Great service and even better food! The sauce was absolutely amazing--so rich and full of flavor. The eggplant parmigiana was perfectly crispy and delicious, and the angel hair pasta was seasoned to perfection. The ravioli was saucy, comforting, and so good! The ambiance was dark, romantic, and such a lovely place to enjoy a meal. Definitely a spot I'd come back to! read more

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I love this place. Might miss it if you blink driving down Winchester. Worth the stop. I rate Italian Restraunt's on how well the egg plant parmigiana is. There's is delicious. My wife went pesto dish and it didn't disappoint. I enjoyed a shared bite fin her plate and my tastebuds exposed with joy. The service is quick, responsive and very polite. The hostess got us seated Asap and our server was right on it with bread olive oil and getting our order in. The Restraunt interior has a welcoming decor. Great experience. Thank you for the great dinning experience. Tim Burk Ops Mgr Veterans Choice Hesting, Air & Plumbing read more

Who's been gatekeeping their large pepperoni New York style pizza because omg it is absolutely fire! We usually order for pickup and it's always ready so fast. Their ranch is the good ranch (if you know you know) and the service is super fast. This is officially my new pizza spot! read more

Rustico's has been in business for many years and is a well known favorite of locals. The food is authentic Italian made with fresh ingredients. The star of the meal is their freshly baked bread. It's light and fluffy with a light crust. On my latest dine in experience I had the chicken piccata over angel hair pasta. The sauce was lemony with the saltiness of the capers. A simple entree that I couldn't get enough of and cleaned my plate! I have had many meals at events that were catered by Rustico's. I have always been impressed with how well they did with maintaining good quality meals at these catered events. About a year ago I joined a luncheon with a big group held at Rustico's. Unfortunately, the food at this event was not that great. Oh well. I'm still a fan. Service is great. Prices are reasonable. Rustico remains a favorite of mine for a simple and favorable Italian meal. read more

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Wednesday, 12-10-2025: It's been years since I was here. It has much improved! We met here with our very good friends for lunch. Our server, Jessilyn, greeted us warmly and took great care of us. Our friends opted to eat out on the patio since we were basking in nice, warm weather. Thankfully it's covered by canvas but we had to make some moves as the sun was bearing down in some places. It would be nice if they had a solid cover with ceiling fans! The patio was festively decorated for Christmas. Jessilyn promptly brought out hot, fresh bread with olive oil/balsamic vinegar for dipping. So good! I chose the Chicken Piccata while hubby opted for the Baked Ziti. Food came out in a timely manner. Both of our meals were delicious & satisfying. We shared their savory Tiramisu. Our friends enjoyed their respective dishes except for a shrimp dish that was found to be too soupy. Food was good and company was enjoyable! We would definitely return! read more

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Hands down, one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. The Mamma Anna has garlic sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, artichoke, asparagus, oregano, and romano. The flavor was incredible! When we arrived, Saturday at 2 pm, the restaurant was empty so we had the place to ourselves. Soon after arriving, patrons started to flood in. We ordered 2 18" pizzas (Mamma Anna and California BBQ Chicken) but the kitchen made the smaller size. No worries - we were told to eat the smaller ones and they made the right size ones free for us to take home! A very nicely decorated interior with lots of seating. If you haven't already, you should give this restaurant a try! read more

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We had a dual birthday celebration here midweek for a party of 12. Food was great, service excellent. Hadn't been here for years but will def be back. read more

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Love this unique establishment that makes the neighborhood fell like Home. Best Italian place read more

Rustico - Italian coffee w/ - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

First time here to this establishment. They provided fresh bread with oil and vinegar dressing. The food here is very flavorful and the service that was provided was exceptional. read more

Rustico - Entrance - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

The food, service and atmosphere were amazing! Our server David was so awesome. Very professional, friendly and helpful!

