the Square Root

The Square Root, in the Boston neighborhood of Roslindale, is a cute little coffee shop cafe that regularly showcases area music talent. My concert buddy and I came here one recent evening for a show. We parked across Belgrade Avenue at the MBTA Commuter Rail’s Roslindale Village Station for a fee. The irregularly shaped brick building is rather interesting, being shaped more like a rounded triangle, and certainly not a “square”. The food here is good. We had a flavorful enough buffalo chicken pizza, although the crust was very hard with little or no taste. The menu has plenty of drinks from which to choose: tap brews, wine, cider, sodas, and of course, plenty of hot and cold specialty coffee options. My latte and eventual beer were both very good. The room is rather small, and with a band set up there’s very little space for the audience, and that’s okay, because it was the packed audience, along with the performers, who brought the atmosphere. The counter server, the apparent owner, and the house sound tech, each displayed different levels of being on the uptight side; not quite rude but certainly not friendly. Maybe that’s how they roll in Roslindale; I don’t know- I had never been here - but I do know that a friendly smile goes a long way. Nevertheless, it’s a nice little intimate space music venue where the packed crowd is face to face with the entertainers.

We came to the square root to hear jazz. The place holds jazz evenings once every two weeks on Sundays. The place is cozy, well ventilated, good acoustics and most fun, ir serves good food. We ate great pizza with ham and bacon and a cinnamon roll with excellent coffee. Highly recommended. With the music - 5 stars!

Places like Square Root are so central to making Roslindale a great place to live. I often head over during the day to get some work done with a nice cup of coffee, but what really sets it apart is the variety of nightlife they bring to the square. Live music, movie nights, art installations... People lament the lack of "third spaces" in modern life... well, there's a good one right here. (This review was made in connection with a Toast promotion.)

This used to be a great place to go and enjoy coffee or time with friends. The new staff is what makes me post this review. The young ladies forget that they work in the service industry and are not gatekeepers for speech. I can overlook the fact that many items on the menu aren’t available. I can’t overlook rudeness from the short brunette. If you’re expecting a family friendly, welcoming environment don’t go here. And what’s worse, they can’t make a decent cup of coffee without insulting you nor refusing to bring you your cup. Why tip when you don’t get good service?

Nice atmosphere. Drink and sandwich were hot when I got them. Quiet music in the background. Free Wi-Fi. Very friendly staff. 3/5/23 Place was busy today. Background music was perfect for this boomer! Staff was as friendly as ever. Nice clean accessible bathroom in the main floor.

Exceptionally amiable, warm, friendly and exuberently live atmosphere. 💜 Thus, an affable cafe' with an extensive selection of drinks and appetizers. Most especially the tea selection, absolutely yes, indeed myself, a tea connoisseur.🤙🤙🤙☕☕☕ Highly recommend the comedy night.☺ An outstanding selection, of exuberance of youth, displaying multiple characteristics of unique styles of comics. Obviously, a complicated mathematical equation, which reduces to laughter of life. 🤨Like Colbert or the famous Grandpa's Munster 👿comedy club. Long gone🥀, but, never forgotten 💜💙💜 Enjoy, and forever Cheers 🤙🥂🍻

Live music tonight and a decent cup of cappuccino with soymilk. I did startle every time the barista banged the espresso grounds out, which usually happens when the person hits metal instead of rubber, so I didn’t stay long. Very jarring, but easily remedied, and otherwise a great atmosphere.

Vibrant coffee place with superb fruity caramel dark roast and excellent service Gluten free bagels woohoo!!

So I'm now considering a move to Boston just so I can live beside this coffee shop... It was a great sandwich and great latte. The staff was super personable and there were plenty of regulars who chatted with them. The inside was spacious and wasn't super busy. I just wish we couldn't came for one of their events while we were in Boston.

A fun neighborhood cafe in Roslindale. This spot has a wide array of menu items. There's ample seating and it's generally quiet to get some work done. Particularly, I enjoyed the egg and cheese on an everything bagel. The bagel was soft and fresh. I got a side of their secret sauce, which was a little pricey at $1, and was akin to a sriracha/chipotle aioli. It was good but perhaps a little overpriced for a small side. Mocha latte was equally as good, and the store uses their own homemade syrup.

This is a 4.5. This is my second time visiting this neighborhood coffee shop, and I really enjoyed it. I ordered ahead online, and my order was correct when I arrived. The place was packed on a Sunday afternoon, which was good to see. The place also seemed welcoming and has a real neighborhood feel. I ordered ahead online a turkey sandwich with gluten free bread. The price was a little steep, but it's a small business so I understand. I will say I was glad to see there was a healthy amount of meat on the sandwich, which was extremely pleasing. The toppings were good and the bacon was thick cut, which I really enjoyed. The avocado was extra, but there was a fair amount added. I will go head again for sure and recommend a visit if you're in the area.

