In The ’70s, People In Ellsworth Went To These 3 Locations For Pizza

When news spread across social media this morning that The Mex, a long-time Ellsworth restaurant had closed, we started thinking of other eateries that had once been very popular within the "crossroads of downeast Maine."  More specifically, places that served everyone's favorite pizza back in the '70s.

Yes, the pizza and atmosphere at these three places were so good that it made them unforgettable!

Let's start out with where The Mex is right now, at 191 Main Street, where back in the day when shows like Laverne & Shirley and the Six Million Dollar Man were popular, Roy's Pizza was dishing out pizza and serving up the brew.  Folks would sit in booths that overlooked a much less populated Main Street at night, and chances are they knew the majority of people driving up and down the road, and within the restaurant itselt.  The jukebox was cranked, and friends partied into the late-night hours there.  And yes, the place was owned by a guy named Roy, someone that everyone knew.

Next is The Pizza Place, which once was located at 151 High Street, where both Martha's Diner and High Street Barber Shop are now, and long before there was a Reny's Department Store outside the window.  This was the place that everyone met for pizza and brew after that big softball game.  The pizza was a delicious taste all of it's own, and people still talk about the roast beef subs till this day.  A man named Bill owned the Pizza Place, and like Roy, was someone that everyone in town knew.

The third place that everyone went to for pizza was the Hilltop House, on top of the hill on the Bar Harbor Road/Route 3, right next to where Dunkin' is now, across from Myrick Street.  This was the family restaurant that served both dine-in and take-out, and people would mob the place for the pizza, and onion rings too for that matter.  It was the place where everyone was served a salad. It was called The Hilltopper back in 1959, and then the name was changed to The Hilltop House in the 1960s. The name stayed that way until it sadly closed in 2001, but not before changing quite significantly.  The building burned to the ground in 2017.

Three great restaurants that just about everyone appreciated, but are since long gone.