It's nicely decorated and the waitresses and bartender are delightful but the food was only slightly above what you'd get out of the corner store freezer section. In fact I'm certain that my lukewarm mozzarella sticks came out of a plastic bag. My husband ordered lasagna and got a plate of bland spaghetti. I ordered the veal piccata and got a unexceptional somewhat cold and only modestly seasoned dish. If all you want is drinks and something to nibble on while hanging out with friends it's okay but if you want to eat real Italian food it just fails. We won't ever go back.
(2)
Jerika S.
i am forced to give them two stars because my boyfriend doesn't want me to be mean. i would only give them one if it were up to me. the calamari appetizer was ok, i got the manicoti with meatballs, he got veal marsala. he said "i've had better veal" and i've def had better manicoti. server was nice enough, but i did think $ was a bit much for the quality of food.
(2)
John S.
Not being cruel here, just honest....I had the worst excuse for an Italian dinner that I've ever had at this restaurant. I could care less if a restaurant is a hole in the wall place, or, a fine eatery in a building made by a well known architect: it's the food that matters. And on those grounds, this restaurant failed miserably. Usually when I go to a new (to me) Italian restaurant, I order a basic dish like pasta and meatballs/meat sauce. If they can't get something simple right, then I don't want to know anything more about the place. So....if you like pasta overcooked to the point of mush, topped with tomato sauce that is redolent of Campbells's Tomato Soup, then this is the place for you. The biggest mystery is how this place has managed to stay in business all these years. Abominable!
(1)
Lauren W.
This place is nothing fancy- they definitely have paper placemats, but my husband and I love an Italian place in the city where he went to college that does the same thing, so that doesn't phase us. Ruffino's is just decent, inexpensive Italian comfort food. The staff is friendly. I've never had any of the experiences that some other Yelpers have had with dirty glasses or plastic wine glasses (maybe they changed those to glass? No idea). However, they do tend to favor using pastas other than spaghetti, although it's usually marked on the menu when they are using linguine, fettucine, etc., so if this is a major issue for you, here's your heads up. It's not the best food you'll ever eat but it's also certainly not the worst, and I'd rather pay their prices for a decent meal that twice the price for a bad one.
(3)
Shelly S.
Hands down, the place I go when I'm craving pasta. The atmosphere is cozy, the garlic bread is buttery deliciousness and Chris is a great server. He always remembers us and is super attentive. I usually don't branch out of my comfort zone and stick with the spaghetti and meatballs because I've never gone wrong with this dish. I love the sauce! I also usually box up half of my dinner to save room for the Tiramisu (spelling?) which is out of this world.
(4)
Vince G.
This place is great! This was my wife's and i first time to this place and we really enjoyed it. The food was really good for the price we paid. You can tell they cook fresh and the bread is fresh as well. We would come back again.
(5)
Rochelle R.
I am a true lover of Italian food and ever since I had AUTHENTIC Italian at a lovely spot in Ontario canada called Spago (no relation to Puck's Spago in L.A.), nothing has come close to being as good. with that in mind, I ocassionaly go out on a limb and try other Italian restaurants. This one is across from where I get my hair cut so decided to try with a good friend and my daughter. This was THE WORST ATTEMPT AT iTALIAN FOOD i'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED!!! Chef Boyardee would have been better! Let;'s begin with appetizers...garlic bread and clamari frtia. Talk about a joke?! Not only was there no hint of butter on the garlic bread, there was no GARLIC!!! Instead, the bread appeard to have been drenched with olive oil and had flecks of would-be seasoning, but there was no flavor except for the oil! I've never seen garlic bread with no butter or garlic! I've seen chefs use a mixture of olive oil and butter, but there's always butter involved. Now for the calamari. Though it had been fried and was hot, thatr was the end of it. It was so light in color that it was almost white, and though it had what appeard to be seasoning on it, there was no taste whatsoever! NONE! and the "marinara" sauce (and I use the term loosely) was nothing more than tomato sauce fromthe can. It wasn't cooked, only heated and there was no salt, basil, oregano, or pepper. I could not believe it! The lassagna was the pits too and so was the veal marsala. Needless to say I will NEVER return to this restaurant and I certain;y would never, ever, ever, recommend it to anyone with actual tastebuds!
(1)
Bacchus F.
Sadly Ruffinos has lost a lot of its charm since reopening this year. The same average to subpar food is now served in a cold and noisy atmosphere. Removing its linguine with anchovies and tomato sauce-- one of the few dishes I would usually describe as "pretty good"--from the menu also does not help its cause.
(1)
gwen o.
I have the exact same story as Lucas O. My family went there at least once a week, everyone remembered us, etc. Hadn't been in ages, but when I came to Arlington to visit a year ago or so my brother and I went in there again for nostalgia's sake. Everything looked the same, tasted the same, felt the same...but it wasn't the same. Oh, and one of the things we were bound and determined to find out was whether or not they still crossed two little slices of cheese on top of the house salad. The answer was no...but it was fun to sit and talk about the fact that they used to cross two pieces of cheese over the top of the salad...which led to talk about other things from the past which made the visit totally enjoyable and worth it.
(4)
Shrute B.
For starters, this is not your top-of-the line froo-froo Italian place. This is a simple neighborhood classic that serves up good food, big portions at cheap prices. Period. And to be honest, I haven't had a fancy Italian restaurant match the quality of the chicken parm that you can find here. My wife loves the ultra creamy tomato sauce that comes with a variety of pastas including cheese raviolis or gnocchi. The restaurant itself is nothing to get excited about. It's reminiscent of a place from the Godfather - old and worn down. But there is something simply fun about this place. Nice staff. Good food, And oh yes, the diners that were here this last visit were young couples enjoying a nice quiet meal. A solid 5 stars on this one for what it is. Simple. Cheap. And yummy.
(5)
Aaron E.
Enter and welcome back to the 70's. A classic family restaurant from way back. Do you remember those little, bulbous, red candles that restaurants used to use? Well, they still have them here and use these in lieu of standard illumination. Think Fast Times at Ridgemont High (even thought that was early 80's). The garlic bread was fresh, toasty, buttery, and very garlicky. Not bad. My Spaghetti Calamari Diablo dish, was tasty and spicy. Ok, fine it was only ok. I'd go back, just for the atmosphere. The food was inexpensive, and acceptable quality. El diablo came back to haunt me like only a diablo should. Locals seem to like the place. Look for the signs that say "Spaghetti House". I don't know if Ruffino's name is visible. Parking is in the back in a dark alley (nice touch). "dude, that's my skull. I'm so wasted"
(3)
Xuan P.
Food is good but pricey for mom and pop restaurant
(3)
Matthew L.
Horrible....worst tomato sauce I have ever eaten at a restaurant. It was like they just opened a can of tomatoes and dumped it on top of pasta, no seasoning, garlic, salt, etc. I left upset having to pay for such a poor meal.
(1)
Sir Loin Z.
They say pizza is like sex: when it's good it's really good, and when it's bad...it's still pretty good. While this isn't scratch-your-name-in-my-back Brooklyn good, it's about as good as it gets for DC. Great crust, wonderful toppings (even anchovies!). Highly recommended!!! Also, the specials are consistently great as well as the old standbys: spaghetti w/ meatballs or mushrooms, chicken castellana, calamari al diablo, great garlic bread, great cannolis! Munge!!!
(4)
Michelle B.
You gotta go here just for the entertainment value. We've been recording a cd close to here so we pop in for dinner beforehand. The people who work here are very friendly in a "Mel's Diner" sort of way. The place mats are paper, with cheesy pictures of Rome; kind of like the ones you'd see at Pizza Hut restaurants when you were a kid. One time the owner spilled water all over me and it was so damn funny. He gave us a lot of free desserts even though I really didn't care about the water. Also, once the waitress told us to hurry and order because she wanted to leave. It's just too funny. You have to go. And, honestly, the food is pretty decent and cheap. The pork tenderloin special with linguine rocks. If you ever buy our cd and hear belching in the background, know that it came from Ruffinos.
(4)
Jennifer S.
2.5 stars ---- When I was a kid my parents always managed to find these little Italian places that were almost invented for families. Ruffino's is one of those places. From the outside the restaurant seems like it might be different than it is on the inside. The facade is painted with a big mural of a fun Italian scene) For those driving, they also offer free parking in back. Inside, the decor is thoroughly antiquated. It's like time stopped here at around 1977. This is not a first date sort of place (maybe more like a breakup place), so if you are seeking ambiance or romance - seek elsewhere. For about 3 years I lived within walking distance; some nights, when I craved Italian, I would meander over here. The food is standard classic Italian - with no frills (although I do love the garlic bread). I hear the house special is the way to go, though on any night I went, the house special wasn't of interest to me. Wine is cheap (like $4 a glass kind of cheap) and is suitable for the food. The service varies, sometimes they are friendly and helpful and other times not. And to give you a hint, ever since I moved out of that neighborhood, I haven't been back (but one of my friends still goes even though he now lives in DC).
(2)
Kimberly N.
this place is that little italian place ive beeen looking for! Being raised with great italian food, its often hard to impress me.. especially when it comes to italian food in the DC area (everyone knows decent pizza is non-existent there), but ruffinos is a taste of home! great dishes! amazing prices! Cant beat the friendly wait staff! Go early to get the seat in the front window!
(5)
Liz Z.
it may not have the aesthetic feel of M street but the garlic bread's good (and cheap), while i feel like i can relax at this joint and just eat pasta. i'm a big fan of the cardinal sauce here and the eggplant parmigiana. but the veal scallopini (for my constant meal partner) is to die for. retro mismatched art, plastic menus, and vinyl booth seating. who cares? they still have the romantic two-person tables at the front windows right next to a jukebox. for being good, affordable, and having large portions, this place gets my vote.
(3)
M C.
There are soooo many great restaurants in Arlington -- do not waste your time here. Poor service & marginal food that has been disappointing before & after the renovation.
(1)
Marty L.
Was recommended by a friend and we visited post-renovation. The staff was friendly and welcoming. Food was good and came to the table in no time. The cheese to chicken ratio on the chicken parm is pretty high. Garlic great was over salted. Chicken piccata was delis.
(3)
Ryan C.
My girlfriend and I love this place. It's close by and the Italian food is very good. It's also not super expensive and the portion are very large. We both love their lasagna and the chicken parm platters is tasty. Good place to go for lunch or dinner. Parking is behind the building (limited spaces though).
(4)
Becca S.
Atmosphere: Cozy, only about a dozen tables plus bar seating. Nicely decorated, music was pleasant (volume just loud enough to hear, but didn't interrupt conversation - our evening soundtrack seemed to be the Frank Sinatra XM channel, which I was quite happy with). Service: Friendly, quick, and very accommodating. Our host/waiter had food out to us a lot quicker than I expected. Food: Husband ordered the French Onion soup, I ordered the Chicken Picatta, and our daughter had spaghetti with marinara sauce. The chicken Picatta came with a side of pasta - which the husband enjoyed with his soup. I didn't try anything other than the Picatta - but it was DELISH, and husband seemed pretty happy with the soup. We did have the garlic bread as an appetizer - which was gone almost as quick as they brought it out!! Would definitely recommend and re-visit.
(5)
Gold Leaf P.
I ordered the angel hair pasta with chicken. It was ok. It was a bit too greasy and needed some herbs for more flavor, plus salt to taste. Noodles were al dente. The owner was there to attend and he was very friendly. He can entertain and nice to talk to. My kids loved their spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce.
(4)
Jenny L.
This is a cute place with a romantic, mom-and-pop vibe on the inside. The pastas are great, especially the seafood ones. The garlic bread, salad and eggplant parm are the quality of what you'd expect of a chain restaurant. My favorite thing about Ruffino's is that it's super close to me and they deliver, so I can get my pasta fix frequently!
(3)
Kimberly S.
The boy and I have a tradition of eating unauthentic Italian food every year for Valentine's Day. Three and two years ago it was a heart shaped pizza from Luigi's (RIP) and last year it was a Stouffer's lasagna (the best lasagna in the world). This year we had grandeur plans of making our own lasagna but an ill-timed afternoon nap rendered this impossible. By the time we woke up we found ourselves in the middle of a giant snow storm. Plans scratched. Luckily, I remembered that you can now order delivery through Yelp so I did a quick search for places serving lasagna in the area. Ruffino's Spaghetti House popped up immediately so we immediately placed our order online. Lasagna for him and spaghetti with meatballs for me (you can't honestly think I would not order spaghetti from a place called Spaghetti house right?!). We also added in a Caesar salad for good measure. Because of the snowstorm the food took an hour to arrive but it was delivered piping hot with lots of crusty garlic bread on the side. Everything was so good that our GIGANTIC orders disappeared while we were watching Divergent. Carb overload indeed! We both slept so nicely that night. The only thing that was a bit odd about our order was that we had an option to add Italian sausage to our lasagna (it was not clear if it had meat in it or not). We said yes and it came out it giant link form next to our pasta dish which was kind of weird. I had figured it would come out crumbled and incorporated into our dish but oh well, you learn with every mistake!
(4)
Nicholas V.
I vowed I wouldn't go back, but I decided to try it again, just to see. Had a decent crowd in there, probably 12 people or so. Server/manager was prompt. I did take out, so I can't comment on the service, but he was trying to keep everyone happy. Food was markedly better, to the point where I will at least consider coming back. The owner did respond to my previous review, but I never do a review expecting a better experience or free stuff. Guerrilla dining is much more reflective of the true experience. Pasta was cooked better this time, although I got spaghetti instead of linguine. No big deal. Sauce was still on the sweet side. But it didn't have the metallic taste of last time, maybe it was a little bit more fresh for dinner. It was significantly faster from order to out the door, probably 8 minutes tops, which is very fast for a place like that. That being said, the quantity doesn't match the price. I was disappointed with the value here. However, I was not offended by the food this time, it was actually pretty okay. Will return if it is a crappy night and I'm in the mood for Italian.
