My favorite restaurant in Hingham. Consistent, impeccable service, and offerings I can't make at home.

Great outdoor seating area and every menu item is absolutely delicious. Nice selection of beverages (especially if you like Scotch).

ATTENTION DINERS: The Square Cafe has been known to use COLD water to wash dishes and glasses. This is true! Think before you dine. Lipstick on your glass? How about the flu? Buy a new water heater!!!!! read more

My husband found this place while we were vacationing at Nantasket beach. What an amazing find. The place is beautifully decorated. The staff is professional. The food is out of this world. The owners are present and come around to each table to check in. We chatted with the wife for awhile and found she grew up on Long Island 25 minutes from us. Highly recommend if you are in the area. read more

Square Cafe - Tuna - New American Near Me - Hingham, Massachusetts

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This is really a 3.5 star review but the 3 star description of "A OK" just won't do it justice... A group of us came here for a birthday celebration. The atmosphere and food was excellent but the service was A-OK. Service: The waiter came by to take our drink order and we asked him for a drink menu. He leaves, comes back 10 mins later and asked if we're ready to order drinks...but we still haven't gotten the drink menu you see. He finally brings it over and we ordered ourselves a round. And good lord are their drinks strong. i could not even finish half of my martini! We ordered appetizers to share and followed by our entree. He never checked to see if our food was ok or refilled my water glass. Food: For appetizers, we ordered the calamari, mussels and a beet salad to share. The calamari was really good. It was crisy and light, not chewy and i didn't even need sauce, there was a hint of sweetness to it. The mussels were excellent as well - cooked in a sauce that was a bit spicy but very flavorful. It goes really well with the bread they serve. The beet salad was interesting. It was chunks of beets with chunks of blue cheese. The presentation was great...but i'm not sure about beets and blue cheese. In my opinion, the 2 are too powerful to be served together. For an entree, i ordered the Cider Glazed Stuffed Pork Chop served Spinach, Dried Cranberries, English Cheddar, Caramelized Onions, & Sweet Potato Gratin. Granted i don't normally order pork, this dish was very good. I let my friends try some and they all loved it. The pork chop was cooked perfectly. Other parties got salmon, prime rib chop & braised short ribs - everyone loved their food. For desserts, we ordered the coconut creme brulee, chocolate cake, apple crisp and a cheesecake w/ tequila berry sauce. Even the berry sauce was a bit heavy on the liqour! read more

Square Cafe - Grilled Prime Rib Chop - New American Near Me - Hingham, Massachusetts

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We have been coming here for years and lately they seemed to have changed things and not for the better. We noticed the tuna taco that used to be on the menu, which was delicious, is not on the same tender wrap but a taco shell with loads of mayo. So sadly it's now sloppy, hard to eat, over sauced tuna. Also, they used to have homemade crispy potato chips and now have overly seasoned French fries with it and no option for the chips. We noticed they are heavy handed on the paprika on everything. Would not order this again. Twice we have ordered chicken on a salad and as a main entree and the chicken has a strange texture and tastes less fresh. They used to have fabulous flavored grilled chicken. Portions are also smaller, we especially noticed on the Yellow Noodle dish. The service was good, atmosphere is nice but can be VERY loud. Parties in the large tables are often so loud you can't hear your own tables conversation. read more

I took my wife here Saturday for her birthday. This is our 3rd time in the last couple of years. I can't begin to say how great the meal and service was. We had the calamari as an appetizer and it was as good as it gets!! My wife had the scallops and was very happy. I had the Salmon and it was probably the best I've ever had!! Not exaggerating it was fantastic! We followed it up with the carrot cake and it was also fantastic. Throw in a couple of drinks and it was top notch. Just a word on the staff. Very professional and attentive. 10 out of 10 Management even came over a couple of times to make sure we were enjoying our meal. They do have some outdoor seating although we were inside and seem to be doing a great take out business. We eat out a fair amount, and I have to say they moved into my top 5 in the Boston south area. This place is a must try! Thank you read more

Had the best lunch with my bestie at the Square Cafe today. Emily was our waitress and she was awesome! She was so fun, knowledgeable and attentive. We had the brussels, calamari and spicy noodles plus the bread and dip which is a must! We lucked out with great food, drinks and service today. Can't wait to go back! read more

