Excellent pizza- flavorful fluffy crust, tons of toppings, would recommend both the bacon/clam and the Hawaiian. The drinks seemed uneven though- the Arnold Palmer was way too sweet and the mint limeade wasn't sweet enough (or at all), so maybe stick to beer and water. read more

A huge group of us were attending a wedding next door when everyone decided that we should gather again the next day for brunch. It's hard to find a place that can accommodate big party and we were lucky that Area Four was flexible with us. We ended up having almost 20 people for brunch and we were pleased with the extensive brunch and pizza menus. He and I ordered two pizzas (which was one too many) to share. The Breakfast Pizza with fried eggs and potatoes was true to its name. The star was definitely the A4 Sausage & Pickled Peppers Pizza. It was so well balanced and flavorful. Those were some A+ pizzas. read more

Yummy, satisfying, and lovely. We came for lunch/brunch at 1:30 on a Saturday, and we were seated in about 20 min. Ambience was homey and comfortable. The space has lots of windows and natural light, and the walls are decorated with charming lettering and art. Our server was friendly and quick to help us. One particularly nice touch was that she gave us a full water decanter for the table and then filled our glasses with a serving decanter, rather than filling our glasses with the decanter for the table. Because of this, we had as much water as we needed--very nice! While we were waiting to be seated, we hung out in the cafe that is adjacent to the full service restaurant. We got a carrot cake muffin and a chaider. Both were excellent. I especially loved the cream cheese frosting on the carrot cake muffin because it was so light and silky. After we were seated, we ordered a small margherita pizza and the hot mess. Both were delicious. The hot mess was served in a hot skillet with two eggs on top. The yolk of one egg was wonderfully runny--the other was more solid. Breaking through the egg to see the potatoes and sausage steaming underneath was amazing. I loved the hot mess. The pizza was a little burnt, but it was yummy and not overly greasy. I wish the basil had been added afterward so that it was fresh and more aromatic. It was yummy but not the best pizza I had ever had. Minus one star because of the burnt crust, which bothered my companion very much. Overall, I enjoyed the experience very much, and I'll be back! read more

Area Four - Small margherita pizza and hot mess in an iron skillet. Good stuff! - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Wow. Honestly this place blew me away. I was in Boston for a business trip and wound up going solo to dinner at Area Four. The waiter was kind, didn't talk too much but just enough, and the 'za was fantastic. Perfect stone-cooked pizza and fed a very hungry runner after a day of travel - I only had 2 slices left! They also have an excellent beer selection. Highly, highly recommend this place! Awesome atmosphere to boot, and a good music selection. :-) read more

this place had great service and amazing food. made it to the bar with no reservation and the bartender was lovely and great to talk to

Area Four has never failed me. It's one of my go to stops if I'm in Tech Square. I love the versatility of this place. I can go in for a quick coffee and breakfast sandwich, or a sit down meal with variety of wine and beers. The breakfast sandwiches are quality. If you're looking for a breakfast sandwich on the lighter side, it's probably not your spot. Looking for something delicious and filling, get in line. Don't let the line intimidate you, they're fast. Lunch never disappoints. You won't go wrong ordering any of their pizzas, it's what they're known for. I love the fact that you can order a dish (for example the fish) in salad or sandwich form. There is something for all if you come here for lunch. My personal favorite on the menu?...to be honest it's hard to choose. I'm stuck between the sweet corn soup and the shaved brussels sprout and kale salad. Why not get both?! They compliment each other well! read more

The coffee is top notch, friendly service and great pastries. Breakfast sandwiches take a few minutes but they are good.