A pretty unimpressive experience from top to bottom. Date of Visit: 4/5/14 We placed a delivery order consisting of bruschetta, mozzarella cheese sticks, fettuccine alfredo, veal piccata, and tiramisu. Of those, I would say the cheese sticks were the only truly edible piece, and even those screamed "out of a package". The alfredo was one of the greasiest/oiliest pasta dishes I've come across, the veal was so overcooked and grey that I didn't finish it (Note: I eat just about *anything*), the bruschetta was basically sliced bread with a pile of unseasoned tomatoes, and the spaghetti/sauce that came with the veal could not have tasted less homemade. We were hoping to at least end the night on a good note via tiramisu, but that was forgotten during delivery and instead of going to pick it up ourselves (per the restaurant's recommendation), we chose to take the refund. I would not recommend this place to anyone who has an even remotely good palate or interest in true Italian food.
(1)
David N.
Just a quick update. I have given up eating dairy so no cheese on my pizza:(. We still do carry out about once a month and they make my pizza with no cheese. The dough and toppings still make my pizza flavorful and even though I miss the cheese it still the best pizza around!
(5)
Patrick M.
I went back here just to try and see if Ruffino's had gotten better than it was in the past and I can happily say it was better. I had the spaghetti and it was delicious, and my father had a very serious dish also. The garlic bread was delicious and cheap. My only problem is that the delivery service is not that good. The female driver is a bit rude and not very good at her job.
(5)
Antonio P.
Get the spaghetti with meat sauce and roasted green peppers. Eating this now. Recommended by my server, Abel. Dining solo so decided to live-yelp..
(4)
Matt J.
I really can't understand all of the bad reviews on here. I've lived across the street from Ruffino's for about a year but only made my first trip last night. I don't typically like bruschetta, but I couldn't stop eating theirs. I don't typically like olives, but their chicken Mediterranean in a light olive sauce was delicious. We also had Abel as a server and he was entertaining along with providing great service. I can't complain about one part of the experience.
(5)
Ally G.
I do t know how this place has so many good reviews. We came here a few months ago and the food was disgusting, the service was good.. But the food made me wonder how they are still in business..
(2)
Danny V.
***Please note: someone from the company wrote a response to this review shortly after it was posted. I appreciate that they reached out and are looking to rectify the situation. Please read other reviews on Ruffinos to give you a balanced perspective. They are a local business and had this experience not occurred, I would have returned. Hopefully my experience was an isolated incident. I'll possibly return in hopes to the restaurant and update this with a more positive review*** I hate, hate, hate giving a local business in my neighborhood a 1-star review. I visited Ruffino's for the first time in over a year. My reviews for Ruffino's have been on a steady decline with each visit and I fear that this is my last trip to this lil' Italy. How many times has a waiter sloppily sauntered over and greeted you with, "Heeeeeeeyyy wuz suupp y'aaaaaal" in a sit-down restaurant? Actually, I thought he was pretending to be stereotypical frat boy. Alas, this was reality. When the waiter came by to take the order, he removed a chewed toothpick from his mouth before asking if we were ready to order. Sanitary much? When I ordered the special, the waiter looked perplexed and said, "Sorry, I've never heard of that before. They, like, change the specials every day." I used the stand-alone sign as reference for my order, there is a well marked section in the menu with daily specials and there is a sign on the back of the restaurant with specials. Basically, if you walk in through a door, you can see the specials. While my companion ventured to the washroom, the wine came. I made a joke that the half carafe was for me and he said, "Are you a wino? Well, I'm a wino too..." Really? The waiter delivered the food with the same hands he used to remove the toothpick. I assumed that he'd return with parmesan cheese and the complimentary bread. I saw the other waiters walking towards me with the cheese in hand, as they always have, but my waiter was nowhere to be seen and the cheese was delivered to nearby tables. I enjoyed my wine and finished my water before finally digging in. No quality check. Too bad, I would have sent the "special" back. The chicken tasted like it had been in the freezer too long and it was bland. By the time the waiter returned, both water glasses were empty and we'd been done with our meal for some time. He asked how everything was and I did something I rarely do; I complained about the meal. I had ordered the $16.00 special, the Chicken Divinici (or Da Vinici?) I explained the problems and I had left 1/3 of the meal on the plate. He said, "I don't know man, both chefs are in the kitchen and they should have been putting out their best stuff. (his tone belittled the chefs) I haven't had it, otherwise I would have told you not to order it." WTF? I'm okay when waiters are pedestrian as long as there is a mutual respect for one another. When you have exude a sense of entitlement and babble unprofessional nonsense, and belittle your chefs it's embarrassing. I waited tables for years and I never forgot who my audience was. After complaining, it was a bunch of "Yeps" and "Yeahs" and a hurried and insincere "ThanksForComingIn" as he was walking away from us. He slid the check across the table as if it were Bo & Luke from the Dukes of Hazzard sliding across the General Lee. It was obvious that we were a problem and needed to leave. Well, it's now for me to say arrivederci. There are plenty of other well prepared and seasoned fish in the sea.
(1)
Jon H.
Friendly service and tasty food. The piece is right too. I recommend this place to all my friends
Came here for lunch as we always pass by the restaurant, finally came by to check out the food. Garlic bread and eggplant parm was amazing. Service is superb too.
(4)
Sherri K.
I think this may be my new favorite neighborhood spots. I loved the traditional environment. I loved the staff. I loved the food. What else is there, I mean, really? Oh, good wine. YES. We started with the toasted ravioli which was served dry. Not my favorite, but moving on...I ordered the Veal Castellana which is a veal/ eggplant combo dish. Every bite was delicious. My intent was to eat some now and save some for later...that did not happen. I eated it ALL and it was scrumptious. I do not remember what my fiance ordered, as I was far to deep in my own plate, but I do believe his plate was left clean as well. The only comment I have about this experience is the location. It is sketch trying to get in from the left side of the street. U-turns and round the blocks are necessary to get behind the building to park. But, well worth the effort.
(4)
Catherine H.
Sorry, this was not up to par. We had to ask for bread, which came to the table cold. Water glasses were not refilled, leaving us with empty glasses midway through our meal. I ordered veal Marsala. The Veal was thick and tough, and the sauce was a really dark, thick texture that looked like it came from a can. We ordered a side of broccoli, which looked like it was the frozen type. Which they steamed with no seasoning. And the lasagna manicotti had a sour flavor, which the waiter said, "yes, we hear that a lot". Hmmm, then perhaps it is not a good thing. All in all the food was bland, seemed pre-frozen, and service was not attentive.
(2)
Victoria R.
I hate to say this about a local Italian joint, since there really aren't enough in Arlington as it is, but I'm grossed out by the food. My experience was with delivery. Maybe the sit-down experience is better, but I won't be trying it out. My guy and I placed a delivery order today, and wish we had stuck with our usual go-to, Pines of Florence. Sorry, Pines. We will never stray from you again. We ordered two entrees: fettuccine with meatballs and chicken parmigiana. It took over an hour for the food to arrive. I will happily wait for good food, but this is not it. The fettuccine order was flat-out wrong: they gave us fettuccine Alfredo instead. Too bad the meatballs were for my guy who hates Alfredo sauce. I decided to eat that dish instead, but the pasta was overcooked, and the sauce was greasy and basically flavorless. I ate several bites and now regret it. My guy ate some of the repulsive side dish of spaghetti and marinara sauce that came with the chicken parmigiana and also regrets it. We both tried the chicken parmigiana. It was barely warm on arrival, and arranged so that only the top of the two pieces had cheese on it. The cheese was so unmelted that it still had a clear square shape to it, not unlike those nasty slices of processed American cheese. To the dish's credit, the mozzarella tasted better than it looked, but it was topping mostly overcooked, too thinly sliced, unappealing chicken. The bread that accompanied the meal was dry, cold, and appeared to be day-old at least. So, basically, we spent over $30 on food that was late, not what we ordered, bad, and ended up in the trash. Where's Chef Ramsey when you need him?
(1)
Nikki B.
Classic spaghetti was my choice - and it was perfect. Garlic bread is insane! Very intimate setting - feels extremely old school Italian and family owned. I've also had carry-out from here and it was great! Affordable, too. Will definitely be back.
(5)
Flora W.
A true diamond in the rough. The service was amazing. The entire waitstaff were attentive, friendly, and personable. The food was authentic! Would definitely get the tortellini again with the mixed sauce and bruschetta. Omg that app was almost to die for. I'd highly recommend checking out this little Italian spot.
(4)
Dave B.
If you are a generic diner who loves corporate chains, stick to Olive Garden and leave this neighborhood gem to those who appreciate it. Waitstaff was very friendly to our party of 12 including 4 generations of my family. I was especially pleased by how engaging they were to my grandmother. They were very accommodating and took care of us the entire night. Our drinks remained full to the brim, wine was flowing, meatballs tender and flavorful and an overall great experience. As always, the garlic bread is amazing while paired with a tiny bowl of marinara. I like the renovation, but it certainly lost a little of it's mom and pop feel. They did keep the picture of the baby with the spaghetti on his head (why me?) much to my appreciation. Best dinner experience I have had in a while. Definitely recommended!
(5)
Joe P.
I went to check this place out during my move to Arlington and its decent. I had the Linguini with Meat sauce and mushrooms. Its more like an "americanized" italian restaurant, bell peppers in the red sauce and sauteed mushrooms separately that were topped onto the meat sauce. Pasta was cooked well (al dente) but too much grease on it (I think it was butter but it could of been olive oil). The wait staff was super friendly and the food was made to order and got it at the right time. The bread that was provided at the beginning of the meal was cold and my recommendation is to serve piping hot bread....big turnoff there. However, it wasn't bad and I would go there again, just don't expect authentic italian.
(3)
Bridgette W.
................the mussels were good that's all i have to say about that '............... .................. ...........
(1)
KJ S.
Absolutely the worst Italian food we have ever eaten. My husband's meat lasagna looked disgusting and "cheap" and tasted as such. The garlic bread was soggy. I had some of my mussels but they were subpar as well. At least the service was great until we had to ask twice to a have the lasagna taken off since my husband only ate two bites. Very disappointing especially since we wanted to treat ourselves to a rare Monday out dinner. Perhaps that's why we were the only people in the place. Definitely won't be back when there are so many other good options from which to choose.
(1)
Cyndy K.
Excellent service from Abel! Love the linguine clam sauce white, absolutely delicious!
(3)
Melissa M.
This is what it is. Neighborhood Italian place. Kid friendly. Decent food at good prices. We sometimes eat there and sometimes we pick-up the food. My kids and I get pasta and my husband gets veal or chicken parm. I like the eggplant parm as well. Their salads are really quite good with good dressings. The garlic bread is one of my favorite things. Butter soaked with herbs and red pepper flakes. Yum. Great cannolis. Don't expect world class italian food - it's a neighborhood Italian place and the price reflects that.
(4)
Janice G.
I ordered two dishes via Dr. Delivery. I gave them one star because the food was hot. It was also inedible. i ordered a seafood dish and had to spit out the calamari. I could not chew it. Really, it was that bad. The shrimp were hard. The mussels were so "smelly" that I decided not to even try them. In an attempt to salvage the chicken dish, I did something I never do, I added salt (a lot of salt)...didn't help. The bread they sent was a wheat loaf of some kind, sliced...dry and hard. I'm reading other good reviews and either they are planted or they didn't have the two dishes I had. If other dishes get high ratings, they should focus on those dishes and never ever serve seafood marinara or chicken francaise again..never ever.
(1)
Marina R.
My husband and I have been going to Ruffino's for a couple of years now. We always had amazing food and service there, yet I never took the time to write a review. The place is small, not that many tables, the bar area is quite small too. There are two entrances in the front and back of the building which is interesting. I love sitting down at the tables by the bay window for some reason. They have a special charm that I can't describe. The food is always great. I love their Alfredo sauce. It's so creamy. Their marinara is a little bit too tart IMO but it's not bad. Portions are very generous. Now my favorite thing about Ruffino's is their staff. Friendly, caring and efficient. A couple of weeks ago I was nursing some bad laryngitis and I didn't feel like cooking at all. So I decided to call it in and order some pasta. Yes I tried to call even though I had no voice because of my laryngitis (silly me). The staff member who took my call was super patience trying to understand what I was saying and wish me to get better soon. When I went to pick my food up the gentleman helping me ( probably the same that took the order by phone) notice that I was sick. After I paid he asked me to wait a second. He went to the kitchen and came back with a paper bag with some lemons. He told me to take those home and mix with some honey. He said it would be great for my throat. How can I not love a restaurant that actually care about my well being? From the outside Ruffino's is just another divey looking Italian place that most people won't even notice but if you actually took the time to yelp it go ahead and try it, you will not regret it :)
(5)
Jerry T.
If you want runny, watery tomato sauce on limp, lifeless noodles, you've come to the right place! Why this has been here since 1972 is beyond me. I am all for honouring Mom and Pop establishments, but this place is just lacking. The best thing about it was the garlic bread. I was always taught, if the bread is good, it's a good indicator of the entrees being good. However, this is not the case with this place. When they renovated, they left out renovating the FOOD. Chef Ramsay of Kitchen Nightmares would have a field day with this place.
I order through their delivery service way too often because it is perfect! Always comes hot and fresh with bread to last for days. Definitely reccomend for a non-cooking night when Italian is what you're craving! The eggplant parmesan is the best.
(4)
Karen E.