Went to lunch relatively late on a midweek day and I was quite surprised to see it full. However they found us a spot and we were able to get in without a wait. We ordered a variety of items and in general they were excellent. Square burger was big and juicy, and the fries were a good combo of crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. The spicy shrimp salad was very good except next time I would get it without mango; it separated a bit in the tossing and overwhelmed the flavor a bit. We also got the Brussels sprouts app and it was a bit too oily for our taste. The mix of flavors was great but the excessive oil killed it. Highlight by far was the wait staff. I've been there many times and had a mixed bag of waiters but we had a woman named Jane and she was absolutely fantastic. We were with our 90 year old dad, and as you can imagine he can be a little quirky...but Jane handled every request gracefully and efficiently. (Also got helped by a woman named Meghan (sp?) who was also great. Definitely on our list for the next visit. read more

I wish we found this place sooner! The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was so warm and welcoming while up-class but not stuffy, and the service from when we arrived to left was excellent. We will 100% be back with our friends and family! My only dissatisfaction is they have a partially open kitchen and all of the kitchen staff could be seen not wearing their masks for the entirely of our meal. While I understand kitchens are hot and loud, we were there for well over an hour and the masks stayed around their chins the entire time. My chair had a direct view into the kitchen so it was off putting to see. read more

The Square Cafe is one of our favorite restaurants! We have been here numerous times over the years and it is very consistent. This time went with wife and friends. First...the ambiance is warm, cozy, comfortable and sophisticated; you feel relaxed just stepping into the restaurant. The staff is consistently friendly and accommodating (our server, Alan, was attentive, helpful, pleasant and accommodating.) And the food...it is consistently superb! The striped bass special - bass over a corn and tomato risotto - was spectacular! One of my new favorite dishes. The Caesar salad was solid with fresh white anchovies. For dessert, molten chocolate cake was something special - outstanding cake, with pools of warm caramel and chocolate sauces, and crushed English toffee. Cannot wait to go back!! read more

Met an old friend here for lunch together. We hadn't seen each other for a couple years and had some catching up to do. We both had sandwiches and they were very good. Atmosphere was great for our reunion and staff let us linger, which was also nice. I would definitely return and could see this restaurant as a regular place. read more

The food is absolutely delicious and the staff treat you like family. Love the Brussels sprouts ! We ate dinner there a few weeks ago and loved the food and the staff again was excellent. We arrived there very early but then it got too crowded for us .... did not feel safe ... too many people sitting way too close together everyone takes their masks off when they're sitting down... due to Covid next time weather permitting we would sit outside. read more

The atmosphere at the Square Cafe is consistently great for dinner, and the service is attentive and kind. However, the quality of the food preparation is not worth a full five stars. On Saturday night, we ordered the brussel sprouts, which were nice and crispy but doused in the sauce, which was particularly salty. The pear salad had a similar problem, as the lettuce was so covered in dressing that it was served soggy. Finally, and unfortunately, the flatbread pizza was sloppily prepared and very dry. The one bright spot of our dinner was the cranberry apple crisp with cinnamon ice cream. It was tastefully prepared and presented. Though Saturday nights are busy for this restaurant, I expect a higher standard of food quality. read more

Honest Review. Only ladeee da because it is in Hingham. Food does not match up to the hype. Left me with no reason to come back. It's too bad considering it was so expensive. At least now I know. read more

The place sucked Wayyyyy over priced Very pretentious They think they are doing you a favor Go somewhere else read more

We accidentally came upon this restaurant in Hanover when our son was coaching a high school playoff game. It was very busy but the staff was creative in having a spot for us to eat. The food and service were superb and would highly recommend this place. Excellent food and excellent service what more could you ask for! read more

Went for lunch today with hubby. We ordered the calamari to start. Hubby got the roasted cod and I got the tuna taco! Yummy! Can't wait to try other dishes from this place. read more

Much to our pleasant surprise, as neighbors a short walk from Square, the restaurant has shifted out of 5 years of coast mode ( yelliw noodles, tuna two ways, mussells, etc) into a courageous phase of new dishes and (justified) higher prices. Went with friends and family twice in last two weeks after an almost two year hiatus, and delighted with the somewhat pricey but excellent, crispy seabass, and more modestly priced but equally excellent cod. The appetizers especially the beet salad, were also on point. Didnt try the chicken but the table next to us had it, and it looked spectacular. The portions and quality of the accompanyments are also excellent. Keep up the progress, stick your necks out with new dishes, and please move on from all the old standbys that every former regular like us, is sick of. We used to go weekly back in the glory days of 2010-2012. Menu by Jan of 2020 hadn't changed and we finally gave up. If you want to regain your neighbors and other regulars, need to keep moving, menu should turn over at least 50% within the course of a year, reduce the number of choices to 6 apps and 6 mains. Beyond that, additional "choices" are a chore and have no credibility as to ability to execute or freshness of product, Variety should be achieved across time, not in a single night. The kind of customer you want (well heeled local regulars) doesnt go out for choices, they go out for excellence. They have already chosen the restaurant, from that point on decision fatigue must be minimized. On the right track but gotta keep going, foward, and burn the old dishes behind you. read more