Came here on a Wednesday afternoon around lunchtime and was seated right away. I have to say, I love the modern ambience and the feel of the place. I hate using this word, but "aesthetics" were on point! My boyfriend and I ordered the carnivore pizza, garlic knots, and the vegetable salad. I have to say, I really liked the vegetable salad! It was pretty tasty -- except for the fact that all the dressing was at the bottom and it didn't seem well mixed. Boo. However, a lot of good flavors! I definitely recommend getting it with the dressing on the side so you can mix it in yourself! The pizza crust was a bit charred. Maybe some people prefer it that way, but I wish it didn't taste so bitter when I was eating it! However, it did pack a lot of meat and the cheese was great. The dough was pretty thin, which I personally like, and it was chewy. Not a bad pizza, but just could do without the burnt crust. The garlic knots!! MMM. I loved them. So greasy and dense. It was like biting into a cloud of garlic pillows. I personally can eat them without the marinara sauce it comes with! But my boyfriend loved it like that better. Anyways, it was an okay experience. I'm open to trying out the other pizzas in the future! read more

Area Four - Carnivore pizza - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Kendall square, you saucy minx. You've been hiding all these little tasty gems behind all those TI-84's and derivative calculations. Also known as, MIT land. Area Four is nothing short of incredible as a brunch spot. It's got a fairly simple, industrial ambiance, but the food is to die for. It's known for the pizza, but I had the Hot Mess, which coincidentally, most of us are after a Saturday night--disheveled, groggy, hangry, you know the drill. This was a smorgasbord of pretty much every farm animal you could possibly fit onto a plate: 2 sunny side up locally farmed eggs, home fries, bacon, breakfast sausage, caramelized onions, cheddar, scallions, and pickled banana pepper relish, served on a cast iron skillet. It sounds like a lot, but somehow mixes beautifully, like Mardi Gras on your palette. No more simple omelettes for this gal, I've upgraded to the Hot Mess, befitting of the hangover it'll likely help cure:) read more

Area Four - The beloved Hot Mess. - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This last time I came to Area Four we waited a bit too long for our table and the Manager (Tyler I believe) was very attentive and expressed how sorry he was that we had to wait so long. We didn't really mind because we were chatting in the cafe but it was really great customer service on his part. He also surprised us with a taste of a few of the pastries when it took even a little longer for us to sit. And that is why my review is being updated.... THOSE ALMOND CROISSANTS!! So, so good! I haven't tried any of their pastries because I always fill myself with the Veggie Hot Mess but I will be adding this to my order every time now. Tyler also entertained us with some cards to draw on which was fun since we were a table of artists. read more

Area Four - Basket of Pastries - Plain, Chocolate and Almond Croissant (my favorite) - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I had lived in Kendall Square for over 5 years, patiently awaiting for a hotspot... a bar... a restaurant... for anything to open. This was 2+ years ago and since then many spots have open, making that neighborhood a new hotspot. Area Four was amongst the first few to open and I could hardly contain my excitement as I went there for the first time. Since my first visit, I've been a few times, to get a quick coffee or for a drink. I've even been for dinner. The neat thing about Area Four is the space, which has three very distinctive areas: the cafe, the bar and the restaurant. Each is separated by walls, has it's own staff and seems to operate independently from the others. Having been to all three, I can honestly say that it somehow works and that the concept is neat. I'm surprised that no establishment has really tried that concept before in the Boston area. This enables them to adapt to the time of day and crowd. The cafe is open for breakfast and for lunch, through some of the afternoon but shut downs in late afternoon in order to focus on the cocktail and beer drinking, dinner eating crowd. I've had a few sandwiches from the cafe for lunch and each was pretty tasty although they were made in advance instead of to order. While there was nothing wrong with them, there also wasn't anything special about them either. My visit to the bar was pleasant and they have a decent selection of beer and spirits but again nothing too special. The cocktails were decent but far from impressive. What really shined there though and what has made me come back was my meal there. I've had a few dishes there and each was pretty well fulfilled and affordable as well. They have this giant oven that they use, much like Posto in Somerville does, to cook up and finish off some of their dishes and they utilize it well in the menu's execution. I've had their baba ganouj appetizer which came with some .za'atar and house-made pita ($5) which I found to be tasty and a great, affordable way to start a meal. Great for sharing as well. The presentation is neat as well as it comes served in a small cast-iron dish. I've also had their chicken salad with arugula and tomatoes which came to around $11 if I can recall correctly (it is no longer listed on their site) and I've also had a bite of a few of their pizzas including the margherita and the caramelized onion and gorgonzola one. While the pizzas are good and decently priced, I didn't find them to be incredible. Posto has much better ones in my opinion. That being said, they are still good as was the rest of the food there. One thing that I have not done is get brunch there. I need to at some point, their menu seems interesting and exciting enough. From bagels to breakfast sandwiches and even pastries which are baked daily at their cafe. All in all the place is solid and the staff friendly and adaptable; they were even able to whip up an Arnold Palmer per my request and it was delish. The decor is very modern, sleek and some of the tables will force you to bump elbows with strangers which isn't bad and a bit fun. But you could also get a regular table there although I'd recommend you make a reservation if possible because the place does get packed. read more

