This place is so good!! This was my second time back. They decorated for christmas inside which made it so welcoming! The service was great and so was the food. read more

Rusticucina - Pesto Pasta + Carrots - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Excellent service. Small and intimate. Very traditional and comfortable. Food was authentic and tasty. Wonderful drinks.

Service was great, everyone was very nice and hospitable. The inside and outdoor seating areas are also very beautiful. If I could give them a 3.5 I would. The Cesar salad was great (and easy to share), I feel like it's hard to go wrong there. Unfortunately the build your own pasta wasn't much to boast about. I asked if the chicken was grilled and my server said yes. When my pasta came out the chicken was mixed in and that's probably because they're using small cuts of chicken thighs (like what you can buy at the store if ya know what I mean)--not a fan, it just tasted like boiled chicken. The vodka sauce was really good but I got a dime-sized amount of whipped ricotta which seemed significantly smaller than the pics posted on here. And the pasta itself could've been boiled in saltier water for flavor because it was very bland. Not to mention there was a small mosquito flying around just FEASTING on my legs. I came home with 10 bites :,( I would give this place another chance just to try their other menu items, but I'm definitely hesitant because it was so expensive for very mid quality food :/ read more

I'm so glad I gave this place a try! We ordered the Sicilian Garlic Bread, Calamari, Ragu Della Nonna Pappardelle, Pesto Spaghetti with Shrimp, and the Salsa Alla Vodka Gnocchi with Chicken. Personally I really enjoyed the Pesto and Ragu Della Nonna. It's a very cute and cozy inside but because of how tightly packed the restaurant is, it can get pretty loud and hard to hold conversations. The service was great, everything everyone says about the staff is true they are so kind and attentive. Street parking can be difficult to find but there is a lot nearby where you can pay to park (it's quite expensive). I look forward to coming back and trying the rest of the menu! read more

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Service was great, but the food was very bland. Unseasoned Brussels, and the pesto pasta meal had very little flavor to it. Lovely ambiance/environment, however. Tasteful decorations, just not tasty food. read more

Came to RustiCucina as it was recommended my friends and it did not disappoint. We came here for my boyfriend's birthday. I had a reservation made, so I'm not sure how it would be if you were walking in, but it doesn't look like it would be a big issue since they have plenty of tables! All of us shared calamari, truffle fries, and garlic bread. The garlic bread was free after checking in! All the appetizers were good and having three definitely filled me up. I'm a red sauce girl so I had to order the Ragu Della Nonna with pacheri pasta. My boyfriend got his favorite, the carbonara with spaghetti. Our friends both got the Salsa Alla Volka. One with half rigatoni and the other with pacheri pasta. Sometimes I feel like the red sauce pasta at restaurants disappoint, but I was really happy and I loved the texture and shape of my pasta. I was so happy I had leftovers! I'd definitely recommend if you love a red sauce like me. All the other pastas were great and everyone loved their choice. I really can't say anything bad about this place. They took a little longer to bring one pasta out and they gave us a free cannoli. They also gave my friend a limoncello slide of cake. Both were so delicious and not heavy at all. Highly recommend coming here for a nice little meal ! The staff here is extremely friendly too. read more

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I had an absolutely amazing experience. The drinks all were perfect. I got several different plates everything was phenomenal. The service with Alvin and Nate was uncomparable to any experience I've had. Between the laughs and the food coming out extremely fast and the great service I couldn't be happier. read more

