The settlement of Scarborough in Maine was started by one pioneer who set up a trading post on the shores of Saco Bay in the early 17th century. The location soon caught the attention of others and a community dedicated to fishing and farming grew up around the store. The town prospered until it was destroyed in an altercation with the Native American tribe who also inhabited the area. At the end of the 1600s, a peace agreement was signed and a few years after people began to settle there once more. Scarborough remained a quiet fishing and farming community until the mid-20th century when its potential as a coastal resort was realized. Hotels and guest houses opened up to receive the seasonal surge of visitors and companies related to the tourist industry relocated to the town which in turn attracted people looking for work in pleasant seaside surroundings. Not all of the people who moved to Scarborough wanted to work for someone else. Some, including several ambitious Italians, wanted to be their own boss. Once they'd found suitable premises, they set about opening the first pizzerias in Scarborough to feed the locals and visitors the classic Italian dish of pizza.

Scarborough in Maine is known for thick crust pizza

While Scarborough may be known for thick crust pizza, don't be under the illusion that every pizza you can get in this Maine town is a round, old-world-style pie; it's not. Thick crust may be the commonest pizza base in Scarborough, but there are some pizzerias that like to do things a little differently and so have introduced variations of thick crust pizzas to their menu. When you order from a pizzeria in Scarborough you'll be able to choose not just a regular thick crust pizza, but Sicilian-style which is a thick crust originating from the island of Sicily or a pizza batta which is an innovative cross between a focaccia and a ciabatta. All three are great pizza bases so to find out which you like best there's only one thing to do and that's try all three.

Best delivery pizza in Scarborough, Maine

When you want to have the best delivery pizza there is to be had in Scarborough there's really only one pizzeria to call. It's one that cares that their customers get what they want without leaving home and has over thirty years of pizza baking experience. That Scarborough pizzeria is called the Pizza Plus Sandwich Shop. The Pizza Plus Sandwich Shop is located on Payne Road and occupies a large, independent premises that's modestly decorated both internally and externally. What's not modest about the Pizza Plus Sandwich Shop is the way they top their pizzas. They're generous to the hilt with topping ingredients on all of their pizzas including their house special the pizza batta, so don't be shy about giving one a try.

Best takeout pizza in Scarborough, Maine

If you're heading into Scarborough from the north for an afternoon on the beach and hunger strikes while you're driving, don't keep going. Look for the turn-off that will take you to Mussey Road. On Mussey Road is the 8 Corners Pete-za pizzeria which is where you can get the best take-out pizza in Scarborough. 8 Corners Pete-za occupies a big, house-style premises with its own parking lot so even if you're driving an RV, you'll have room to pull in. What you'll find on the menu here is a list of create-your-own pizzas made with hand-tossed dough. You can choose from one to five toppings depending on how loaded with extra ingredients you like your pie or if you're not that famished, you can just pick up a take-out slice.

Best pizza near Scarborough, Maine

Portland

While Scarborough does have its own beach, sometimes you need a little more than a stretch of sand in your life. To find some great cultural activities nearby, you don't need to go any further than Portland which is less than ten miles away. You can get an art fix by visiting the Portland Museum of Art where there are almost twenty thousand individual works of art to browse around. If you're taking the kids they'll probably prefer a couple of hours in the Children's Museum and Theater of Maine to looking at unmoving statues. The whole family will love a ride on the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad along the seafront before going for a pizza at Pizzaiolo on Cumberland Avenue.

Kennebunk

Make a trip twenty miles south of Scarborough on the I-95 and you'll come to a Maine town called Kennebunk. While most folks head straight for neighboring Kennebunkport, they're missing out on a couple of good activities. Take time to have a look around the Brick Store Museum where the exhibits are a combination of historical artifacts and artworks. After that, head to the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge where there are swathes of open countryside to hike through that's the habit of migratory birds. If you didn't go prepared with a picnic, you can pick up a take-out pizza from the Kennebunk House of Pizza on York Street.

Raymond

Change coastal scenery for lake views by making a twenty-six-mile trip north from Scarborough to Raymond. While Raymond won't be winning awards anytime soon for being overloaded with exciting activities, it is bordered by beautiful Sebago Lake, the even more scenic Little Sebago Lake, and the not quite so attractive Panther Pond. If you're into boating then Sebago Lake is the place to weigh anchor and drift around at least some of the lake's hundred-plus miles of shoreline. It's a superbly tranquil spot for kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding too as long as you don't go too far from the shore. You don't have to go out on the water if it doesn't appeal, there's a nice swim beach and plenty of hiking trails. Before you head home feeling like new, drop by The Beacon on the Roosevelt Trail for a pie.