BREAKFAST REVIEW + Breakfast sandwich: This sandwich is what an Sausage McMuffin from McDonald's in the commercials looks like. So the real deal. This sandwich is hearty with a sausage patty and egg grilled to perfection. It's oily, crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. It's the greatest breakfast sandwich you can get around the Kendall Square area, in my opinion. + Almond Croissant: This croissant is perfectly crunchy, has the right amount of almonds, and is not a complete mess when you try to eat it. There is a sweet and buttery almond paste in the inside of the croissant that will keep you satisfied for hours. + Oatmeal: Their oatmeal is not real oatmeal because I love it. They put a variety of nuts and cranberries on top of their oatmeal which make it so interesting, and the oatmeal never runs dry! It's really good. If you work around the area, definitely give this spot a try for their breakfast! I usually come in for breakfast and coffee. read more

Area Four - Breakfast sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Oh, the daunting task of reviewing one-half of split personalities. And with an allegedly polar experience in the dining area, I'll obviously update with resto feedback when I indulge. Until then... CAFÉ REVIEW There's not much character to the quadrilateral that is A4's counter-service side. Walk in, sit communally (either next to a centrally static support structure or alongside the window wall), drink your drink and begone. Some places make this stark emptiness their own, wearing the monochromatic like Andrew WK (Kendall neighbor Voltage comes to mind) but there's no ferociousness to Area Four. It just feels... there. Initial impression aside, I ushered past the post-morning display of baked goods and ordered while staring at the overhead menu. Don't you hate that? Everyone does it. You know what you want, but you just can't take your eyes off the menu - as if something, at the last minute, will convince you to change your mind. It's why we scan what else might be on when we find our favorite movie on cable, or scan other stations when that Pitbull hit starts up... I'll stop there. The oolong (they haz it!) tea is served at the right temperature (if a bit hot) in a "go steep yourself" kettle, and adequately warmed the cockles of my heart. What a weird phrase. Cockles are actually clams. This tea warmed my heart clams. Quote that. The star of the morning was the pistachio-orange scone with bits of white chocolate. Perfect consistency and sweetness, the right size and even the Swedish judge gave high marks on the "crumble factor" (she's tough). Honorable mention: my snacking buddy gushed coma-inducing praise upon the überdense breakfast sandwich, which I may have to order next time I'm in the hood/preparing for nuclear fallout. Genuinely 3.5 stars, and in the spirit of the holidays, a round up to 4. read more

We came here on Good Friday with another couple and their baby. The hostess did a great job accommodating our 2 strollers and 4 adults. It's a nice, casual restaurant that's not too loud. However, I do me it QUITE hilarious that the restaurant's playlist consisted solely of R&B/Rap between 1998-2004. But we loved it since those were our high school and college years. We ordered 2 pizzas: a margarita pizza Roth chicken & the Carnivore with probably 4 different types of pork. 2 of us ordered the baby cress salads. So, we think they dropped our carnivore pizza or someone gave it to another table. It was the first thing we ordered and the very last thing to come out. They also gave us the wrong salads. We had the Snow Pea salads instead which were REALLY good. As compensation for the pizza, they gave us the short rib appetizer for free. They are SO GOOD!! I'll go back in just for those! The pizza was great as well! read more

