A man and his teenage son, beefy like a football player, celebrate college acceptance over a pie-size triangle of baklava. A small and feisty mustachioed man at a table in the corner pumps his fists when his calzone arrives — all 15 pounds of it, to judge by appearances — and jokes about how it will take three of him to finish it. And a red-haired kid who looks like a rower laughs with the woman behind the counter that this is his third visit this week. Skampa, in East Cambridge — a roast-beef, Italian-pizza, and seafood spot, according to its sign (and much more, according to its menu) — is a treasure. Overlooked, easy to drive past, but so good when you finally decide to stop in.

"If you like it, tell others. If you don’t, tell us!" reads the menu. So we’re telling you, because we really, really like it. Skampa is entirely without pretense, its food is satisfying and delicious, and the price-to-portion ratio is nearly unbelievable. Roast beef is one of the specialties, and the roast-beef sandwich ($2.90/junior; $3.90/large; $4.50/super; $4.95/hot sub) shouldn’t be missed. It’s so cushiony, so tender and soft, so tasty; try it with the special sauce. The roast-beef dinner ($6.65) comes with French fries and onion rings and a salad and rice pilaf and rice pudding. So much food, so few dollars. The onion rings aren’t too battery, and the French fries are thick and salty. The salad is fresh, and the rice pudding — if you can make it that far, which we did, with some discomfort — is a sweet finish. The ziti, chicken, and broccoli ($4.50/small; $5.75/large) has equal parts chicken, pasta, and broccoli, all fresh, all perfectly cooked. There’s a long list of subs, including haddock ($5.25), eggplant ($4.55), and pastrami ($4.95), as well as calzones, pizza, more pasta, and salads. And the woman behind the counter refers to everyone who calls in for take-out as "honey" and smiles when you order, in a way that says, "You’re making a good choice."

Skampa, located at 424 Cambridge Street, in Cambridge, is open Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Call (617) 354-0009.