When you walk in the door of this pizzeria, the wonderful smells of simmering sauce and baking bread prepare you for the good food ahead. This is no ordinary pizza place. The sauces, dough, bread and Italian beef all are homemade. The friendly owners are a good match for the food they serve.

The storefront, tucked into a strip mall on the east side of Illinois 84 in Colona, is easy to miss. Maria’s Pizza is a family place. It has built quite a following since it opened in October 2015.