La Rustica

Beautiful restaurant! Staff, drinks, and food was top tier! They made my celebration one to remember.

This has quickly become my favorite spot in town. There is not a single main dish or desert I have not liked, the breadsticks are so good (and they always keep them coming) and the staff are wonderful. This is truly a gem of a spot and if you get the chance to eat here, you shouldn’t pass it up!

La Rustica - Summerville was on my mind for a while. I watched the move from Seattle and remained hopeful that I would get to dine at the Giulio Pellegrini Sr family’s restaurant. My nonno, Peter Testa was born in the same village, Patrica, Italy as Giulio. My nonno owned an Italian delicatessen in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania and made hundreds of pounds of sausage weekly that he sold at his store and to the bars and restaurants in the area. The flavors that came from his butcher shop were like none other. My heart has long for those flavors for over 45 years. We drove 684 miles (1,368 round trip) this week to Summerville, SC for the soul purpose to dine at La Rustica! Three nights in a row I was immersed in the flavors that I remembered and new flavors that I will never forget! This was by far the best restaurant I have ever been to. The flavors were crisp and I could taste every layer that created the crescendo. Each night I chose the pasta special. The gnocchi were like baby clouds. I have never had ricotta gnocchi before this was the first for me. The pasta was perfectly cooked. The sauces were bursting with flavor. Each dinner started with a salad with the delightful citrus lemon dressing preparing the palate for what was to come. The seafood was cooked to perfection and bursting with freshness. The pepper flakes on some dishes provided a warm delightful spicy flavor. The cocktail menu had a fun variety of mixed drinks. I chose the San Rocco which had the right balance of gin and elderberry and other delightful flavors. Oh and the desserts! Wow! The pineapple coconut cake, lemon cello tiramisu, and butterscotch salted caramel budino OMG! With all this said what warmed my heart and filled my soul was the warmth and hospitality that we felt from Giulio. I felt like I was joining the table of my family. My nonno was with me in spirit. Again telling be how beautiful, kind and talented the people of Patrica are. I have figured out that if I leave at 6 AM, I will be in time for dinner that night!  Grazie mille, Giulio, grazie mille!

High end Italian in a small relaxed but vintage setting. Service was outstanding and extremely polite. Several servers helped each other out throughout the experience. I definitely recommend coming in and trying any number of the dishes here as we tried a wide array of dishes and all were very good.

We had an amazing time at La Rustica. We were a group of 16 and everyone ordered a different dish, and we loved everything. The service was amazing, the food was really delicious. I totally recommend this place!

We made a reservation and needed a high chair but came to find out they don’t have high chairs… which was interesting. Not sure if that’s because they don’t “encourage” children coming, but at that point we had to decide if we were going to be able to stay. We were going to make it work since it had been a long day and we had 2 kids under 5 that were hungry and cranky. We asked if there was a table outside because they originally were gonna seat us right in the center of the restaurant and we did NOT want to disturb the guests around us. Thankfully they were kind enough to let us get a table outside on their beautiful patio. They even had someone come turn the heat lamps on which they totally didn’t have to because it was so nice out. Once we finally got settled in, our server came to greet us and tell us about the specials. She was very nice. I ordered a bottle of wine and when she came to present it, she told me that she was not confident or comfortable with opening the wine and was struggling. I offered to open it for her. I’m only sharing this part because as a food and beverage manager it is essential that my staff knows how to properly open wine bottles for guests, especially those who are spending a money on a decent bottle of wine. But I wasn’t upset, I just think that should be something that is reconsidered for servers in their training. If she didn’t, then someone else should’ve assisted her. I think if it was someone else dining in that would’ve been off putting. However, she was honest and patient and I appreciated that. As for the food, we enjoyed everything. My husband has severe celiac and it was communicated to us what he could have and he thoroughly enjoyed the bolognese. We had an assortment of entrees that all had great flavor and went great with the Italian wine we had. They were not shy on portions at all and we had plenty of food to take home. The creme brûlée was delicious and our server was attentive. Overall we had a great experience and being outside was super clutch with the kiddos.

