When a restaurant serves pizza that’s been voted “Best Pizza in Maine” every year in the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Readers Poll, you know what your mission will be upon entering: Eat pizza, drink beer and laugh with friends and family.

Located just 10 minutes north of Portland on I-295 in the Shops at Falmouth Village, Ricetta’s of Falmouth was the second location to open in Maine. The original is located in South Portland.

Ricetta’s of Falmouth has a barn-like look inside with no ceiling, exposed beams and sections divided by half walls so that the space still feels open and inviting. While you’re sitting at the bar, the smell of oak and maple float from the back of the restaurant, where the custom wood-fired brick oven burns 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Situated directly behind the host station at the front door, the bar area sits in the center of the restaurant, a great vantage point for people watching and waiting for your takeout order. The bar itself is made of tall maple with a copper counter and 10 stools.

There are also three short tables of four behind the bar area between two hanging flat-screen televisions. The customers in the bar are as varied as the television programs themselves were on this particular night, with choices such as ESPN, NESN and SoapNet.

On draft, Ricetta’s offers Miller Lite ($4.19) as well as Sebago, Shipyard Export, Allagash White and Harpoon IPA ($4.69). Ricetta’s also serves as one of the New England restaurant locations for the Samuel Adams Brewmaster Collection, showcasing specialty ales from the brewery such as Revolutionary Rye and Rustic Saison.

In addition to the draft beers, there are both domestic ($3.69) and imported ($4.39) bottles, with a special on Red Bridge Sorghum Gluten-Free beer ($3.69).

The mug club at Ricetta’s will get you 25 percent more beer free with every glass you order. Like the company’s free Customer Rewards program, mug club members can accumulate rewards with each drink order. Membership is transferable, and can be used at the South Portland location with a “loaner mug.” Membership in the mug club is $19 for the first year and $10 annually after that.

Beyond the beer at Ricetta’s is a good selection of wines and full bar service. There are a half dozen red and white offerings ranging from $6.89 to $9.29 a glass, along with blush and a house red and house white ($5.49). There is often a featured wine that pairs well with the monthly pasta special.

If you are looking to celebrate or just have a special night out, you can get a full bottle of sparkling prosecco for only $29.29. Or you can go for a delicious experience and try the popular Kahlua mudslide ($7.39), an indulgence with a chocolate syrup-coated glass.

The antipasti, or appetizer, options at Ricetta’s of Falmouth are a delicious take on regular bar favorites. From the appetizer portion of gnocchi in tomato cream sauce ($5.99) to the new roasted garlic dip ($8.99), you can certainly find something to eat while you have a drink. My personal favorite is the ravioli fritta ($8.29), breaded and deep-fried ravioli squares served with Ricetta’s famous marinara sauce. To get the best bang for your “drink and meal” buck, however, visit during the week from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ($12.49) for the pizza buffet ($11.49 weekdays, $12.49 weekends). On the weekend, the all-you-can-eat soup, salad and pizza buffet also features pasta and dessert, usually cannolis. 

Elisa Doucette is a freelance writer who lives in Portland.