I'm not sure why I haven't yelped about Za before, given that I ate here frequently! Oh well. The Chalkboard specials are what drew me in! The choices - very original. You would too...Portabella Mushroom Pizza! Yum. Ambience - 5 * Service - 5*, sometimes 4.5* Cleanliness - 5* Food - 5x5* Price - affordable. Seriously, even a student could go there once every 10 days :O) Recommend - YES! read more

Greek style with a modern twist. I'm not big on [anyone's] modern combinations so I stick with the basics, but Za's use of high quality and tasty ingredients keep this pizza near the top of my list. All pies are personal size and on the occasion I don't finish in-house, I've always found a re-heated slice to be nearly as good (~2 min on nonstick pan, 1 tbsp of water with a cover for 1 min). read more

My friends and I dined there this past Sunday, two in our party had a bacon pizza, both , one of which is an elderly gentleman, got severe cramps and diarrhea . The manager we spoke to was impersonal and asked, after simply stating symptoms, asked, "did you eat the salad?" . Of course at this point the rabbits of the group were a bit concerned. The manager was then informed it was the guests dining on the bacon pizza. Response was generic, "we'll check our product suppliers and call you back" Day two, no phone call back. Conclusion that may be drawn from uninformed guests, according to the manager, would be if you dine here...do not eat salad or have it touch your bacon pizza. really??? Za...get yourself new management. read more

The name makes it. Upside: responsible, local-partnered ingredients. Say what you will about local sourcing, it takes chutzpah to employ it. Not sure if they're organic, or how well employees are treated. Pending those, it would get five stars automatically. Other pluses: not terribly expensive for a place with class. Near transit. Only downside: I don't particularly like the location. read more

The pizzas get 5 stars. The salads and desserts (from my sampling) get deducted a star. We arrived on a busy night and had a 20 minute wait, got started with some beers while we waited. The salads are a little funky. They're formed into these little towers. Eh. Not my style really but sure, they're trying to be different. We got the butternut squash one. Lots of stringy squash and wished there was more goat cheese. I live for goat cheese and that's kind of why I ordered it. Pizzas were good. Would definitely order the chorizo with the mustard creme again. The waiter said it tasted like a cuban and certainly did. Also got the Mac & Cheese and while it was novel it was a touch greasy and heavy and really was to be expected. Got dessert but didn't need to... when the pecan pie came out cold it confirmed that it wasn't worth it. We should have requested it be nuked. Oh well. Maybe the other desserts were better. Salad, 2 pizzas and a dessert was quite a meal. We took home more than a whole pizza as leftovers. So a single pizza and a healthy dose of beer is meal enough for 2 hungry people. read more

Best pizza I've had in Boston. Potentially the most unique pizza I've had anywhere. Have you ever had a strawberry, goat cheese, toasted walnut, and caramelized onion pizza before? I didn't think so. Come to Za and this sad situation will be rectified. Seriously, whoever thought to bake strawberries into pizza was an effing genius. No surprise I loved this place so much, since EVOO, their sister restaurant, is also one of my faves. Za, like EVOO, also features local ingredients and an ever-changing seasonal pizza menu. Service went really quickly at peak dinner time on a Saturday night. Also, cuz I notice these sort of things - if you get a bevvy they're there w/a refill when you still have 1/3 of your glass left. They don't charge you for the refills, even of the good stuff. Pretty nice :) read more

Za is delicious. It is also a recent addition to the Scrabble two-letter word list that means "pizza." Thus, it should come as no surprise that Za is all about the pie. "Pizza place" being too deceptively simple a description, I shall go into detail. Here are things that you can get at Za: 1) Wonderful salad and pizza specials, enriched by the freshest seasonal ingredients. 2) A standard menu into which much thought has clearly been put. I had the cucumber and potato salad, it was supremely tasty and beautifully plated. 3) Mind-blowing, unexpected, and delightful flavor combination. Hello there pizza with duck and peaches, please get into my belly now. 4) The best damn panna cotta I have ever had. With fresh whipped cream. CAN YOU GO WRONG THERE? I think not, man. I think not. 5) If you decide to take your unfinished yummies home, you will get to travel with an adorably printed Za paper bag. Such a cute touch...but maybe I'm just a softie. read more