Service was good she was so sweet. We tried the Penne Arrabbiata and the cheese ravioli, but both had the exact same sauce, so it felt repetitive. Really felt Disappointed about the taste. We would've ate better at Olive Garden which is not a place I frequent. And yeah, that pizza was a greasy, garlic overload. Def don't get the Mama .. whatever it's called. We both did not finish our main course which really is telling. Red Sangria was a 10/10. Reminded me of when I lived in Trastevere ! But unfortunately $110 for us not to like any of the food ... the sad part is i definitely was excited for the dessert and just ended up forgetting all about it. read more

Rustico - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

My husband and I came in without reservation on Valentine's Day. They seated us within 15 minutes in a beautiful decorated area with a lovely vibe!!!! Roses every, romantic music, dimmed lighting, special menu! We were pleasantly surprised, being this was our first time dining here. Our server was very kind and provided fine service. The food was warm and delicious, as were the drinks! Love this place so much and already looking forward to our next date night here. read more

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We met friends this evening and thoroughly enjoyed the food, service, and ambiance. My wife and I hadn't been here for years and we just moved back to Murrieta so we knew we needed to have dinner here again. The Chicken Piccata was delicious, my friend had the mussels and said it was also excellent. I am rather picky about pizza and I was thrilled with the pepperoni (and I added anchovies:) Most impressive pizza dough I've had in years. I like the thin crust, because it is still easy to pick up and eat without it flopping over. Perfectly balanced with great simple sauce and just the right amount of cheese and oregano. Best of all, the staff is friendly and made us feel really welcome. Joelle needs to know how wonderfully she took the time to give us outstanding service and made certain our dinner was very special! We will be back again soon! read more

First timers here. We like to eat dinner early so we showed up around 4PM on a Saturday. Looked like 2 other tables seated. We were greeted and sat promptly. Server took our drink orders. I got sangria, and my husband got Sauvignon Blanc. They shortly came out with fresh bread and dipping in the oil and with some like vinegar, which was really good. Our starter was the calamari - it was very good . I had the mushroom risotto and my husband had the Chicken Marsala not overly impressed with either main dish. read more

Rustico - Mushroom risotto - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

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I really enjoy this place. The service is some of the best in the area. I have enjoyed the pasta dishes and their sauces the most. Their pizzas weren't my preference but that's fine, we will enjoy fresh pasta when visiting. We have been many times over with our family of four. But the first time we tried this place was with friends and their young kids, close in age to ours. My friend even commented how good they were with kids, which was a small worry before getting there. The ambiance is casual but really, more elevated. It's cozy in the more intimate sense. This would be a great restaurant for a first date or date night. So we were a little concerned about our kids. But we didn't need to be at all because our server was super sweet to the kids and my friend even commented afterwards the same sentiment and that she would come back just for that. We have. Many times. We enjoy the food and the atmosphere here. The service has always been great as well. Never a bad experience. read more

Rustico - Alla vodka pasta - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

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I haven't been here in probably 10 to 15 years. I just forgot about this place but happy that I returned. The calamari is very good and the homemade focaccia bread is awesome - just as I remembered. I will be back. read more

Rustico - Calamari is one of the best around. Very light on breading. The homemade focaccia bread is great as well. - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

We have driven past this place many many times. Read a few reviews and decide to give it a try. Some of the negative reviews gave me pause but overall the reviews were good. Decided to take my wife here as we love real Italian pasta. First impression was WoW... I felt like I was transported to a real Italian restaurant. I would have fell over if I saw Mama in the kitchen. The ambience and decor was so deep and rich we were just in awe! The hostess was polite but the server was GREAT!! She was attentive and pleasant. She had recommendations at the ready. I ordered the Penne Arrabiata and my wife ordered the Baked Ziti. We were given fresh baked bread with oil and red wine vinegar. The bread tasted fresh and was so so good. Both dishes were made to perfection. The flavors were amazing. Lastly we ordered the New York Cheesecake. Now most places say New York Cheesecake but give you Sara Lee Cheesecake. This was New York Cheesecake... thick with a nice buttery graham crust and drizzled with chocolate. Overall ---- 5+ Stars if you're looking for a great Italian restaurant... you must go here. Yes, it will cost a bit but I believe it's well worth it!!! We will definitely make this a weekly date lunch or date night!! read more

