinks we got the la Paloma & spicy passion fruit margarita. Absolutely delicious. I will definitely come back. read more

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This place is literally a scam. Spent all their money on fixtures, they have no idea how to cook. Got served mashed potatoes with steak that tasted like instant potatoes and the gravy was from a packet. Shocked they haven't gone bankrupt by now read more

The food is good and the ambience too! I loved the live music at brunch and the drinks are awesome. The service was on point . Will be back! read more

Definitely expected more from this place. This was our first time at this establishment, so we were pretty clueless as to what to expect. We just knew it was Italian. Our server wasn't much help. He came back every 3 minutes to ask if we were ready to order and rather than offering help, he said "well you do eat Italian food right?" We chose our entrees, ate and quickly left. Very unimpressed by both the food and the service. read more

Rustica Lounge Bar & Restaurant - Pan Seared Lemon Chicken - Italian Near Me - Cliffside Park, New Jersey

Went on a late Saturday afternoon, many children running around unsupervised around our table. Wouldn't recommend for a quiet dinner.

Came for brunch. Great atmosphere, tasty food. The rustica salad only came with one fried goat cheese, could have been more for the price. But overall good service, will come back. read more

Rustica Lounge Bar & Restaurant - FRENCH TOAST - Italian Near Me - Cliffside Park, New Jersey

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I love this place & I absolutely love what they did with their outdoor space - so much so that I had to tell everyone about it! I felt as if I was dining at a resort in the Caribbean or something. They had those beautiful Tiki lights everywhere and nice patio furniture. They did a great job at spacing things out really well and creating a wonderful ambiance. We started with a round of cocktails - mine was excellent! Then we split a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Both the martinis and wine were all very reasonably priced. For dinner we split their fried artichokes, mozzarella caprese, and then their cacao e pepe. We stayed until around 11, when the place started to die down. It was a very pleasant evening. I have also done brunch here before & absolutely loved it. Staff was very friendly and very eager to keep refilling our drinks. Great local spot for me, I brag about it often! Looking forward to sitting inside again, hopefully sometime soon! read more

Food service and ambiance ALL ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. Dining at Rustica made me want to move to Jersey so I could eat there more often. Food was delicious, service was exceptional and ambiance was incredibly creative. read more

Rustica Lounge Bar & Restaurant - Scallops with herb risotto - Italian Near Me - Cliffside Park, New Jersey

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i was honestly surprised on how great the food was. we came on a saturday night with last minute reservations using the open table app. the restaurant was cute; i like the mix of chairs, love seats and dinner tables. the chairs were a little loose at our table which i didn't have a problem with but my date did make a comment "larry david would have been pissed" it did take a while for us to be greated by our server. once we placed our orders, the food all came out timely. the beef carpaccio paired well with the capers, but the rustica salad was more favorable. wish it had an extra fried goat cheese because 1 isn't enough. the penne alla genovese was delicious, that creamy basil pesto . chicken was a little dry but luckily we ordered the ribeye which was cooked to perfection. we also ordered a side of brussel sprouts and grilled asparagus; the asparagus is a must! had a perfect char on them. overall this place was really great. i will just mention be careful of drunk people in the bathroom. i legit got "karen'd" in the bathroom for being on my phone. which apparently it's more rude to be on the phone in the bathroom than the dinner table. read more

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Great service great food staff warm, attentive and friendly. I would highly recommend this location. read more

When we arrived, we were anticipating brunch as it was the only restaurant in the area still serving it after 2pm. Our host said they were done with brunch but we made it just in time (shortly after 2pm) which was great because that's the only reason we came. We were seated in the decorated, enclosed back area, and were seated right in front of the fan so I requested another table because it was not comfortable at all. We were then reseated next to the live music which was nice. This was both our first time here, and Alexandra was our waitress. My friend ordered the BURRATA SALAD and EGG BENEDETTINA with no meat, + the French Toast. I wanted their PAN-SEARED CHORIZO AND SCALLOPS appetizer without chorizo but they said it only has 2 scallops, so I ordered the PAN SEARED SCALLOPS dinner entree with the appetizer green pea puree, risotto on the side and it came with 5 scallops, but only one piece of asparagus cut on top. They did not want to adjust their menu options but they obliged. I have a bunch of asparagus at home, and they should definitely include more than 1 for $33; some people actually love vegetables. The sauce was good, and the scallops could be a bit more seared but they were good. My friend was not at all a fan of the EGG BENEDETTINA, the salad was alright but the French Toast was really good with great bread, the best part of the meal. I feel like they are more into presentation than anything. I ordered a Spicy Passionfruit and my friend ordered the Strawberry Basil. He wasn't a big fan of his drink and mine was alright. It was very cute coming in but I felt like ordering was more complicated than necessary. At the end, we were asked if we wanted dessert to which we said no, then we were brought 2 dessert menus which I feel was kind of pushy. The outside is very beautiful but the covering feels out of place and looks thrown together. I doubt I'd return based on this experience. My friend was disappointed. Ambience: 4/5 Food: 3/5 Drinks: 3/5 Service: 3.5/5 Rustica: 3.4/5 Note to Rustica: the Scallops appetizer could include 3 or 4 scallops in place of chorizo, and the meal could definitely use more than 1 asparagus. read more