Someone once asked me: "Whatever happened to good ol' Italian casual dining?" I smiled, as I day-dreamed about Ruffino's. You see, in the Med area, restaurants almost never close and most of them have such a loyal cliental; a good restaurant is a place you grow up with, go again and again throughout the seasons, throughout your years. I have a love story with Ruffino's that started over a decade ago when we moved to the area and looked for nearby restaurants. As I took my first bite from the Manicotti with cardinal sauce, I knew it was love. When you set foot in the restaurant as it is today, you will not understand how different it looks today versus what it used to look like over a year ago, and I will describe it for you in four words: : It needed renovations- BADLY. Still, we found ourselves so intrigued by the food, by the fantastic staff, by the friendliest owner you'll ever meet; that we came back again and again dirty walls or not. (and to be fair: it always had a good atmosphere!) A year ago, they renovated the place, and now it looks amazing. Now, it's the whole package. I would highly recommend going to try them out. You will enjoy an amazing and friendly owner, as amazing and friendly restaurant manager, and fantastic staff. You will enjoy casual Italian dining that is far from pretentious, fresh cooked meals that will make you feel so happy that you decided to eat out tonight, and it will not break your bank. So whatever happened to good ol' Italian dining you ask? Well, Ruffino's happened, and they make theirs so good, that no one else can top it. A decade in, a decade older, I still find myself crave the Manicotti with Cardinal sauce and that dish, is my personal "eat-out" comfort food.
(5)
Lauren H.
Best bruschetta and tiramisu I've had in a while (all homemade too). Pasta sauce didn't taste homemade but our server was amazing! So kind, attentive and genuinely happy to have us there. Will definitely be back.
(5)
Craig S.
Great food and great service. Our family loves the quality of the food at Ruffino's. We have had a number of great dinners in the restaurant, but we also often order delivery from them. The food is always prepared like we were dining in the restaurant. They always make sure we are happy with the food and are just a great local business.
(5)
Scott J.
Ruffino's is a north Arlington GEM. These guys do Italian well. Prices are decent and the service always comes with a smile. TRY IT OUT before you knock it. The chicken picatta is the best dish they have, in my opinion.
(4)
C K.
I must have driven by this little hidden spot hundreds of times before deciding to try it one day when I was craving a favorite Italian dish, chicken piccata. They have the best chicken piccata I've had in the area. Not breaded, delicious sauce. Simple Italian comfort food. I'm not a big fan of pasta so I can't comment on that. My husband enjoyed his lasagna and Italian sausage. We both love the garlic bread and saved the hearty crusts to dip in our dishes' sauces. The tiramisu was awesome too. Simple, flavorful, creamy but light, and not too sweet. Everyone is friendly--especially Abel, who was warm and welcoming. Service is prompt. Prices run about $9-15 per entree, with most falling in the $11 range. I've now been to this hidden gem of north Arlington three times this week for dinner.
(5)
H.B. W.
This place is just really good Italian food. It's not fancy, no frill and the prices reflect that. I have never had a bad dish there and while it may be simple, the flavors are outstanding and the portions are generous. You never had to wait for a table, the staff is beyond courteous and they have parking in the back! What more could you ask for?! We live close by and are regulars. Don't let the semi-sketch strip of shops it sits in deter you. This place is yummy, affordable and delicious. Bottom line.
(5)
Serena B.
I wanted to like this restaurant since it's not too far from my apartment, but it just wasn't very good overall. We started with the artichoke bruchetta, one of the specials that evening. It was on very thick bread and had big chunks of the artichokes and veggies, so we basically had to use a fork and knife. For my entree, I had the seafood marinara pasta. It was a lot spicier than I had expected (there was no indication that the sauce would be spicy at all), I am sensitive to spice levels, so I could barely eat it. I pushed it around on my plate a little and then my husband took it home for leftovers. The staff was very nice, so that was appreciated, but I don't think I will return.
(2)
Twentyfourhrclockworks L.
Went to Ruffino's for dinner this evening, got seated, water served and waited. In this restaurant, there were one family and one group of friends. We waited to at least get greeted or say "server will be with you". Waiter comes around 2nd time to fill my glass of water, and still no waiter to wait on us. So, I asked the Spanish waiter, with my broke spanglish if he can get someone to wait on us. At this time, the family was getting ready to leave and the other group of people were eating. We still waited for someone to wait on us, bring us bread, something but nothing. The restaurant wasn't at all packed. The waiters, the manager, the bartender were all in the back doing absolutely nothing. Is when we got up and walked out the back door. Terrible service, no HORRIBLE service. I am a business owner and the most important thing when you have customers come to your business is to greet them and say someone will be with you in a moment. That's it! However, in this franchise, I was not happy and went to another venue where service was excellent! To the owner of Ruffno's..the next time a customer walks in and your restaurant is NOT crowded, greet and make your customers feel at home. Am sure you felt terrible when you saw us walking out, wondering what happened. That's what happened...service was horrible!
(1)
Chris M.
I love Ruffinos! I try to get here twice a month. The service is excellent and the food is really good...the Chicken Milanese is plentiful, especially since it comes with a large bowl of pasta.... The 4 cheese ravioli in a cardinal sauce is worth dropping the diet for. Whatever you do start with the Brushetta! Ruffino's Is an intimate place...the kind of place that us fat guys love, not to busy, comfortable, (they just redid the place) Food is plentiful and not overpriced like many other Italian restaurants.... One note the parking is in the rear and you enter through the back....Manja!
(5)
Mr. G.
It's a gem. The food here is quality, the service is warm and inviting, and for being just a little place far separated from more highly populated areas, this place has a genuine ambiance that can even be romantic...depending on the other guests. My favorites: 1) the extroverted -- but not artificially bubbly -- wait-staff. Very kind and talkative, but still self-aware and not taking over your dinner. 2) The "holy shit this is authentic" *garlic* bread. It's not freezer style texas toast folks, this is the real deal Head and shoulders above others I've had. 3) Tiramisu - it was sooo good. Sooo good. You couldn't taste the alcohol, it was the right proportion of chocolate to cream to cake, and it was the right temperature....not toothache freezer cold, just thoroughly cool. I came here with a groupon, but I'll be glad to return without one. Thank you Ruffino's for your attention to detail on the food, for selection and training of your staff, and for the occasional Frank Sinatra in the background.
(5)
Jeremy S.
I absolutely love this place. If you're looking for a small, cozy, family or romantic ambience then this is the place for you. Great food and great service and great prices! Skip the Italian chain restaurants and come here instead--you'll be glad you did!
(5)
Danielle B.
They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and my man's heart was in rough shape when I stumbled upon Ruffino's at quarter to 9 on Easter Sunday. Luckily, Ruffino's served up the perfect noodles to soothe the soul. Since I was ordering take out for two I picked the gnocchi in alfredo and the eggplant parm with red sauce over linguini . Something for whatever your feeling. Both were delicious. The red sauce was bright and acidic, a far cry from the muted flavors you find in a jar. The eggplant was thick and covered in sauce an cheese. What we didn't finish that night I ate cold the next morning and it was fantastic. The shortfall of the dish was actually the noodles themselves, which were somewhat chewy. But OH DEAR LORD, the gnocchi in alfredo. I'm not normally a white sauce gal but I would happily slather every food I ate in Ruffino's. Add to that wonderfully tender gnocchi and I lost track of the number of times my eyes rolled back in my head. Did I mention they were open at near to 9 on Easter? Oh, I did. Well it bears repeating especially since they were snappy and pleasant about getting my food to me. Other pluses include available parking behind the building, an easy to find location and free bread even with your takeout. For $22 I got a generous serving of Italian medicine and should I find myself back in Arlington I will definitely go back for another dose. ...mmmm alfredo...
(4)
Joshua S.
Well my first time here and last time. The only real good thing I can say honestly is free parking. Frozen cheese sticks? I actually had to use a knife to cut my veal, my first time ever having to do that.
Spotted this place last year, but I get to try it last night. Chicken Marsala with linguini was quite tasty! Fresh sauce, fresh mushrooms, fresh chicken breast. But I found it weird that they put marinara sauce on top of linguini, eventhough I already got marsala sauce. So I had to mix those 2 sauces together (I'm not a fan of marinara sauce, that's why I was annoyed.) But overall, it was very tasty! Comfort food indeed! The portion and price were very reasonable as well! Ruffino's Garlic bread was also very fresh, delicious and garlicky.. love it!
(3)
Jim S.
Their chicken parm and home made gnocchi are to die for.
(4)
Ken R.
We had a great dinner. Our server Abel was outstanding. Portions are huge for a reasonable price. Will be back.
(4)
Stephanie M.
This place reminds me of the little mom-and-pop Italian places my mom used to take me as a kid for the "big events" in family life. My boyfriend and I stopped in here after hiking the Billy Goat, starving and liking the idea of pasta tastiness. I got good ol'fashioned spaghetti with meat sauce, and my boyfriend got the Ravioli with Cardinal sauce. The cardinal sauce was really good, and his raviolis were - well, I should have gotten me some raviolis. The spaghetti I had was a little more al dente than I like (I cook my pasta a long time, I tend to like softer pasta.) but the overall dish was still good. The place wasn't really that crowded, so the waiter gave us a seat by the window. The service was excellent - our waiter was fun and liked to make little jokes, and we never had to ask for water/drink refills. We got free garlic bread, it went well with our pasta and was really buttery. I also had the calamari - not as good as the pasta, but not bad by any means. Honestly, I really think this place has a certain appeal to me. You can tell it's a family-run business. The food itself was solid, and homemade-tasting. I would recommend this to people I thought were looking for a good, old-fashioned, home-cooked, Italian meal with nice sevice, and I would recommend this place for a date. The food itself is just ok (as home-cooked food often is), but it's a welcome change from your normal impersonal chain restaurants serving up meals designed in their food laboratories. It was also nice to have good customer service. :)
(4)
Genny P.
The first time we went here was maybe 15 years ago - it tasted like they had just poured tomato sauce out of a can - no spice no flavor. I have gone over the years hoping that it would get better, but it doesnt. I went a few months ago and, I dont know, maybe there was no manager there. Everything tasted like warmed up frozen food. I went a few weeks ago for a late lunch - I pointed to the lunch menu and said that I wanted the lunch portion - I assumed I was served a lunch portion. But I got charged dinner prices. I then asked for coffee - which they charged starbucks prices for - and it was awful. I just dont get this place. It has GREAT location and it is a decent place. I bet they would make a mint if they would just serve decent pasta. But its not very good, and they are competing with a diner around the corner and several pasta shops down the road in Ballston.
(2)
Shell S.
I was not impressed. I had the eggplant over chicken and my boyfriend had the tortellini special of that day. The food was ok...not memorable. The garlic bread was ok. I love Italian food and really wanted to like this place as it seemed to be a family owned place.
(2)
Laura R.
A quaint little Italian place off of Lee Highway in Arlington. I was amazed at the quality of the food. I ordered veal parmigiana and was left feeling extremely satisfied. A glass of wine, some veal parmigiana with pasta was just what I needed on a Thursday night after a long week. Did I mention the appetizer of Bruschetta that we ordered was to die for? I'm leaving the best for last though, and that was the dessert. It was absolutely divine. I have never had better Tiramisu in my life! Totally going back and going to become a regular at this place!
(4)
Howard F.
"I could eat. I mean not necessarily spaghetti and meatballs but, you know, not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs. I mean, I really like spaghetti and meatballs. Man, if I don't get some spaghetti and meatballs I may literally die." So said Archer, so felt I. But here in the DC area, getting that feeling on a Saturday afternoon can be problematic. It's not like we're in NY or Chicago or Philly where there's at least one *great* red checkered tablecloth Italian place per square mile. The area's one reasonable facsimile, Carmines, requires at least a week of advance planning to satisfy a weekend red sauce craving. And indeed most great places will require advance planning on a Saturday night. This has happened before; and I have a list. At the top of the known: Espotitos in Fairfax, good enough to go to but still a decent chance of a last minute table on Saturday. At the top of the to be tried: Ruffinos. Evaluating Ruffinos' requires you to take a stand in the great red sauce (or gravy) debate. What's authentic? What's good? Somewhat sweet, not overly seasoned, chunky yet otherwise thin - I think that's baseline authentic and when well executed, also very good. And that's what you find at Ruffinos. It works well on the pasta. Not so well on the fried calamari. Still, it was about exactly what I was hoping for to satisfy my S&M craving. The meatballs were good. The veal parm was good. The calamari was good. The salads were good. The house Chianti was good. menu is down the middle of the fairway red check tablecloth Italian, and the execution was fine. So why 3 stars and not 4? Just the little things. The 2 tops are so tiny you can't fit bread and appetizers on them at the same time, and so close together that refilling the next tables drinks gets you a facefull of waiters ass. The bread is just OK, and not only wasn't it served warm but it was borderline chilled. The meatballs were good, but they had that ground to a paste texture you find in frozen meatballs from a bag. The Parmesan cheese seemed like Kraft pre grated in a tub. And despite what appeared to be a 1:1 server:table ratio when we arrived, it took a very long time to get greeted and a drink order in (although once we got rolling the service was quite prompt). Still I'd go back without hesitation when that red sauce craving hits, although I'll continue searching for the perfect spot. Fix the table situation and get better bread and cheese and I'd stop searching.
(3)
Crista S.
They're very generous with their portions and house wine :) the meat balls on the spaghetti was some of the biggest I've ever seen (insert: that's what she said) and I really enjoyed my time here. The waiter was very attentive helped us McGyver our plates around the table.
(4)
Katharine G.
We ordered takeout and couldn't have been more disappointed. The veal in the veal parmesan was burnt as was the chicken in the chicken parmesan. They covered it up with lots of cheese so we wouldn't notice, but we did. The garlic bread, which I bought based on Yelp reviews, was mediocre. Did they change the recipe? Also, the entrees were super-salty and I found myself gulping lots of water. Too bad. We live nearby and it would have been nice to have a place like this to go to...but we will never order from them again.
(2)
Keith And Megan L.
