The nondescript, mostly vacant strip mall where Roadrunner Pizza & Pasta has been dishing up pies and more for 40 years belies the vibrant flavors produced from its diminutive storefront.

Roadrunner’s small neon signs are among the limited evidence of life in the Venetian Village shopping center on North Hancock. There’s plenty of parking, so no worries about getting a spot near the door for picking up orders. This is a carryout only establishment, with delivery service available for a fee.

Thirty minutes after phoning in my order, I walked out of Roadrunner laden with warm pizza boxes, salads, pasta and the accoutrements needed to consume the meal — if I was eating somewhere without forks, napkins, Parmesan cheese, salad dressing and jelly beans. Yes, even jelly beans!

Specialty pizzas here come in four sizes, including 10-inch small; 12-inch medium and 14-inch large; the 16-inch extra-large is available for build-your-own zas. It’s not often there’s more than one or two size options. The dough is made fresh daily and hand-spun. It, too, comes with some choices that need to be made. There’s regular, thin, thick and gluten-free. We opted for regular, which is just right unless you’re a die-hard aficionado of Chicago, Detroit or New York crust styles. Along with build-your-own possibilities are Roadrunner’s Classics, Regional Favorites, Vegetarian and Seafood.

We selected the 10-inch Roadrunner Combo ($11.65), described on the menu as the “most popular.” This is a mosaic of colorful and plentiful toppings including pepperoni, sausage, onions, green peppers and sliced mushrooms. The sauce is barely detectable, allowing the veggies and meats to rule the flavors.

The small size is plenty for two or more to share if ordering other items, which we did.

Roadrunner offers its own take on a margherita pizza. ($12.19, for the 10-inch, up to $19.89 for the large). Fresh sliced tomatoes, garlic and cheese sit atop the regular-style crust. Pesto and oregano adorn the pie, rather than simply pieces of fresh basil. It’s basic but far from ordinary.

Pasta dinners come with a small salad and garlic bread. The ravioli ($12.59) earns kudos for plating — is it plating when served in plastic to-go containers?

A large serving of ricotta-filled round pasta pillows in house marinara sauce is covered with cheese. Sliced garlic bread rims the ravioli, creating an impressive, almost artistic floral presentation. Unfortunately, the profuse amount of cheese solidified over the top of the ravioli resulting in a gummy texture that even the tangy sauce couldn’t completely overshadow.

The Italian chef salad ($9.89) is a meal in itself. Greens are hidden beneath mounds of pepperoni, smoked ham, artichokes, pepperoncini, mushrooms, black olives, grape tomatoes, cheddar and provolone cheeses.

The menu includes other pasta items, Stromboli (stuffed Italian sandwiches) and the Roadrunner slopper. Although not ordered, it’s a small pizza topped with ground beef, bacon and cheddar. After baking, it’s blanketed with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and house made green chili. According to the menu, it weighs 2 pounds!

Staff is friendly and happily answered my questions. Roadrunner’s success slinging pies is due to a large fan base and, apparently, without distractions from Wile E. Coyote.

ROADrunner PIZZA & PASTA

Carryout or delivery only

Location: 3113 N. Hancock Ave.

Contact: 1-719-636-2112; on Facebook

Prices: $4.49 to $22.68

Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 4 to 10p.m. Friday and Saturday

Details: Credit cards accepted.

Favorite dishes: Margherita pizza and Italian chef salad.

Other: Gluten-free and vegan options available.