Area Four - Margarita pizza w/chicken & The Carnivore: YUM! - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

An awesome spot with a completely ridiculous bartender who clearly didn't have a handle on how to understand her customers. This particular bartender didn't know what making a squiggly signature motion in the air with one's hand across a loud bar means. Well, please allow me to inform you: it's basic restaurant etiquette and it means that your customer wants the check. No, it's not rude, demeaning or uninformed. It's a simple signal to any person that has ever worked OR eaten in a restaurant or bar to bring over the check, please. Very, very simple. Now that we've got that out of the way, on to the food. Excellent sesame marinated soy ribs ($12). Tender meat, little smoke but plenty of flavor. A half chicken ($20) roasted to a juicy tender texture with a crisp skin. Served on a bed of leafy greens. Sausage bananna pepper ($16) for a small with mozzarella, tomatoe pecorino and parsley adding two eggs ($3) is a uniquely delicious combination. Quick service in the dining room, skip the snooty bartenders. read more

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This is a great spot for pizza and beer! It must be a pretty popular spot since there was still quite a wait when we arrived. However, it was worth it! They have a good beer list on draft, including sour beers (which are my favorite, and generally challenging to find on draft at many restaurants). We ended up getting two large pizzas for 4 people, anticipating that we would have plenty of leftovers. The food was all so good that we almost ate it all! The mushroom pizza was by far my favorite. read more

Area Four - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Really really good pizza! The perfect pizza in my opinion is thin, cooked in less than 2 minutes, chewy crust, charred parts on the crust where the expanded dough created an almost transparent thickness of gluten strands. Area Four is pretty damn close to perfect. My favourite is the pizza margherita. Any respectable pizza place cooks pizza margherita perfectly. We also ordered the clams, not pepperoni and Hawaiian. Each all cooked well. read more

Any Bostonian will tell you: Area Four is a must-try brunch spot! Located across the river in Cambridge, this ultra trendy joint is near MIT and has that minimal, white-wall-wooden-tables-steel-beams kind of ambiance. Area Four specializes in epic brunch skillets, aptly named "Hot Messes," which we were beyond excited to try for a hearty meal. Luckily for us, there was a daily special of gluten-free donuts as well! I didn't even know gluten-free donuts were possible, but apparently the baker is gluten-free (and a genius in my book). We ordered "The Hot Veggie Mess," which comes complete with 2 sunny side up local farm eggs, home fries, baby spinach, fennel, carrots, squash, mustard greens, carmelized onions, cheddar, scallions & pickled banana pepper relish. This one had a much brighter, lighter feel to it - while still being very filling. Carnivores will love "The Hot Mess," which is filled with 2 sunny side up local farm eggs, home fries, bacon, breakfast sausage, caramelized onions, cheddar, scallions & pickled banana pepper relish. I'm not a huge relish fan so I held off on the last ingredient, but the rest of this skillet is spectacular. It's incredibly hearty without feeling greasy, and jam-packed with flavor! Be warned: They can have a long wait for brunch on the weekends, even if you go late (we got there around 2 PM), and you can't make same-shift reservations, so it would pay off to call a day or so ahead of time! read more