Location: Nothing special about the location. It is located on a fairly busy street, with parking behind the building strip. (3 out of 5) Atmosphere: We got a lovely table nestled in one of the front windows. It made for a great view and romantic dinner for two. Authentic Italian bistro! (5 out of 5) Service: Waiter was Italian-American and had an accent. It was sometimes difficult to understand what he was saying, but added to the authentic feel. Service was good, the waiter checked on us quite a few times and made pertinent suggestions for food and wine. (4.5 out of 5) Food: We started out with the garlic bread appetizer, which was adequate. Megan ordered the fried ravioli special and absolutely loved it! Keith ordered the linguini with mushroom, meatballs, and marinara sauce but instead received spaghetti, meatballs, and marinara. Although he did not get the correct order, he found the food to be well above average. The sauce was a little sweet and had very good consistency. The portions for both dishes were perfect. (4.5 out of 5) Overall: Definitely a place we will be attending regularly and would recommend it to anyone interested in some authentic Italian dining. (4.5 out of 5).
(4)
Steph T.
phenomenal pasta! order their cardinal sauce. You can pick any choice of pasta (linguine, fettucine, spaghetti, gnocchi) and sauce. I had their eggplant parmesan with side of linguine with cardinal sauce. perfect combination!!!
(5)
Jeffrey T.
I decided to try this place out after driving by it for years and it was an absolutely terrible dining experience. The food was trash, some of which was uneatable. I will never eat here again. We got mussels for an appetizer and they were covered in sand, some were sour, and the sauce was gross. The bread it came with was cold and worthless. Worse. Mussels. Ever. We ordered garlic bread and it was stale and not very good. For entrees we got a chicken dish that was okay, but not great and I got the seafood pasta special. It was the same story with the mussels and everything else about the dish didn't seem fresh, was bland, and turned me off. I have never spent $60 on a meal and been so completely disappointed. I will never give this place a second chance, they blew it. The service was okay, but I go to restaurants for the food and the food I got was disgusting.
(1)
marianne v.
Really good: the staff, the seafood/ricotta-stuffed-shell pasta special, and the herb/garlic toasted bread which came with dinner. Prices were reasonable, and the entree's tomato sauce was tasty (salty, and spicy, but I liked it.) The decor, parking, and noise level were fine. Terrible: any sort of calamari-both the appetizer and the seafood marinara entree used frozen rubbery calamari. There is really no excuse for that. So just read these reviews carefully, and you can get a friendly and reasonably priced dinner.
(3)
Bre L.
One of my favorite local places, this is a great place for a casual dinner date. Everything I have ever had on the menu is delicious- the garlic bread is amazing, and the cardinal sauce is to die for! My personal favorite is the chicken marsala but I have had other dishes that were just as good. The staff is always friendly and patient- I came in with a large party and they accommodated us very well in the small space they have. They also do local delivery, which is great when you are craving calimari!
(5)
Katie M.
I ordered delivery from Ruffino's and am very pleased! The order arrived within 30 minutes, which was earlier than I expected, especially since I placed the order during rush hour. The man delivering was also really friendly. As for the food, I asked for the hummus & pita bread as an appetizer and the calamari al diablo for my entree. The pita bread definitely tastes like it's made in house and the hummus was also tasty. My only complaint here (which I know is knit-picking) is that the plastic containers holding the hummus were ridiculously greasy on the outside. The calamari al diablo was spot on! They actually placed all the calamari on top of the linguini, which made me appreciate the amount of calamari in my entree. I felt the spiciness of the dish was on the safe side. Although the bill seemed a little pricier than what I would expect in the area, the serving size justified the price. This meal alone will be enough for two more sittings. Overall, I will be trying the other dishes they offer another time!
(4)
Mira V.
This place has been around since before I was born, and is right down the road from my parents house. Yet i've never been to it. A few friends were in town for the Marine Corps Marathon and needed their carb fix before the race so we decided to try this place. I never realized how small this place is, but thats not a bad thing. Though I wouldn't suggest big crowds or kids... when i say small this place is basically table next to table with maybe a foot between tables. Our waiter was pretty funny and seemed to really know the menu inside out. We ordered calamari, and I had the linguine with mussels in red clam sauce. I cant remember what everyone else ordered, I think all chicken meals but they finished the whole plate so I cant say that they hated it. Calamari is lightly breaded, marinara sauce was kind of weak, i'm not a fan of watery sauce, but i know some find it more authentic. Regardless the calamari was good. We also ordered two loaves of garlic bread since they dont come with the meals. Yummy you can tell they use olive oil, possibly butter but i want to say they just use olive oil, and garlic seasonings. The pasta is cooked perfectly and the sauce is light but delish. We all shared a dessert, dont remember the name but it was icecream with raspberries and a hard chocolate outter shell. Melts in your mouth good, kind of reminded me of that godiva chocolate bar with raspberry filling. Over all a good experience, we'll def have to try other things on the menu and hope that their service and food is consistant.
(4)
Ryan K.
Best part was garlic bread. Had the veal - soaked in oil and over cooked and the spaghetti with meat sauce was just okay. Won't be returning anytime soon.
(2)
Josy D.
Ruffino's makes the most yummy spaghetti and meatballs ever! I also love love love their Chicken Picata which is soooo good as well. This restaurant seems to be a fav of the locals in the neighborhood. The food is just homemade goodness... definitely comfort food standard. They serve good size portions. If you like salads - they make a simple but yummy Caesar Salad using anchovies and homemade croutons. I definitely recommend this place for dinner or lunch any day for a casual dinner.
(4)
Eric W.
I'd give Ruffino's a solid 3.5 stars. We had heard good things about Ruffinos from a few of our friends/family so decided to try it for ourselves. We started by ordering Garlic Bread with Cheese. To the other reviewer who said it looked like they just melted a slice of cheese on top of a piece of bread, they're right. BUT, we thought it was still a pretty taste piece of garlic bread. My wife ordered spaghetti and meatballs and I ordered Chicken Parm. Both meals were very good and I thought the food was above average for the Italian in the area. Also thought the prices were very reasonable and service was fast and friendly, although the place was pretty empty (I'm guessing its a victim of being in a bad location) Overall we had a good experience and thought the food tasted fresh.
(3)
Chelsea M.
This place has had an aura about it for me since my beau and his dude crew instituted the manly tradition of monthly "mafia" dinners at Ruffino's. For years, these guys have gushed about the food, the house chianti and the staff, who have let them come back to the kitchen to thank the chefs personally for their dinner and a Sopranos-esque evening. After finally getting to experience Ruffino's in the flesh, my fantasies were more than fulfilled. The butter-drenched garlic bread was a dream come true and like a stick of Doublemint, my chicken castenella ( basically chicken and eggplant parm combined if my memory is serving me correctly) doubled my pleasure as well as my fun. t also arrived with a heaping side of spaghetti, which saved me from having to politely request some pasta from my date. Our waiter could not have been sweeter and more attentive and the atmosphere is perfectly cozy and cute. This place ain't Milano, but it's not trying to be. Quality, generous portions, kindness and endless carbs are all delivered at this adorable spot. As a gal who's been around the Little Italy block in NYC, I'm happy to endorse Ruffino's as a perfect destination for a date night or any impending man meal.
(4)
Jenn B.
This is the first and last time dealing with this restaurant. I purchased a Living Social Instant Deal voucher and when I went to redeem it within a couples of hours, the manager refused to accept it. Despite the voucher having NO limitations on whether it was for dine in or carryout the manager said he is aware that it can be used for dine in and carryout orders but, "How am I supposed to make money on carryout orders?". I was appauled and disgusted to say the least. He should've put that info in the fine print because now he is making up rules as he goes. I will never return there again.
(1)
Adam A.
Got delivery from here, very disappointing. Cheese garlic bread looked like a 7 yr old made it. Slice of cheese on a piece of bread, then toasted. Chicken still had bones in it, sauce tasted burnt. Pasta average at best. With as much good italian as there is in Arlington, not sure how this place stays in business.
(1)
David E.
'Finos is the place to be. Calamari Diablo is unreal. Chicken Picatta is off the charts. I go here almost every Friday and I don't plan on changing this.
(5)
Meghan R.
Annnnnd they're back baby! I have to admit I was a little bit nervous about walking into Ruffino's after the renovation to find higher prices and an altered menu, but all of my worries were put to rest. The menu has the same dirt cheap prices, the food is just as I remembered and the portion sizes are just as they were (can't say the same about my bag of chips). My husband and I have been coming here since we were in college at Marymount and I am so glad to have Ruffinos back!
(4)
Kristen S.
Unlike a few of the reviewers of this restaurant, I'm not a lifer of Ruffino's. I didn't grow up with the place and have no prior memories of what it "used to be like." With that said, my first impression was a little hole-in-the-wall-esque. A restaurant, known by the locals, family owned and most likely had been there for years. The atmosphere is intimate and cordial, all the people working there are nice and polite, and even if they don't know your name, they recognize the regulars. Foodwise, the options are great - different kinds of pasta, etc. and the versions of speghetti you can choose are great. I eat here or get take-out about once a week and the food is different every time (in a good way). That way you know they make it new and it's not a pre-made batch of something like Olive Garden or those types of chains. Even if the long-timers are reminiscent about the way Ruffino's was in the past, I'm fine with the way it is in the present.
(4)
Quaker W.
Don't expect anything original here. But if you're looking for comfort food, Ruffino's delivers big portions of American-Italian classics at very reasonable prices. My kids love it. Don't expect anything terribly fresh or original, and you'll be quite satisfied.
(3)
Paul W.
Ugh, what a mess. Where do I begin... the upside down drinking glasses on dirty tabletops, the strange waiter that walked up to the table and presented himself in as a confused busboy, the order mistakes, and food that looked like it was prepared by someone who had just learned how to cook. I recommend these guys get their act together and start delivering again ASAP; my dine-in experience was one of the most bizarre I've ever experienced.
(2)
Kurt S.
No stars. Last night we ate there, my wife had the mussels and got food poisoning and is still in the hospital. Do not frequent this hell hole, now they're trying to weasel out of
(1)
Patricia S.
This place is awesome! I haven't had anything that was under par at Ruffino's. I'd definitely suggest a reservation if you want to dine in on a weekend night because it is a local favorite with under 15 tables.
(5)
Daniel W.
This place feels like it belongs off the Garden State Parkway, not Lee Highway. From the generic paper place mats with cocktail recipes on the table to the hackneyed prints of Ancient Rome on the wall, everything about this place screams mom n' pops New Jersey hole in the wall. In an area rife with overpriced franchises, Ruffino's is definitely a welcome relief. The food -- not quite authentic, but far better than a Macaroni Grill or an Olive Garden -- is the kind of Italian comfort fare I grew up on. It's also reasonably priced. The bathroom was foul, so I'm giving it four stars out of five.
(4)
Harry E.
Although we have lived nearby for a couple of decades, for some reason, we never stopped in this restaurant. Two nights ago, we had a desire for Italian food and I found Ruffino's on Yelp with good reviews. We had a thoroughly enjoyable dinner as a result! I had the lasagna w/meatballs, and my wife had the seafood marinara. We split a Caesar salad and some garlic bread. All were perfectly prepared and flavorful. Portions were large so bring an appetite. My only small suggestion would be that the chef go easy on the sugar in the lasagna sauce. Garlic bread was delicious. Service was first rate. The prices are quite reasonable given the quality of the food and the nice ambiance. All in all, a great first experience and we will be back.
(5)
Jesse B.
I love this place. The food is good, good friendly service, good stuff. I love their lasagna and garlic bread. My roommates and I used to go here all the time. We are all so glad it reopened!
(5)
Neal A.
Mathew L. was a little harsh on this one. Very good food at a good price. It's tough to screw up Italian food after all. The service was friendly and efficient. I recommend the manicotti with creamy tomato sauce.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Kimberley W.
It's nicely decorated and the waitresses and bartender are delightful but the food was only slightly above what you'd get out of the corner store freezer section. In fact I'm certain that my lukewarm mozzarella sticks came out of a plastic bag. My husband ordered lasagna and got a plate of bland spaghetti. I ordered the veal piccata and got a unexceptional somewhat cold and only modestly seasoned dish. If all you want is drinks and something to nibble on while hanging out with friends it's okay but if you want to eat real Italian food it just fails. We won't ever go back.
(2)Jerika S.
i am forced to give them two stars because my boyfriend doesn't want me to be mean. i would only give them one if it were up to me. the calamari appetizer was ok, i got the manicoti with meatballs, he got veal marsala. he said "i've had better veal" and i've def had better manicoti. server was nice enough, but i did think $ was a bit much for the quality of food.
(2)John S.
Not being cruel here, just honest....I had the worst excuse for an Italian dinner that I've ever had at this restaurant. I could care less if a restaurant is a hole in the wall place, or, a fine eatery in a building made by a well known architect: it's the food that matters. And on those grounds, this restaurant failed miserably. Usually when I go to a new (to me) Italian restaurant, I order a basic dish like pasta and meatballs/meat sauce. If they can't get something simple right, then I don't want to know anything more about the place. So....if you like pasta overcooked to the point of mush, topped with tomato sauce that is redolent of Campbells's Tomato Soup, then this is the place for you. The biggest mystery is how this place has managed to stay in business all these years. Abominable!
(1)Lauren W.
This place is nothing fancy- they definitely have paper placemats, but my husband and I love an Italian place in the city where he went to college that does the same thing, so that doesn't phase us. Ruffino's is just decent, inexpensive Italian comfort food. The staff is friendly. I've never had any of the experiences that some other Yelpers have had with dirty glasses or plastic wine glasses (maybe they changed those to glass? No idea). However, they do tend to favor using pastas other than spaghetti, although it's usually marked on the menu when they are using linguine, fettucine, etc., so if this is a major issue for you, here's your heads up. It's not the best food you'll ever eat but it's also certainly not the worst, and I'd rather pay their prices for a decent meal that twice the price for a bad one.
