Poor Richard’s Restaurant is a place that comes to mind when thinking about downtown Colorado Springs; it can’t be helped and there’s usually an associated smile.

An easy-going vibe and longevity have a lot to do with it. So does some savvy expansion. The bookstore was followed by the restaurant, which became Poor Richard’s Feed & Read; then the cinema; and more recently, Little Richard’s Toy Store and Rico’s Café 7 Wine Bar. Only the film aspect is gone, but the different businesses under one roof create a campuslike ambiance.

Further, the menu has kept up with the times. Tapas, rice bowls, vegan proteins and such weren’t part of the food scene in the mid-1970s when the doors opened. These changes help account for its sustained popularity.

Orders are still placed at the counter with pizza, salads and chips with salsa among the holdovers from days past. The thick, smoky salsa is made in-house; full and half orders are available ($7.99 and $4.49, respectively).

It made sense to stick with some old favorites so we ordered the pizza and salad combo, known as the Meal Deal No. 1 ($13.99). I’d forgotten that serving sizes are large. The slice included a choice of three toppings and a salad that was a meal in itself!

Toppings range from the ordinary like pepperoni and mushrooms (which I like) to the sublime including sun-dried tomatoes and green olives (which I really like). They’re among more than two dozen options. The hand-thrown, thin crust held its shape with just the right amount of marinara and a layer of mozzarella that quickly congealed, which happens with a lot of pizzas.

Salad dressings are made in-house and are available for sale by the bottle. The house salad is a large bowl of mixed greens, green beans, bell peppers, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, olives and cucumbers. There’s a scattering of feta, and the creamy balsamic dressing coated most of the components in the deep, wide serving bowl without overpowering them.

Four rice bowl options are available: chicken enchilada, Southwest, curry and sesame ginger. Except for the latter, the restaurant’s soups and chili are incorporated into the mixtures depending on which bowl is ordered. Protein choices are chicken or tofu.

The roasted chicken in the sesame ginger bowl complemented the rainbow of veggies including roasted broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, green beans, onions, zucchini and avocado chunks atop brown rice. The nutty and savory sauce was the perfect amount of the nutty and savory and was a perfect match for the other flavors. I especially enjoyed what the pieces of avocado added to the assortment of textures and tastes. All bowls include a piece of focaccia.

The menu offers sandwiches from the mundane (to some) such as egg salad ($12.64) to the more interesting (to some) like the veggie Rueben ($12.09). Bread choices include wheat, rye, pita, sourdough and gluten-free (for an upcharge). Sandwiches are served with chips and a small serving of salsa.

There is also a children’s menu and kids playroom in the back. That, along with the pizza, might evoke a lot of memories for many.