If you're from Maine or have lived here for an extended period of time, I'm wiling to bet that you've had at least a slice of this Maine staple pizza.

The story began back in 1931. According to Wikipedia, Pat Farnsworth opened the very first Pat's Pizza in Orono, Maine, which was first an ice cream shop. Pat was a Sicilian immigrant, so it wasn't surprising to see him locked and loaded with authentic family recipes for mouthwatering pizzas, bringing the taste of Italy to Maine. Let's just say that it didn't take long for him to garner a loyal following and become a slice of Maine's history.

Over the years, Pat's Pizza expanded their reach by opening additional locations across the state, with each location expected to maintain the same commitment of quality pizza established by Pat himself.

Some Pat's locations may be locally owned and operated, others may be part of a franchise, which can obviously impact a business in a positive or negative way, depending on many factors such as the staff, environment, and most importantly, the quality of food.

You may have heard people say they prefer a certain Pat's Pizza location over another one, which is usually based on personal experiences of the factors that I mentioned above.

Due to franchising, there may be ingredient variations in the execution of the pizza recipe throughout their locations in Maine. But the goal is to always to serve up an amazing pizza, even if it tastes a little different.

All of that said, Pat's Pizza remains a classic fixture in Maine almost 100 years later. I put it right up there with places like Amato's. You drive by, and there's that familiar sign. It doesn't matter where in Maine you are – you're probably not too far from a Pat's. Where's the closest one to you? Find out here. 

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