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Rule Italian Prime and Pasta, Hickory, NC

Rule Italian Prime and Pasta

4.5 (30)
$31 to $50
Contemporary Southern
242 11th Avenue NE, Hickory, NC 28601

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 14 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for business meals
Welcome to Rule Italian Prime and Pasta – Hickory’s Premier Destination for Italian Steakhouse Dining

Located in the scenic foothills of Hickory, NC, Rule Italian Prime and Pasta blends upscale Italian cuisine with modern steakhouse flair. Locally owned and passionately operated, we serve house-made pastas, USDA Prime steaks, and fresh, seasonal ingredients in every dish.

Enjoy signature entrées like classic Bolognese, expertly grilled filet mignon, and delicious seafood, all paired with wines from Italy, Napa Valley, and beyond. Whether you're planning a date night, business dinner, or celebrating a special occasion, our stylish atmosphere offers the perfect setting.

We also feature private dining options for groups of up to 35.

Reserve your table today and discover the best Italian steakhouse experience in Hickory – where prime cuts meet pasta perfection.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Southern, Fusion / Eclectic, American
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Catering
    We offer off site catering events customized to your vision and needs! Email reservations@caferule.com for more information.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer multiple spaces to enjoy a private dining experience - from 12 - 70 guests, we have you covered! Email reservations@caferule.com for more information.
  • Neighborhood
    Hickory
  • Cross street
    HWY 127
  • Parking details
    Self park
  • Entertainment
    please check www.CafeRule.com for details.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 30 people are saying

Rule Italian Prime and Pasta reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Charlotte

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Rule Italian Prime and Pasta offers a delightful dining experience with a "wonderful new Italian menu" and "great service." Guests praise the "phenomenal cocktails and atmosphere," and the "tiramisu, one of the best I've had." The menu features "excellent pasta dishes" and "amazing wood-fired pizza," making it a top choice in Hickory, NC.
30 Reviews
  1. Nancy

    San Francisco Bay Area7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server Alejandro was excellent ! A top notch professional and asset to Rule Italian. So helpful in explaining the menu and expertly assisted us to fine tune our choices . We throughly enjoyed the evening and look forward to dining at Rule Italian again.

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  2. Peter

    Orlando / Central Florida East3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful service from Paige and Kiana. I must say, from Check in to dessert, specifically the tiramisu, one of the best I’ve had, and I’ve traveled the world. The Rule, it’s a wonderful restaurant probably one of the very best in Hickory, North Carolina…

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  3. Erica

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We absolutely loved our dining experience here! The new Italian menu and specials were great. We were celebrating my husband's birthday and ordered a bottle of wine. Great wine selection! The server, Alyssa, was very friendly and attentive. She was awesome! We are looking forward to returning soon. Thank you for a great birthday dinner!

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  4. charles VIP

    Chicago / Illinois154 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 9, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I like the new change up to Italian themed. Pizza was excellent. Filet was very good asked for medium but served well. No one asked. Bone in Ribeye was excellent and served as requested. A tad heavy on the salt. Pasta with chicken was excellent according to my guest. The lasagna was very nuvo in appearance but excellent. Deserts good. The spritzers are fun addition. Based on retail pricing on some of the red wine you are too high on the glass of Italian.

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  5. cynthia VIP

    Cincinnati / Dayton30 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service, cocktails, and atmosphere were phenomenal !

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  6. Peter

    Orlando / Central Florida East3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Remarkable. One does not get a second chance to make a first impression and your greeter Onya, rises above this var, possessing impeccable interpersonal skills and one of the firms Crown Jewels. Kiana, well, she’s a wonderful professional server and attentive to our every need. She is my key server…Her appearance, communication and deportment, remain stellar. The Management, and Chef, are exceptionally talented and it shows. This is the best restaurant in their corporate portfolio for eclectic Italian and killer wood fired pizza. Here you will experience the best and most consistently excellent Tiramisu we’ve had traveling globally, period.

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  7. Frank

    Las Vegas4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 5, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was fairly good. The portions were a bit smaller than expected. I didn’t think the lobster was that good. The crispness of the lasagna was nice. The vodka sauce has the right amount of spice. There was some confusion on the drinks. We finally got the 8 dollar martini’s worked out versus the usual 16 dollar martinis ( price is too high for a martini in Hickory - we are not a tourist trap town) The service was timely except for the drinks taking long, the server did forget one entree but she seemed fairly new. Things happen. Will still go back.

    1 person found this helpful

  8. Jamie

    Charlotte1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a great birthday. A little disappointed in the ice cream choices. I miss the popcorn and salted caramel

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  9. John

    Greensboro / Winston Salem / Highpoint2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on June 3, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    2 pizzas, 3 wines a salad over $100 including tip. Pizza was under cooked and cold. Won't be back.

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  10. Betsy

    Asheville / Western North Carolina1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 2, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We sat outside in the glassed patio area. It was very nice. It was easy to carry on a conversation. There is a lot of beautiful greenery. I had the parmesan encrusted scallops. They were very good. The mashed potatoes that came with the dish were very salty though. The grilled asparagus was a little tough (I don’t think they par cooked it before grilling it). My husband had the wedge salad and the meatball appetizer. Salad was fine, but the meatballs were also very salty. We were there on a Monday, which is 1/2 price bottle of wine, so that was a pleasant surprise. We might try it again. Really enjoyed the atmosphere! Wish food wasn’t so salty.

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FAQs

Rule Italian Prime and Pasta offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (828) 324-2005.

Rule Italian Prime and Pasta is rated 4.5 stars by 30 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Charlotte
  4. Hickory
  5. Hickory

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 14 times today
Google Map for Rule Italian Prime and Pasta

242 11th Avenue NE, Hickory, NC 28601

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    HWY 127
  • Neighborhood
    Hickory
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Southern, Fusion / Eclectic, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Self park
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    please check www.CafeRule.com for details.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    We offer off site catering events customized to your vision and needs! Email reservations@caferule.com for more information.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer multiple spaces to enjoy a private dining experience - from 12 - 70 guests, we have you covered! Email reservations@caferule.com for more information.
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