Rustico - Ballston - Arlington

We went here for a big work lunch, and all of the food was excellent! The tater tot’s, wings, and the salads were all very good. Our waiter, Landon, was super f... read more We went here for a big work lunch, and all of the food was excellent! The tater tot’s, wings, and the salads were all very good. Our waiter, Landon, was super fast and kept every thing refilled, and the kitchen was also super fast and pumped out foodwithin minutes! I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone, any time. There was also lots of street parking nearby itwas. The Private events coordinator was also very easy to work with as we were getting a private room!

This is a more appetizers/shareables and drinks place, not a pizza place. The feta cheese dip was sooo freaking good — alone and with the bread. The pizza, unfo... read more This is a more appetizers/shareables and drinks place, not a pizza place. The feta cheese dip was sooo freaking good — alone and with the bread. The pizza, unfortunately, was pretty average. The ingredients just didn’t bring much flavor and alsojustify the price. Kudos to the cooking method though because the crust was solid (slightly burned, not floppy and notcrunchy . The service was lacking. They didn’t bring us utensils and took a while to come get our orders/the bill. This wouldbe justified if they were busy but the restaurant was only half full. Go here for drinks and the shareables (get the feta cheesedip! , not for actual dinner.

This place is all looks nothing to show for it. Upon first impressions it’s got lots of reviews (I didn’t see if they were great reviews), located in a great ar... read more This place is all looks nothing to show for it. Upon first impressions it’s got lots of reviews (I didn’t see if they were great reviews), located in a great area in Arlington, beautiful ambiance outside and inside. We called ahead for reservationssame day for a table of 9 on a Monday. When we arrived 30mins early our table was already set up and ready. The place was prettyempty on a Monday night. They had a lot of staff working though. The waiter was young and very nice. Our waiter handled a tableof 9 people very well. I wish I remembered his name. Our waters were constantly refilled. However, ordering and getting our foodout was a bit slow. Drinks weren’t great. I personally was a little difficult about my drink order. I ordered a margaritawith casamigo tequila because on the menu it said margarita, pick tequila. However what I failed to realize and the waiterfailed to mention is that the list of tequila available was all the way to the right. Their top shelf was patron. So I asked fora Mojito and they gave me a mojito with dark rum, no lime and basically it tasted like just dark rum. Then I asked for thatmargarita with patron that I originally was going to order. Ok I was being nice but indecisive with my drinks, I apologized alot for that. Bartender walks over with an attitude. He was a much older gentleman. He questioned me on what was wrong with mydrink, what did I order, how do I like my drinks. Then he reaches over me trying to take my mojito away when I told him it’sfine I’ll share it with someone who may like it but it’s just not for me. He tried to educate me or talk down to me howeveryou look at it, on a mojito which sure I’m no bartender but out the years I’ve been drinking mojitos I have never tasted onelike that. This was a work dinner so my coworker took a sip and said that disgusting and NOT a mojito. No one ended up takingthe mojito. My whole table seen he had an attitude with me. As I mentioned I realized I was being indecisive an

I was at this restaurant for a meetup. It was nice and quiet inside although the outdoor eating areas looked busier. I had the spinach artichoke dip. It was del... read more I was at this restaurant for a meetup. It was nice and quiet inside although the outdoor eating areas looked busier. I had the spinach artichoke dip. It was delicious! The portion size was kind of small but the quality and tastiness made up for that. Theother members of my party all seemed to enjoy their food as well. The staff were polite. Parking was horrible. Only streetparking right around the restaurant. The closest parking garage is a couple of blocks away. We parked in this garage. It is ahuge parking garage and we had trouble finding our car when we returned. It's a garage where you definitely should take a noteof the level and section you parked in.

My partner and I had our first date at Rustico a few years back and decided to return for restaurant week this year. Unfortunately, our overall experience was o... read more My partner and I had our first date at Rustico a few years back and decided to return for restaurant week this year. Unfortunately, our overall experience was one of the worst we have ever had. It took over 10 minutes for anyone to come to our table, and the staff kept entering and leaving through a side door, creating a chilly draft for tables nearby. The food was tasty, but our server and bussers did not clear any plates off the table between courses, resulting in a cluttered dining area by the end of our meal. My husband's water was never refilled, and our server only checked in with us twice before walking away before we can respond. To add to the disappointment, our dessert donuts arrived with an empty container that was supposed to hold caramel sauce, showcasing a lack of attention to detail. The staff suddenly appeared to clear plates once the meal was over, indicating they were needed for other tables. Additionally, the automatic 20% tip did not accurately reflect the subpar experience we had. Despite being longtime customers of Rustico, this visit was disappointing, especially considering the number of staff members present. We would not consider returning unless we received a solid recommendation regarding improved service.