I love this place! I don't live too far away, so Rustico is a fun place to visit with friends visiting from out of town or just for a quick meal (whether dining in or getting takeout). The food is delicious and reasonably priced, and they have a good menu selection. My go-to's are usually their salads and pasta dishes. I visited most recently in early November 2024 and got their fried chicken salad (sweet corn, avocado, bacon, pickled onions, crispy tortillas, jalapenos, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, honey-chipotle aioli). The salad was a generous portion and definitely entree-sized! Service is always fast and friendly. I've never had to wait too long for a table or for my food to arrive. I've also had drinks there - they have a good selection of wines and beers. The ambiance is also great - they have a more casual bar / lounge area, as well as another side of the restaurant for dining. Rustico used to have an excellent second location in Ballston (Arlington, VA), but they've sadly closed. I'm glad the Alexandria location is still around and thriving!

Came with a friend for a birthday lunch and it was a good time. The fries and brussels were so good! Very flavorful and tasty. service was lovely, very quick and the server was friendly and attentive. The space is large with ample seating. My friend got the gluten free, GF, crust, made with chickpeas and she loved it! She said it was the best GF pizza crust she's had. I got the pepperoni pizza with hot honey and it was nice. The pepperoni were crispy, which I enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this spot! There is a decent size parking lot in the rear which is always nice.

This was a pretty cool spot I got to check out while burning some time on the Potomac side of Alexandria. The restaurant is brick walled on the outside with a very spacious interior and a variety of seating options to accommodate large and small groups, with a small bar located to the right side of the restaurant and bonus: office chair like seating provided at all the tables and bar for extra comfort. It was a football Sunday and the bar had an ample amount of tv's showing the games. Their brunch menu features shareable items like fried wings, calamari, and meatballs ($6-$15), salads that can be paired with their woodfire grilled proteins, brunch based items like avocado toast, chicken & waffles, and short rib hash ($15-$20), and their woodfire pizza options ($17-$20). They also offer seasonal cocktails like their pumpkin spiced hot chocolate and autumn bourbon mule ($12). I tried out a couple appetizers the bacon wrapped dates and the fried cauliflower with a pineapple mimosa. Both items were solid the Korean bbq cauliflower had a bit more kick than I expected but not overpowering. All in all the service was fine, gorgeous location, and I look forward to returning to dive deeper into some more of the menu items.

Had a quick lunch in Alexandria at Rusticos! We got seated quickly and the food was good portions. We had 7 people and their policy was we could not split checks (it was inconvenient but doable).

I was a little worried going into this. The reviews didn't look so good. I'm glad I wasn't disappointed. Got started with a cocktail that had a nice balance to it. Very flavorful with enough alcohol to get me going. Ordered the cheese tots. They were amazing; you can't go wrong with a good, fried appetizer. As for the entree, I got a white pizza with the bluejacket draft beer (German pilsner). They paired very well together. The pizza itself was very good. Both of our pizzas came out fresh at the same time. They slapped fresh herbs on the top. Pizza had a good balance of flavour and texture; itt was even amazing on a next-day warmup (pan sear reheat). I don't know what beer my friend got, but he said it was good. I was too stuffed to order dessert but was very happy with the overall meal and drinks. The service was great; the waitress was kind enough to offer beer samplers until I found one I liked. The ambience was great. The interior is gorgeous. You'll also be happy to note they have a large amount of parking next to the restaurant. I'll be urging my friend to make a trip every now and then to come back here for a chill evening.

Apple mint mojito - 7.7/10 Strawberry on the mountain - 7/10 Spinach and artichoke dip - 8.5 Margarita pizza - 9/10

For my first visit I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Went on a quiet Sunday night and the service was amazing. We were given options of seating as it was kind of empty. Our server checked in many times after taking out our original order. I loved the decor and the feel of the space. The food We ordered the risotto tots as an appetizer. It was a solid 3/5 on flavor. The tots were cooked okay but the crunch was a little overwhelming on some pieces. The sauce was a tad too acidic to compliment the cheesiness of the tots. The pizza was definitely the star of the show. The crust was cooked well and the toppings were great. My only issue was the raw huge chunks of garlic. The flavor was good over all but I wish the garlic was incorporated in a different way. I would absolutely try here again.