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Items Selected: Cold Brew Coffee Margherita Pizza Almond Croissant Florentine Bar Blueberry Corn Muffin A two-restaurants-in-one space on the Campus of MIT, Area Four has been a Technology Square favorite ever since opening its doors, and with a café on one side plus an American-Style restaurant with a focus on Pizza on the other the menu runs a gamut from coffee and pastries to things more substantial, an al fresco dining space and plenty of willing customers keeping servers busy throughout the day. Oddly designed in an area where such architecture seems to be the rule, several campus buildings soaring upward or awkwardly leaning toward the street, entry to Area Four can take place though either of the dining spaces and wish floor-to-ceiling windows flooding both with early-Summer light the far less busy Café proves a worthwhile spot for those looking to chat or study with a Latte while the taller dining room turns both the music and the tempo up. Serving brunch on weekends, dinner and lunch on weekdays with the Sandwiches or Pastries starting at 7am, what may not be known is that To-Go options from the dining room are also welcomed in the Wi-Fi enabled connected Café and although wait-times may be substantial the Hostess and General Manager both seem dedicated to running a tight ship as servers buzz around the floor. Taking a seat in the Café after browsing the pastries, a bold Cold Brew on Ice selected to pair with a trio of sweets, it was with a next-door menu requested that the 'simplest' of items was requested, the wood-oven Margherita soon to arrive and thoroughly out-performing expectations as puddles of Mozzarella met hand-crushed Tomato sauce atop the charred crust with large air-pockets generated by way of a 30+ hour ferment. Not certain if baked goods are produced by the same wood-burning oven as the pies, though it seems unlikely for anything except perhaps a robust-shelled Croissant that made up with the natural flavor of sliced Almonds what it lacked in lamination, Area Four continues to show strongly by way of the toothsome Corn Muffin pocketed by bursting Blueberries while a Florentine Bar riffs on the classic Italian Cookie with all the requisite notes of Fruit and Nuts set on a Dark Chocolate and Shortbread base. read more

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First get the garlic knots. Trust me. Covered with red sauce, oozing pecorino cheese, and an abundance of garlic, this appetizer can be easily split among four people or serve as a hefty meal itself. The pizza itself is also tasty, with the carnivore and sausage & peppers selections as my top picks given that I love meat. Toppings are generous, and leftovers are still good the next day. The beer selection, though limited, includes local offerings from around New England. Lastly, my water was always filled, which gives the service an A+ in my book. This is a great place for a group hangout or casual date, and they take reservations too. read more

Area Four - Fennel, sausage, banana peppers trifecta - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Came here with some friends at around 8pm and we were seated right away. I like the atmosphere of this place, it's dimly lit with relaxing music and not too busy either. Pork ribs: Standard ribs with good flavor that reminded me of an asian twist, came with about 8 pieces. Mushroom and fontina pizza: MUST TRY! This was my favorite pizza by far, the flavor tasted kind of like they put some truffle oil in it (explains the deliciousness) and I loved the sauce that they used too. The thin crust that they used complimented the truffle/mushroom flavor perfectlyyyy. Sausage and banana peppers: This was good, but I thought the mushroom pizza outshone this one by a landslide. The banana peppers are a good kick to the pizza but the sausage is kinda sparse. All in all, I definitely want to come back to try more of the flavors of pizza...and more of the mushroom pizza read more

Area Four - Large banana peppers and sausage on top, small mushroom on the bottom - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Long overdue update of Area Four. While I have been to the restaurant side I do strongly prefer their coffee shop. The staff here is always friendly and remembers generally what I like to order. Area Four has the best Iced Mocha I've ever had... There I said it. The pastries are all excellent. The Almond Croissant, Savory Croissant, Danish, Gluten Free Bread, and Daily Scone (which are always very creative) are all excellent choices. The Breakfast Sandwich is pretty much farm to table. I'm a bacon guy but can't help but order it with their perfectly crispy sausage patty, which is made in house as is the english muffin it's on. Since this is in a robust technology district I feel like this coffee shop might be the equivalent of the 9th hole on the golf course. It's a hub of intellectual activity, meetings and deals seem to happen here regularly. Enjoy your coffee! read more

Inventive and tasty food. They have a beautiful presentation and a relaxed hipster vibe. I came with a group and we had a good brunch but were rushed through our meal by the waiter. read more

Area Four - The messy ranchero - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Fantastic Pizza. Our group went in for pizza and beer, and this was ideal. Wood fired oven put just the right amount of char on their pizza crust, the crust was crispy on the bottom, with a slightly sweet taste, soft inside. We shared the meat lovers pizza.... would get it again. Brought home left overs... just as good the next day. read more