(3)Shelly S.
Hands down, the place I go when I'm craving pasta. The atmosphere is cozy, the garlic bread is buttery deliciousness and Chris is a great server. He always remembers us and is super attentive. I usually don't branch out of my comfort zone and stick with the spaghetti and meatballs because I've never gone wrong with this dish. I love the sauce! I also usually box up half of my dinner to save room for the Tiramisu (spelling?) which is out of this world.
(4)Vince G.
This place is great! This was my wife's and i first time to this place and we really enjoyed it. The food was really good for the price we paid. You can tell they cook fresh and the bread is fresh as well. We would come back again.
(5)Rochelle R.
I am a true lover of Italian food and ever since I had AUTHENTIC Italian at a lovely spot in Ontario canada called Spago (no relation to Puck's Spago in L.A.), nothing has come close to being as good. with that in mind, I ocassionaly go out on a limb and try other Italian restaurants. This one is across from where I get my hair cut so decided to try with a good friend and my daughter. This was THE WORST ATTEMPT AT iTALIAN FOOD i'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED!!! Chef Boyardee would have been better! Let;'s begin with appetizers...garlic bread and clamari frtia. Talk about a joke?! Not only was there no hint of butter on the garlic bread, there was no GARLIC!!! Instead, the bread appeard to have been drenched with olive oil and had flecks of would-be seasoning, but there was no flavor except for the oil! I've never seen garlic bread with no butter or garlic! I've seen chefs use a mixture of olive oil and butter, but there's always butter involved. Now for the calamari. Though it had been fried and was hot, thatr was the end of it. It was so light in color that it was almost white, and though it had what appeard to be seasoning on it, there was no taste whatsoever! NONE! and the "marinara" sauce (and I use the term loosely) was nothing more than tomato sauce fromthe can. It wasn't cooked, only heated and there was no salt, basil, oregano, or pepper. I could not believe it! The lassagna was the pits too and so was the veal marsala. Needless to say I will NEVER return to this restaurant and I certain;y would never, ever, ever, recommend it to anyone with actual tastebuds!
(1)Bacchus F.
Sadly Ruffinos has lost a lot of its charm since reopening this year. The same average to subpar food is now served in a cold and noisy atmosphere. Removing its linguine with anchovies and tomato sauce-- one of the few dishes I would usually describe as "pretty good"--from the menu also does not help its cause.
(1)gwen o.
I have the exact same story as Lucas O. My family went there at least once a week, everyone remembered us, etc. Hadn't been in ages, but when I came to Arlington to visit a year ago or so my brother and I went in there again for nostalgia's sake. Everything looked the same, tasted the same, felt the same...but it wasn't the same. Oh, and one of the things we were bound and determined to find out was whether or not they still crossed two little slices of cheese on top of the house salad. The answer was no...but it was fun to sit and talk about the fact that they used to cross two pieces of cheese over the top of the salad...which led to talk about other things from the past which made the visit totally enjoyable and worth it.
(4)Shrute B.
For starters, this is not your top-of-the line froo-froo Italian place. This is a simple neighborhood classic that serves up good food, big portions at cheap prices. Period. And to be honest, I haven't had a fancy Italian restaurant match the quality of the chicken parm that you can find here. My wife loves the ultra creamy tomato sauce that comes with a variety of pastas including cheese raviolis or gnocchi. The restaurant itself is nothing to get excited about. It's reminiscent of a place from the Godfather - old and worn down. But there is something simply fun about this place. Nice staff. Good food, And oh yes, the diners that were here this last visit were young couples enjoying a nice quiet meal. A solid 5 stars on this one for what it is. Simple. Cheap. And yummy.
(5)Aaron E.
Enter and welcome back to the 70's. A classic family restaurant from way back. Do you remember those little, bulbous, red candles that restaurants used to use? Well, they still have them here and use these in lieu of standard illumination. Think Fast Times at Ridgemont High (even thought that was early 80's). The garlic bread was fresh, toasty, buttery, and very garlicky. Not bad. My Spaghetti Calamari Diablo dish, was tasty and spicy. Ok, fine it was only ok. I'd go back, just for the atmosphere. The food was inexpensive, and acceptable quality. El diablo came back to haunt me like only a diablo should. Locals seem to like the place. Look for the signs that say "Spaghetti House". I don't know if Ruffino's name is visible. Parking is in the back in a dark alley (nice touch). "dude, that's my skull. I'm so wasted"
(3)Xuan P.
Food is good but pricey for mom and pop restaurant
(3)Matthew L.
Horrible....worst tomato sauce I have ever eaten at a restaurant. It was like they just opened a can of tomatoes and dumped it on top of pasta, no seasoning, garlic, salt, etc. I left upset having to pay for such a poor meal.
(1)Sir Loin Z.
They say pizza is like sex: when it's good it's really good, and when it's bad...it's still pretty good. While this isn't scratch-your-name-in-my-back Brooklyn good, it's about as good as it gets for DC. Great crust, wonderful toppings (even anchovies!). Highly recommended!!! Also, the specials are consistently great as well as the old standbys: spaghetti w/ meatballs or mushrooms, chicken castellana, calamari al diablo, great garlic bread, great cannolis! Munge!!!
(4)Michelle B.
You gotta go here just for the entertainment value. We've been recording a cd close to here so we pop in for dinner beforehand. The people who work here are very friendly in a "Mel's Diner" sort of way. The place mats are paper, with cheesy pictures of Rome; kind of like the ones you'd see at Pizza Hut restaurants when you were a kid. One time the owner spilled water all over me and it was so damn funny. He gave us a lot of free desserts even though I really didn't care about the water. Also, once the waitress told us to hurry and order because she wanted to leave. It's just too funny. You have to go. And, honestly, the food is pretty decent and cheap. The pork tenderloin special with linguine rocks. If you ever buy our cd and hear belching in the background, know that it came from Ruffinos.
(4)Jennifer S.
2.5 stars ---- When I was a kid my parents always managed to find these little Italian places that were almost invented for families. Ruffino's is one of those places. From the outside the restaurant seems like it might be different than it is on the inside. The facade is painted with a big mural of a fun Italian scene) For those driving, they also offer free parking in back. Inside, the decor is thoroughly antiquated. It's like time stopped here at around 1977. This is not a first date sort of place (maybe more like a breakup place), so if you are seeking ambiance or romance - seek elsewhere. For about 3 years I lived within walking distance; some nights, when I craved Italian, I would meander over here. The food is standard classic Italian - with no frills (although I do love the garlic bread). I hear the house special is the way to go, though on any night I went, the house special wasn't of interest to me. Wine is cheap (like $4 a glass kind of cheap) and is suitable for the food. The service varies, sometimes they are friendly and helpful and other times not. And to give you a hint, ever since I moved out of that neighborhood, I haven't been back (but one of my friends still goes even though he now lives in DC).
(2)Kimberly N.
this place is that little italian place ive beeen looking for! Being raised with great italian food, its often hard to impress me.. especially when it comes to italian food in the DC area (everyone knows decent pizza is non-existent there), but ruffinos is a taste of home! great dishes! amazing prices! Cant beat the friendly wait staff! Go early to get the seat in the front window!
(5)Liz Z.
it may not have the aesthetic feel of M street but the garlic bread's good (and cheap), while i feel like i can relax at this joint and just eat pasta. i'm a big fan of the cardinal sauce here and the eggplant parmigiana. but the veal scallopini (for my constant meal partner) is to die for. retro mismatched art, plastic menus, and vinyl booth seating. who cares? they still have the romantic two-person tables at the front windows right next to a jukebox. for being good, affordable, and having large portions, this place gets my vote.
(3)M C.
There are soooo many great restaurants in Arlington -- do not waste your time here. Poor service & marginal food that has been disappointing before & after the renovation.
(1)Marty L.
Was recommended by a friend and we visited post-renovation. The staff was friendly and welcoming. Food was good and came to the table in no time. The cheese to chicken ratio on the chicken parm is pretty high. Garlic great was over salted. Chicken piccata was delis.
(3)Ryan C.
My girlfriend and I love this place. It's close by and the Italian food is very good. It's also not super expensive and the portion are very large. We both love their lasagna and the chicken parm platters is tasty. Good place to go for lunch or dinner. Parking is behind the building (limited spaces though).
(4)Becca S.
Atmosphere: Cozy, only about a dozen tables plus bar seating. Nicely decorated, music was pleasant (volume just loud enough to hear, but didn't interrupt conversation - our evening soundtrack seemed to be the Frank Sinatra XM channel, which I was quite happy with). Service: Friendly, quick, and very accommodating. Our host/waiter had food out to us a lot quicker than I expected. Food: Husband ordered the French Onion soup, I ordered the Chicken Picatta, and our daughter had spaghetti with marinara sauce. The chicken Picatta came with a side of pasta - which the husband enjoyed with his soup. I didn't try anything other than the Picatta - but it was DELISH, and husband seemed pretty happy with the soup. We did have the garlic bread as an appetizer - which was gone almost as quick as they brought it out!! Would definitely recommend and re-visit.
(5)Gold Leaf P.
I ordered the angel hair pasta with chicken. It was ok. It was a bit too greasy and needed some herbs for more flavor, plus salt to taste. Noodles were al dente. The owner was there to attend and he was very friendly. He can entertain and nice to talk to. My kids loved their spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce.
(4)Jenny L.
This is a cute place with a romantic, mom-and-pop vibe on the inside. The pastas are great, especially the seafood ones. The garlic bread, salad and eggplant parm are the quality of what you'd expect of a chain restaurant. My favorite thing about Ruffino's is that it's super close to me and they deliver, so I can get my pasta fix frequently!
(3)Kimberly S.
The boy and I have a tradition of eating unauthentic Italian food every year for Valentine's Day. Three and two years ago it was a heart shaped pizza from Luigi's (RIP) and last year it was a Stouffer's lasagna (the best lasagna in the world). This year we had grandeur plans of making our own lasagna but an ill-timed afternoon nap rendered this impossible. By the time we woke up we found ourselves in the middle of a giant snow storm. Plans scratched. Luckily, I remembered that you can now order delivery through Yelp so I did a quick search for places serving lasagna in the area. Ruffino's Spaghetti House popped up immediately so we immediately placed our order online. Lasagna for him and spaghetti with meatballs for me (you can't honestly think I would not order spaghetti from a place called Spaghetti house right?!). We also added in a Caesar salad for good measure. Because of the snowstorm the food took an hour to arrive but it was delivered piping hot with lots of crusty garlic bread on the side. Everything was so good that our GIGANTIC orders disappeared while we were watching Divergent. Carb overload indeed! We both slept so nicely that night. The only thing that was a bit odd about our order was that we had an option to add Italian sausage to our lasagna (it was not clear if it had meat in it or not). We said yes and it came out it giant link form next to our pasta dish which was kind of weird. I had figured it would come out crumbled and incorporated into our dish but oh well, you learn with every mistake!
(4)Nicholas V.
I vowed I wouldn't go back, but I decided to try it again, just to see. Had a decent crowd in there, probably 12 people or so. Server/manager was prompt. I did take out, so I can't comment on the service, but he was trying to keep everyone happy. Food was markedly better, to the point where I will at least consider coming back. The owner did respond to my previous review, but I never do a review expecting a better experience or free stuff. Guerrilla dining is much more reflective of the true experience. Pasta was cooked better this time, although I got spaghetti instead of linguine. No big deal. Sauce was still on the sweet side. But it didn't have the metallic taste of last time, maybe it was a little bit more fresh for dinner. It was significantly faster from order to out the door, probably 8 minutes tops, which is very fast for a place like that. That being said, the quantity doesn't match the price. I was disappointed with the value here. However, I was not offended by the food this time, it was actually pretty okay. Will return if it is a crappy night and I'm in the mood for Italian.
(3)Cassandra M.
Love the name we had to try it. This place has so much potential. Great location and service. With a few minor improvements such as fresh mozzarella and homemade sauce this place could be amazing. We had sautéed mushrooms, Casear salad, garlic bread and spaghetti with meatballs and green peppers. All was forgettable and I could have made it better at home. A friendly atmosphere and great service.
(2)Colter H.
A pretty unimpressive experience from top to bottom. Date of Visit: 4/5/14 We placed a delivery order consisting of bruschetta, mozzarella cheese sticks, fettuccine alfredo, veal piccata, and tiramisu. Of those, I would say the cheese sticks were the only truly edible piece, and even those screamed "out of a package". The alfredo was one of the greasiest/oiliest pasta dishes I've come across, the veal was so overcooked and grey that I didn't finish it (Note: I eat just about *anything*), the bruschetta was basically sliced bread with a pile of unseasoned tomatoes, and the spaghetti/sauce that came with the veal could not have tasted less homemade. We were hoping to at least end the night on a good note via tiramisu, but that was forgotten during delivery and instead of going to pick it up ourselves (per the restaurant's recommendation), we chose to take the refund. I would not recommend this place to anyone who has an even remotely good palate or interest in true Italian food.
(1)David N.
Just a quick update. I have given up eating dairy so no cheese on my pizza:(. We still do carry out about once a month and they make my pizza with no cheese. The dough and toppings still make my pizza flavorful and even though I miss the cheese it still the best pizza around!
(5)Patrick M.
I went back here just to try and see if Ruffino's had gotten better than it was in the past and I can happily say it was better. I had the spaghetti and it was delicious, and my father had a very serious dish also. The garlic bread was delicious and cheap. My only problem is that the delivery service is not that good. The female driver is a bit rude and not very good at her job.
(5)Antonio P.
Get the spaghetti with meat sauce and roasted green peppers. Eating this now. Recommended by my server, Abel. Dining solo so decided to live-yelp..
