The 4 Corners Pub

The 4 Corners Pub was originally established as a family watering hole in 1967, named The Corner Pub. The bar-restaurant has undergone some changes in ownership over the years, not all of them positive. The current owners restored the establishment to its former glory as the pride of the Four Corners Silver Spring neighborhood. The vibe at 4 Corners is more Cheers¹ than White Lotus. One is more likely to spot Cliff Clavin types at The 4 Corners Pub than man-bunned hipsters.

The DMV is filled with Instagram-worthy bars and speakeasies² with craft cocktail programs that cost $20 a pop. The insatiable hunger for the new, different, and exclusive makes retro spots like The 4 Corners Pub even more precious.

The 4 Corners Pub doesn’t bill itself as a pizzeria and probably wouldn’t be too offended to hear its pizza described as meh. It has an extensive menu that offers a workman-like pizza, but it’s not their raison d’être. The 4 Corners Pub is more of a convivial watering hole with excellent local beer, half-price days, and a vibe that brings in the locals.

For the record, DishingPizza is in business to dish about pizza, not ambiance. So, let the dishing begin.

Within the confines of Maryland-style pizza, there’s only so good it can get.³ Furthermore, although there are slight variations between the handful of Maryland-style joints, it’s like evaluating the merits of different brands of bottled water. That said, the 4 Corners pizza is at the lower end of the scale of Maryland-style pizza.

The 4 Corners pizza crust is good – less oily than Ledo, but not as delicately flaky as the Stained Glass Pub.⁴ The firm crust, especially the edge pieces, allows for easy one-handed eating. The 4 Corners mildly tangy tomato sauce is better than the others, with hints of garlic and onion possibly masking its origins from an industrial-sized can. The mushrooms are canned, which is unpleasant and unusual these days, even on bar pizza. That said, it’s hypocritical to complain about throwback canned mushrooms while extolling the throwback establishment.

Expecting 4 Corners to be quiet on a weeknight with no half-price specials, DishingPizza was shocked to encounter a mob scene. In these dark times, any neighborhood like Silver Spring, Maryland, that supports establishments that ooze bonhomie are neighborhoods worth inhabiting.

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The 4 Corners Pub
10111 Sutherland Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20901

Style: Maryland

Pizza quality: 🍕🍕
Overall experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pie (18″ rectangular): $18.00
Pie price per square inch: $0.08

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1. It would not be out of place to see Norm elbowing up at the bar, exclaiming to Sam, “It’s a dog-eat-dog world, Sammy, and I’m wearing Milk-Bone underwear.” ↩︎
2. Non-hipsters may wonder about the attraction of speakeasies since liquor is perfectly legal and has been since Prohibition ended in the ’20s. As best as DishingPizza understands, modern-day speakeasies offer hidden entrances, dim lights, and a nostalgic “hidden gem” experience. But mostly, a speakeasy offers an opportunity for Insta photos. ↩︎
3. Anyone who’s a non-native Marylander cannot be a proper student of Maryland-style pizza. ↩︎
4. Stained Glass Pub and The 4 Corners Pub are doppelgängers. ↩︎