Stepping inside this Rogers Park sandwich and pizza shop feels akin to being in a sauna, or better yet, a large, steamy oven. A bit cavernous and claustrophobic, the framed black-and-white photos on the walls of Italians from the old country add a sliver of hominess to an otherwise disheveled spot. Yet Maria's, at the corner of Devon and Clark, is what it is: a place to order your grub and go.

Because it's actually part of the adjacent Deluxe Diner, the menu is bursting with choices. Regulars favor the Italian beef grinder, which comes topped with mozzarella cheese, oven-roasted green peppers and choice of marinara sauce or au jus. The rest of the menu is just as decadent, with plenty of artery-clogging snacks perfect for the drunken college crew like the messy nachos ($5.99), which comes with taco beef, refried beans and gobs of cheddar.

Even the veggie sub ($3.59) is overloaded: It comes in a tortilla wrap with mushrooms, avocado, black olives, red onion, mayo and Greek vinaigrette. Homemade corn bread accompanies the chili, another favorite, and the pizza comes thick or thin ($9-$18). There's also pasta, salads, taco dinners, and of course, the standard for any diner — a choice of various desserts, from key lime pie ($3.29) to oreo cake (3.99).

Stop by Maria's to pick up a slice of pizza ($2) when you're out of eating options or just tipsy and famished, or order up some baked mostaccioli ($6.99) when you're in the mood for Chicago Italian nostalgia.

Centerstage Reviewer: Marla Seidell