The Square Cafe

Simply put, this place is WAY too expensive for what you get. But, okay, I can handle the occasional overspend. as in two drinks each, a shared appetizer, and two bar burgers totaling …wait for it. a HUNDRED dollars! But what really irked me was that, when it came time to settle up, I pointed out that they’d put the wrong call liquor on my bill (I’d ordered Hendricks gin and not Ketel One vodka). I was just trying to be helpful, I assumed the price was the same. But when they brought the revised bill back, they’d ADDED half a buck to the liquor tab! Bad form, losers. So I took two bucks off the server’s tip and vowed never to go back. Spend that fifty cents wisely.

We walked in here feeling a little out of place. We read a previous review saying there’s lot of noisy kids here, so we showed up with our noisy kid. Well, there wasn’t any other babies and we were underdressed, but the staff was friendly and all were helpful. I had the honey lemonade cocktail and it was strong and tasty. The fries were great, and they make the best crab cakes. Pricey, but a great spot to check out.

Perhaps the best restaurant on the South Shore. All three meals were excellent, our waiter was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was upscale yet comfortable. Impressed by the originality and creativity of the dishes (see mussels in spicy coconut lime lobster broth) which were absolutely perfect! Highly recommended.

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 Café 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 Café, 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 Café.
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 entrée
— 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 Café that boasts higher prices and an elegant atmosphere.
I LOVE the food at Square Café. 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 Café 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 Café could be at the top with some serious training and refocus.

Hey it’s a solid place to grab some above average food. High quality food but a limited menu that seemingly doesn’t change a whole lot. Hard to find the ‘knock out signature dish’ but the standard of a couple beef, a couple chicken, a fish or two and a token shellfish on the menu gets the job done.
Needs to add a little creativity to their stable of tried-&-true dishes; a nightly vegetarian and vegan offering seems like a lay-​up idea (after all this is Hingham).
And the puzzler of the week — Why on God’s green earth when paying $ 12.50 for a marginal pour of red wine does it arrive at the table bordering on warm? Like +70 degree warm. For the price you should take wine a bit more seriously… Cave temp plus a bit would do you well.

I tread carefully around white table cloth dining rooms which paint themselves to be «the restaurant» in a rural bedroom town. Occasionally, they let a showy façade (ooooh, fire from stones! I have three forks!) create the illusion of an exquisite dining experience, while the food is haphazardly executed by a line cook with a book of recipes.
Not so at Square Café.
For lunch, the Sashimi Tuna Fish Tacos ($ 17) are a tasty misnomer — the togarashi spiced yellowfin is wrapped up burrito-​style with wasabi crème fraîche and gingered coleslaw. Ain’t mad at ya, boo; just know your roll. Ha! Homonym puns. The accompanying house made chips were a bit greasy and under-​salted. Girl liked her Smoked Turkey «Grilled Cheese» (another misnomer — it’s just a turkey melt), served with crisp, fat fries.
Best dinner entrée is a special: the sweet and spicy Ancho Chili and Brown Sugar Braised Short Ribs. Tender not mushy, and what a balance of flavors! You’ll find the same cut seasoned differently in the bolognese, but treat yourself if you see this dish as a nightly special — it’s a great plate.
Clientele goes from whisper quiet to whisper rowdy in two-​heavily poured chardonnays. Because, hey, Hingham.

Disappointing dining experience. The hostess, server, and even the manager were rude and pretentious. As we were finishing our drinks after lunch, a waiter walked by and threw a tablecloth on our table and walked away. I had the quiche with broccoli cheddar soup and was not impressed. Also, our drinks sat at the bar for 10 minutes before we had to ask the waitress to bring them to us. It was not busy so there was no excuse for inattentive service. Will not go back and will not recommend. Too many good restaurants around that create a better dining experience!

One of my favorite restaurants in the area and we are lucky to have a lot of really good ones. The Hot & Sour Calamari is delicious – filled with red grapefruit, mango, roasted cashews, and a wonderful hot & sour sauce. Everything is consistently good here. They have great burgers and great specials.

Just finished the most wonderful meal here. My family has gone here a number of times, and wanted to share this great place with me.
The restaurant itself was beautiful on the inside, white linen table cloths, pillows around the booths, beautiful flowers. Etc
I started with a very tasty drink that was made with coconut Malibu rum, pineapple juice and coconut water…
Then a fresh beet salad with blue cheese, pecans and topped with arugula.
Then the best grilled chicken salad I ever had!!! Arugula, beets, cucumbers, three different types of tomatoes, avocados, goat cheese, etc.
If you are ever in Hingham, Ma. You must go here

This has become a favorite for my husband and I. The food is really wonderful and we’ve always had good service. They cook their meats perfectly, moist and tender, and their sauces are always delectable. If you have for dessert, the chocolate molten cake is one of their best. We also enjoy the size of the venue and its décor.

Love it! The menu changes just enough to stay in season but they hold onto some of the fan favorites year round. Friendly staff and nice and cozy atmosphere! Prob my favorite in the area!

