B.O.P. has been an institution in Fells Point for about as long as I can remember. After a recent visit -- the first in many years -- I'm pleased to say it's still doing things well.

B.O.P. -- for Brick Oven Pizza, of course -- was one of the first restaurants to introduce such a thing to Baltimore. Sitting on a corner in the heart of Fells Point, the restaurant is a funky but welcoming outpost producing tasty, thin-crust pizzas in a huge, wood-fired oven.

B.O.P. has one of the best jukeboxes around, with everything from The Big Chill soundtrack and Dwight Yoakam to Aerosmith and the Everly Brothers. On the wall are head shots of such celebrity fans as Kathleen Turner, Dr. John and Andy Williams. A fun mural depicts Fells Point life.

And B.O.P. continues to crank out very good pizza. The key is the thin crust that isn't too chewy and comes topped with a well-made tomato sauce and cheese that isn't overly salty.

A small plain pie costs $7.50 and could feed one very hungry person or two moderately hungry diners. We tried a bunch of the toppings: onion, mushroom, pepperoni and more. A favorite was the No. 3, which cost $8.95 and was loaded with artichoke hearts, capers, black olives and surprisingly hot cherry peppers.

An antipasto ($7.95) was zingy and delicious, featuring salami, pepperoni, capers, more of those cherry peppers, black and green olives and artichoke hearts over a bed of romaine lettuce. The sliced mushrooms seemed out of place amid all the red and green, but we weren't complaining.

The Caesar salad ($2.95) was perfectly adequate, as was the pasta alfredo, made with broccoli and pieces of shredded chicken in a thick cream sauce. At $8.99, it came with a side salad and B.O.P.'s version of a breadstick, a pizza crust dusted with spices and served with a small container of thick tomato sauce.

For dessert, we passed up the ice cream sodas and sampled B.O.P.'s chocolate pizza ($8.95), a pastry crust topped with chocolate and decorated with slices of banana, strawberry and, my favorite, kiwi.

Because this is Fells Point, parking can be a chore.

B.O.P.

Food: ***

Service: *** 1/2

Waiting area: **

Parking: *1/2

Where: 800 S. Broadway, Fells Point

Phone: 410-563-1600

Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday through Saturday

Prices: Mostly pizza, from $7.50 to $22.95; credit cards accepted