(4)Matt J.
I really can't understand all of the bad reviews on here. I've lived across the street from Ruffino's for about a year but only made my first trip last night. I don't typically like bruschetta, but I couldn't stop eating theirs. I don't typically like olives, but their chicken Mediterranean in a light olive sauce was delicious. We also had Abel as a server and he was entertaining along with providing great service. I can't complain about one part of the experience.
(5)Ally G.
I do t know how this place has so many good reviews. We came here a few months ago and the food was disgusting, the service was good.. But the food made me wonder how they are still in business..
(2)Danny V.
***Please note: someone from the company wrote a response to this review shortly after it was posted. I appreciate that they reached out and are looking to rectify the situation. Please read other reviews on Ruffinos to give you a balanced perspective. They are a local business and had this experience not occurred, I would have returned. Hopefully my experience was an isolated incident. I'll possibly return in hopes to the restaurant and update this with a more positive review*** I hate, hate, hate giving a local business in my neighborhood a 1-star review. I visited Ruffino's for the first time in over a year. My reviews for Ruffino's have been on a steady decline with each visit and I fear that this is my last trip to this lil' Italy. How many times has a waiter sloppily sauntered over and greeted you with, "Heeeeeeeyyy wuz suupp y'aaaaaal" in a sit-down restaurant? Actually, I thought he was pretending to be stereotypical frat boy. Alas, this was reality. When the waiter came by to take the order, he removed a chewed toothpick from his mouth before asking if we were ready to order. Sanitary much? When I ordered the special, the waiter looked perplexed and said, "Sorry, I've never heard of that before. They, like, change the specials every day." I used the stand-alone sign as reference for my order, there is a well marked section in the menu with daily specials and there is a sign on the back of the restaurant with specials. Basically, if you walk in through a door, you can see the specials. While my companion ventured to the washroom, the wine came. I made a joke that the half carafe was for me and he said, "Are you a wino? Well, I'm a wino too..." Really? The waiter delivered the food with the same hands he used to remove the toothpick. I assumed that he'd return with parmesan cheese and the complimentary bread. I saw the other waiters walking towards me with the cheese in hand, as they always have, but my waiter was nowhere to be seen and the cheese was delivered to nearby tables. I enjoyed my wine and finished my water before finally digging in. No quality check. Too bad, I would have sent the "special" back. The chicken tasted like it had been in the freezer too long and it was bland. By the time the waiter returned, both water glasses were empty and we'd been done with our meal for some time. He asked how everything was and I did something I rarely do; I complained about the meal. I had ordered the $16.00 special, the Chicken Divinici (or Da Vinici?) I explained the problems and I had left 1/3 of the meal on the plate. He said, "I don't know man, both chefs are in the kitchen and they should have been putting out their best stuff. (his tone belittled the chefs) I haven't had it, otherwise I would have told you not to order it." WTF? I'm okay when waiters are pedestrian as long as there is a mutual respect for one another. When you have exude a sense of entitlement and babble unprofessional nonsense, and belittle your chefs it's embarrassing. I waited tables for years and I never forgot who my audience was. After complaining, it was a bunch of "Yeps" and "Yeahs" and a hurried and insincere "ThanksForComingIn" as he was walking away from us. He slid the check across the table as if it were Bo & Luke from the Dukes of Hazzard sliding across the General Lee. It was obvious that we were a problem and needed to leave. Well, it's now for me to say arrivederci. There are plenty of other well prepared and seasoned fish in the sea.
(1)Jon H.
Friendly service and tasty food. The piece is right too. I recommend this place to all my friends
(3)Sebastian O.
I really enjoyed my Sunday lunch here. This place is only about a mile from where I live, and I drive by it on daily bases. So today, my fiancé and I decided to give Ruffino a try. We weren't disappointed. The service was superb. The owner took care of us himself and was very pleasant. My only criticism, this place has a lot of tiny loose ends and these things can be fixed immediately if they emphasized just a bit. For example, when we first entered, I had to go all the way to the back of the restaurant to get someone to come serve us. And once we were seated, we ordered 2 coffees and we never got sugar to sweeten our drinks. And we had our cups filled several times. We ordered an appetizer that we never got. But I didn't say anything cuz the gentleman that was serving us was such a sweet man. Now I usually never give a 5 star review after seeing these kinds of errors. But the owner was by himself, he did take care of us, and the food was good. It's a pleasant little restaurant in my neighborhood and I would come back. I only hope the owners can emphasize on these tiny things that can have a huge impact on the image of this restaurant. This restaurant deserves to have higher rating than 3 1/2 stars and with a little hard work I think this place can be even better.
(5)Jagruti P.
Came here for lunch as we always pass by the restaurant, finally came by to check out the food. Garlic bread and eggplant parm was amazing. Service is superb too.
(4)Sherri K.
I think this may be my new favorite neighborhood spots. I loved the traditional environment. I loved the staff. I loved the food. What else is there, I mean, really? Oh, good wine. YES. We started with the toasted ravioli which was served dry. Not my favorite, but moving on...I ordered the Veal Castellana which is a veal/ eggplant combo dish. Every bite was delicious. My intent was to eat some now and save some for later...that did not happen. I eated it ALL and it was scrumptious. I do not remember what my fiance ordered, as I was far to deep in my own plate, but I do believe his plate was left clean as well. The only comment I have about this experience is the location. It is sketch trying to get in from the left side of the street. U-turns and round the blocks are necessary to get behind the building to park. But, well worth the effort.
(4)Catherine H.
Sorry, this was not up to par. We had to ask for bread, which came to the table cold. Water glasses were not refilled, leaving us with empty glasses midway through our meal. I ordered veal Marsala. The Veal was thick and tough, and the sauce was a really dark, thick texture that looked like it came from a can. We ordered a side of broccoli, which looked like it was the frozen type. Which they steamed with no seasoning. And the lasagna manicotti had a sour flavor, which the waiter said, "yes, we hear that a lot". Hmmm, then perhaps it is not a good thing. All in all the food was bland, seemed pre-frozen, and service was not attentive.
(2)Victoria R.
I hate to say this about a local Italian joint, since there really aren't enough in Arlington as it is, but I'm grossed out by the food. My experience was with delivery. Maybe the sit-down experience is better, but I won't be trying it out. My guy and I placed a delivery order today, and wish we had stuck with our usual go-to, Pines of Florence. Sorry, Pines. We will never stray from you again. We ordered two entrees: fettuccine with meatballs and chicken parmigiana. It took over an hour for the food to arrive. I will happily wait for good food, but this is not it. The fettuccine order was flat-out wrong: they gave us fettuccine Alfredo instead. Too bad the meatballs were for my guy who hates Alfredo sauce. I decided to eat that dish instead, but the pasta was overcooked, and the sauce was greasy and basically flavorless. I ate several bites and now regret it. My guy ate some of the repulsive side dish of spaghetti and marinara sauce that came with the chicken parmigiana and also regrets it. We both tried the chicken parmigiana. It was barely warm on arrival, and arranged so that only the top of the two pieces had cheese on it. The cheese was so unmelted that it still had a clear square shape to it, not unlike those nasty slices of processed American cheese. To the dish's credit, the mozzarella tasted better than it looked, but it was topping mostly overcooked, too thinly sliced, unappealing chicken. The bread that accompanied the meal was dry, cold, and appeared to be day-old at least. So, basically, we spent over $30 on food that was late, not what we ordered, bad, and ended up in the trash. Where's Chef Ramsey when you need him?
(1)Nikki B.
Classic spaghetti was my choice - and it was perfect. Garlic bread is insane! Very intimate setting - feels extremely old school Italian and family owned. I've also had carry-out from here and it was great! Affordable, too. Will definitely be back.
(5)Flora W.
A true diamond in the rough. The service was amazing. The entire waitstaff were attentive, friendly, and personable. The food was authentic! Would definitely get the tortellini again with the mixed sauce and bruschetta. Omg that app was almost to die for. I'd highly recommend checking out this little Italian spot.
(4)Dave B.
If you are a generic diner who loves corporate chains, stick to Olive Garden and leave this neighborhood gem to those who appreciate it. Waitstaff was very friendly to our party of 12 including 4 generations of my family. I was especially pleased by how engaging they were to my grandmother. They were very accommodating and took care of us the entire night. Our drinks remained full to the brim, wine was flowing, meatballs tender and flavorful and an overall great experience. As always, the garlic bread is amazing while paired with a tiny bowl of marinara. I like the renovation, but it certainly lost a little of it's mom and pop feel. They did keep the picture of the baby with the spaghetti on his head (why me?) much to my appreciation. Best dinner experience I have had in a while. Definitely recommended!
(5)Joe P.
I went to check this place out during my move to Arlington and its decent. I had the Linguini with Meat sauce and mushrooms. Its more like an "americanized" italian restaurant, bell peppers in the red sauce and sauteed mushrooms separately that were topped onto the meat sauce. Pasta was cooked well (al dente) but too much grease on it (I think it was butter but it could of been olive oil). The wait staff was super friendly and the food was made to order and got it at the right time. The bread that was provided at the beginning of the meal was cold and my recommendation is to serve piping hot bread....big turnoff there. However, it wasn't bad and I would go there again, just don't expect authentic italian.
(3)Bridgette W.
................the mussels were good that's all i have to say about that '............... .................. ...........
(1)KJ S.
Absolutely the worst Italian food we have ever eaten. My husband's meat lasagna looked disgusting and "cheap" and tasted as such. The garlic bread was soggy. I had some of my mussels but they were subpar as well. At least the service was great until we had to ask twice to a have the lasagna taken off since my husband only ate two bites. Very disappointing especially since we wanted to treat ourselves to a rare Monday out dinner. Perhaps that's why we were the only people in the place. Definitely won't be back when there are so many other good options from which to choose.
(1)Cyndy K.
Excellent service from Abel! Love the linguine clam sauce white, absolutely delicious!
(3)Melissa M.
This is what it is. Neighborhood Italian place. Kid friendly. Decent food at good prices. We sometimes eat there and sometimes we pick-up the food. My kids and I get pasta and my husband gets veal or chicken parm. I like the eggplant parm as well. Their salads are really quite good with good dressings. The garlic bread is one of my favorite things. Butter soaked with herbs and red pepper flakes. Yum. Great cannolis. Don't expect world class italian food - it's a neighborhood Italian place and the price reflects that.
(4)Janice G.
I ordered two dishes via Dr. Delivery. I gave them one star because the food was hot. It was also inedible. i ordered a seafood dish and had to spit out the calamari. I could not chew it. Really, it was that bad. The shrimp were hard. The mussels were so "smelly" that I decided not to even try them. In an attempt to salvage the chicken dish, I did something I never do, I added salt (a lot of salt)...didn't help. The bread they sent was a wheat loaf of some kind, sliced...dry and hard. I'm reading other good reviews and either they are planted or they didn't have the two dishes I had. If other dishes get high ratings, they should focus on those dishes and never ever serve seafood marinara or chicken francaise again..never ever.
(1)Marina R.
My husband and I have been going to Ruffino's for a couple of years now. We always had amazing food and service there, yet I never took the time to write a review. The place is small, not that many tables, the bar area is quite small too. There are two entrances in the front and back of the building which is interesting. I love sitting down at the tables by the bay window for some reason. They have a special charm that I can't describe. The food is always great. I love their Alfredo sauce. It's so creamy. Their marinara is a little bit too tart IMO but it's not bad. Portions are very generous. Now my favorite thing about Ruffino's is their staff. Friendly, caring and efficient. A couple of weeks ago I was nursing some bad laryngitis and I didn't feel like cooking at all. So I decided to call it in and order some pasta. Yes I tried to call even though I had no voice because of my laryngitis (silly me). The staff member who took my call was super patience trying to understand what I was saying and wish me to get better soon. When I went to pick my food up the gentleman helping me ( probably the same that took the order by phone) notice that I was sick. After I paid he asked me to wait a second. He went to the kitchen and came back with a paper bag with some lemons. He told me to take those home and mix with some honey. He said it would be great for my throat. How can I not love a restaurant that actually care about my well being? From the outside Ruffino's is just another divey looking Italian place that most people won't even notice but if you actually took the time to yelp it go ahead and try it, you will not regret it :)
(5)Jerry T.
If you want runny, watery tomato sauce on limp, lifeless noodles, you've come to the right place! Why this has been here since 1972 is beyond me. I am all for honouring Mom and Pop establishments, but this place is just lacking. The best thing about it was the garlic bread. I was always taught, if the bread is good, it's a good indicator of the entrees being good. However, this is not the case with this place. When they renovated, they left out renovating the FOOD. Chef Ramsay of Kitchen Nightmares would have a field day with this place.
(1)Cameron P.
Five stars for the value. I can't comment on service since we took out, but they were very nice on phone and happily customized several items. Our order was ready for pick up right on time. We ordered 4 dishes and all were great, two were veal dishes and a steal at $14( tasted much more expensive). Best dish was Veal Castellano, excellent! We also had veal piccata and requested it lightly breaded (vs sautéed with no breading) which was yummy. I added a little extra lemon but that is all. Garlic bread was excellent and one order fed 4 people easily. We also ordered Caesar salad and lasagna, both very good. Two of the orders came with a linguine side with marinara and they happily swapped the marinara for Alfredo for us. The Alfredo sauce was great, not too heavy and nice hints of garlic. Very satisfying meal at hard to beat prices in Arlington. We will try dining in sometime too.
(5)Alexa C.
I order through their delivery service way too often because it is perfect! Always comes hot and fresh with bread to last for days. Definitely reccomend for a non-cooking night when Italian is what you're craving! The eggplant parmesan is the best.
(4)Karen E.
