Who doesn’t like pizza? With all of the different toppings and sauces, there is always an option for everyone, and it’s the perfect food for any occasion. There are lots of pizza options in the Northborough and Southborough area, but a new one will be opening soon. From Hopkinton, Blue Square Pizza is gearing up to open its much-anticipated second location on Main Street in Northborough across from Honey Dip Donuts (the former location of the Texas BBQ company).
Blue Square offers a more diverse menu than other pizza restaurants, with five different pizza styles and sizes (Chicago cracker thin, edge-to-edge cheese Detroit-style, rustic Sicilian Grandma Pies, New York style and gluten-free). Even their side dishes range from salads to wings to meatballs. Their flavors are also diverse, and you can pick from your traditional cheese or pepperoni to vodka meatball or bacon fig jam. Known for its creative menu and sourdough pizza, Blue Square offers something different from the usual pizza chains—but is it worth the wait?
I visited their Hopkinton location on a Friday evening, fully expecting it to be busy. What I didn’t expect was the sheer chaos of the online ordering system. I will say that their website is organized, and the suggested pies and topping combinations are accompanied by pictures, which is nice. After being told my pizza would be ready in about 95 minutes and getting an estimated pickup time, my order ended up being delayed by an additional 48 minutes, leaving me waiting in person for more than half an hour from the time I was told it would be ready. Blue Square does provide a delivery service, which might be a better option to look into, but the pizza probably won’t be as fresh.
The location I visited is incredibly small, with room only for a handful of people to wait for their orders. It’s not a sit-down spot by any means; most customers, including myself, were packed like sardines, standing around as the clock ticked by. Conversations with others revealed a similar frustration with wait times, though many admitted it was worth it for the pizza. One customer even said, “I’ll wait because it’s that good.”
For those who may be gluten-free, Blue Square offers all of their featured flavors and topping options as gluten-free, and even vegan/vegetarian (vegan cheese and pepperoni). My sister and I opted for the gluten-free menu, choosing both the mushroom truffle ($19) and a simple cheese pizza ($16) to share. The crust was solid, chewy and crisp in just the right spots. While I had hoped for a sourdough GF base (given Blue Square’s claim to fame for sourdough), it didn’t quite match that signature tang. Still, we both agreed on rating the pizzas a solid 9/10. The flavors were balanced, with just the right amount of truffle oil on the mushroom pizza, though I wish there was a little more distinction in the flavor of the crust.
My brother, who ordered the small New York-style pepperoni pizza ($15), wasn’t as impressed. While to me his pizza looked amazing, he found the NY crust to be burnt in spots, while the underside remained a bit too soft for his liking. However, those mini pepperonis that crisp into little bowls of flavor were the highlight of this pizza for him. In his words, the pizza was “just okay,” a 5/10 at best. With all the styles Blue Square has to offer, this may not have been the style for him, as he didn’t do much research before ordering.
It’s fair to say that Blue Square Pizza’s reputation for unique topping combinations and crust variations is well-deserved. Their menu certainly caters to all types of consumers, from people with dietary restrictions to the adventurous eater. However, if you’re someone who prefers a classic cheese pizza, this may not be the spot for you. It’s not that the basics are bad; it’s just that the wait and the hype might not be worth it for a simple slice of cheese.
The main challenge for Blue Square seems to be its ordering system. On a busy night, it’s clear that they can’t handle the influx of online orders, resulting in delays that leave customers, including me, watching the clock tick past their original pickup times. A potential solution could be a cap on the number of orders accepted at peak times, which would help manage expectations and improve customer experience.
As for the new location in Northborough, it’s exciting to have a creative pizza joint so close to the high school. If you plan to try it, be prepared for the inevitable weekend rush and plan your pickup time accordingly. I’d recommend calling ahead to check availability if you’re ordering on a Friday night—but do yourself a favor and don’t expect to get in and out quickly.
Overall, Blue Square is definitely worth trying at least once, especially for those craving something out of the ordinary. If you can plan for the wait, you’ll likely find the food makes up for it.