Rusticucina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Keep in mind that Restaurant Week is very hectic and kitchens are feeding many more people than usual - so if our food was a little off, compared to most reviews here that are raves, it may be because of the night. The ambiance was nice and the customer service was very good. And they also had one of the best restaurant week deals in town - 3 courses for $36. SO got a la carte and I tried the SDRW menu. He got soup of the day, minestrone, and thought it was very good. His favorite part of the meal. I got caesar salad, which a friend had ordered here earlier today and really loved. Mine was really underseasoned and underdressed - it tasted like nothing, even the parmesan cheese alone (which I'll usually scarf up on its own). They were very apologetic and would have remade it, but I decided to switch to a la carte (meaning getting 2 courses instead of 3). We also got for our appetizer their house bread with 3 spreads. The bread was very good, and I liked the stracciatella mousse a lot. My SO liked the nduja sausage spread. The basil ricotta mousse was ok but less good than the others. Entrees: I got the salmon with pistachio sauce, carrots and brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts and the customer service are the main reason I'm giving 4 stars - the brussels were amazing. And there were a lot of them on the plate. Definitely order these as a side dish - among the best in town. The salmon and pistachio sauce was good. SO got the chicken parm and thought it was just ok. It came with some fettucine marinara which I tasted and liked even if it wasn't exceptional. No one offered him fresh parmesan to put on either, though I saw people were getting offered that at other tables (we would have asked but didn't think of it). Dessert: I am not crazy for lemon, but everyone on Yelp raves about the limoncello cake here so I gave it a try. Yes, it was good for something with lemon (creamy, not too lemony) and I enjoyed it. My SO's molten lava cake was not good. It's really hard to say that about that dish - where can you go wrong with half-baked chocolate? But it was not even half-baked; it was like a sludge of not very good chocolate. He offered me a taste and I didn't want anymore; it was not really worth eating. Again, I have seen people praise this, so maybe the timing was off tonight and they served it to us cold and not half-baked. Drinks: I enjoyed a glass of the Il Ducal Sangiovese (a pretty good Tuscan wine). I started with the Aperol Sour, which was ok but a little unbalanced (too much lemon flavor). The atmosphere is nice, and they're extremely kind. They brought us some limoncello on the house because they felt bad I didn't like the caesar salad. A few of the things we ate were really tasty. Given the raves I see on here, I'm hoping that we just didn't get the kitchen's very best tonight, especially with the salad and the molten lava cake! read more

Rusticucina - Cute patio, partially enclosed - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Have been here a couple times and have always had a great experience. Food is so good and service is friendly and attentive. Good cocktails and their cheese wheel is very popular as well. Definitely would recommend, especially if celebrating a special occasion read more

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LURRVVVVVVV it here! RUSTICUCCCIIII 4everrr service was super great and good was so yum. Would come again!

First time experiencing this beautiful establishment and left with no complaints! Came to celebrate an anniversary and check out the famous cheese wheel. We were first sat inside which, at the time, was busy and crowded. Normally I don't mind, but for an anniversary I was hoping for something a little more intimate. The manager, I believe, saw me looking around and came to make sure everything was ok. I told her everything was good, I could tell they were busy and didn't want to bother. My partner knew I wanted something a little more quiet so he asked if we could be moved elsewhere. Even with everything going on, they very kindly made a little spot for us to accommodate. I'm sure they were annoyed but they did not show it at all and that's what makes this review 5 stars. Food and drinks were fantastic, we ordered some antipasti options and the cheese wheel special. We skipped dessert because we had some waiting at home but the options looked great. Loved the food, the service, and overall experience! Definitely would recommend giving it a try. read more

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I love this place, my friends and i have come for dinner several times and the food is amazing! The vibes here are immaculate, and both inside and the patio are gorgeous. On top of that, every time the service is top notch. Our server Nathan was so attentive, kinda and very friendly. The people, the food and the vibes are what keep us coming back!! read more

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Nathan was so sweet and really attentive! He added more to the mood and kept the night going!!!!

Nathan was the best server! One of the best experiences I've ever had. I'll definitely will be coming back.

Nathan was absolutely on fire tonight. Brought us everything we needed and more! Definitely coming back soon.

It was surprisingly empty in the restaurant when we went there. The seating is plenty full and pretty spacious overall look of the space is nice. The service was good and pleasant. The food was just OK unfortunately they had a special pasta Alfredo. They came out with a little blow, torch and heated it up the cheese. The pasta looked overcooked. It was OK. I also had the Seabass, which was substantially covered with red sauce, so it really didn't taste like anything other than red sauce. The lasagna was also very good. The appetizer platters we got were terrific. The fried calamari was terrific. The wine was not great. read more