The pork was over cooked and the pasta was over cooked. The staff had no idea how to pour champagne. We had to refill our wine classes. Wait staff needs training.. read more

First, very lovely restaurant. Nice modern decor and great ambiance. Seated quickly on a Friday night, party of 3. Warm, fresh, crispy outside, soft with a little chew inside bread. Pesto dip, not sure about it. Oh, I ate it, of course but there was something "off" about it. Not the best, not the worst. Wasn't sure because of the description,but, we started with the calamari. So glad we did. Absolutely delicious. Who knew when mango and grapefruit accompany calamari. The result is pure deliciousness. Grapefruit martini, extra chilled, perfection! Next, baked cod. Again, out of this world scrumptious. Thick, fresh, moist; a large piece of fish. Sauce with capers... so good! Up next, Bolognese. Pasta cooked perfectly. Overall the dish was just ok. I wouldn't order it again but didn't not, enjoy it. May have saved the best for last. Dessert. Bread pudding. Now I know what you may be thinking, I'm not usually the bread pudding ordering girl either. My daughter, sister and I shared this one. I secretly wish I had it all to myself! The bread pudding was warm and so super tasty. Bourbon sauce was incredible. Cold vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. So, take a little bread pudding, swirl it in the bourbon sauce, add a little ice cream, dab to pick up a toasted pecan and dip in the whipped cream to pick up just a bit then, sit back and enjoy the bite of your life. Hands down the best dessert I've had in recent memory. read more

Square Cafe - Bread Pudding - New American Near Me - Hingham, Massachusetts

If I could give this place negative stars I would. This is the first Yelp review I have ever wrote. My husband and I went in and were expected to be seated by a waiter we had gotten to know and liked, the manager( at least he acted so) told us it wasn't possible. He said he has no "room for us" and looked at my husband who has a disability like he was in the way. Dismissed us and talked down to us as if "we didn't belong there". So if you care about humanity, this isn't the place for you. Discrimination against disabilities is never okay, I was excited to go back to this place and am now disgusted and will NEVER be back again. Mussels aren't worth discriminating against someone who fought for their freedom. :) this place should be shut down. read more

One of the best dining experiences we have had in a long time. It helped that we went for a late lunch on a weekday when there were very few people around, but I suspect we would have been pleased no matter what. Although this was our first visit, we were greeted warmly. Our server was pleasant and thorough, recommending favorite dishes. Two of us shared the mussel appetizer and the calamari appetizer, which were both tasty, followed by a decent Ceasar salad and splendid desserts. No rush, and just the right amount of attentiveness. The Square Cafe has the reputation for being expensive, and the meal was not cheap, but the price was not outrageous, and well worth the money. Many other "fine restaurants" in the area cost as much while being far less satisfying. This was a delightful surprise, and we will definitely be back. read more

This restaurant used to be a favorite. A place for every birthday and special event. Now the service is literally some of the worst around. Had the same waitress twice and it was almost like we were getting in the way/inconveniencing her by wanting food and eager to order the delicious appetizers. Everyone tensed up when she came by and it really ruined the experience. You need to get people in here that want to actually work in the service business or the quality of food doesn't matter. Period. You're better off going elsewhere for what was once the best on the south shore because they clearly don't value your business here! read more

Just wanted to give a shout out for this fine establishment. The new owners( since October) really work to put a smile on your face, and satisfy any hunger pains,too. We've been getting take out, and the food is always spot on. They recently opened up their inside dining, and we have enjoyed that too. The food was delicious, and the drink was superb. It was my first restaurant drink since the shutdown, and it didn't disappoint. I also ordered trays of food for a bereavement lunch and everyone was raving. read more

