Decorated guitars line the walls. The wizard, a large mushroom-man statue, sits near the front door. Pizza dough flies into the air and lands back onto the hands of the chefs in the kitchen. Families and groups of friends sit in the restaurant talking and eating.

Those are some of the sights that await customers at Mellow Mushroom in Southlake.

“A lot of people want to take pictures with the wizard,” General Manager Tim Fleming said.

The restaurant offers a variety of menu items, including ones prepared for customers with vegan or gluten-free diets. The entrees include hoagies, salads and pizza.

Although customers have the option of building their own pizza, there are specialty pies on the menu. The Holy Shiitake Pie ($12.49 for a small-$24.49 for a large) features shiitake, button and portobello mushrooms as well as mozzarella and montamore cheeses. Black truffle oil and garlic aioli are drizzled on top of the pie. Other pie options include the Maui Wowie ($15.49 for a small pizza), which is a play on the traditional Hawaiian pizza; the Thai Dye ($12.49 for a small), which features curry chicken and Thai chili sauce; and the Red Skin Potato Pie ($12.99 for a small), which has sliced roasted red potatoes, chives and other baked potato toppings.

Although the eatery has been on Southlake Boulevard since May 2012, Fleming said getting customers in the door has not always been easy.

“Yes, we’re right next to [FM] 1709,” Fleming said. “However, the trees and all of the scenery on the road [prevent] a lot of people from seeing us.”

Once customers come in, however, it is easy to get them back, he said.

Fleming has been with the Southlake Mellow Mushroom since it opened. He started working in the kitchen and has worked his way up to become the general manager.

Fleming said the restaurant appeals to people ranging from families and friends just wanting a place to hang out to corporate people who need a place to have a working lunch.

“I get the hipsters to the corporate people, everything in between,” Fleming said.

In addition to its food menu, Mellow Mushroom offers a large selection of drinks, including craft beers and a full-service bar that features liquors and wine. Fleming said the location offers more than 120 beers, including more than 20 on tap.

“We’re very big on craft beer,” he said. “With our constantly rotating beer, we always have new beers on tap. … We hardly ever have the same beer on tap.”

Fleming said he loves the environment at Mellow Mushroom.

“I wouldn’t say that we’re lenient, but we’re definitely laid-back,” he said. “We like to have fun. We’re a big family.”

2820 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake 817-749-1111 www.mellowmushroom.com Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.