Someone once asked me: "Whatever happened to good ol' Italian casual dining?" I smiled, as I day-dreamed about Ruffino's. You see, in the Med area, restaurants almost never close and most of them have such a loyal cliental; a good restaurant is a place you grow up with, go again and again throughout the seasons, throughout your years. I have a love story with Ruffino's that started over a decade ago when we moved to the area and looked for nearby restaurants. As I took my first bite from the Manicotti with cardinal sauce, I knew it was love. When you set foot in the restaurant as it is today, you will not understand how different it looks today versus what it used to look like over a year ago, and I will describe it for you in four words: : It needed renovations- BADLY. Still, we found ourselves so intrigued by the food, by the fantastic staff, by the friendliest owner you'll ever meet; that we came back again and again dirty walls or not. (and to be fair: it always had a good atmosphere!) A year ago, they renovated the place, and now it looks amazing. Now, it's the whole package. I would highly recommend going to try them out. You will enjoy an amazing and friendly owner, as amazing and friendly restaurant manager, and fantastic staff. You will enjoy casual Italian dining that is far from pretentious, fresh cooked meals that will make you feel so happy that you decided to eat out tonight, and it will not break your bank. So whatever happened to good ol' Italian dining you ask? Well, Ruffino's happened, and they make theirs so good, that no one else can top it. A decade in, a decade older, I still find myself crave the Manicotti with Cardinal sauce and that dish, is my personal "eat-out" comfort food.
(5)Lauren H.
Best bruschetta and tiramisu I've had in a while (all homemade too). Pasta sauce didn't taste homemade but our server was amazing! So kind, attentive and genuinely happy to have us there. Will definitely be back.
(5)Craig S.
Great food and great service. Our family loves the quality of the food at Ruffino's. We have had a number of great dinners in the restaurant, but we also often order delivery from them. The food is always prepared like we were dining in the restaurant. They always make sure we are happy with the food and are just a great local business.
(5)Scott J.
Ruffino's is a north Arlington GEM. These guys do Italian well. Prices are decent and the service always comes with a smile. TRY IT OUT before you knock it. The chicken picatta is the best dish they have, in my opinion.
(4)C K.
I must have driven by this little hidden spot hundreds of times before deciding to try it one day when I was craving a favorite Italian dish, chicken piccata. They have the best chicken piccata I've had in the area. Not breaded, delicious sauce. Simple Italian comfort food. I'm not a big fan of pasta so I can't comment on that. My husband enjoyed his lasagna and Italian sausage. We both love the garlic bread and saved the hearty crusts to dip in our dishes' sauces. The tiramisu was awesome too. Simple, flavorful, creamy but light, and not too sweet. Everyone is friendly--especially Abel, who was warm and welcoming. Service is prompt. Prices run about $9-15 per entree, with most falling in the $11 range. I've now been to this hidden gem of north Arlington three times this week for dinner.
(5)H.B. W.
This place is just really good Italian food. It's not fancy, no frill and the prices reflect that. I have never had a bad dish there and while it may be simple, the flavors are outstanding and the portions are generous. You never had to wait for a table, the staff is beyond courteous and they have parking in the back! What more could you ask for?! We live close by and are regulars. Don't let the semi-sketch strip of shops it sits in deter you. This place is yummy, affordable and delicious. Bottom line.
(5)Serena B.
I wanted to like this restaurant since it's not too far from my apartment, but it just wasn't very good overall. We started with the artichoke bruchetta, one of the specials that evening. It was on very thick bread and had big chunks of the artichokes and veggies, so we basically had to use a fork and knife. For my entree, I had the seafood marinara pasta. It was a lot spicier than I had expected (there was no indication that the sauce would be spicy at all), I am sensitive to spice levels, so I could barely eat it. I pushed it around on my plate a little and then my husband took it home for leftovers. The staff was very nice, so that was appreciated, but I don't think I will return.
(2)Twentyfourhrclockworks L.
Went to Ruffino's for dinner this evening, got seated, water served and waited. In this restaurant, there were one family and one group of friends. We waited to at least get greeted or say "server will be with you". Waiter comes around 2nd time to fill my glass of water, and still no waiter to wait on us. So, I asked the Spanish waiter, with my broke spanglish if he can get someone to wait on us. At this time, the family was getting ready to leave and the other group of people were eating. We still waited for someone to wait on us, bring us bread, something but nothing. The restaurant wasn't at all packed. The waiters, the manager, the bartender were all in the back doing absolutely nothing. Is when we got up and walked out the back door. Terrible service, no HORRIBLE service. I am a business owner and the most important thing when you have customers come to your business is to greet them and say someone will be with you in a moment. That's it! However, in this franchise, I was not happy and went to another venue where service was excellent! To the owner of Ruffno's..the next time a customer walks in and your restaurant is NOT crowded, greet and make your customers feel at home. Am sure you felt terrible when you saw us walking out, wondering what happened. That's what happened...service was horrible!
(1)Chris M.
I love Ruffinos! I try to get here twice a month. The service is excellent and the food is really good...the Chicken Milanese is plentiful, especially since it comes with a large bowl of pasta.... The 4 cheese ravioli in a cardinal sauce is worth dropping the diet for. Whatever you do start with the Brushetta! Ruffino's Is an intimate place...the kind of place that us fat guys love, not to busy, comfortable, (they just redid the place) Food is plentiful and not overpriced like many other Italian restaurants.... One note the parking is in the rear and you enter through the back....Manja!
(5)Mr. G.
It's a gem. The food here is quality, the service is warm and inviting, and for being just a little place far separated from more highly populated areas, this place has a genuine ambiance that can even be romantic...depending on the other guests. My favorites: 1) the extroverted -- but not artificially bubbly -- wait-staff. Very kind and talkative, but still self-aware and not taking over your dinner. 2) The "holy shit this is authentic" *garlic* bread. It's not freezer style texas toast folks, this is the real deal Head and shoulders above others I've had. 3) Tiramisu - it was sooo good. Sooo good. You couldn't taste the alcohol, it was the right proportion of chocolate to cream to cake, and it was the right temperature....not toothache freezer cold, just thoroughly cool. I came here with a groupon, but I'll be glad to return without one. Thank you Ruffino's for your attention to detail on the food, for selection and training of your staff, and for the occasional Frank Sinatra in the background.
(5)Jeremy S.
I absolutely love this place. If you're looking for a small, cozy, family or romantic ambience then this is the place for you. Great food and great service and great prices! Skip the Italian chain restaurants and come here instead--you'll be glad you did!
(5)Danielle B.
They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and my man's heart was in rough shape when I stumbled upon Ruffino's at quarter to 9 on Easter Sunday. Luckily, Ruffino's served up the perfect noodles to soothe the soul. Since I was ordering take out for two I picked the gnocchi in alfredo and the eggplant parm with red sauce over linguini . Something for whatever your feeling. Both were delicious. The red sauce was bright and acidic, a far cry from the muted flavors you find in a jar. The eggplant was thick and covered in sauce an cheese. What we didn't finish that night I ate cold the next morning and it was fantastic. The shortfall of the dish was actually the noodles themselves, which were somewhat chewy. But OH DEAR LORD, the gnocchi in alfredo. I'm not normally a white sauce gal but I would happily slather every food I ate in Ruffino's. Add to that wonderfully tender gnocchi and I lost track of the number of times my eyes rolled back in my head. Did I mention they were open at near to 9 on Easter? Oh, I did. Well it bears repeating especially since they were snappy and pleasant about getting my food to me. Other pluses include available parking behind the building, an easy to find location and free bread even with your takeout. For $22 I got a generous serving of Italian medicine and should I find myself back in Arlington I will definitely go back for another dose. ...mmmm alfredo...
(4)Joshua S.
Well my first time here and last time. The only real good thing I can say honestly is free parking. Frozen cheese sticks? I actually had to use a knife to cut my veal, my first time ever having to do that.
(2)Deb K.
Ruffino's Spaghetti House is a strange place. It used to be a genuine dive with some awesome food. Dust on the walls. Grungy bathrooms. Prominent photo of baby with bowl of spaghetti on his head. BUT some of the food was so addicting it should have been illegal. We especially loved the Sautéed Mushrooms, Garlic Bread, and Linguine with White Clam Sauce. Talk about comfort food. Tons of garlic. Heaping portions with lots of clams and lots of sauce so obscenely good we'd use extra bread to sop up every last bit of it. We'd suck up the sauce with straws if we had to. I'd always tell myself I would eat only half a portion so I could enjoy leftovers, but often ended up stuffing myself to food coma because the Linquine with Clam Sauce was so good. We worried that all the dirt on the walls would eventually mean they'd go out of business and we would never again have Ruffino's Spaghetti House: Linguine with White Clam Sauce. Well, they didn't go out of business. They renovated and the place actually looks like a nice neighborhood restaurant. But the Linguine with white Clam Sauce is not the same! It's not bad, don't get me wrong. But they changed something about how they make it. It used to be that I would occasionally order another dish because I felt like I was a little too obsessed with the White Clam Sauce. Sometimes I'd order Red Clam Sauce or one of the specials or their awesome Ravioli. All of which were generally good with the exception of the muscles. But it would never fail that one of us would get White Clam Sauce and I'd have a bite and wish that I'd ordered it again myself. Not anymore. It's like they wanted the food to appeal to more of the masses and made it less garlicky or maybe wanted to save money. Even the garlic bread seems to have less garlic. These days Linguine with White Clam Sauce is skimpy on sauce and lacking the garlic-filled addictive magic we cherished. There's almost no sauce left to sop with bread, and I almost don't care. I wish they could make a Classic version with extra sauce and extra garlic. We still order it once in a while wishing for the old way or even requesting lots of sauce. But it's still lacking. I'd take a little dirt on the walls just to have it that way again.
(3)Cafe W.
Spotted this place last year, but I get to try it last night. Chicken Marsala with linguini was quite tasty! Fresh sauce, fresh mushrooms, fresh chicken breast. But I found it weird that they put marinara sauce on top of linguini, eventhough I already got marsala sauce. So I had to mix those 2 sauces together (I'm not a fan of marinara sauce, that's why I was annoyed.) But overall, it was very tasty! Comfort food indeed! The portion and price were very reasonable as well! Ruffino's Garlic bread was also very fresh, delicious and garlicky.. love it!
(3)Jim S.
Their chicken parm and home made gnocchi are to die for.
(4)Ken R.
We had a great dinner. Our server Abel was outstanding. Portions are huge for a reasonable price. Will be back.
(4)Stephanie M.
This place reminds me of the little mom-and-pop Italian places my mom used to take me as a kid for the "big events" in family life. My boyfriend and I stopped in here after hiking the Billy Goat, starving and liking the idea of pasta tastiness. I got good ol'fashioned spaghetti with meat sauce, and my boyfriend got the Ravioli with Cardinal sauce. The cardinal sauce was really good, and his raviolis were - well, I should have gotten me some raviolis. The spaghetti I had was a little more al dente than I like (I cook my pasta a long time, I tend to like softer pasta.) but the overall dish was still good. The place wasn't really that crowded, so the waiter gave us a seat by the window. The service was excellent - our waiter was fun and liked to make little jokes, and we never had to ask for water/drink refills. We got free garlic bread, it went well with our pasta and was really buttery. I also had the calamari - not as good as the pasta, but not bad by any means. Honestly, I really think this place has a certain appeal to me. You can tell it's a family-run business. The food itself was solid, and homemade-tasting. I would recommend this to people I thought were looking for a good, old-fashioned, home-cooked, Italian meal with nice sevice, and I would recommend this place for a date. The food itself is just ok (as home-cooked food often is), but it's a welcome change from your normal impersonal chain restaurants serving up meals designed in their food laboratories. It was also nice to have good customer service. :)
(4)Genny P.
The first time we went here was maybe 15 years ago - it tasted like they had just poured tomato sauce out of a can - no spice no flavor. I have gone over the years hoping that it would get better, but it doesnt. I went a few months ago and, I dont know, maybe there was no manager there. Everything tasted like warmed up frozen food. I went a few weeks ago for a late lunch - I pointed to the lunch menu and said that I wanted the lunch portion - I assumed I was served a lunch portion. But I got charged dinner prices. I then asked for coffee - which they charged starbucks prices for - and it was awful. I just dont get this place. It has GREAT location and it is a decent place. I bet they would make a mint if they would just serve decent pasta. But its not very good, and they are competing with a diner around the corner and several pasta shops down the road in Ballston.
(2)Shell S.
I was not impressed. I had the eggplant over chicken and my boyfriend had the tortellini special of that day. The food was ok...not memorable. The garlic bread was ok. I love Italian food and really wanted to like this place as it seemed to be a family owned place.
(2)Laura R.
A quaint little Italian place off of Lee Highway in Arlington. I was amazed at the quality of the food. I ordered veal parmigiana and was left feeling extremely satisfied. A glass of wine, some veal parmigiana with pasta was just what I needed on a Thursday night after a long week. Did I mention the appetizer of Bruschetta that we ordered was to die for? I'm leaving the best for last though, and that was the dessert. It was absolutely divine. I have never had better Tiramisu in my life! Totally going back and going to become a regular at this place!
(4)Howard F.