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3.5 total rating. Personally, this location just wasn't for me. Though the food was tasty, the options were underwhelming. I went for brunch and the vibe was more dinner which was disappointing, on my end. It was Mothers Day so everyone was mainly focused on getting tables out quickly to sit the next party, which is never a fun feeling. The music wasn't very uplifting and gave more of a candlelight dinner vibe than anything else. Overall, this location would be more appropriate for a romantic date than a meal with family or friends. read more

Rustica Lounge Bar & Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Cliffside Park, New Jersey

Amazing establishment! Great service and delicious food. The menu is perfect for whatever your craving. The atmosphere is personal and beautiful as well the decor. The food is honestly incredible. I had several appetizers as well as the ribeye and the presentation was stunning. I would highly recommend this restaurant! The customer service was 5 stars, professionalism at its finest. read more

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A great decorative place to dine in with friends or to have a small (& special) banquet. "Rustica Lounge & Bar" is the place. It definitely should get 5 stars for its artfully designed space. HOWEVER, the food can be either a 3 or a 4 - a true hit or miss - depending on what you order. Appetizers 1. Fried calamari - $13.95 - Honestly, can't go wrong with this , but, the batter was quite soggy. 2. Italian meatball - $12.95 - Would not order again - Very dry 3. Grilled octopus - $17.95 - As others have raved about it, very good. But, for that price $17.95, it should be !!!!!!!! 4. PEI mussels - $12.95 - Tiny, tiny, tiny mussels !!!!!!!! Nothing much to eat. Would ask next time whether they are edible size. 5. Sweet Italian sausage with broccoli rabe - $13.95 - Great combo. Who does not love Italian sausages ~~ Entrees 6. Grilled whole branzino- $28.95 - Yes, yes, yes, very tasty. Comes with a side salad. Simple dish. Will definitely order again. 7. Caesar salad with grilled chicken - $17.95 - Loved the Caesar salad !!!! (Small portion though) 8. Rigatoni Norcia with Italian sausages - $18.95 - Very good. Want to order more of their Italin pasta dishes next time. 9. Cioppino - seafood stew -Would NOT order again - $32.95 - a lot of seafood, nicely presented in a casserole, BUT .... very bland. Had to bring it home to re-style it with more sauce/paste/garlic to give it flavor. The price is a couple of dollars higher than other restaurants in Cliffside Park (at least for us). It would be more suited for a somewhat special occasion. The detail makes you feel very special. I simply love "cloth" napkins rather than paper ones, and the coffee in a hotel-grade cup & saucer instead of the ugly beige ceramic mug. UNLIKE other reviews about the service being slow .... for our dinner for 4 people on a Friday evening, all the meals came out very timely & the bus boys very attentive. Live jazz on weekends too !!!!!! read more

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Absolutely love this hidden gem... the Service, Mixologist and Jazz impeccable! Everything we ordered was delicious... Beef Carpaccio, fried artichokes... not to mention their Lychee Martini.. One of the best I've ever imbibed! We stopped in on a whim... for a late Sunday brunch and what a find!!! We'll definitely be back! read more

We were there for an event. They sat us outside in 90 degrees with 2 fans. They did not tell us they would do that. They had 1 waiter. Part of the table was done eating before others were served. It was impossible to get a drink. Dessert was Breyer's ice cream that they called gelato. It came out melted. I have eaten there 3x prior. The service has gone down as has the food. If you have to go, make sure you tell them you want to sit inside (unless the weather if good for outside). read more

This is a local restaurant to me, and I have been meaning to check it out for awhile. I finally had the chance in early August. I went with my fellow Pre-K moms, and it was a lovely time. I thought the food was very good. I ordered the chicken milanese, the portion was large. I also had 2 adult lemonades. I thought the drink was delicious. Service was also great. I really loved the atmosphere of this restaurant, and cannot wait to come back and enjoy a date night with my husband. read more

Rustica Lounge Bar & Restaurant - Adult lemonade - Italian Near Me - Cliffside Park, New Jersey

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