mario's beaver

It took me far too long to get around to eating at Mario’s Woodfired Pizzeria in downtown Beaver. For years, I had heard about this great pizza and pasta restaurant called Mario’s, but for some reason I never had the urge to try it. I still don’t remember what it was exactly that got me there for the first time, but after that I was completely hooked.

It wasn’t very difficult to get my wife on-board with my new Mario’s obsession, so we had lunch there at least once every week for almost a year straight. We’ve since cooled down a bit on our obsession, but still try to fit in a Mario’s trip as often as possible.

The Food

When my wife and I head to Mario’s for lunch, their pizza is almost always the reason. She thinks that their Margherita Pizza is the best she has ever had, and I generally opt for the Pizza Bianca. The Margherita Pizza is a traditional tomato sauce and cheese pizza garnished with basil. My Pizza Bianca is a garlic and olive oil pizza topped with cheese.

The only thing that will me from ordering the Pizza Bianca is if the daily special happens to catch my eye. If the special that day happens to be the Lobster Ravioli, then my decision has already been made for me. I recently tried a Blackened Chicken Alfredo Special that was also phenomenal. If you are looking for something a little more diet-friendly, the Grilled Chicken Salad and Caprese Panini are also wonderful options.

The Atmosphere

Another endearing aspect of Mario’s Woodfired Pizzeria is the bistro-style atmosphere. The place is almost always busy, so the large open room is pretty much always filled with lots of noise. While that may not sound appealing, all of that noise allows you to have a normal conversation with your fellow diners without feeling like the rest of the restaurant is listening to every word.

The restaurant is designed and decorated in a way that is completely in sync with the image they project. While that may not seem like a big deal, they do one of the best jobs of anywhere in Beaver County of presenting consistency across all aspects of the dining experience there.

The Booze

Booze? What are you talking about? Restaurants in Beaver don’t serve alcohol!

Exactly. But since there is no alcohol for sale at Mario’s, guest are free (and actually encouraged) to bring their own beverages with them for dinner. That means that instead of picking an overpriced bottle of wine you’ve never tried off of a menu, you can simply bring in your own favorite wine. You’ll notice that quite a few patrons take advantage of this during dinnertime.

Whether you are looking for a nice, casual lunch among professionals or a relaxing dinner with friends sharing a great bottle of wine, Mario’s is the type of “gathering place” restaurant that is perfect for meetings, birthdays, and celebrations. Its a great option if you find yourself in downtown Beaver, but for those of us who live in neighboring communities, it is also a destination restaurant!

Andrew is a professional freelance writer and lifelong resident of Beaver County. He created Your Beaver County to promote and showcase all of the positive aspects of our incredible local culture! You can find more of Andrew’s professional information at Brooklyn Content, or you can also follow him on his personal twitter account, @theAndrewSelby.