It had been a long time since we've been to the Square Cafe so a visit was in order for us as at least once a Christmas season my husband and I like to take time out just for ourselves...the idea was made especially attractive since we had been been given a generous gift certificate from a family in our town whose dog we found wandering on a busy street and safely returned to them. We decided to go for a late lunch last week and made the mistake of not having a reservation. Given that it is the holiday season, the place was packed. We almost left to go elsewhere but the hostess kindly suggested we wait by the bar as she thought she might soon get us an open table. Indeed, she was right and within a very few minutes, a couple left and we were able to snag the spot. The place was festive and decorated nicely for the holidays. Since it is a fairly small restaurant, everything is a bit tight especially when busy. The tables and chairs are closer than I like to be when eating out since it is impossible not to eavesdrop on your neighbors' conversations. You might be tempted to just ask your dining neighbors to just join you. The other problem with the seating here is that it is all banquette style. I get that for a small place this is the most efficient option to maximize seating however someone's back is always to the center of the restaurant. I don't know too many people who like to be in that seat. Most, like myself, want to be in the seat that faces into the restaurant and not at the wall. We had an extremely lovely and attentive waitperson. She was knowledgeable about the menu and attentive without being intrusive. Because we were in holiday mode we ordered a sparkling wine which was dry and delicious. The lunch menu is lovely with a number of appetizer, salad,sandwich and heartier entree options. I think most people would find something they fancied. My husband ordered the Cafe Bolognese which is braised beef, pork, sausage, and lamb over fresh pappardelle with a sprinkling of imported Parmesan cheese on top. He enjoyed his dish thoroughly and found it especially comforting and satisfying on what was an icy cold day. I had the oven roasted cod with garlic crumbs, and sauteed broccolini. There was a mustard beurre blanc sauce and shrimp fried rice on the side. The fish was flaky, delicious and perfectly cooked...which is to say not overcooked (all too easy to do with fish). I loved the sauteed broccolini. The side of rice was tasty and interesting but I am not sure its preparation was the perfect accompaniment to the cod. That said, I ate it all! The portions were nicely sized and we left feeling happy and full. In fact hours later we just wanted salads for dinner. We didn't have dessert...we were too full and we are trying to avoid sugar these days anyway...yes even during the holidays. The list of desserts though was inviting. We had a really lovely time, enjoyed the holiday vibe (December is such an awesome month to be out and about!) and promised ourselves that we would return soon and not let so much time lapse between visits. Kudos to the hostess and our server...both were especially terrific. read more

A MOUTH FULL OF BLISS !!!! Every sip of my grapefruit martini.... Moving to bursting warm flavors from the brussels sprouts.. to the finale of the most DELECTABLE shrimp scampi I have ever had. I cannot recommend a more beautiful and inviting restaurant on the South shore with owners who take precious care of every detail upon making reservations, to walking into the square, seating, waitresses, food -absolutely recommend going without a 2nd thought. Make reservations early. As it is worth every bit of a great experience. Thank you so much to these dedicated owners, Carol and Luke! read more

Disappointing. Had celebratory anniversary dinner at Square Café. Dinner was a C- and service was a D. Salad was comprised of wilted lettuce. My wife's scallop entrée was flavorless and included mushy risotto. I only had a few bites of my meal because I had a late lunch. I asked server John if it could be put in a to-go container. John said: "no problem." I paid the check and we waited for the to-go bag. After a long wait,, I asked John for it and he replied: "I didn't bag it for you and it's thrown away now." No apology or remedy offered. Compliments to Square Café for a totally disappointing experience. read more

I was looking forward to my first visit to Square Cafe, having viewed their interesting menu and noting the newspaper comment proclaiming it as the best restaurant south of Boston. I ordered the pan seared sea scallops with a corn risotto. I was astonished when I was served a rather large bowl which contained four scallops each about one-fourth the size of sea scallop on top of a watery risotto that may have had six kernels of corn. Had the scallops been prepared so that they rendered any flavor, I would not have complained even though the meal was less than I would have expected for a lunch serving. But the scallops were not at all tasteful or sweet--I wondered if I was served Skate instead of scallops. This is a rather pricey restaurant and I was prepared for that, but I expected food that deserved the price charged. I will not return nor recommend Square Cafe to anyone. read more

Perfect truffle hand-cut fries, great burger, great seafood, eclectic menu, wonderful staff and atmosphere. Crowded on a busy day but noise level quite manageable. Definitely the best restaurant in Hingham and more. read more

Excellent food and atmosphere however we only ate half of our food and asked both the host and the waitress to package the rest to take home. We waited 30 minutes for it to be brought to us and found out it was thrown away. They offered to give us bread to replace it. It was a nice experience for the most part but we will not be back. read more

This is the best restaurant on the South Shore and we love coming here. First, the interior design is beautiful, warm and welcoming. And the food is just delicious -- we love the tuna tacos and the filet mignon. The service here is sublime -- kind and attentive without being too cloying. The Square Café is a great place for a lovely date night dinner, a fun lunch with girlfriends or a great place to meet for drinks and delicious appetizers. You can't go wrong with the Square Café. read more

Not much more to say than 5 stars. Quality quality quality. What a joy to spend a night with them