Cute and quaint coffee shop/restaurant with delicious bagels. I got the sausage egg and cheese sandwich on an everything bagel and it was perfect. All the workers were kind and helpful with the big menu. They use mostly compostable products too which is neat. Inside has a lot of seating you'd expect from a morning coffee shop. They have many different coffee options too.

Swung in here to grab a few quick take out bites to take over to the substation. Great location on the corner. Ambiance was just right for a cafe that changes into a music venue in the evening. Took a look at the beer menu while waiting for the food and it looked really impressive for this type of establishment. I had the wagyu steak sandwich with caramelized onions and an order of nachos w guacamole. I generally don't take pics of takeout but both were good and at the level I would expect. Steak was a tad dry, mustard was delish, and ciabatta roll was a great choice to hold it all. Tortilla chips were crispy and quality but guac came in a side cup (just over a tablespoons worth). Service was friendly and prompt. Took about 20 mins to get the food and run. Only regret is that I didn't have any coffee as it seems like they would make a great cup. Leaves me something to try next time!

Went during early hours-- great social and working environment, a cool selection of coffee/tea+ menu items :)

Their food and drinks are great! However, the wait time for the food can be on the long side. I'd recommend folks to get their order in and either take a stroll around the block or visit a neighboring store unless you're with good company or have a book to read as you wait. The wait will be worth it... I love their matcha latte with frosted mint - yet they often run out of matcha due to its popularity. Hence the four stars (due to the low supply and wait time - but don't let that stop you from going).

I was reminded of this place recently. Went for lunch. All the sandwiches were really good

This is a good coffee shop. It has a friendly staff, good food, and is physically clean. The only downside is that the morning staff sometimes plays loud, banging rock that is the opposite of morning calm. This happens a lot and may drive away folks who are either older or want to read or do work. When the music is obnoxious, go to Caffe Nero in JP.

They make solid espresso drinks (their mocha in particular is not too sweet), and have an interesting beer selection. Would love to see more seasonal offerings. Not sure what all the recent reviews are about, though- I view their customer service as standard, nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about either? And LULZ to the person moaning about being lectured for not wearing a mask- actually bro, *you're* the @$$hole for not wanting to wear one, don't get all pissy when people point that fact out to you. Way to be rude AF to your immunocompromised neighbors, young children/parents thereof, and the community in general- it's called *public* health for a reason.

I met a friend here once. He and I sat at the window on two stools overlooking the street. He had a bagel and I had something breakfasty, that I don't remember. The coffee was legit and we both talked for two hours, I think...and no one gave us dirty looks. Four stars for the laid back vibe alone. It was nice to feel that we could relax and take that old skool coffee house vibe in at our leisure. I'd say the bagel was pretty average. and the food was good but not knock your socks off, but tasty enough to feel nourished and satisfied.

2023 update: food and coffee still good. Only thing is that the constant music/noise level is now too high. Noise pollution isn't good for the health.

To start, Square Root has this ridiculous rule that they will not serve you inside the establishment if you bring another drink with you, even if you order something from them as well. I've never seen any place essentially kick you out because you wanted to get a drink from somewhere else, lame. That's got to be the pettiest thing I have ever seen from a business. This place is pretty ok with their food but I find it kind of strange that the quality of that food changes a lot of the time. One day it's good and one day it's not. I know people who can cook some of these dishes better at home. Their breakfast is not ideal unless you want something fast to get you over I guess. The top things on their menu is easily the lunch items. Lastly, the coffee is not anything to rave about at all. If you're looking for quality coffee or breakfast I would definitely skip.

Terrible customer service... Employees have backing of the owners will take photos of you on personal devices. Would avoid going here if in the area.

Great coffee. Came here when I needed a place to work. Super friendly staff! Haven't tried the food, but everything looks delicious!

The drinks are good; however the space really needs some help. There are over 12 tables in a tiny space, packed against the high top tables, and this makes the space feel SO packed and uninviting. Really need someone to think about the design of this space and it would be 100x better. Maybe a communal table and then some small tables. Just some small tweaks would be a huge difference for this actually to feel like a good meeting spot.

The bagels are top quality and I love how melted the cheese is. The eggs are good too and much better quality than the foamy eggs that usually come from cafes. The coffee isn't too sweet either even with flavors, which are actual syrups instead of the cheap manufactured stuff you usually get from coffee shops. For example, if you got chocolate they actually used chocolate syrup. I have yet to try the pastries, but they look good as well.