Awesome desserts, great salads, so-so pizza... My husband (a Chicago pizza snob), my mom, and I thought the pizza here was just okay. The crust pretty thick; it seemed too thick to truly compliment the gourmet toppings. I basically think gourmet-type toppings are best served on neapolitan style pizza. Specifically we ordered: - the special pizza with goat cheese, mushroom, garlic, etc. The garlic (whole cloves, roasted) was WAY too much. We had to pick it off. - a "chalkboard" special involving apples, cheddar, pumpkin seeds, etc. Too sweet; tasted too desserty. Could not taste the cheddar. - made our own with ham, pineapple, and pickled peppers. Ham would have been better thinner sliced. And again, on all of these, the crust was too thick. It couldn't be described as "thin" or as "thick" crust, it was sort of in-between ... this made it neither a worthy focus nor a useful compliment, IMO. We did really like the desserts. We had the dark chocolate goat cheese cheesecake and the buttermilk panna cotta. They do need to rename the panna cotta; it was more like "lemon panna cotta." Or maybe they could just make it without the lemon, that would be even better. Salads were very good (we had the beet salad and the tex-mexy one). Fresh and sort of different. I wouldn't call them rave-worthy but still, pretty good. Service was impeccable. read more

Salads and pizza and dessert. Everything I need to be happy. LOVE the toppings (figs & ham & gorgonzola -- hmmmmmmmm). But I HATE the crust. It's like the crust at Pinnochio's in Harvard Square, if you've been there. Grainy and dry, weird. For some reason I can't figure out, it always seems loud (with conversation, not music). I like the feel of the place, and if they'd get a new crust recipe, I'd move in. Maybe that's why they won't change it. read more

I actually work right next to the Kendall Square location, but I've been to the Arlington restaurant too. I like their pizza. They have some unique pizzas, like the Mac and Cheese pizza. They're individual sized, and around $10-11, which is fine. I'm just not sure I'd spend it on a regular basis, but again, I like the pizza. The Kendall location gives off a strange vibe to me, as it shares the building with "EVOO" which seems like a "high-end" restaurant. It might not actually be "high-end" but you usually see normal working folks eating pizza, and prim and proper suits eating over in EVOO. I'm probably over-thinking it, but just seems odd. The Arlington locale, however is small and homey, and feels appropriate for a pizza shop. I do like the pizza. read more

Just went here for the second time. I want to add a star. The pizza was so fresh and potato salad was so invigorating and beautiful. read more

Terrific local pizza joint with great and interesting pizzas. I had the modified Caesar salad and it was really awesome. I followed it with a 10" chicken, garlic, onion, and Broccoli which was really was amazing. I brought the leftovers home and had them for a snack this evening..so good! The wait staff was amazing and took very good care of me. What I really dug was that it is a local joint...the waitress was chatting up a patron and they were just having a lovely chat. I will definitely be back... read more

WAHOO! This place was amazing.. The creme brulee we had for dessert was a little to overpowered by the rosemary infusion...but the PIZZA-BEER& WINE Selection was worth the trip....My daughter had the Mac-n-Cheese Pizza and it was really good...homeade sausage topping was a winner on the grown up pizza we ordered along with the pickled Jalepenos....mmmmmm did I mention the beer was really really good...to put it into Mortal Combat terms..if Za was fighting Emmas in Cambridge..ZA would have scored a fatality..ZA RULES! read more

This place is great! I used to get all bent out of shape that it's not pizza; but who cares, whether its pizza or not it's really good. Be sure to get the avocado salad and be smart and get one for yourself, you're not going to want to share. One pizza is definitely enough for two people, especially if you start with one of the salads, but we usually get two, to try different things and also we usually order from the specials menu. read more

Ate there a month ago waiting for movie to start, very good pizza. I like buying something before heading into a movie.

For modern bistro pizza, Za has a good assortment of ingredients and suggestions when you are looking to be inspire. I have had combinations such as, "-Shiitake Mushroom, Sweet Onion, Potato Puree, Gruyere, Parmesan, Scallion and Truffle Oil" that are pleasant. They have great Kalamata Olives. The one dine-in experience on a busy Sunday evening took far longer than I had hoped to get served and fed, despite there being an adequate number of servers. The take-out is usually extremely fast and efficient. I would be willing to try dine-in again, and would have no reservations about to-go orders. read more