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We stopped by Saturday night after a wine tasting and were surprisingly seated right away. On the way in we walked past a cute patio area I was interested in, but it was just a little too cool for that unfortunately. Someone quickly brought us a carafe of ice water, and it wasn't long before bread and an oil/vinegar dip were brought to the table. The bread was good, even though there wasn't a lot of the dipping oil. Our food came out pretty quickly and was good. I got the chicken carciofe, which I hadn't had before. It was good, but it was even better left over, as silly as that sounds. It came with scalloped potatoes and fresh vegetables. The potatoes felt like a misnomer. It looked like they were served with an ice cream scoop and resembled mashed potatoes. That said, they had lots of flavor. Overall we had a good experience. I'd love to check out their patio in the spring! read more

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We LOVE the food. We have enjoyed most everything. The staff is amazing. So friendly and welcoming It is are neighbor place Our cheers bar read more

This restaurant is truly a gem and is one of its kind! I was introduced to Rustico by my missus a couple of years ago and now I am finally writing a review. Let me start off with the food and say that it is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. It makes me feel at home and I have not had one bad thing off of their menu! So far my favorite dish is the Penne Arrabiata. You can have this pasta in mild or spicy - I highly recommend getting this in spicy because their spicy is more of a mild (at least to my taste buds). Now as for their Spaghetti Marinara... it is an absolute must have! You can never go wrong with this simple yet iconic dish! Anyways, if you're trying to get some tasty, delicious, and homely Italian food - Rustico is the place to go :) read more

Rustico's pizza is one of the best! Their crust is chewy and crispy, their toppings delicious! We usually get pizza for takeout, when dining in, their entrees are also top notch. read more

This is our first time coming to Rustico and everything from the ambience, the decor (including Valentine's decor), the staff, and especially the food was far above expectations! We've been looking for a family-owned restaurant like this for quite some time and are so glad we came. Will definitely be coming back - thank you! read more

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I would always drive by Rustico, but never ate there. For our anniversary, my partner and I made a reservation to dine in. Unfortunately, I got really sick but luckily, they offered take out so we didn't have to cancel dinner plans! We had their Lasagna Fresca and New Yorker Pizza with pineapple and pepperoncini toppings. The Lasagna was my favorite of the two, 4.5/5, because it was really cheesy, with a distinct wine tomato sauce, and al dente lasagna pasta layers which were really satisfying. The New Yorker was okay, 3/5, I wished there was more cheese but my partner said there was TOO much cheese! I definitely think that their expertise shines through in their pasta dishes more so than their pizzas. I would most certainly would visit again, hopefully this time dining in their restaurant store. read more

Rustico - New Yorker Pizza with pineapples and pepperoncini - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

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Very yummy food, but the oil and vinegar were not good. Pesto penne w/chicken very very oily, but delicious!!! My friend had the ravioli and said it was amazing. Excellent service! Thank you! read more

Rustico - Happy hour - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

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This is a good place to eat dinner with the family. They were able to accommodate our party of 7. We were happy with our meals. Although, I still haven't found a favorite dish to come back for. Servers are friendly and professional. Ambiance is cozy and nice. Prices are decent. read more

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This is our second visit, and we love it even more than the first time! The food was great, especially the bread appetizer. I really enjoyed the bread dip; it was amazing! We will definitely return! We adore this place! It's so cozy, the food is delicious, and the service was outstanding--all at a very fair price! read more

Rustico - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

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Just did a drop in visit, no reservations required. We were quickly seated and greeted! Started with a bottle of Malbec which was Devine! Paired well with fresh bread and oil and vinegar. Our dinner tasted great, the playing was underwhelming but it tasted good. The ambiance was great. Overall a good experience. Dave our server was top notch! read more

Rustico - Gnocchi Matriciana - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