If you want insanely good pizza, you have to come here. We got the maple bacon and it did not disappoint. The garlic knots were pretty good but definitely needed the marinara sauce! Highly recommend. read more

Area Four - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I really wanted to like this place, so I've been back enough times that some of the waitstaff recognizes me. The service in general is quite good, but everything else is a bit off. The portion sizes are downright tiny, normally that would be okay if the flavor was spectacular, but nothing really was. Of all of the smalls that I had, the only one worth it was the tongue crostini, and even that was poorly executed in my opinion. Most dishes suffer from having one ingredient over power the rest. I found it unacceptable that the octopus medium dish was almost entirely parsley, almost laughable... Even the "larges" are pretty darn small. 26+ bucks for a tiny ass plate of fish limp spinach with cream cheese on top? The beer and liquor selection is alright, they have Pretty Things Jack D'or on tap... but so do many places in this area. I've uploaded some pictures of dishes that I've had, but less than half of them since I don't really feel the need to glamorize food that I think is sub par. read more

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Just okay. Listen up folks, I was OVERHYPED from seeing pictures on Instagram of brunches at Area Four but the execution? I'm not impressed. Sure my review will be buried amongst all the one star/five star reviews but to be brutally honest, it's overpriced for what you could seriously make at home. Not a vast amount of choices, but their pizza is pretty good I guess. Tip: they'll let you split half/half for two pizza choices I'd rather save my money and traveling somewhere more worthwhile. Eh. read more

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It's the dough. And for those of us who just want dough, get the garlic knots. You can supreme-ize these (sitting in the sauce with cheese all over), but I love being able to just use my hands to rip through the crisp, thin outer crust, and get a hold of the soft and doughy, yet not undercooked nor greasy, warm, and soft, and airy, and delicious dough that's been perfected by yeast and rising time and the heat of a wood-fired oven. Put some toppings on this dough and you have pizza. I think I prefer the knots, but their pizza concoctions aren't too shabby, either. read more

Area Four - Five fist sized garlic knots, doughy (in the good way), hot marinara for dipping. $10. - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

When passing this place, I got the feeling that this place had a hip and fun vibe. My friend and I decided to go here for brunch on Sunday morning. The wait for a table inside was 15 mins - which is not that bad, I would say given the time of day. The inside was pretty cool and had a decent amount of space for multiple parties. Food was delicious - I got something that I believe was named the "hot mess" in the vegetarian variety. It was served right on a hot skillet with great vegetables (spinach, potatoes etc) and with an interesting tomato/green onion/spice mix. Servers seemed fun and relaxed. The table we got wasn't completely cleaned before we arrived. There is also patio space which looked a bit too crowded, the tables seemed too close together. The portions of the vegetarian mash were smaller than I was expecting. I am still a little hungry. read more

Area Four - Eggs and hash! - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I made a catering order for 15 people, which was completely forgotten. I called about 10 minutes after the scheduled delivery time; they apologized, brought the food about 20 minutes later, AND DIDN'T CHARGE ME FOR IT. yay for customer service. Also, the pizzas were incredible: crisp, flavorful, and sophisticated without going too haywire with the toppings. I usually don't like cheese, but I was a huge fan of the mushroom & fontina and the caramelized onion pizzas. read more

Absolutely fun-and-amazing brunch! We feel so fortunate that they accommodated us, considering the time of day, that we arrived without a reservation -- and they've been named one of Boston's 50 Best Restaurants! Their Brunch Flight (an attractive sample of 4 of their cocktails) was a fun way to kick-off the meal. The fresh-and-delicious large breakfast pizza was nearly as wide as our counter-height table! Given the location and the restaurant's accolades, service was impressively friendly, welcoming, and ... great -- they know how to make their guests feel important!! A definite "must try" for (at minimum) brunch! Would definitely love to return. read more

