You’re not able to order any drink you please. You have to order everything through your phone, choosing from few beers, few wines (only by the glass) and pre-made cocktails. I understand this is all because of COVID precautions, just not the dining experience I was expecting. We’ll definitely be back after things get beck to “normal”, but for now, Rustico is a better takeout place rather than dining-in.

Good experience for sure. Just a little challenged checking on people outside on the sidewalk.

Was a bit disappointed in the experience.
We were seated outside which was important to us but then we were left there as we’re supposed to use the QR code to do all ordering and payment. I wanted to get another beer but having to log on again and order it via the QR code, I passed.

From our observation, indoor seating had a more traditional dining experience with wait staff attending to the table.
Given the arrangement, I’d rather order takeout (food was good) or go elsewhere for a more enjoyable dining experience.

Service: So this resturant is basically a “to go” format that lets you eat in. You order and pay from the QR code menu and a runner drops it off ONLY AFTER YOU PUT YOU MASK ON every time they come to the table...yes they wait until you do. Rest assured they are not coming to see how you are enjoying your food or that they have any form of communication. It’s kind of like having Uber Eats bring your food at a resturant doing multiple orders (unless you drink one drink) except more annoying and tipping out each time. PS hostess was very nice and personable!!!

Food: Started with the tomato basil soup, it would have been delicious were it not for the massive amount of salt. For entree I had the spaghetti and meatballs. Again the meal would have been great but they dumped so much salt I could barely finish.

Positives: great date spot, the patio is nice, they have outdoor heaters and nice table layout, signature cocktails were well made

Won’t go back

Great accommodations for COVID! Food was terrific.

Great Happy Hour outside. Fire pit seating was wonderful. Some of the best mixed drinks I’ve had, especially mulled wine, other person had great hot toddy

Very Covid conscious!

I've been to Rustico a few times over the years while visiting friends in the area, the brunch is always our go-to. With Covid there are restrictions on dining, so for the time being you order and pay from your phone at the table, and then the servers will bring items out as they're ready. The beer list was significantly shorter than usual, as was the brunch menu, but the food was still delicious.

Did not say it was patio only. Had zero source of heating outside.

We walked up to the hostess stand and there were signs saying to speak to the hostess or check in using open table. There wasn’t a hostess around so we used open table. A waiter walked by and he offered to seat us around the side but because it was raining we told him we’d prefer to wait for a covered table. We sat in our car waiting. Another guy walked up as we sat in the car and we saw them seat his party at the recently vacated umbrella table. I walked up to the hostess and told him we had been waiting and they took our table. He shrugged and said sorry. Luckily another umbrella table opened.

The menu was entirely online. They wanted us to order through our phones on their website. Of course the website crashed and no one could order. My husband went up to inform the hostess of the issue and they all acted like we were the inconvenience and informed us that now it would take a little longer as they were working on a skeleton crew.

Eventually someone came out to take our order. Food and drinks came out quickly and were delicious. We had to go find someone to close the check. We chose Rustico because that was our first date place four years ago. We wanted to support them through this tough time but they made it feel difficult.

We reserved through OpenTable because that was what the person who answered the phone recommended when we called. We called again and they said just to come in person. When we arrived, we were told the “app crashed” but we would be seated within 5 minutes. So essentially no reservation system even on a busy Friday night. The ambiance was great and we loved the outdoor seating. Drinks were good and food was okay. Pasta primavera seemed like something I could’ve easily made at home and my boyfriends NY strip was cooked well done when he asked for medium. We are hopeful that if we try their pizza next time we’ll be pleased! They are doing an excellent job with contactless dining during COVID.

Great space, distanced service, friendly staff!

Everything was great! Will definitely be back.

Nothing to add to my rating. Not something I need to do again.

great pizza and drinks. Fresh fish was very good too

We go there often and the food is always good. The atmosphere is good too

Decent place to eat, limited menu but food was pretty good. The decor was fancier than the food, so it was a little odd. Good prices, especially for the Ballston area.

