Small shop on Broadway in Everett that's gotten some strong influencer push (read: hype) over the…read morelast six months, so curiosity led me there, but with no expectations (I generally take strong influencer push with a grain of salt). There are six tiny tables just large enough to hold a pizza box, and barely any standing room; it's mostly all about the takeout. Street parking isn't easy, but fairly achievable at $1 an hour at meters. There's a Walgreens parking lot right next door, but highly risky. Offsetting the minor logistical hassles is the convenient availability of slices, a rarity at pizza joints of this caliber.
-- Pepperoni Pizza: A beautiful visual and a beautiful flavor and texture. I'll start with the crust, which strike me as a cross between Greek and New Haven: same airiness as Greek, but without the grease; thin and crisp like a New Haven, but without the heavy char. I liked that combination. Minimal droopage (I don't use Portnoy's f-word). The tomato was strong-- dark and spicy with good use of black pepper and oregano. The cheese was light in volume but very sharp. The pepperoni was somewhat thick and top-notch quality. On top of all that, fresh grated cheese for more sharpness and extra texture. The autumnal droppings of giant raw basil leaves didn't really add anything, but they didn't take anything away. Overall, great pizza. Elite, even.
-- Cheesesteak: Ordered with onions on their excellent homemade sesame seed roll that's become commonplace among cheesesteak joints, but Square Deli was among the first to do it. Crusty on the outside, but with flexibility-- a great vessel. The beef is ribeye and it's shredded, kind of like a shredded beef dish at a Chinese restaurant. The pieces are flat and reasonably tender. The cheese is sharp, but it tastes and feels more like a beef sandwich with cheese, rather than that singular concoction of lusciousness that is Big Al's in Billerica. The onions added a little something but weren't as noticeable as the namesake ingredients. Good quality beef, cheese, and roll, all of it arriving piping hot, make it very satisfying. Overall, excellent, but not the elite I'd hoped.
-- Chocolate Chip Cookie: A giant, soft creation with a little something extra in the dough. Maybe coffee? A solid offering.
As for the hype: Square Deli came through in flying colors on the pizza, and fell a little short on the cheesesteak, but it was still a very, very good cheesesteak. As for stars, an easy 5.