Truly a fantastic and unique experience. Service was excellent and the food was simply top notch. My wife stated that her dish that night was on par with a meal that she had while visiting Rome (not Georgia, lol) last year. We can't wait to go back and dine outside now that the weather is warming up.

Fantastic food! Hubby and I ordered the gnocchi and the risotto for entrees. 10 out of 10. Service was great; John was our server, and they seem to have fantastic team work- drinks were refilled promptly and bread was refilled multiple times (and their bread is DELICIOUS). I’m really hoping in the future they will allow reservations for parties of 2 and open the outdoor seating area! La Rustica would be nice for an anniversary or birthday meal, or a special date night. Edit 12/10/22 - ate there again- we tried Chicken Parmesan and the Rigatoni Gorgonzola. Again- SO DELICIOUS! I do think it’s worth mentioning if you are a table for 2, the table for 2 seats are packed in so so so tightly, it does feel like we are actually sitting with the tables next to us - like a big thanksgiving style meal, or like a cruise ship…. So I don’t think I’d consider this a romantic date spot for two… but I see the potential for that once they allow the outdoor seating to be utilized (not allowed yet). I added the photo to the review so you can see, once the table next to us sat down it basically leaves only enough room for their purse beside them. However, the food is so so good we will for sure be back!

We have been here twice and both times we have had a great experience. The food was flavor fills and delicious and the service was excellent. Highly recommended!

This place is amazing, food was the best I loved their bread. Servers were very friendly. They did mention recipes were passed down the family.

We took a chance on a Friday night and just randomly went here for dinner. It was pretty crowded, but we were able to get seated quickly. I had heard a lot of good things about this place and was excited to try it for myself. I was very impressed by what they did inside. The decor was unique and beautifullly done. Overall, there is a very nice ambiance. We got started with a basket of delicious home made focaccia on the house. Nice not to have to pay extra for that. For starters, we got the salmon bruschetta and it was amazing. My wife ordered the chicken Limon and I got the Bolognese. Both were very tasty and certainly met our expectations. We finished up with a delicious house made carrot cake. This is such a nice addition to the summerville restaurant scene. We will definitely be back.

My Daughter and I had an Amazing experience from the service to the food to the music to the atmosphere and met some Awesome new friends. The oysters were Incredible!!! Their bread to die for. The entrees both delicious. My my that lemon tart through the roof!! It’s worth the money for a good clean friendly place to have a great dinner night,

If I could give this place 10 stars I would. It is 100% legit straight up real deal Italian food like you would expect if you lived in the northeast. My wife and I took our 4 kids to celebrate my mom’s birthday. We shared 5 appetizers, 7 entrees and 3 desserts. I honestly couldn’t tell you what the best thing was because it was all incredible. That’s all you really need to know.

La Rustica is now our favorite Italian restaurant. We've been there two times now and both visits we would rate 5 out of 5 stars. The food is exceptional and the staff is the best. We won't go anywhere else for Italian food.

Delicious food. Great service! The restaurant is decorated beautifully and has a warm authentic Italian charm. One of the owners came by the table to say hello. It was a wonderful experience!

Hands down our favorite restaurant anywhere! Highly recommend the Rigationi Filetto al Barbera...best dish around!

If you want authentic Italian... This is your place . Hands down the BEST Italian restaurant in Summerville. Do not miss out on this place. The wait was about 1 1/2 hours but SO worth it. They took our name and # and we waited in our car. The wait staff are extremely friendly and attentive. We immediately received bread and water then our waitresses came about 5 min later. We ordered and did not have to wait long for our appetizer. Followed by salad and then our meal. The food was PHENOMENAL. My husband ordered caneloni and I ordered Pollo parmagana. For an appetizer we ordered brushetta. For dessert tiramisu. I highly recommend this place. Don't try the other Italian restaurant you will be disappointed. We DEFINITELY will be back. Our Waitress was Rachel she was amazing 👏 ❤️

Food was great! Loved that you can add yourself to the waitlist online and it updates your place in line. The Valentino drink was delicious as was everything else. Sam was the best server!