The food was terrific. The service so slow and food came
At
Different times. Some that waited for all to be served had
Cold brunch.

The happy hour draft beer selections are awesome and at a great price. Very friendly server. The pizzas were absolutely delicious. We will be eating there very often!

Good drinks and food. Enjoyed the 5 dip option and risotto tots. Would like to see a few more entrees to choose from that are not pizza...

The portions were so small for the money, and the waiter never said anything when we ordered. We all left hungry and disappointed.

Food was excellent. Great beer selection.

We went for restaurant week and the food was incredible. Our service was amazing and we really enjoyed everything about the experience.

Great service! Great food!

Went during Restaurant Week, Jan. 16, 2020. RW special was excellent, with generous portions over five courses. It was a bit difficult to get refills on drinks, but that was the only issue. Overall, excellent.

Food was ok. Have had better pizza. Brussel

Four of us went to Rustico during Restaurant week, and we were glad we did. All four got the special, which was Five courses for $35. Every course was delicious, starting with the deviled eggs, with bits of bacon sprinkled on top. That was followed up by a pear and arugula (?) salad, then a terrific course of burrata on diced squash and pomegranate seeds! The main entree was a steak with roasted carrots and onions, cooked perfectly and very tasty! Finally, dessert was a molten chocolate cake! Everyone loved it, but I was so full I had to take my cake home. The drinks were reasonably priced, which was good because we were all drinking something different. Definitely will return in the future, looks like they have lots of outdoor seating for the summer!

Server was terrible, not happy to be there. Made it difficult when ordering food and drink; had to flag him down for the check. He had an attitude when us customers were asking simple questions.

The restaurant has high ceilings and does little to mitigate noise, so it was pretty noisy. The dipping appetizers were fairly commonplace. The lentils in particular were over salted. The wait staff was very good and even discussed with us the traits of our beer choice to make sure that was what we wanted. We ended up changing our order on the beer after the discussion. The waiter brought us a small glass of the originally selected beer so we could have a taste.

The pear salad was very good, burgers were good as well. What we especially loved were the dip selections with bread. Excellent and different. Highly recommend the trout, feta, and the eggplant. Service was excellent. Bar area was cozy.

Always a family favorite. Service was terrific and we enjoyed our meal. Nice to have a go to for Mom, Dad and the 3 teens.

I enjoyed my dinner with two out-of-town guests. Our service was great and we appreciated that we were note rushed. We were excited to try the chickpea crust pizza and share a bottle of wine. The cauliflower dish was also delicious. I do wish there were more salad options on the menu (especially without meat/cheese) and more whole grain options, in general.

Service was slow and forgetful. Add the price and it was not a worthwhile experience.

Very comfortable place with great food and drink. Will come back again.

Pizzas were fantastic. The chicken dish was not anything special. The chickpea dip was very good.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Ballston. I usually go for dinner. This time, I met a friend for brunch. We shared egg sliders, hash browns, and baked feta. All of the food was very good. Service was a little slow, but it was fine because we were not in a rush.

We were looking for a sports bar that wasn't mobbed and wasn't crazy loud. Rustico is perfect. Seated in a booth in the bar area afforded us multiple views of the TV monitors while we enjoyed a lovely dinner including conversation at a normal level while watching the World Series. Super friendly staff included!

Excellent service.

The Arlington Restaurant Week menu was absolutely fabulous and such a great deal. Everything was delicious including the cocktails!

Great food. Everything was delicious! Loved the Caesar salad, pizza and wings!

This is our third visit to Rustico! We live out of state, but have visited 3 times this past year! The carrot hummus is amazing!!! But everything we’ve had has been great! Every drink is great too!!! I gave 4 stars for service...it seems they are just always busy & staff might be worn a tad thin...but always a great experience even if there’s a slight wait for stFf!!!