Very good non-traditional pizza (it's not thin crust, nor thick crust). Also nice array of interesting non-traditional salads. I would avoid the temptation to always order from the specials and make up your own combo. I find the specials a little weird sometimes - you know it's not necessarily the case that you can pair absolutely anything with absolutely anything else. On one occasion, two of them had potatoes as a topping. Well, maybe, but on half your specials? Great service and cozy setting. read more

Not really feeling the pizza here. The salads are great in quality, but too overpriced! It is just greens! I could easily make the greek salad at home with more seasoning, too. I have no problem paying for something great, but this wasn't great. Friend got the avocado and cucumber salad with potatoes, nice combination, but again small size, and not enough of everything . Atmosphere is OK, looks like they are trying kind of hard to be "cool." We sat at one of the two tops in the middle, which was VERY close to the other couple at the next table, really didn't like that because I felt others could hear our conversation. The booths are OK, they don't really fit the vibe. The 4 top tables right next to the windows are nice with stainless steel and a view of mass ave. Pizza was lackluster too. We got a chalkboard special with apples... My friend really wanted to try this and I should have said no! It was no good & the crust tastes like frozen supermarket kind. Dessert was the worst part ever : frozen raspberries, no thanks. read more

What makes this a win for me, and scores big with my lady. Go early, 5:30pm, and avoid the crowd. Split a pizza, and get your own salads. Nancy loves the beet salad, and the way they serve it is great. Lots of little things added, that make this salad a hit. Get Nancy a glass of wine. $25 on the table, and we are out of there. SCORE!! read more

Ingredients are fresh - tried the chicken broccoli special pizza and a salad. We waited for about half an hour for our table but for whatever reason, patrons kept turning to stare at us, making me feel very uncomfortable. OH Well! The staff was great and the food was great, so it turned out to be a good night. read more

The visit was in a quiet early dinner slot, with only a few wary odd fellow patrons, puzzling at the heat of the summer. Wondering together if the heat would ever stop, sipping water to remedy, we all received adequate service from a babe waitress who was appropriately sweet. Others who were babe-like as well, though with more introspection, seemed motivated to do their thing- and the boss-like man was around. He seemed a bit taken with himself. The service therefore was aligned properly with the planets. Pizza order and salad side poised for launch we waited and watched the two odd young two ladies (from a nearby trailer park?) smoke their butts and wait for the bus. Good for the environment (the bus), bad for their pulmonary function and alveoli (the butts). They'll out grow it, most likely. Then drive cars; you can't win eh? Oh yea---Ah the arrival of the alimentary delights and the brewed grain products...a worthy selection of both The full experience was good and satisfying. Though Im a prefer-er of thin crust, this version of moderate crust was good. Nicely edible and balance of flavors placed in their places. Atmosphere is somehow nicer than Stone Hearth in Belmont. But support them both whenever possible, not the evil Bertucci Empire of darkness.......(though its ok too --!?wtf?) Hold down those prices Mr. Za, get the return and marginal diners in there, ok? read more

Yummy pizza and salads. Friendly staff every time I've been there. And family-friendly. Booths available which are perfect for us. If you're in the mood for fresh pizza and are a Flatbread Pizza fan, you'll like this. Small, simple restaurant style-wise, but the ingredients and flavor speak for themselves. Most recently got the zucchini pizza, a regular cheese pizza and the beet salad. Liked the beet salad more than the arugula/ watermelon salad but both refreshing. read more

They are very creative and have some original salads and pizzas. -Avocado chopped salad- Delicious - Beet and goat cheese salad - Delicious - Beer selection- pretty decent - Pizzas - They have some very creative specials, I had a pickle, mustard, hamburger pizza that was yummy. Nice decor, medium sized seating area, waitstaff get the job done and leave you unimpressed. A little pricey given the size of the portions. (12 inch pizzas I think) read more

I say one thing about Za that I have NEVER said about another place: I ordered a pizza and wished I had gotten a salad insted. Prices were fair. Food was killer (both the pizza and the salad.) read more

The food was great. I especially loved the avocado salad and the Shiitake Mushroom, Sweet Onion, Potato Puree, Gruyere, Parmesan, Scallion and Truffle Oil pizza. I also enjoyed the macaroni pizza. We were seated quickly and had good service. read more

