Four years ago, people would queue up in front of Legal Sea Foods for hours to grab a quick, cheap fish dinner in a crowded room with 100 or so other noisy, hungry people.

Those days are gone. The wait is still sometimes lengthy, but now you can spend it leisurely imbibing mixed drinks and raw oysters, clams and shrimps in the upstairs bar while waiting for your number to be called. The dining rooms (plural now) are no longer full to overflowing, just full to capacity. And people no longer breathe down your neck waiting for your place.

But Legal Sea Foods remains the best place to get a good fish dinner in Cambridge for a reasonable price.

Upstairs, the Red Tide Special is an interesting twist on the standard Bloody Mary, and worth trying. And for raw clam and oyster fans--well, they're there, and delicious. Downstairs, a full range of seafoods, broiled and fried, and all fresh, greets the seafood fan. (The broiled dishes are especially good in garlic butter.) Most dishes are reasonably priced--lobster, however, is quickly going out of sight. And a bucket of steamers always makes a good, inexpensive dinner. The fish chowder is also well worth a try.

Pizza

Pizza places abound in Harvard Square, but Harvard students never seem to get their fill. Nor do they ever seem to agree on which place serves the best pizza. Fortunately, there are enough varieties around so that even the most demanding pizza eater should be able to find satisfaction.

For those who prefer thick crusts, the 24 Restaurant on Holyoke St., and Harvard House of Pizza on Mass Ave. near the Quadrangle Houses are probably the best bets. The 24, which also serves Greek food and grinders, is more generous with the cheese and the crust, but Harvard's pizzas are larger in diameter. Pinocchio's at 74 Winthrop St. features a thick crust, but some feel it also features too much grease.

Thinner crusts can be found at Joe's Pizza at 1 Linden St., Three Aces on Mass Ave. near the Law School, and Harvard Pizza on Plympton St. (not to be confused with Harvard House of Pizza). Three Aces is rumored to have the closest thing to New York-style pizza in the vicinity of the Square.

Since tastes in pizza are so subjecttive, you'll probably have to experiment a little before you find a place that meets your specifications. Exprimentation may require a little help from your friends, however, because many places don't serve single slices of pizza as Joe's and Harvard Pizza. If you're feeling lazy and not too particular, Gershman's and Domino's will deliver some soggy pizza to your door.

Wursthaus

4 Boylston St.

If you show up at Cardullo's Gourmet Shop at an off-hour, a sign in the door will advise you to try out the Wursthaus instead, which is a dumpling's-throw away. What this means is a racket on European foods for Frank Cardullo who just happens to own both places, but the Wursthaus isn't bad at all.

Just north of the hi-fi jungle on Boylston St., the Wursthaus building sits in commercial effulgence, noisily crowing its own merits with pretentious signs, ornate flags and a smorgasbord-style window that is chock-full of brand-names. The decor is pretty much the same inside, and if you sit facing the wrong way, your meal will be highlighted by a neon ticker that tells you what you will want to masticate. The specialties at the Wursthaus are eastern European food and exotic beers from the world over, which all Harvard freshmen buy so they can have pretty rows of beer bottles on their mantlepieces. The prices are moderate here and the "special"--a luncheon buffet upstairs--commands $2.75. The food is quite good, though, and the Wursthaus really offers one of the most interesting fares in the Square.

Despite the commercialism, the "atmosphere" at the Wursthaus is very warm if masculine. The main dining room is a handsome exercise in dark old wood and stone flooring, and an occasional Germanic waitress gives the place some authenticity. The upstairs is somewhat more cheery and airy, and there's sometimes a guitar player in the corner. The Wursthaus gets quite crowded and service gets quite slow, but it's a fine place to go for a filling meal with drinks, late in the afternoon or evening.

Oxford Ale House