Pizza and beer at a watering hole northwest of Boston around for 70+ years

South Shore bar pizza is all the rage these days.

It’s typically enjoyed in local drinking joints in the middle of residential neighborhoods south of Boston — and that shouldn’t come as a surprise, as pizza and beer in some ways represent the ultimate food/drink pairing.

Lost in the endless talk about bar pie is the fact that there are plenty of places to go for pizza and beer elsewhere in the region, and while bar pizza is more difficult to find west and north of Boston (or within Boston itself, for that matter), plenty of dining and drinking spots can be found with a similar vibe to the bar pizza joints without actually offering bar pizza.

One such place is a hidden gem less than an hour west of Boston called the Nashoba Club Pizza & Taproom, which wouldn’t be out of place in the heart of bar pizza country and which serves pizza that hints at South Shore bar pie, though it really is in a category of its own.

The Nashoba Club resides in the type of town that seems locale for old-fashioned restaurants and bars. Ayer has a rich history that stems from being a major railway hub in the 1800s and located next to a large military base, Fort Devens.

Like many old railroad towns, Ayer’s downtown area has a bit of a “wild west” look to it, with squat brick structures and false-front buildings, and yes, there are still railroad tracks abutting Main Street, at times only a few feet from the sidewalk. Running parallel to Main Street east of downtown is Central Street, which has a decidedly industrial look and is mostly hidden from sight, being used as a cut-through by locals who may be heading to neighboring Groton or Littleton.

This road is where you’ll find the Nashoba Club, just far enough away from the handful of restaurants and bars on Main Street to keep it a bit of a local secret.

From the outside, it’s tough to tell what kind of place the Nashoba Club is — its huge “PIZZA” sign out front makes it look like it could be little more than a sub shop. But look further up to the signs that say “Nashoba Club Pizza Restaurant” and “Proudly Serving the Area Since 1950” and you’ll start to get hints that this is by no means a takeout joint.

Climbing up the stairs under the building’s false front (and yes, this oddly appealing architectural style seems to be big in Ayer), you’ll see a cozy outdoor patio that’s used during the warmer months. Once inside, a narrow hallway brings you to the main dining room and bar to the right, while continuing straight ahead leads to a more private-feeling area out back that seems a little like a home entertainment room complete with bench seats, tables and a large TV for watching games.

PHOTOS: Bar pizza, club style, northwest of Boston

The main section of the Nashoba Club includes seating for maybe 10 at the bar and a number of low-top tables in the dining section, including window seats that look out at the patio and Central Street just beyond. Exposed pipes and beams along the old wooden ceiling give the place a bit of an industrial feel, though the front area has vague ski lodge vibe to it as well, which all adds to the old-school charm of the space.

Pizza (and beer) may be the draw for many when it comes to the Nashoba Club, but its menu offers much more than just pizza, including delicious sandwiches, soups that change daily, salads and familiar pub grub options such as wings, tenders, burgers and tacos.

Pan pizza, heavy on the cheese

It really is tough to get beyond the pizza, however, as it is easily among the best place for it along the Route 2 corridor between the Boston suburbs and the Fitchburg/Leominster area, even if the pizza is tough to categorize.

Is it bar pizza? Italian style? Greek pizza? Gourmet?

Different people will tell you different things, but it does seem to lean just a little toward bar pie, especially since it’s a pan pizza whose cheese and sauce extend all the way to the edge of the crust (though at 13 inches, it is quite a bit bigger than a traditional bar pie).

One thing that everyone may agree on is that it is heavy on the cheese, and it comes out of the oven a bit floppy but quickly firms up as it cools, making for two different experiences in a way, as the last slice or two will taste quite a bit different from the first slices.

The pizzas here come in endless combinations, with such toppings as pepperoni, black olive, mushroom, hamburger, peppers and onions to name a few. Several sauce options can be ordered as well, including ranch, buffalo, alfredo and BBQ.

You can also order specialty pizzas, and some are quite unusual, such as a pickle and ranch pie, a Korean fried chicken pizza and even a pizza with a blueberry base.

What to drink

Local watering holes often seem to focus on mass-market beers, but the Nashoba Club has such an impressive list of brews that it could almost be seen as a beer bar.

Local and regional beers rule the roost here, including options from Dirigible, Bull Spit, Moon Hill, Wachusett, Berkshire, Devil’s Purse, Bissell Brothers, Fiddlehead and Foam, and a number of Nashoba Club-branded beers are offered as well.

If it’s too tough to choose among all the options, flights are also available. For those who aren’t into craft brews, you can certainly order Bud, Miller and Coors here, and wine, cocktails and spirits are served as well.

Nashoba Club Pizza & Taproom has an instantly familiar feel to it if you’re a fan of unpretentious roadside restaurants and bars, and it has a similar vibe to some beloved joints that are no longer with us, including Willow Pond, a Concord institution that closed back in the late 1990s and was subsequently demolished.

Let’s hope that the Nashoba Club doesn’t suffer a similar fate anytime soon, as it’s the type of throwback spot that’s more and more difficult to find with each passing year.

Nashoba Club Pizza & Taproom, 14 Central Avenue, Ayer, MA, 01432. nashobaclubpizza.com