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Rustico doesn't disappoint. Their pizza and original salads are great. Marco Polo is our favorite. Their Caesar has especially good dressing. They also have a reasonable corkage fee, appreciated in wine country. Eggplant parm is excellent too. It's traditional Italian decor and our server last time was friendly & on top of things. read more

Food was amazing!! We highly recommend this restaurant for you and your family we had the chicken parmigiana, chicken vodka and chicken Cesar all yummy. The fresh baked bread was delicious with dipping sauce. We came all the way from Florida to visit our family here in Menifee. Five stars read more

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Cute place. We went with a group of friends. The bread at the beginning was quite good, but they don't bring enough balsamic dipping sauce. We had to ask for more. The food was mostly fine - nothing special. The best item on the menu was probably the fried mozzarella - the rounds of battered and fried cheese were quite good, and the cheese oozed nicely when the round was cut. My chicken Marsala was overcooked and the Marsala sauce was not quite right - it was basically just chicken broth. The Fettuccine Alfredo was weirdly sweet. Chicken parm tasted like a freezer item. Overpriced for what it is. read more

You can't order online, you will have to call to place your order. Our waiter at the bar was great and so were the drinks, however Rustico is way overpriced for the quality of the food. We ordered our food to go, which was the Pizza, Chicken Carciofi and the Spaghetti frutta di mare. It was lackluster to say the least. The pizza was bland and the Spaghetti frutta di mare was not fresh and soggy. I don't think I would visit again due to the price point and the quality of the food. read more

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I think the picture speaks for itself. Unfortunately, this is what I had to serve our friends. The individual who prepared this, had to know the pizza was cremated, but boxed it up anyway to give to a customer. The one who is the guilty party is the owner. In the restaurant business, the quality of the food reflects the quality of the owner. read more

Rustico - Italian Near Me - Murrieta, California

I really liked the decor in the restaurant. It wasn't too fancy but was just right for me. The bread was delicious with the balsamic and olive oil. David our server was fantastic, the food presentation was excellent. My Alfredo was delicious and had plenty of chicken on it. It had fresh pasta and delicious Alfredo sauce. I'll definitely be coming back !!! read more

Ordered food to go. Overall it was okay. I would like to go in person and try something different. I got the shrimp and scallop risotto. It was watery and needed salt. There was a good amount of seafood but it was unseasoned. I wasn't a fan of the veggies in it. My husband ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. I think the meatballs were very good. Decent sauce- not too acidic. I also got the calamari. It was decent. The round cuts were chewy but that may have been from being a to go order. read more

I've been in the restaurant industry for over 9 years, so to say I am a "foodie" doesn't quite say it all. I'm also very big on the experience as guests that we have. This place checked off ALL of the boxes when it comes to food, customer service and overall experience. Our dishes were unreal with flavors coming from all over the place. If you are a Brussels Sprouts person....get ready for the best ones you've had! I'll be back every time I'm in that area. Thank you for treating my wife and I like family. read more

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There is so much I want to say about this place. We came here with family for Christmas Eve dinner. Well. It was between lunch and dinner. They were very friendly which is appreciated since they had to work on a holiday. Our server was beyond attentive and kept filling our drinks. She joined in the fun of joking with our family. The food was amazing. I had the eggplant Parmesan and omg it was fabulous. The whole family was very content with the food and the service read more

Really good quality Italian restaurant. Everything we ordered was amazing and tasted authentic. My son is very picky and he loved the chicken Alfredo. I loved the grilled chicken penne pesto and the chicken Marsala was delicious! The quality of the food was top notch. The service by our waiter was the best. We will be back to try new dishes. The decor and the outdoor seating was rustic lol. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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We love Rústico! We eat here about once a month. Their pizza and pasta are delicious!

A true gem. The food and drinks are amazing. This has become a weekly favorite for our family. I recommend the lobster ravioli or vodka pasta. read more

The service was splendid, and the food was delicious. The pasta, though GF, still tasted like pasta. And the indoor design was nice too! read more