Rustico Restaurant & Bar

IPA06

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Nice looking place overall. I sat at the bar to watch basketball and enjoy the experience. Service was good, the bartender actually had very good beer knowledge. I always ask for a good IPA recommendation. He was spot-on with the Scalpin IPA. They have a large bottle selection, wish they had more on tap, but they do get some great treats from time to time. Had a decent menu, not too much, but some interesting items. I had the salmon sandwich with coleslaw and fries. It was pretty tasty, but next time I think I'll try one of their mini pizzas, which seemed to be their niche.

Overall I think the restaurant was pretty nice. The atmosphere, not alot to say about some of the clientele. The patrons seemed to be a little stuffy and lavish. I could imagine someone bringing their Chihuahua to this place. I don't think they would appreciate my beer drinking slob friends who like to enjoy fine beers LOUDLY! lol

03-14-2011 01:04:26 | More by IPA06

timtim

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

don't usually review places, but the travelling BA needs to know... The new Rustico Ballston is clean, well set up and run very well. The beer list is diverse and includes something for literally everyone. The staff is trained to be courteous and helpful. The food is really good. Only down sides may be the crowds that flock here during busy times, and the fact that the prices are a bit high ($26 for a 375ml Hanssens lambic? $11 for a 10oz of Les Deux Brasseurs?). Other than that, you will be hard pressed to find a better beer experience anywhere near here. There has been a recent explosion of good beer in the area, but Rustico does it best for sure. A must if you are in the area.

03-06-2011 11:49:49 | More by timtim

blackie

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev -3.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

We visited the Ballston Rustico for a Thursday lunch. First off, it was fairly dead, but the mid-afternoon timing was a little awkward. It's been awhile since I've visited the Alexandria location, but the decor scheme here seemed to be in sharp contrast - very modern, though muted with wood tones. Not uncomfortable but not exactly warm, either.

It's not surprising that the selection is not only large but diverse as well - in keeping with the other restaurants in this group. Drafts numbered 43 at the time of my visit, with 2 of these casks. Locals have a fair representation, with plenty of national and Belgian/import selections as well. A current draft list is posted on the restaurant website. I went with a Saison De Silly, which was just alright. Appropriate glassware use.

Feeling something lighter, I opted for the cider glazed sea scallops. They were quite good, cooked properly and well accompanied with a bed of of parsnip puree and brussel sprouts. The rest of the family enjoyed their burgers and such.

Service was fine - fast and friendly. The place is generally on the pricier side, but happy hour can remove a little of that bite.

03-03-2011 04:11:04 | More by blackie

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Rustico, the beer-centric eatery north of Old Town, is one of my favorite places to visit in my area. Perhaps its the amazing beer selection - not only does Rustico boast 300 beers and cask ales, but Beer Director (and God Among Men) Greg Engert has organized them into tasty, adventurous flights ("Luke, I am Your Father" was a recent collection of four dangerously dark stouts and porters - get it?). So not only do I always find something to enjoy, but I discover new favorites as well.

Tucked away on quiet Slater's Lane, Rustico in Alexandria is always packed with diners - older couples from Del Ray, young families, Engert fans, etc. Although the restaurant originally debuted as an Italian joint to mixed reviews, a quick chef change and switch to American fare resulted in much improvement. I personally appreciate how the menu revolves around the seasons along with their beer offerings.

The new Rustico has the same menu and beers, but a completely different vibe. Rustico Alexandria is modern and "urban funky," with mosaic walls decorated with plates, broken china, bits of mirror, etc. (check out the gorgeous red and teal mosaic glass tiles above the fireplace - I covet). Couches and fireplace make the bar area not only cozy, but also the perfect place to while away an afternoon with the Sunday edition of the NYT and a few flights of beer.

The new Rustico is much more "urban chic," with leather banquettes, a a rich, dark color scheme, industrial light fixtures, and a large wraparound bar. It's gorgeous. Imagine more dark wood and leather, less funky mosaics and couches ... more Clarendon, less Del Ray. The beer list is going to be even more impressive, with more than 400 beers available, and 40 on tap.

The menu was the same as Rustico Alexandria, but Rustico Ballston seemed to offer an abbreviated beer menu. Where was the beloved beer binder of the original Rustico? I love hauling that metal-plated book up into my arms to peruse the extensive options - it's certainly a conversation piece if nothing else.

Overall, the new Rustico is nice - exceedingly nice. The menu and the beer selection will lure current Rustico fans, while the chic vibe will bring in a new crowd of regulars. It's exactly what Ballston - the skinny, dark wallflower younger sibling of the cool, popular, golden Clarendon - has always needed.

01-29-2011 20:21:11 | More by CuriousMonk

goldbot

District of Columbia

4.18/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

I went to the new Rustico in Ballston a couple weeks after they opened. I've never been to the original Alexandria location. It was extremely busy; I called ahead to reserve a table, and I was told the wait was about 1 hour. Showed up after the hour and still waited about 20 minutes for a table; but I'm sure they were still getting used to opening crowds and just getting the system flowing smoothly. Very loud restaurant since it was so packed. The lit up wall of empty beer bottles was a nice touch, very pretty.

The beer selection was large and well-rounded. Nothing was available on cask yet when I was there; this may have changed by now though. The bottle/draft selection, instead of being sorted simply by style, were sorted according to taste profile, such as roasty, hoppy, earthy, etc. which I thought was novel and convenient for finding an appropriate food/beer pairing. Beer was served at a seemingly appropriate temperature.

Service was just fine. Servers were very friendly considering how bad the crowds were. I didn't get a chance to ask too many questions about the beer so I couldn't gauge the waiters knowledge of the selection.

The food is classic American fare; there were plenty of seasonal dishes on the menu that sounded quite good. The pizzas were, well, plain old pizza. Nothing spectacular. Salads were novel and interesting instead of the same old stuff.

Overall a nice establishment. I will certainly be back (I do live right only a couple blocks away); I am very interested to see what the cask offerings will be.

11-27-2010 23:31:05 | More by goldbot