Area Four - The Brunch Flight - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Amazing. Simply, amazing. The mushroom pizza my girlfriend and I split was hot, thick crust, and delicious, topped with two over easy eggs. I had a side of butternut squash soup which was flavorful and filling, and my girlfriend had the hot mess plate, which was a mess combination of breakfast foods. The hot mess had some pickled component to it that was not to our liking, and the sausage was a little sweet, but overall super yummy. Finished the meal with a sticky bun the size of a human head and covered in icing. Bottom line: Left smiling, already making plans to return, with three pieces of pizza and half a sticky bun as leftovers. read more

Area Four - Hot mess. Sausage was a little sweet, and the pickled part wasn't great. Overall, filling and good. - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Brunch Review! Although I didn't get to try any of the raved about dishes that led Boston Magazine to proclaim Area Four one of Boston's 50 Best Restaurants, I still rather enjoyed my meal there. Unless you're in the mood for pizza, Area Four's menu is quite limited as far as brunch options go. I opted to get a nice fall salad with arugula, candied pumpkin seeds, and roasted apples, butternut squash, and chicken. Ever bite was like a taste of autumn, and the portion size was generous. What was even more generous was the size of the sticky bun Andrea B. and I decided to split for dessert. This thing was a $6 monstrosity (see attached photo) that nearly gave me diabetes and a mouthful of cavities after only one bite. It's not listed on the menu (we just happened to see a waitress walking by with one for another table), but you'd be crazy not to ask for it. Awesome service coupled with a fun, lively atmosphere make Area Four a great dining destination for just about anyone. I will most certainly be back for dinner. read more

Area Four - The sticky bun. That's $6 for a whole lotta goodness. - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Update! I decided to increase my rating from 4/5 to 5/5 stars because the staff that was recently hired is super friendly! It's really nice and welcoming now! ------------- Area Four Cafe is a solid 5/5. Over the years, I've been here hundreds of times for coffee and a couple dozen for food so I can give a pretty well-rounded review. The coffee (whether in restaurant or cafe) is some of the best you can get in Boston. I love the cafe and really like to work here and drink their delicious drinks. The breakfast sandwich is outstanding but will probably give you a heart attack (it's VERY heavy). During the winter I come here almost every day when I'm working at MIT. In the summer I like the nitro cold brew. These things all get a 5/5 rating from me. The pizzas are pretty good. The food is very heavy, which is why I don't eat at the restaurant more often. I didn't care for the brunch - very long wait and very heavy food with too much salty/savory flavor and not enough light and sweet. I prefer Cafe Luna down the street, which is about the same price and wait and more worth the trip for brunch. Food overall I give a 3/5, positive mostly for originality. It's definitely unique and tasty, just too heavy for me. My biggest issue with A4 is the cafe service (not everyone but definitely most of the cafe staff are pretty cold and make you feel like you're inconveniencing them for being alive). Given that I come here all the time (literally almost every day), you'd think the staff would act a bit more friendly. They act like the snobby mean girls in high school They do a fine job, just not happily or nicely. If they could be a bit more welcoming, I'd boost my rating to a 5/5 overall. read more

Pizza is good. Kitchen is good. Haven't seen the same server twice. High turnover. Management seems oblivious.

On the cafe: A coffee shop in a restaurant. The look and feel was very minimalistic. I'd never seen anything executed like it before, at least in Boston / Cambridge area. You can walk into the coffee shop from the street or walk in through the restaurant. It is lined with 2 picnic-table tables, parallel to each other. I had the cold brew coffee. The barista was really great in differentiating iced coffee to cold brew for me. Bonus points. I wish I'd given in and tried the brownie. Guess that means I'll be coming back soon! read more

Area Four - The coffee bar. - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Area Four, is a small very busy wood fire pizza restaurant. They also have a coffee shop. On this trip, I had the maple bacon pizza. It was cheesy with a great blend of sweet and tangy. The red onions added texture. I basically ate most of the small pizza by myself in one sitting. Yum! Definitely worth checking out but I probably wouldn't wait longer than 20 minutes to eat here. read more

