Hearth Pizzeria — Restaurant in Needham

Bad wait, bad clientele, slow service...awful experience. Will not return.

Wait. The wait for a table was a mess. After working in restaurants in the past, it was obvious that the host was telling the same "Just 10 minutes" to everyone. 35 minutes later, with no table in sight and being skipped over for other customers (regulars who arrived later than us, some with reservations, some not), we gave up.

Clientele. It was the worst stereotypical uppity suburbanite environment. Impolite, white parents engaged in conversations with their children on the lose all over the restaurant, climbing, pestering other customers and taking things from other tables. Parents with no personal responsibility or politeness. One woman pushed a child in our party aside and later coughed directly on him so that she wouldn't cough near her friend.

Service. Part of the reason why children were crawling all over the restaurant and customers were lingering at tables was because food was being made/delivered slowly. We watched children wait for 30 minutes for food, get restless and then explore the space as their parents tossed back drinks and ignored them. This was only a Tuesday evening. It wasn't a Friday or...

The pizza is really good for the area. Soft crust, with just the right amount of soda. The toppings are also of excellent quality, as is the cheese. You'll definitely pay for it, but I think it's reasonable for what you get.

Their salad options are also quite good. They're generous with the avocado.

Beers are pricey, selection's not great, but that's not why you're here.

The space itself is really comfortably spread out, and the volume level of the live music is literally perfect. They did an amazing job of spreading the sound, and even seated in the closest table, it's still a reasonable level. The acoustics are great even when it's crowded.

Service can be a little slow when they're crowded too, so don't expect a quick in-and-out dinner.

I guess I'd call the general vibe of the place a comfortable, upscale casual. Actually closer to $$$ than $$ imo, but really...

My wife and three members of our family dined here for the first time last week. What a terrific spot! Our party was warmly greeted. The restaurant is very clean and has comfortable accomodations. Our server was very patient as our party had a lot of talking to do before making lunch selections. The menu options would cover anyones tastes; pizza, salads, pasta and kids options. Quality ingredients are apparent. The pizza is some of the best I've had. Our party also ordered pasta with meatballs, caesar salad and a kids meals. Portions are generous. The kitchen space is open for all to see. Bathrooms are exceptionally clean. Management attention to detail is apparent. Drinks were refilled without asking. Our service was spot on. Management takes an active role in the operation including seating parties and delivering the piping hot meals. Awesome...