We were told by the manager of another eatery to try the Square Café for lunch after being turned away by their crowd this sunny Sunday, and are grateful for his recommendation.
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and will return there next time we visit the area.
My husband ordered the tuna entrée and I the quiche, salad and soup.
His tuna was served with fresh vegetables in a roll up and accompanied by a ginger soy dipping sauce. House made potato chips made the meal complete.
Raw fish is not something I enjoy, but he raved about it.
I had to give the combo I ordered a lower mark because the soup of the day looked and tasted exactly like Campbells beef vegetable with barley.
Fresh salad and individual quiche were adequate.
The bread preceding the meal was phenomenal, fresh baked tasting and served with oil infused herbs and red pepper flakes and parmesan.
The service was top notch.
When I return I will not get the soup, but look forward to one of the huge salads, like the salmon, sirloin, or spicy shrimp and noodles. That one seemed to be a popular dish as we saw many diners with long chopsticks.

Over the last year, the Square began to deliver on the promise of its menu. That was not always the case in the past, and so this downtown Hingham spot now gets top marks. Had the Porcini & Black Truffle Ravioli as well as the Seared Local Sea Scallops a few times and at each sitting the flavors were both outstanding and consistent. Service is very good, and the restaurant itself is cozy and upscale without being stuffy.

An inventive menu where most items lie just beyond your comfort zone– and you’ll be happy you took the plunge.
I started with fried calamari served with mango, grapefruit and cashews. It was unlike any other calamari I’ve had before, with a range of textures from crispy and crunchy to smooth and fresh. Delicious!
For an entrée I had the duck breast with butternut squash. I’m fairly new to duck and my server, Luke, was helpful and informative in the process of ordering. The dish was plated beautifully and cooked to perfection, complimented by flavors like sage and orange zest. I sampled my girlfriend’s scallops and they were the biggest silkiest scallops everrrr.
Finally, I had pumpkin crème brûlée and it was everything I could have hoped for in a pumpkin dish– fresh pumpkin flavor and no weird coloring or excessive sugar. It was garnished with and orchid and Luke was even nice enough to bring out a candle for my friend!
Cocktails were great, service was even better (thanks Luke!) and the atmosphere was sweet and cozy. I’d recommend reservations as it was quite busy! I’ll definitely return.

One of my favorite places on the South Shore. Small inside, but cozy, open, and warm. The food is beyond delicious… I’ve had their Barolo Braised Beef Short Rib (didn’t even need a knife, it was so tender) and I’ve also had their Ribeye (cooked perfectly medium). Even their sides are amazing, whether starch or vegetable. Their Caesar salad I usually split with whomever I’m with prior to the meal, you can get the anchovies on the side, I personally don’t care for them. I tried their dessert last weekend when I dined there, we had the maple bread pudding with a caramel sauce– out of this world!
Wine list has plenty of choices for any palate; I tried their rose, it was very good. The presentation is also excellent; they take pride in their food both in delivery and taste! All of the waitstaff are courteous and attentive. They come back and check that everything is to your satisfaction, fill your water without asking, and even swipe away crumbs on the table during your meal.
It’s not too cheap, but well worth the price. Paid $ 145 for 4 glasses of wine, salad, braised beef dish, beef tenderloin, and dessert.
I’ve eaten here quite a few times and will continue to come back for the excellent food, service, and presentation.

Excellent food. Amazing service (our waiter was a young guy who was attentive and charming). The whole experience was flawless. An intimate, cozy place to celebrate an occasion or go out with girlfriends on a Saturday night dinner. Tried the stuffed pork chop, duck, pork belly, and shrimp tempura… all were wonderful. For dessert, I had the salted caramel icecream. Easily the best icecream I’ve ever had in my life. I will be back!

The first table they sat us at… shouldn’t even be a table. Right next to the bathrooms and was teeny. Clearly the hostess wanted to test us to see if we were willing to sit at the kiddie table. Uh no…
Food was delicious and our server was top notch. I wish I could remember the name of our waitress-​she was experienced and wonderful.
Atmosphere is classy, maybe a little bit pretentious. The décor is modern and yet still quaint and combined with the delectable food and the exceptional service of the waitstaff it makes for charming and romantic experience-​perfect for date night.

I’ll preface this review by saying that my friend won a $ 200 GC here and we finally used it last night. There were only 3 of us, and we definitely tried it all! Saturday nights here are apparently crazy. They say reservations are recommended but I’m pretty sure they are your only option. Called that day and they could only take us at 9pm.
The place is not very big but ambiance is nice. My husband was wowed at all the little touches: cleaning the crumbs off the table, the waiters rushing over to fold the napkins if you go to the bathroom.
The bread was nice, dipping oil was wonderful and I’m not usually into that. We had some martinis. My favorite was the Bikinitini with the toasted coconut rim. We tried the egg rolls with the delicious pineapple dipping sauce and also the flatbread pizza. Not huge apps but very good. Got a Caesar salad for the table to split that was pretty usual.
I had the ribeye which was cooked to order. My dinner dates both got the scallops and both raved that it was the best they ever had! The fried shrimp rice was great as well.
I wasn’t overly impressed with the desserts. The presentation was great but they weren’t the sweetest of desserts. The molten chocolate cake was a bit bitter to me, much more higher of a cocoa percentage I think than I usually care for. The carrot cake was a huge individual cupcake but covered with whip cream, the frosting was just on the plate. I could have easily skipped the desserts. We spent around $ 250 including the tip for all these courses for the 3 of us. Glad we tried it all. Not quite sure if I’d spend my own money here, but it was a great experience. Portions weren’t tiny but not big either. Menu was pretty small. Wish there were a bit more choices.

The Square Café 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!

You rock!!! The best place to eat on the south shore. Previously I would have to drive into the city every weekend to find good food. This place is very consistent in every aspect-​quality of food and service.