Cool atmosphere, great coffee and tea drinks. Breakfast is awesome and lunch is always delicious. Super friendly service, the staff is amazing. Highly recommend!

Horrible service, and hospitality. The staff make it uninviting and exclusive to who they treat well.

The service was great! They were super busy during the farmers market, yet the cashier took the time to answer our questions and give recommendations. The food was fine; consistent with a grab and go style cafe. The coffee was good!

Sweet coffee shop with tasty breakfast sandwiches and bar bites later in the day. They turn into a bar with a solid beer selection.

Visiting Boston from Southern CA and this place was great! They had amazing light roast drip

The food is always good. The service is always friendly and fast. One of my favorite places in Roslindale.

Came here on a whim. Good stuff. Friendly staff. Out of sesame bagels so got the Asiago toasted with cream cheese and a latte. Very spacious and clean inside except for a few flies roaming about. Also, free WiFi (RosLov19) what's not to love?! :)

sit back, grab a snack, and listen closely. this place is absolute garbage. you might be wondering, how so? well, for starters, the owner is a creep. i came in while visiting family and from the moment i entered into the establishment i was underwhelmed. the ambiance - eh. the only reason i stayed was because most of the baristas were great. but honestly, still not worth it. i could tell we piqued the interest of the manager from the moment we walked in, and he didn't hesitate to make it known. as we waited for our drinks he very awkwardly stared at us, waiting for us to notice him... and perhaps introduce ourselves? out of discomfort, i kept my gaze away - pretending to be completely unaware. he finally waved his arms saying hello and extended his arm. my body actually froze out of fear! mind you i had never met him before. but i shook his hand, reluctantly. LISTEN CLOSELY. when i tell you i have NEVER felt so icky in my entire life. i felt like i had touched the devil himself. it was sickening. i left religion a while ago, but i have never yearned so desperately for holy water, a rosary, and a good prayer. and trust me folks that was just the beginning. he very obviously had the BIPOC employees doing the back-of-house work, while his white staff was up front. i've also heard various horror stories about how he's treated other BIPOC community members who have literally paid to be in his subpar coffee shop. truly sickening, i'm telling you. don't go to this place. you're better off stopping at the dunkin nearest you. better yet, let's support other local coffee shops, preferably ones owned by queer, trans, and/or BIPOC owners. okay, i'm done. just know, you've been warned about what to expect. good luck! xoxo

We discovered this lovely little cafe on a Tuesday evening around 6:30 pm. It's on a corner in Roslindale Village and is lined with windows all around which lends to great lighting and atmosphere. It's a coffee/bar hybrid that seems to host a myriad of events, many nights of the week. Tonight's was a local artist! Nearly every seat was taken when we arrived and there was complimentary meat/cheese/pickled vegetable tray set up in the back. It's a very casual atmosphere where many people were lingering and socializing but not so raucous that we felt strange setting up our laptops to do some work. All in all a wonderful local addition, cannot wait to come back for more drinks, food and entertainment!

Came here to try a local cafe and I'm glad I did! I wanted to try a nice caramel latte from here and it was delicious, they come in only small or large and of course I had to get the large which was a decent size. I also ordered a breakfast sandwich with an everything bagel, sausage, egg, and cheese. The bagel was very soft and everything inside melted together nicely. I would definitely come back here again!

This place is great. Nice atmosphere, good coffee and beer, and music! I do wish they would ask you what size cup you are getting and whether you would like a lid or not when you order an espresso. I hate wasting a 12 ounce cup on 2 ounces of espresso. We just got the one planet, people!

My go to coffee/cafe shop in Roslindale! Great sandwiches, bagels, and espresso drinks. Nice seating as well. The employees are always super nice and friendly.

Croissants were good and the coffee first rate! Staff was friendly with good service. Good coffee house vibe. Look forward going back and trying other things on the food menu.

I LOVE the Square Root. It's the kind of coffee shop I wish every neighborhood had. They have lots of great food options, including sandwiches and pastries, and excellent coffee. I have great memories of coming here with friends when our babies were small and employees were always friendly and accommodating to our particular needs. If I lived a little closer, I'd be coming here all the time!

I tried to order a coffee and I was met with a look from the employee that made me feel like I was bothering him. He gave me my coffee and walked away. While walking I heard him say to another employee that people like me should not be coming to his shop. I don't know what it meant and quite frankly I was afraid to drink the coffee. I threw it away to avoid being sickened by dangerous employees at the Square Root. Anyone going here, be careful. Apparently some of the workers act like they are SS Gestapos.