Food - 5+ stars. Service - A sub-par 2 stars. As a previous 4 diamond restaurant floor manager, bartender, and server, I consider myself not only an avid foodie and wineo, but to know at thing or two about restaurant service. Square Cafe used to be my familys #1 pick for special occassions, heck - for any occassion! I write this review after discussing with my family where to go for two upcoming birthdays. Everyone wanted to go to Square Cafe, but decided against it because it is so dissapointing to pay such a high amount for lousy service. Ultimately , we dine out just as much for the experience, if not more, than just the food. I'll go back to a restaurant with decent food and impeccable service before going back to a restaurant with amazing food and poor service: enter Square Cafe. In the past two years of dining there the following stand out: - we were seated during lunch (when it wasn't slow) without menus. It took the server about 6 minutes to come to our table, and he didn't even realize that we didn't have menus. I had to go to the manager (?) and request them. - we were not told the specials, though another table was - our wine glasses remained empty for our entire entree - bread was not brought because "they figured we wouldn't want it" - servers seem uneducated and downright bored The basic steps of service are simply not adhered to. Everyone should be given bread, told specials, offered a refill of empty beverages, checked upon within 2 minutes of food hitting the table to ensure satisfaction and correct any errors, re-silverwared (and not forgotten about). A certain level of food and wine knowledge and general positive attitude and service is expected somewhere like Square Cafe that boasts higher prices and an elegant atmosphere. I LOVE the food at Square Cafe. The tempura, the calamari, the bananas foster. I will give the bar a try, but will not sit at the table for another special occassion only to have the experience darkened by such poor service by seemingly uninterested servers. When there are so many high quality restaurants in Hingham - I hope Square Cafe can step things up to compete with Tosca, Alma Nove, Scarlet Oak - all of whom have a far superior level of service but arguably, the same or less impressive food. Square Cafe could be at the top with some serious training and refocus. read more

I love square cafe. Whether it is the lobster roll, the pork chops or the staler chicken, I am sated and happy

Just returned from dinner at Square Cafe and have this bit of advice: if you have young kids, stay far away from this restaurant. Maybe I'll feel differently in the morning, but I couldn't be more displeased with my experience and it all comes down to the waitress I had. From the moment we sat down for an early dinner at 6pm, this particular waitress (thin blonde woman) couldn't have been more transparent with her disgust for our kids. I do recognize that dealing with kids isn't for everyone, but when I drop a few hundred dollars on a meal, I expect to feel welcome - not like my presence is an imposition. You'll see that in the past I've yelped positively about Square Cafe. I stand by my assessment that the food is quite good, though small portions. Also, Patty (full disclosure that she's known my family well since the Tosca days) has a great way about her and did a really nice job with the restaurant. It's because I've been such a fan over the years that I was so unbelievably disappointed. So two things I'd recommend: first, that Patty takes a closer look at her wait staff (aforementioned waitress specifically); and secondly, that until a change is made, readers who are looking for a family-friendly dining experience skip Square Cafe and head to Tosca. read more

Food was fabulous-service was awful. We had 6pm reservations but when they called to confirm they said the reservations were for 545...I explained the reservations were for 6 and that is the time we had arranged to meet friends. I was told that since "the person who took the reservation filled in the form incorrectly I guess it is our error. We will honor the 6pm time". From the second we walked in the door-we got the bums rush out the door. The waitress was awful. We tried to order appetizers and were told that she cannot take an order for apps only for the whole meal since that is "how the kitchen is set up". We asked for bread and she said she wasn't going to bring it because she didn't want us to fill up on that before "the good stuff"???? Too bad because the food was quite good...I wouldn't go back... read more

Square Cafe is a sophisticated, classy "neighborhood joint" that allows you to have a foodie night without venturing into the city. It has a comfortable decor with lots of banquette seating, as well as table that can be put together, and a small bar. The location, right in the center, is easily accessible and there is ample nearby parking. Hingham has a great social scene among the thirty+ somethings, and while I wouldn't call it hip, it has a great set of customers. Thursday through Sunday are packed, and the only downside is that it does get very noisy. Also, reservations on these nights are recommended. The food is great! No too simple, but not too over the top. I always get the vegetarian plate, even though I am not vegetarian. The chef puts together a different selection of four things every time, and it is amazing, especially the veggie tempura that is made to look like a club sandwich. The square Cafe is perfect for a casual night out or special occasion, and is worth the trip! read more

You don't want to miss dining here, it will become your "go to favorite". The menu and wine selection is excellent, portions are impressively generous, atmosphere quiet and decorating exceptional. read more

We really enjoyed dinner drinks and dessert. The hostess is a doll and our waitress was great. The spicy clementine margarita was very good. The bread and oil they serve are to die for. read more