Tonight was our first time and everything was fantastic! The food was delicious, the cocktails were great and the desserts were incredible! You have to get the oysters for a starter - they will change your life! 10/10 - Our new favorite restaurant in Summerville!

Service was great. Environment was a lot. Food was hit and miss. From hostess to server to busing the table, service was excellent. The constant clearing of the table was great. The environment from the moment you walk in is tight, crowded, and loud. Maybe it was just the people near us but this is NOT the place to come to for a quiet romantic dinner. The food had some great highlights. The bruschetta was crazy good. The manicotti had a delicious sauce and the pasta was perfect. The Caesar salad was soggy and lacked flavor. The linguine all Gino was meh. Not bad but nothing special. Overall it was a good experience but not sure it was worth the money. I'll try it again for sure.

This place is a chef’s kiss! My husband and I went in for our anniversary and we were in love with the Ostriche al Forno! Food was fresh and delectable. The drinks were nothing short of exceptional. Would highly recommend this place to anyone to stop by.

The homemade pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the sauce is delicious (not too salty or acidic or sweet. Just a perfect blend of flavors). I had the gnocchi w/ sausage. Our son said the lamb was the best he's ever had!! We also heard another guest remarking on how good the lamb was. My wife had shrimp and pasta and our daughter-in-law had the lasagna. All the dishes were cooked perfectly and were good sized portions. The deserts are all home-made as well. Our daughter-in-law said the tiramisu was the best she's ever had and I really enjoyed my carrot cake! The service was SO friendly and warm. We were very well taken care of. I highly recommend this restaurant! We ate on the veranda overlooking the fountain.

Don't love that you can't make reservations for less than 5 people. Temperature was very warm inside. Now all the good things... perfect for date night, authentic decor, good house wine ( get the carafe- YOLO) generous portions with lots of flavor. Everyone was extremely friendly and accommodating. Worth 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Blanka was a great server and made some great drinks for us. Wow, can't explain how happy we were with service and food. Fettuccine Bolognses best ever, pizza Fritta, so damn good. Grab a house made carrot cake to go. Hope to add to my review.

The food was excellent and the service was good, until our waiter, Daniel, approached my husband and me after we left the table to complain about the tip we left. He insisted that all restaurants require 20–30% tips as a “standard,” which is not true. Tipping is optional and based on the service received, and no one has the right to demand money from a guest. Our bill was around $164, and we tipped what we felt was appropriate. It was very unprofessional and distasteful for him to confront us, especially since multiple staff members contributed to our service; from clearing plates to boxing leftovers. I even placed an additional order to go, so it’s not as though we didn’t spend generously here. Unfortunately, this encounter completely ruined our experience, and we will not be returning. Update!!!! Thank you La Rustica team for handling this matter with stellar customer service. I really appreciate it and we will Definitely be back!

Such an amazing experience every time. Phenomenal service and the best Italian I have ever had. My parents can't stop talking about it. The inside and outside are breath taking and it's so comfortable. We will be back for as long as they'll have us! Cannot recommend this place enough!

Would give it six stars. From the atmosphere to the service and amazing food. We were on the front porch. Great wine selections and bread was to die for, we had 2 baskets.I had the Lasagna dish and with had the salmon special! Impeccable! Thank you for having us. We will be back.

We’ve been multiple times and never been disappointed. While the space can feel a little tight, the service and food are incredible. Far better than any of the downtown restaurants.