-Table for 6 reservation was easy on OpenTable. -Service was attentive and just what I'm always looking for. Not stuffy and relaxed especially with my crazy family. 5 stars! -Atmosphere was loud and busy that my crying baby wasn't going to bother anyone! But yet still classy enough to celebrate a special occasion. We were celebrating my parent's anniversary and prefer to eat 'Family Style'. So the strategy in not over ordering is getting one less entree... the portion sizes aren't really meant for this. Order the extra entree or eat more appetizers. Food I would return for: -Squash blossom -Short Ribs in truffle cream sauce -Salsiccia Cinghiale (Wild Boar sausage in mushroom sauce) with half rigatoni -Nostro Hamburger (hint of truffle, double patty & filling) -Salmone Al Pistacchio -pistachio doesn't have much of a strong flavor. Fish was cooked perfectly and the Brussels w/fig were delicious! -Sourdough loaf comes HOT and the dips are alright, nothing notable -Calamari was a good portion size -Lemon cello cake - Although complimentary it was really good! Other dish we got but not special: -Cheese wheel pasta.... Seems like everyone is doing it. On top of that "Market Price" so I had high expectations.... Mehh... The Short Rib pasta was still more flavorful and the portion size was really for one. We also had Caesar salad. lol Ohh and parking.... I got 2 kids now, I can't Lyft everywhere. So we used the lot outside to unload the kids. And Daddy walked 3 business days to join us. So good luck! read more

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Rusticucina is our favorite restaurant in San Diego! Wonderful service, ambiance and such delicious, fresh Italian cuisine! Our last visit on Saturday night was fantastic! Both of our meals were amazing. The fresh rigatoni and sausage ragu dish was just perfect! Our server, Filippo, was fantastic. He was friendly and knowledgeable, and offered excellent recommendations! The bottle of Pinot Noir was a perfect complement to our meal. The tiramisu was freshly made in front of us and was terrific! Highly recommend!! read more

A friend and I dined here for dinner during Restaurant Week, and it was a new adventure for both of us. We both ordered the calamari for our appetizer, and found it delicious, especially with the chipoltle sauce, and a generous portion. For my second course, I ordered pasta in the cheese wheel, which was finished table side, and was lusciously rich and delicious, and, again, a generous portion. Dessert was a slice of beautiful lemoncello cake, which was also superb. Service was friendly and attentive (and seemingly all Italian men, from Italy!). Parking was a little challenging, but worth the effort. My new favorite restaurant! read more

The inside was nice. Service was amazing. We got pastas but the noodles were kinda under cooked read more

Rusticucina - pappardelle - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I came here with a friend last night for a res. at 7:45. & with the good reviews you would think it's a great place, that wasn't our experience. We were seated at 8pm and i wish i remembered our server's name but we hardly saw her so we didn't have the chance to remember. we ordered our drinks and they were busy for a Friday night so they took a little longer which was fine. we got our appetizers shortly after that. we ordered truffle fries and garlic bread. we finished our drinks and our truffle fries and didn't touch the garlic bread because we wanted to eat it with our pasta. we finally see our server again at this time it is 9pm we let her know we wanted the garlic bread with the entree so we asked for it to be reheated as it had been sitting for 40 min and she lets us know our food is coming. At 9:30 we decided we've waited enough and would like to leave. I went to the hostess stand and asked our server for the check and sat back down. she didn't bring it for a few minutes so i went back up to pay right at computer. We remained polite we just wanted to leave. The manager came up and comped our truffle fries and the garlic bread we didn't touch. She spoke so quietly in a loud restaurant which was frustrating, and not very apologetic and didn't offer to comp our drinks which I found odd and not fitting for the service experience we had. The waitress remained next to us during the exchange and started to speak loudly saying, "Let me tell you my side of the story". I found this extremely unprofessional and rude. The waitress was starting to cause a small scene for what reason I'm not sure as we had a calm demeanor and just wanted to leave. I imagine she was embarrassed and upset in front of her boss because we didn't like her service. The manager also didn't stop her from this exchange: Her reason for not putting the entrees in was because she saw we hadn't touched one of our appetizers and wanted to give us time. That could've been resolved with her asking us if we would like our entrees to be put in after our appetizers. Simple communication could've avoided this entire night. Overall extremely disappointed with the service, the unprofessionalism and attempt to start a scene by the waitress was actually unbelievable. The manager witnessing that incredibly uncomfortable exchange and still not comping our drinks to be apologetic was just horrible service. Hopefully they use this as constructive criticism. Obviously we won't be returning. read more

