Mellow Mushroom, Toms River

Plenty of college students love pizza and beer, but few use that love to transform their lives. Yet that's exactly what happened in 1974, when the founders of Mellow Mushroom began expanding their business from one building in Atlanta to 100 locations across 15 states today. Despite the restaurant's ubiquity, each eatery has its own style, owing to the fact that each one is locally owned and operated.

Mellow Mushroom's chefs bake pizzas and calzones in stone hearths using dough made with natural spring water. Though many of the restaurant's dishes have been on the menu since its inception, chefs frequently devise new, often gluten-free dishes. Servers pair dishes with local brews, part of a collection of up to 100 beers on tap and in bottles.