Had a delicious Italian meal here with my family. The whole rack of lamb, pasta dishes and tiramisu were excellent. We really enjoyed the authentic flavors and the beautiful, cozy atmosphere. Service was friendly and attentive. Five Stars all the way

Absolutely love coming to La Rustica but very sad to see both main vegetarian meal options removed from the menu. A pasta and vegetable dish was able to be ordered off menu, but not as ideal as the previous manicotti and eggplant parmigiana dishes. Other than that, the rest of the meal was fantastic as is the atmosphere and service. The host always greets us warmly and helps us to a table that we’re happy with :) The Pollo Parmigiana is my personal favorite! Will definitely be back and am looking forward to the vegetarian options to be added back for those in my family that prefer them.

Beautiful restaurant. We went for happy hour and then dinner. Loved the bartender and the drinks are delicious, especially the pineapple sangria. I didn’t care for the polenta fries, my husbands filet was under cooked and I specifically came to this restaurant for (my birthday) the chocolate cake everyone raves about only to find out they took it off the menu. The rest of the food was good.

Lovely spot in downtown Summerville! Food is delicious! Service is great. Table for one so I sat at the bar. Busy on a Saturday night and had people hovering while I got my food. (It is what it is I suppose when your a table of one at the bar) the oysters were sooo good!

Went there tonight for our anniversary dinner. The restaurant was very charming and we been looking to check it out. The food was spectacular. We had the oysters for an appetizer and we had the specials salmon and the boar. Both were great and the atmosphere was sunning as well. Probably the best restaurant in town and prices with that quality food is spot on . Now the not so good. They really need a manager or GM. This is like something out of kitchen nightmares. Where you have amazing food, overworked servers and the manager somewhere hiding not checking on customers. My wife’s glass of wine went dry. Our water glasses did the same more than once, zero ice. And also an hour before they closed someone started putting lamps and other things on a table next to us and they were cleaning up the restaurant around us as we ate! And then the poor waitress forgot to run my card and gave it back to me and we caught her error and paid. Someone needs to run the restaurant because I’d like to come back before it shuts it down. *Update Tried Again. Service much better and attentive. Food spectacular and on point. Tried different items on menu and had four other guests. Only complaint was the veal was not breaded and a little tough other than that perfect. One of my favorites in historic Summerville

If I could rate this place based on my dinner companions it would have been a 5 star. However, that is not what I am here for. We made reservations ahead, great idea! Our waitress was so friendly and knowledgeable. I ordered the Boci, which was a wonderfully made chocolate cocktail. For dinner I ordered the Gnocchi Zazzichia, which came with a house salad. The Gnocchi was quite dense and chewy. The flavor of the dish was sort of bland, boring. Missing something um oh ya flavor. Lacking a lot and I was quite disappointed in my main dish. The house salad was tasty with a vinaigrette dressing that leaned more to the tangy side than sweet, which was good. However not all salads are created equal. We had six people at the table and some salads with tomatoes, some not, sliced lemon in salad, some not very inconsistent. Of course I had to follow up my meal with a dessert. I got the Moonstruck which was a delicious chocolate mousse mirror glaze cake. Now I would come back just to get this dessert. It was decadent. Creamy mousse and a beautiful chocolate glaze. Small piece of chocolate cake inside the mousse. This was heavenly. Over all the main course was not impressive but dessert and cocktail amazing. The service went above and beyond to make our experience wonderful.

Updating my review. I’m a Frequent guest at La Rústica but recently I have been experiencing changes to my favorite dish with scallops. The last couple of times I had them, they were hard. Not the usual soft easy to cut. Also, the service at the bar is not very good. The lady who serves there has an odd energy and definitely not meant for serving. Because of this, we simply pay without mentioning issues with our dishes like the hard scallops. I do not recommend sitting at the bar. Sit at a table where waitresses are much better and friendly. La Rustica has been on my list of restaurants to check out in Summerville for a while and finally had the opportunity to try it out. We didn’t have a reservation and it was full on a Friday night but the wait was worth it. The food is delicious!!! The oysters are amazing and everything else we ordered was top notch. They are busy so I highly recommend making a reservation if you can.