The Square Root is one of the best parts of living in Roslindale. Staff are lovely, food is good, drinks are cheap, and there's live entertainment nearly every night. The pub quiz with Adam is a highlight, and I love that they have jazz sessions every so often. So glad to have such a great venue in my neighborhood.

Horrible customer service and the food was overpriced and bland. Will not be returning.

Cool coffee shop - bar - music venue with an iconic Rozzie view. Great sound system, local art, immaculate space. Having a lovely soy latte this evening. The chocolate layer cake we had last time didn't last long enough for a photo. Best cake we have had in a restaurant in a long time - satisfyingly decadent even when split with a chocolate loving husband.

The coffee was really good. The service is good. I went to see a band and it was great. Amazing venue!

Staff was great, bagels with sausage, egg and cheese were excellent, made large order with many coffees, handled expertly and fast.

I'm so glad this cafe is so close! Great coffee and pastries in the morning. And surprisingly delicious food, and a decent selection of beer and wine in the evening. They have outdoor seating so we can safely enjoy a bottle of wine and a meal for two for under $40! The service is really good too. Skip the wait and high prices at the other restaurants on the block, Square Root has great food and drinks, excellent services, and very reasonable prices. We will keep coming back!

We have absolutely LOVED this addition to Roslindale village. The breakfast and lunch sandwiches are absolutely above average for this type of coffee shop. Their espresso drinks are solid, and even their drip coffee options are delicious. They source their ingredients locally, and the bakery goods are awesome. There is ample seating if you're looking for a space to hunker down and get some work done (with lots of places to plug in as well). The staff is lovely, accommodating, and attentive. Highly recommend!

I visited on a quiet Sunday morning. I had the egg, sausage and cheese bagel which was *outstanding*. I also had an Iced Caffe Mocha which was pretty good but not sure I'd get it again because it was more mocha and not too much caffe. And I ordered an orange juice which was not fresh squeezed and I thought a place like this would have that. Instead I settled for a prepackaged one in a plastic bottle. Slightly disappointing. This place has a good vibe and there were a bunch of other interesting items to eat and drink on the menu, like the breakfast burrito which I might try next time. It never got too crowded which was cool and I think it's a really good choice for a non-chain oriented breakfast / coffee house.

Just blah, from the food to the coffee, to the atmosphere and employees. Overall it's below average... service is rude and slow, wish it was better , great location. Can get a better bagel up the street

One of the best run places in Boston! Great coffee and amazing atmosphere and right in Roslindale Square

I've been here three times since they opened two weeks ago. It's the neighborhood coffee shop I'd wanted for years. It's exactly what I wanted -- and much more. Good coffee freshly brewed; great espresso drinks well and quickly prepared (I twice had a decaf latte that was tasty, beautiful, and fast), and a larger than expected food menu. All as I had hoped. What was unexpected were three things: beer/wine, great crowd of people, and COMEDY!! That's right, stand up, slightly better than mediocre, real laugh-inducing comedy. They come as a troupe on Wednesday night. Okay, they're not great -- not ready for prime time. But they had some originality, didn't make me cringe in embarrassment for them, brought some clever insight, and tried really hard while looking relaxed. So yay Square Root!!! Welcome to Rozzie!! (Did I mention the comedy?)

Didn't overly enjoy my coffee or bagel, thought it was overpriced and flavorless. The atmosphere was too loud to relax or get any work done.. left a review saying as much previously but the company had it deleted ? Not sure what that's about.

Wow. Don't ask for skim milk in this place, unless you want a lecture from the guy working the counter. He wanted to lecture me on why skim milk is bad for you and why you should be drinking oatmilk only. Sorry guy, I take skim milk with my coffee, and I'm not interested in your conspiracy theories. Not going back, I'm sure he's gonna tell me all about chemtrails next time.

Great addition to the neighborhood. We stopped by during the soft opening and enjoyed coffee and croissants. Then we recently came back for comedy and beers. They comedy was excellent, the beer selection was solid, and we loved the truffle tots. It will definitely be a staple in our line up.

This was a nice coffee shop to grab a coffee and breakfast sandwich while waiting for the Farmer's Market at Rozzie Square to open. My only complaint is that the cheese on my bacon, egg, and cheese was not melted, but the rest of the sandwich was hot enough that it melted the cheese a bit, and there was a good amount of very tasty crispy bacon.

Bagel was stale and overpriced coffee was not fresh and staff was rude when I complained. -

This is the by far the best coffee in Roslindale. The staff is always lovely and amazing. Great breakfast choices too. Thank you for being open during this pandemic.