Area Four - Maple Bacon - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Area four is my favorite pizza in Cambridge!!! I always get their mushroom pizza. It's not too cheesy and the dough is soft, chewy, and cooked perfectly. I usually get takeout but they also had outdoor seating during COVID. I went with my friend in February and they had outdoor heating fires that helped a lot. read more

Traditionally, Boston's pizza scene has been pretty weak (IMHCO--in my humble Chicagoan's opinion), so in the past 4 months that I've been back in town, I haven't bothered to order a single pizza, not even to visit some of my old standbys like Pizzeria Regina on Thacher, Santarpio's, and Emma's (with an occasional Upper Crust slice re-crisped in the oven thrown in). But it does seem like there has been a lot going on in Boston over the past 5 years, particularly with Neopolitan-style pizzas, probably matching what has been happening at the same time in Philly and the rest of the country at large. So perhaps it's time to give Boston pizza a second chance... Anyway, I had hearing a lot about Area Four on Chowhound and elsewhere (and not only because Obama ate there a couple of weeks ago). According to their website: "12-year-old starter [curious...does how old it is actually make any difference?] + flour + water + salt. No oil or sugar. Ever. Over 30 hours of fermentation. Handcrafted cheese. 1 wood-fire oven." Hmmm...sounded promising. And I was duly impressed. It's an excellent Neo-style with great crust, not too heavy, not too chewy, not too crispy, just about right, with a nice degree of leopard spotted to know they have a good oven, but not so much to turn anyone off. We shared two large pizzas among the four of us: CARNIVORE (apparently Obama's favorite!): Sopressata, sausage & bacon mozzarella, tomato ($26.50 for a large is not exactly cheap!) ~If you like meat, this didn't skimp, and I gather they use Moody's in Waltham, so you know it's good. All together, perhaps a bit salty, but you kinda expect that for this sort of pizza. Excellent, obviously fresh moz too. CLAM & BACON: Clam Sauce, Pecorino, Hot Pepper & Parsley ($26.50) ~Don't laugh, but this was the first white clam pizza I've ever had (LOL, I'm not form around here). I enjoyed the liberal amount of chewy chopped clams, and the contrasting salty bacon. Excellent, and my fav of the two pizzas. Service was good (although no reservations, which I hate), and seating outside on the patio was pleasant despite being fairly close to a busy road. We also enjoyed a few great cocktails, like a delightfully tart Jack Rose (Applejack, Grenadine, Lemon) and a Falernum Daiquiri (Old Monk Rum, Lime, House-made Falernum). And some refreshing Downeast cider on tap as well. And they are only a couple of blocks from Toscanini's too boot (in fact, what's the point of having a dessert menu?). Things are definitely looking up in Boston... read more

Area Four - CLAM & BACON: Clam Sauce, Pecorino, Hot Pepper & Parsley ($26.50 for a large) - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I noticed that a lot of the reviews are for pizza, but their brunch is also amazing. They do have some breakfast pizzas, but I went with a skillet. Everything is cooked in the fire oven, which is pretty cool. I got the "hot mess", which was delicious. Sausage in it was amazing. It was a nice mix from the normal ordinary breakfasts. Well seasoned, and a fairly reasonable price for good quality ingredient places. I also had an americano, and it was PERFECT. I haven't had an americano strong like espresso before, and now this is all I want! They also had a morning drink flight with a stout, mimosa, bloody mary, and one other I can't remember. We didn't get it, unfortunately, but it looked pretty cool. I would try that next time. It was served like a flight of beer. If you are coming for brunch though, come early. They open at 10:30, we got there at 10:20, not knowing they weren't open yet, and we were second in line. The place was packed quickly and a line was waiting when we left. To clarify: The time they opened was on Sunday for the main restaurant, not the cafe. read more

Area Four - Hot Mess - Pizza Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts