M'tucci's Moderno — Restaurant in Rio Rancho

Left hungry and dissatisfied.

I want to preface the review by saying that our hostess, server, and bartender were so nice; this review is in no way a reflection of them.

My partner and I went last night. We ordered the Calabrian Mussels appetizer and it was awful. The mussels had turned. My partner and I order mussels frequently at other places and are familiar with them, how they taste, and their texture. Their mussels here were off. They had a strong rancid taste the second you put them in your mouth, they also had a strong semi sweet smell. They did remove the mussels from our bill. For my entree I ordered the gnocchi. This plate came covered in what I was told was gorgonzola cheese which had an incredibly heavy taste that overpowered the dish. There was no cheese listed in the menu description of the dish. I sent this back and they removed the cost for this dish as well because there was so much cheese on it you couldn't taste the rest of the dish. They did offer to remake the gnocchi without cheese, but after the mussels and this issue I was disappointed and just wanted to finish our drinks and leave. My partner ordered the Mushroom Ravioli, which has been boiled so long that the ravioli had fallen apart, opening, and pouring it's contents onto the dish, it wasn't ravioli with a filling anymore just filling and sauce, and soggy pasta flaps for $25... We didn't ask for this to be removed to avoid our server getting too frustrated since it's not her fault, but my partner didn't eat it. We ended up only being able to eat a caprese and a smoked meat board - and two rounds of cocktails. Still paid $90 which was frustrating and mind blowing.

Two last observations... First, the restaurant bar area smells badly. As someone who has worked in the service industry for nearly 2 decades I can tell you that's it's either the tap lines, where they store the kegs, or the bartop/sink drainage system is affected. The restaurant smells like sweet stale alcohol. I knew immediately walking in that I wouldn't be ordering any tap beer since it's a familiar smell to me and usually means the yeast from beer or sugar from their alcohol is a bit unchecked or not draining properly and growing somewhere that can't be/hasn't been cleaned well.

Lastly, there was a gentleman walking around in a tank top where his chest and sides were visible, and he was also wearing open toed shoes behind the bar and in the kitchen. I could see his nipples when he leaned over and the shirt fell away from his body the shirt was so loose, but my concern was the excessive body hair - i can handle a nip slip without losing my mind. I'd imagine he's the owner or the GM (older guy with grey hair and a tiny ponytail) because he was greeting people and speaking to regulars while traveling table to table. A tank top with excessive body hair, and open toed shoes do not belong behind the bar or in the kitchen of any restaurant. I am not trying to shame this gentleman for how he looks, we are all different, but maybe something to fully cover his sides, chest, and body hair when he's in the area of peoples food and drinks is in order... this was incredibly off-putting. He seemed lovely and friendly, but the disregard for appropriate hygiene was worrisome.

This isn't a review I enjoy writing. I don't like to put places or people down but this was just bad. We were really disappointed and I've not been feeling well since ingesting the turned mussels - thankfully my partner has the stomach of a goat and is unaffected. M'Tucci's I apologize for the bad review but I had to say something - please address the food concerns and ask that all staff, owner, GM or otherwise, entering the bar and kitchen are dressed appropriately to avoid body hair getting into your consumers food and...

If you are looking for a place to enjoy some delicious Italian cuisine with a modern twist, look no further than M'tucci's Moderno in Rio Rancho, NM. This cozy and elegant restaurant offers a variety of dishes that will satisfy your taste buds and make you feel like you are in Italy.

We visited M'tucci's Moderno on a Monday evening and were greeted by our friendly, attentive and distracting attractive server, Kayla. She recommended some of their happy hour drinks, which were refreshing and well-balanced. One Old Fashioned and a Slice of Heaven microbrew. We ordered the family charcuterie board, which was a feast for the eyes and the palate. It featured an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, olives, tomatoes, homemade burratta, homemade shrub jam, and homemade bread, Umbrian extra virgin olive oil & Colonota butter, all of which were fresh and flavorful.

For our main courses, we decided on the Hangar steak, the Affumicato pizza, and the shrimp campanalle pasta. The Harris Ranch Hanger steak was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy, and served with salt water crispy potatoes that were crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The Affumicato pizza was a masterpiece of smoky and savory flavors, topped with smoked mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, and balsamic glaze. The shrimp campanalle pasta was a creamy and comforting dish, with succulent shrimp, grape tomatoes, and parmesan cheese in a light sauce.

We were so full from the charcuterie board and the main dishes that we had no room for dessert, but we were tempted by the mouthwatering homemade options on the menu. Maybe next time!

M'tucci's Moderno is a gem of a restaurant that offers high-quality food, service, and ambiance. We had the best M'tucci's dining experience yet and we can't wait to go back. Highly...

Having had a good experience here in the past, we were disappointed in this one. We made a reservation for 4, 3 days in advance of Mother's Day. When we arrived, on time, the hostess led us to a small table in the bar area very close to the very noisy kitchen. I asked her if there were no tables in the main restaurant area and she said those were all reserved and that they reserved this one for us. Someone in the kitchen was repeatedly yelling very loudly, to the point that it was difficult for us to carry on a conversation for much of the time. A pleasant young man came and brought us water fairly quickly, and came back sometime later to take our orders. The meals and drinks came at the same time in a fairly timely manner. But after that we felt abandoned, and waited a long time after finishing our meals with emptied plates and bowls, hoping to get water refills and to see dessert options, while we could see our waiter sitting at the end of the bar with his back to us. After what seemed like 20 minutes, I finally caught the attention of another staff member as he walked by asking if we could get a check. He apologized and cleared our plates for us. Our waiter then came a few minutes later, thanking us for our patience, my wife asked for a dessert menu, and we did then order and receive a dessert which we shared. Our check was promptly delivered after that. The food was fine, although portions seemed a bit meager. Our main disappointment was that, when I made the reservation, I was not informed that we would be seated in the bar area instead of the main restaurant area. And then being so close to the very noisy kitchen very much detracted from the experience. Service was subpar in this instance as well. Based on this experience, we can't recommend this...