"I could eat. I mean not necessarily spaghetti and meatballs but, you know, not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs. I mean, I really like spaghetti and meatballs. Man, if I don't get some spaghetti and meatballs I may literally die." So said Archer, so felt I. But here in the DC area, getting that feeling on a Saturday afternoon can be problematic. It's not like we're in NY or Chicago or Philly where there's at least one *great* red checkered tablecloth Italian place per square mile. The area's one reasonable facsimile, Carmines, requires at least a week of advance planning to satisfy a weekend red sauce craving. And indeed most great places will require advance planning on a Saturday night. This has happened before; and I have a list. At the top of the known: Espotitos in Fairfax, good enough to go to but still a decent chance of a last minute table on Saturday. At the top of the to be tried: Ruffinos. Evaluating Ruffinos' requires you to take a stand in the great red sauce (or gravy) debate. What's authentic? What's good? Somewhat sweet, not overly seasoned, chunky yet otherwise thin - I think that's baseline authentic and when well executed, also very good. And that's what you find at Ruffinos. It works well on the pasta. Not so well on the fried calamari. Still, it was about exactly what I was hoping for to satisfy my S&M craving. The meatballs were good. The veal parm was good. The calamari was good. The salads were good. The house Chianti was good. menu is down the middle of the fairway red check tablecloth Italian, and the execution was fine. So why 3 stars and not 4? Just the little things. The 2 tops are so tiny you can't fit bread and appetizers on them at the same time, and so close together that refilling the next tables drinks gets you a facefull of waiters ass. The bread is just OK, and not only wasn't it served warm but it was borderline chilled. The meatballs were good, but they had that ground to a paste texture you find in frozen meatballs from a bag. The Parmesan cheese seemed like Kraft pre grated in a tub. And despite what appeared to be a 1:1 server:table ratio when we arrived, it took a very long time to get greeted and a drink order in (although once we got rolling the service was quite prompt). Still I'd go back without hesitation when that red sauce craving hits, although I'll continue searching for the perfect spot. Fix the table situation and get better bread and cheese and I'd stop searching.
(3)Crista S.
They're very generous with their portions and house wine :) the meat balls on the spaghetti was some of the biggest I've ever seen (insert: that's what she said) and I really enjoyed my time here. The waiter was very attentive helped us McGyver our plates around the table.
(4)Katharine G.
We ordered takeout and couldn't have been more disappointed. The veal in the veal parmesan was burnt as was the chicken in the chicken parmesan. They covered it up with lots of cheese so we wouldn't notice, but we did. The garlic bread, which I bought based on Yelp reviews, was mediocre. Did they change the recipe? Also, the entrees were super-salty and I found myself gulping lots of water. Too bad. We live nearby and it would have been nice to have a place like this to go to...but we will never order from them again.
(2)Keith And Megan L.
Location: Nothing special about the location. It is located on a fairly busy street, with parking behind the building strip. (3 out of 5) Atmosphere: We got a lovely table nestled in one of the front windows. It made for a great view and romantic dinner for two. Authentic Italian bistro! (5 out of 5) Service: Waiter was Italian-American and had an accent. It was sometimes difficult to understand what he was saying, but added to the authentic feel. Service was good, the waiter checked on us quite a few times and made pertinent suggestions for food and wine. (4.5 out of 5) Food: We started out with the garlic bread appetizer, which was adequate. Megan ordered the fried ravioli special and absolutely loved it! Keith ordered the linguini with mushroom, meatballs, and marinara sauce but instead received spaghetti, meatballs, and marinara. Although he did not get the correct order, he found the food to be well above average. The sauce was a little sweet and had very good consistency. The portions for both dishes were perfect. (4.5 out of 5) Overall: Definitely a place we will be attending regularly and would recommend it to anyone interested in some authentic Italian dining. (4.5 out of 5).
(4)Steph T.
phenomenal pasta! order their cardinal sauce. You can pick any choice of pasta (linguine, fettucine, spaghetti, gnocchi) and sauce. I had their eggplant parmesan with side of linguine with cardinal sauce. perfect combination!!!
(5)Jeffrey T.
I decided to try this place out after driving by it for years and it was an absolutely terrible dining experience. The food was trash, some of which was uneatable. I will never eat here again. We got mussels for an appetizer and they were covered in sand, some were sour, and the sauce was gross. The bread it came with was cold and worthless. Worse. Mussels. Ever. We ordered garlic bread and it was stale and not very good. For entrees we got a chicken dish that was okay, but not great and I got the seafood pasta special. It was the same story with the mussels and everything else about the dish didn't seem fresh, was bland, and turned me off. I have never spent $60 on a meal and been so completely disappointed. I will never give this place a second chance, they blew it. The service was okay, but I go to restaurants for the food and the food I got was disgusting.
(1)marianne v.
Really good: the staff, the seafood/ricotta-stuffed-shell pasta special, and the herb/garlic toasted bread which came with dinner. Prices were reasonable, and the entree's tomato sauce was tasty (salty, and spicy, but I liked it.) The decor, parking, and noise level were fine. Terrible: any sort of calamari-both the appetizer and the seafood marinara entree used frozen rubbery calamari. There is really no excuse for that. So just read these reviews carefully, and you can get a friendly and reasonably priced dinner.
(3)Bre L.
One of my favorite local places, this is a great place for a casual dinner date. Everything I have ever had on the menu is delicious- the garlic bread is amazing, and the cardinal sauce is to die for! My personal favorite is the chicken marsala but I have had other dishes that were just as good. The staff is always friendly and patient- I came in with a large party and they accommodated us very well in the small space they have. They also do local delivery, which is great when you are craving calimari!
(5)Katie M.
I ordered delivery from Ruffino's and am very pleased! The order arrived within 30 minutes, which was earlier than I expected, especially since I placed the order during rush hour. The man delivering was also really friendly. As for the food, I asked for the hummus & pita bread as an appetizer and the calamari al diablo for my entree. The pita bread definitely tastes like it's made in house and the hummus was also tasty. My only complaint here (which I know is knit-picking) is that the plastic containers holding the hummus were ridiculously greasy on the outside. The calamari al diablo was spot on! They actually placed all the calamari on top of the linguini, which made me appreciate the amount of calamari in my entree. I felt the spiciness of the dish was on the safe side. Although the bill seemed a little pricier than what I would expect in the area, the serving size justified the price. This meal alone will be enough for two more sittings. Overall, I will be trying the other dishes they offer another time!
(4)Mira V.
This place has been around since before I was born, and is right down the road from my parents house. Yet i've never been to it. A few friends were in town for the Marine Corps Marathon and needed their carb fix before the race so we decided to try this place. I never realized how small this place is, but thats not a bad thing. Though I wouldn't suggest big crowds or kids... when i say small this place is basically table next to table with maybe a foot between tables. Our waiter was pretty funny and seemed to really know the menu inside out. We ordered calamari, and I had the linguine with mussels in red clam sauce. I cant remember what everyone else ordered, I think all chicken meals but they finished the whole plate so I cant say that they hated it. Calamari is lightly breaded, marinara sauce was kind of weak, i'm not a fan of watery sauce, but i know some find it more authentic. Regardless the calamari was good. We also ordered two loaves of garlic bread since they dont come with the meals. Yummy you can tell they use olive oil, possibly butter but i want to say they just use olive oil, and garlic seasonings. The pasta is cooked perfectly and the sauce is light but delish. We all shared a dessert, dont remember the name but it was icecream with raspberries and a hard chocolate outter shell. Melts in your mouth good, kind of reminded me of that godiva chocolate bar with raspberry filling. Over all a good experience, we'll def have to try other things on the menu and hope that their service and food is consistant.
(4)Ryan K.
Best part was garlic bread. Had the veal - soaked in oil and over cooked and the spaghetti with meat sauce was just okay. Won't be returning anytime soon.
(2)Josy D.
Ruffino's makes the most yummy spaghetti and meatballs ever! I also love love love their Chicken Picata which is soooo good as well. This restaurant seems to be a fav of the locals in the neighborhood. The food is just homemade goodness... definitely comfort food standard. They serve good size portions. If you like salads - they make a simple but yummy Caesar Salad using anchovies and homemade croutons. I definitely recommend this place for dinner or lunch any day for a casual dinner.
(4)Eric W.
I'd give Ruffino's a solid 3.5 stars. We had heard good things about Ruffinos from a few of our friends/family so decided to try it for ourselves. We started by ordering Garlic Bread with Cheese. To the other reviewer who said it looked like they just melted a slice of cheese on top of a piece of bread, they're right. BUT, we thought it was still a pretty taste piece of garlic bread. My wife ordered spaghetti and meatballs and I ordered Chicken Parm. Both meals were very good and I thought the food was above average for the Italian in the area. Also thought the prices were very reasonable and service was fast and friendly, although the place was pretty empty (I'm guessing its a victim of being in a bad location) Overall we had a good experience and thought the food tasted fresh.
(3)Chelsea M.
This place has had an aura about it for me since my beau and his dude crew instituted the manly tradition of monthly "mafia" dinners at Ruffino's. For years, these guys have gushed about the food, the house chianti and the staff, who have let them come back to the kitchen to thank the chefs personally for their dinner and a Sopranos-esque evening. After finally getting to experience Ruffino's in the flesh, my fantasies were more than fulfilled. The butter-drenched garlic bread was a dream come true and like a stick of Doublemint, my chicken castenella ( basically chicken and eggplant parm combined if my memory is serving me correctly) doubled my pleasure as well as my fun. t also arrived with a heaping side of spaghetti, which saved me from having to politely request some pasta from my date. Our waiter could not have been sweeter and more attentive and the atmosphere is perfectly cozy and cute. This place ain't Milano, but it's not trying to be. Quality, generous portions, kindness and endless carbs are all delivered at this adorable spot. As a gal who's been around the Little Italy block in NYC, I'm happy to endorse Ruffino's as a perfect destination for a date night or any impending man meal.
(4)Jenn B.
This is the first and last time dealing with this restaurant. I purchased a Living Social Instant Deal voucher and when I went to redeem it within a couples of hours, the manager refused to accept it. Despite the voucher having NO limitations on whether it was for dine in or carryout the manager said he is aware that it can be used for dine in and carryout orders but, "How am I supposed to make money on carryout orders?". I was appauled and disgusted to say the least. He should've put that info in the fine print because now he is making up rules as he goes. I will never return there again.
(1)Adam A.
Got delivery from here, very disappointing. Cheese garlic bread looked like a 7 yr old made it. Slice of cheese on a piece of bread, then toasted. Chicken still had bones in it, sauce tasted burnt. Pasta average at best. With as much good italian as there is in Arlington, not sure how this place stays in business.
(1)David E.
'Finos is the place to be. Calamari Diablo is unreal. Chicken Picatta is off the charts. I go here almost every Friday and I don't plan on changing this.
(5)Meghan R.
Annnnnd they're back baby! I have to admit I was a little bit nervous about walking into Ruffino's after the renovation to find higher prices and an altered menu, but all of my worries were put to rest. The menu has the same dirt cheap prices, the food is just as I remembered and the portion sizes are just as they were (can't say the same about my bag of chips). My husband and I have been coming here since we were in college at Marymount and I am so glad to have Ruffinos back!
(4)Kristen S.
Unlike a few of the reviewers of this restaurant, I'm not a lifer of Ruffino's. I didn't grow up with the place and have no prior memories of what it "used to be like." With that said, my first impression was a little hole-in-the-wall-esque. A restaurant, known by the locals, family owned and most likely had been there for years. The atmosphere is intimate and cordial, all the people working there are nice and polite, and even if they don't know your name, they recognize the regulars. Foodwise, the options are great - different kinds of pasta, etc. and the versions of speghetti you can choose are great. I eat here or get take-out about once a week and the food is different every time (in a good way). That way you know they make it new and it's not a pre-made batch of something like Olive Garden or those types of chains. Even if the long-timers are reminiscent about the way Ruffino's was in the past, I'm fine with the way it is in the present.
(4)Quaker W.
Don't expect anything original here. But if you're looking for comfort food, Ruffino's delivers big portions of American-Italian classics at very reasonable prices. My kids love it. Don't expect anything terribly fresh or original, and you'll be quite satisfied.
(3)Paul W.
Ugh, what a mess. Where do I begin... the upside down drinking glasses on dirty tabletops, the strange waiter that walked up to the table and presented himself in as a confused busboy, the order mistakes, and food that looked like it was prepared by someone who had just learned how to cook. I recommend these guys get their act together and start delivering again ASAP; my dine-in experience was one of the most bizarre I've ever experienced.
(2)Kurt S.
No stars. Last night we ate there, my wife had the mussels and got food poisoning and is still in the hospital. Do not frequent this hell hole, now they're trying to weasel out of
(1)Patricia S.
This place is awesome! I haven't had anything that was under par at Ruffino's. I'd definitely suggest a reservation if you want to dine in on a weekend night because it is a local favorite with under 15 tables.
(5)Daniel W.
This place feels like it belongs off the Garden State Parkway, not Lee Highway. From the generic paper place mats with cocktail recipes on the table to the hackneyed prints of Ancient Rome on the wall, everything about this place screams mom n' pops New Jersey hole in the wall. In an area rife with overpriced franchises, Ruffino's is definitely a welcome relief. The food -- not quite authentic, but far better than a Macaroni Grill or an Olive Garden -- is the kind of Italian comfort fare I grew up on. It's also reasonably priced. The bathroom was foul, so I'm giving it four stars out of five.
(4)Harry E.
Although we have lived nearby for a couple of decades, for some reason, we never stopped in this restaurant. Two nights ago, we had a desire for Italian food and I found Ruffino's on Yelp with good reviews. We had a thoroughly enjoyable dinner as a result! I had the lasagna w/meatballs, and my wife had the seafood marinara. We split a Caesar salad and some garlic bread. All were perfectly prepared and flavorful. Portions were large so bring an appetite. My only small suggestion would be that the chef go easy on the sugar in the lasagna sauce. Garlic bread was delicious. Service was first rate. The prices are quite reasonable given the quality of the food and the nice ambiance. All in all, a great first experience and we will be back.
(5)Jesse B.
I love this place. The food is good, good friendly service, good stuff. I love their lasagna and garlic bread. My roommates and I used to go here all the time. We are all so glad it reopened!
(5)Neal A.
Mathew L. was a little harsh on this one. Very good food at a good price. It's tough to screw up Italian food after all. The service was friendly and efficient. I recommend the manicotti with creamy tomato sauce.
(3)