I went here about half a year ago and it was pretty good. I sadly didn't get to eat in but had ordered the beet salad and a mushroom pizza. The pizza for me wasn't anything to amazing. Being from New York I tend to like a NY style more which wasn't anything like Za's. The toppings were pretty taste just didn't enjoy the crust to much. The beet salad I loved it was very creamy and must have been tons of calories. If I ever go back to Boston I will def. get the beets again but as a meal in itsef. read more

I wasn't supposed to have lunch here, but due to the chosen location no longer being open for lunch, my friend suggested Za, and I'm glad she did. Za is like a remixed version of Emma's, at least that was the comparison I made. They have creative pizzas, but with only about eight to choose from the menu is not as overwhelming as Emma's (don't get me wrong, I love Emma's!) We started with salads, I followed the waitresses suggestion and went with the avocado salad. It was amazing and I can see why she said she could eat it everyday. My friend got the Greek style salad, and I tried a bite and it was also really good. For pizza, we split the chicken & broccoli minus the chicken as I'm a vegetarian. The pizza was perfect, a great balance of all the ingredients. I was full, but at the same time I just couldn't stop eating. The dessert menu looked creative and delicious, unfortunately I did not have room to try anything. Next time though...goat cheese cheesecake, could be addicting! I can't wait to go back and try more.... read more

Za is great! I was craving somewhere with veggies, so we went here and split the goat cheese garlic pizza - mmm so savory! I've had some of the other pizzas there, and this one always wins out. We also split a pretty simple salad, but it had potatoes at the bottom so it was actually legit filling. The service was super fast - in fact, it was almost too fast. We were in and out in half an hour. And we had three courses! That may have been partially our fault, since we ate fast... Anyway! Great dependably good food, and good prices too. read more

I checked out Za before heading to a movie at the Capital Theatre. My actual score is a 2.5. When we arrived we were immediately seated. Then we waited. And waited. And waited at least 20 minutes before a very flustered waitress came to take our order for drinks and food. The beet salad I ordered was fairly tasty. Definitely not enough for an entree, but well balanced between the sweet beets and creamy goat cheese. My companion's Greek salad looked nice, but definitely needed seasoning. We split one of their special chalkboard pizzas: apple, cheddar, caramelized onions, and chorizo. Overall the pizza was bland. The apples were cut into a dice, which left them tasteless and mushy. Slices might have been a better cut. The cheese wasn't sharp enough and kind of sank into the background. Now, as others have mentioned, the onions were less than caramelized. Like the half at the outside of the pizza were halfway there and the ones in the center were barely sauteed. I wasn't crazy about the crust, found it heavy and lifeless. The star of the pizza was the chorizo, which was excellent. I will say that the pizza tasted better cold the next day for breakfast. We each had dessert, my lemon tarte came with half frozen (and in one case halfway to moldy) raspberries and a tough as nails crust. Now shame on me for ordering a lemon tarte in January, but shame on Za for not arranging their menu to be more seasonal. My boyfriend's sweet potato pie was... less than good. Mushy. The wine list is marginal but they have a selection of local beers on tap for decent prices. So kudos for the beer list. Overall, I wouldn't come back. read more

I'd just like to say that I moved back to Toronto - and every time we go out for fancy pizza we say "it's just not as good as Za." That's right. Za is officially the best 'za around. I miss it. It's delicious, and they make perfect pizzas. read more

UPDATE: Finally actually went to Za on a recent weekend with some friends and it was a great time. It is super crowded but we called ahead and got seated really quickly. The creative pizza and salad combinations were great. Good times! We'll definitely be back. ___________________________________________________ Got take-out from Za with friends. I had wanted to try this place and had no idea the pizza we were eating was from Za until about half way through the meal. It's funny-- though the pizza was delicious, I was definitely expecting more of a Cambridge One-type pizza from the other reviews-- but it wasn't like that at all. These pizzas had a lot more substance, and definitely rocked a real pizza crust, rather than a flat bread crust. We tried the pepperoni, a couple of really creative veggie combinations, and then something with pesto. I wish I knew better, but our friends were so excited about their new fave pizza place that they did all the ordering and the pizza was there when we arrived at their house! I definitely want to venture out to Arlington to try the actual restaurant! read more

The Za staff is awesome - super friendly with fast service. This is important when you've got a little one who may or may not decide to happily sit through dinner. Everytime I go, I order the avocado salad with bread and butter jalepenos. It's a perfect balance of cool, creamy, crunchy, spicy and sweet. HOW DO THEY DO IT? I try to order a pizza from their chalkboard specials each time I go. These pizzas have extremely fresh local produce and meats, and capture the bounty of the season. Get anything with truffle oil - they know how to use it and make it perfect. read more

