Z Square - Hidden Gem in Harvard Square

Harvard Square has no shortage of places to eat but to me, there was a need for a good, straightforward American food restaurant that fell between the high-end restaurants like Om and Upstairs on the Square and the simple places like Au Bon Pain and Bartley's Burgers. Z Square has filled this gap and is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

First off, Z Square has multiple dining options - casual café upstairs, a sleek modern restaurant and bar downstairs and a great little outdoor seating in the warmer months that has a quiet, private feel yet it looks right out onto the chaos of Harvard Square.

The menu is very good too. Excellent pressed sandwiches - the Prosciutto, Mozzarella & Artichoke sandwich pictured here is outstanding. The bread is really crunchy and the combination of ingredients is delicious. With a sandwich, you get your choice of curried potato salad (best option), green apple slaw or mixed greens. They have 3 soups (plural) of the day - nice to have more than one option which is typical of most restaurants. They also offer fantastic burgers (beef, turkey, even chickpea for the vegetarians out there).

But what really makes a visit to Z Square special are the crêpes. They are THE BEST this side of the pond. I recommend the Carmelized Apple & Cinnamon Butter Crêpe or the Lemon Butter Crêpe. It's not on the menu but they will make you a Chocolate one which is amazing too. They also offer Savory Crêpes which I have not tried yet but I'm sure are equally good - Sautéed Mushroom & Swiss Chard, Smoked Ham & Gruyere, Smoked Salmon & Goat Cheese and Roasted Farm Vegetable & Goat Cheese. All options are less than $10, a steal if you ask me.

Z Square is open from 6am to 2am which is fabulous when you're looking for a place to eat on a late Sunday afternoon, a time when most restaurants close before opening for dinner.

So if you're in Harvard Square and craving a great, well-priced meal, an incredible crêpe and a place to watch the Pats game, check out Z Square. It's just steps from the Harvard Square "T" stop on JFK Street.

Z Square
14 JFK Street, Harvard Square
www.z-square.com
617.576-0101