I went for happy hour with a friend, which is daily from 4-5, and all specialty cocktails were only $6. My favorite was the pornodivo. We sat at the bar and the bartender was helpful without being overbearing. It's well-decorated indoors and the patio is nice too when the weather is good. read more

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Alvin was amazing! Excellent service and very attentive. They mix pasta in a cheese wheel at the table. Very cool experience!

I was out and about and found myself hungry for a good meal on a late Saturday afternoon. With the place relatively empty before dinner service, I was treated with outstanding service, checked in on frequently but not excessively. I loved how personable my server was, and even the bartender checked in on how I liked my delicious Copper Fig! The hits just kept coming and coming...kept the fig flavored theme going with the Fiori Di Zucca and it was no surprise why this one is so popular as the ricotta and zucchini pair so well together. The lobster ravioli portion dish was generously portioned and spectacularly flavored, and the limoncello cake was light, not too sweet and rounded out a great overall meal. Will definitely go back and will definitely do a round two of all of the above! read more

Rusticucina has great happy hour specials. It's a narrow window from 4-5pm, but I highly recommend it. It's fairly empty at 4pm and that makes it an even nicer, quieter experience. I did have to specifically request the happy hour menu (they didn't provide it to us when we were being seated). As for cocktails, we ordered the cucumber spritzer, aperol sour, and pornodivo. The cucumber spritzer was HUGE and refreshing! The aperol sour was good and frothy, no complaints here. But the pornodivo (which comes with a shot of Prosecco as well) was one of the best drinks I've ever had. I highly recommend this one if you like a sweeter, fruitier cocktail! We also ordered the garlic bread and calamari as an appetizer. I would skip the garlic bread next time, it wasn't worth the calories for me. The calamari is lightly breaded and for HH pricing, it's a huge portion size. Both sauces make a good pairing. I would order the calamari again. For our entrees, I had the bucatini carbonara, and my husband had the half rigatoni with wild boar sausage sauce. I tried a bit of his and it was really good. The guanciale in my carbonara was cooked crispy and the pieces throughout also had a bouncy texture from the fattiness-- such a rich dish but I liked it a lot. I wish that the egg yolk was served on top so that I could break it and spread it myself, though. The pasta was a big enough portion to split into 2 meals. The interior is also cute and the service was very friendly and attentive. We actually were celebrating our anniversary here and while they didn't know that, they helped make our day special. I would return here for sure during happy hour. They also have "date night" specials for $50 on certain nights of the week. 5/5! read more

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So delicious. We had the carbonara and paccheri salsa alla vodka. The outdoor seating was so beautiful and peaceful. Parking was actually ok for a Friday night. Will definitely be back. read more

The service here was outstanding! Nathan was our server and he did wonderful job from the beginning to end. He informed us about their delicious specials as well as their drinks! Couldn't have asked for a better experience! My fiancé and I will definitely be back. Thank you to Nathan and the staff at Rusticucina! read more

Love this place so much, it is just down the street from me so i can walk to and from easily. My friend had got the Short Rib Pappardelle, which was so smooth and good. i had gotten the cheese wheel, which was out of this world!! SO bomb omg, so creamy and peppery in the best way. will 10/10 come back! Ambiance was stunning, vibes on 10! read more

Rusticucina - Limoncello Cake - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food.. delicious. The service, spot on. The ambiance, wonderful. 10/10 recommend. Thanks for a great evening! read more

Rusticucina - Order the Pesto Fettuccini. It's delicious - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Fan. Tas. Tic. Came for dinner with a family friend, i've never been but he's ate here a bunch of times and never had anything bad to say so I wanted to try it out. It was restaurant week and we didn't know, but they were able to get us in even though they were super packed. Our server Ashley was amazing, soo sweet. We also had great service from Alvin and Nathan, they were HILARIOUSSSS and made our night. We decided to order off the restaurant week menu and... I get it now.. we ordered the Caesar salad and the buratta for starters, then we got the chicken parmesan and their mushroom fusilli special and ended off with some cannoli. Everything was amazing. I wish I had photos of the food, but I was so excited I couldn't help it start eating immediately. We did get a photo of the cannoli, though. The restaurant is very very pretty too, it was dimly lit and everyone seemed to be having a good time which set the vibe right. Overall, this experience was definitely a 10 out of 10, can't believe I haven't heard of this place before. Will 100% becoming back and bringing the girls for some pasta and espresso martinis ;) read more

Rusticucina - Inside area was very pretty at the end of the night - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Nathan was amazing! So sweet, attentive, and funny. Would come back just for him! Food was good. It was a busy night and things felt a little under seasoned but they do a great date night special and restaurant week deal so we will come back and try again! read more

I picked this place to celebrate my parents 30th wedding anniversary with our family. Service was amazing and they even wished my parents a happy anniversary multiple times through the night. Food wise, everything was delicious! I got the cheese wheel pasta which changes daily but was absolutely phenomenal. They gave us a dessert on the house for the celebratory occasion which was a nice added touch. We had a reservation for 6:15 on a Tuesday evening so getting close to sundown. We asked for a different table and they happily accommodated. Not too loud, and not dark. Plenty of light to see the menus and food. This might become a go to for "special occasions" Price wasn't terrible or too cheap but right in the middle. read more

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We had a great dinner here! The decor is adorable and offers a very cozy Italian kind of vibe. The pasta tasted fresh, great texture and every sauce exceeded expectations. Garnishes on the drinks were beautiful and I appreciate the fun mocktail options. Truffle fries had just the right flavor, dipping sauces was okay... but I enjoyed the fries on their own. The garlic bread was also yummy and great to get every last bit of sauce from our pasta dishes. I will definitely be coming back for more. Happy eating:) read more

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Service from Ashley and Alvin was impeccable and the food was absolutely lovely! Overall environment was inviting and quite spacious! Mediterranean salad was exquisite! read more

Rusticucina - Such pretty ambiance - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Great food and the ambiance is great. We had to change our reservation due to travel changes and they had other openings which was great.

Alvin was the best! Bucatini was amazing and the service was great! Would deiniftely come back again!

Nathan A. was an amazing server! The food tasted incredible, and his service made the experience even better. 10/10 recommend.

Authentic, delicious flavors, I can recommend every pasta dish we tried without hesitation! We had the carbonara, the ragu, and the cheese wheel pastas and they were all on point delicious. I would skip the artichoke appetizer as it is super sour for no reason. read more

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Maybe the best happy hour in San Diego? $6 craft cocktails and half off build your own pasta, and everything is delicious. Very simple but traditional feeling vibe, we got served by the bartender I believe and she was amazing. Every drink and food item was perfect and I'll absolutely be coming back! read more

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Why haven't I heard about this place sooner?! Happy hour is from 4-5pm and definitely one of the bestttt happy hours in town. I stumbled upon here with my boyfriend as we were in the area and wanted a quick bite/drink before hitting the gym. There were plenty of meter parking when we arrived at 4:15pm and scored a spot literally steps away from the restaurant. We didn't have a reservation but there were only 2 other parties at the restaurant so we were immediately seated. Both outdoor and indoor seating was available and this can be a cute date spot for sure ! What we ordered from the happy hour menu: - Cocktails (Pornodivo, Rustic smash, Rustitini, Spice up your life): All good and refreshing but the most memorable one was definitely the Pornodivo. Slightly sweet and tart from the passion fruit puree, served with a shot of Prosecco. - Meatballs: Tender and cooked perfectly, the sauce it came with was perfect to dip our bread in. - Calamari: Lightly fried and came with 2 dipping sauces (marinara and chipotle) - Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta: I've had this dish at many restaurants before but this was definitely my favorite. They serve it with fig jam and that hint of sweetness mixed with the melted cheese when you bite into it works soo well together. Also free garlic bread when you check in on Yelp! I wished I had more stomach space but I'll definitely be back to try the build your own pasta and fried burrata! read more

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