Pizza is my passion. Za's pizZA is decent - original toppings, chewy but kind of flat crust. The experience is really enhanced by their wonderful, tasty, out of the box salads and a nice wine/beer list. I always enjoy the beet-goat-cheese-orange salad. Last night I got a pizza with creme freche, red onions galore, capers, and smoked salmon. It tasted like brunch pizza. I would have been better off with a different choice... but c' le vie! Atmosphere is decent, a little chilly with the door. Recommend calling ahead. I enjoy a Za or two here per year, but don't go too far out of my way to get here. read more

Something has changed: me or the food---not sure. I went back more recently and really liked the food, a lot. I got an avocado salad and pizza. Was with a group of 5-6, all food was delicious. read more

This was an interesting style of pizza. Pan pizza with interesting combinations of toppings for their specialties. I tried a meaty delight sausage peppers and onions, which did not disappoint. The dessert menu looked interesting but the pizza filled me up and I didn't partake. The cooking style is a thin crust pan style. It was surprisingly unique and very enjoyable. There is plenty of room for kiddos but an atmosphere that allows it to be a classier joint later in the evening. The service was very friendly and attentive. read more

Two things make Za great: The staff and the selection. SELECTION: Where else can one get cherries on a pizza? Their ingredients are procured from Verrill Farm with delectable results. The menu features an ever-changing collection of unique pizza concoctions, and one can be reasonably assured that old favorites will be provided as well (as long as the ingredients are in-season!) *** note *** Until recently, Za had one of the best crusts in the biz. It was thin without being wimpy, crispy without being hard, and was the perfect taste and consistency to complement their creations. However, to the alarm, dismay, and disappointment of many, they have changed their crust. It is no longer thin, can be doughy, and tastes like a water-logged cracker. What's on top of the pizza, though, is still great! Also? The soda is ALWAYS flat. Since the restaurant opened, the soda has never once had any carbonation. I don't know what the problem is, but it's perpetual. STAFF: Yes, the ever-present manager does seem to keep a tight rein on his workers, but in the restaurant business, I think that's probably crucial. The man has always been pleasant to customers, is engaging without being intrusive, and seems to genuinely care whether or not the meal was enjoyable. read more

It's not that the pizza's aren't great. Yummy in the tummy, all the way. I can't give this place the 5 star rating because they are expensive, and I'm a cheap Yankee. Plus, the place is a bit precious for me. I like my pizza places staffed by warm, yet gruff folks who grew up making pizzas, not trained chefs. The dear departed Emma is still my favorite. read more

I'm a pizza enthusiast, no doubt. From Zacharys in California to DiFara's in NY. And to me...well.....Za' just isn't really pizza. ....Sorry! It's good, pretty good. It's definetely round and has some cheese on it. But the fact is that it's kind of just a specialty bread and topping place. You can't just put anything you want on some dough and call it pizza! Where's the sauce? The mozzarella? This review is sure to get some angry responses but I really did sorta like the place. Really! I had the Carlson Orchard's Peaches, Roasted Duck, Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onions, Basil, and Toasted Walnuts "pizza" The mixture of the cheese and the peach was interesting and tasty, but the duck was just sorta hanging out and not doing much. I also had some of a Elbow Macaroni, Caramelized Onions, Cream Sauce, Four Cheeses, and Toasted Bread Crumbs "pizza" They were both fairly tasty but not quite up to par with the satisfaction I get from 9 out of 10 corner pizza shacks in Brooklyn. It was kind of just alot of talk and not too much follow through. I've had "specialty pizzas" before and liked them more than this place. Not to sound like too much of a hater or anything :) read more

The place for people who like to put fun or weird things on their pizza. Perfect for take-out. Recommend: Anything with potatoes, bacon, garlic, thyme... Don't recommend: Mac 'n cheese za. read more

Waiter was very attentive, constantly filling my water glass (which was good because I was thirsty). Hubby and I split a 10" pizza and found it to be plenty. They have some great pizza combos and some great looking salads. Food came promptly and was delicious. I do wish there were some more salad options, every salad had something that was taboo during pregnancy. With tax and tip we spent $16. I wish they had parking. read more