I had a few coworkers kind of hype this place up to me after telling them how my family and I loved the cuisine from Laura's. They raved about the place and I decided to bring my wife. We went on a Saturday evening and parking was a little hard to find. We went in and it's very close quarters. The tables are very close together and not spacious at all. Nice ambience but not really prioritized for comfort. Our server was amazing. Very nice, very attentive and cared. 10 out of 10 in that regard. The food was decent and fresh but very basic as far as flavor. My wife and I hate when we go to a restaurant and know that we could've cooked the dish better at home than the restaurant that prepared it. Overall, I wouldn't give it another chance for the prices because I don't think our food was worth it. As always, I hope you have a great experience if you do decide to go. Take care.

So much for their business casual dress code. Ripped jeans, cargo shorts, baseball cap indoors. We felt way over dressed and even bought clothes to go. It was very crowded and extremely loud. We could barely hear each other. Our entrees were lacking flavor but not bad. Our drinks were great. Creme brulee was lacking flavor by a lot so it was a huge disappointment. However the sausage was to die for. Our server was great though. Very much liked her. We will try again during another special occasion. Our 10 year anniversary was not that great but we'll try again.

On Valentine’s Day I attempted to go with my sweet and loving boyfriend for a nice dinner because we love Italian food and went to a different Italian place for our first date, but alas, la rustica crushed our dreams of having a romantic and nostalgic night. On that fateful Saturday night, after quadruple checking the website that reservations were not required, we approached la rustica with high hopes. However, to our surprise, when we arrived, two older ladies yelled at many couples like ourselves that were just seeking a lovely night at la rustica. We witnessed a mustached man getting obliterated verbally by the older ladies. It made me severely uncomfortable and as a person with regular anxiety attacks, it caused my evening to be ruined emotionally and physically (since I did not get the Italian food I sought). Alas, we left in sorrow. Will not return.

So picture this. It’s my birthday, my fiancé made a reservation as a surprise (I was unaware) that includes 4 other people. Unfortunately those 4 other people couldn’t make it. I find this out at the host stand. The woman (might be the owner?) is completely bent out of shape about these folks not being there. My fiancé explains he tried to call to change the res from 6 to 2 but there’s zero way to get someone on the phone and that it’s okay if he doesn’t get refunded for the reservation hold fee. She is so rude and tells him that there are “many” people who would have loved to dine there and that he cannot let this (something totally out of his control) happen again. I understand that it is likely stressful having a change in logistics on a busy Saturday night but it’s best to keep the venting to your coworkers when you have someone’s ruined birthday surprise dinner and two people just wanting to make the best of things in front of you. I’d also suggest incorporating a system like a human to answer the phone or even an option to leave a voicemail so people can get in touch for changes in plans. They treated us like we are lucky to even be considered for a table at their restaurant. We decided to just leave. I won’t be giving this place our business that’s for sure! There are much kinder more reasonable people in Summerville. Edit for owners response: again, I understand a change in guest count from 6 to 2 is stressful to you and the service flow, but you have zero class with the way you spoke about it to us. You should not be in hospitality.

Well…. This place ruined Valentines. First off the line to check in for your reservation (which we had) was out the door and we waited in line for 15 minutes. Secondly, I’m gluten free, this place has gluten free pasta every time you go. Well today they didn’t because of the fixed menu. TOTALLY fine but it was how I was told by the waitress. She looked at me like I just asked her to rob a bank and had no idea what gluten was when I asked for other options. To top it all off, we ended up leaving after our appetizer because we waited over an hour and a half for our food so we paid for what we got and left. Our waitress definitely forgot to put in our food because everyone else around us go theirs and instead of owning up to a mistake she said “it depends on what time I put it in”. WHAT DO YOU MEAN. Anyways very disappointed. We made this reservation a month before Valentine’s, very excited to go. I wish we went somewhere else. You can’t charge those prices for that service. McDonald’s around the corner had better service.