Reservations: None accepted.

Type of cuisine: Charred, Neapolitan-like, thin-crust pizzas, salads and antipasti.

Alcohol: Tight selection of interesting red and white wines (vinho verde alongside such reds as Sacred Stone, a terrific spicy California blend) by the glass (all $5) or bottle ($18, plus a handful of more elite bottles for $22).All beers on draft are North Carolina breweries, such as Foothills and Natty Greene's. But fear not -- Pabst Blue Ribbon tall boys and their kin are available by can.

Smoking: Smoke-free.

Health-department rating: 98.5 percent.

Price range: Appetizers and salads: $2.95-$8.95. Pizzas: $9.95-$19.95. Desserts: $2.25-$4.95.

Credit cards: Discover, Visa, MasterCard, American Express.

Atmosphere: If Edward Gorey and Tim Burton went in on a pizzeria, this would be it.

An old service station reborn with wood-trimmed mirrors, an elaborate sideboard and tangles of branches wrapped around poles.

The wait: This isn't a large place, so I'd go expecting a wait.

The good news is that there's plenty of seating in the lobby, a bar in house and a bunch of others across the street.

Service: The sort of staff who will let you pick your seat when tables are free but will conscientiously dive for rags when there's a beer spill.

Be sure to try: Fried mozzarella; bruschetta with sweet sausage, roasted peppers and ricotta; rosemary french fries; pizza with fried eggplant, mushrooms, caramelized garlic; pizza with ground beef, goat cheese, Swiss chard and fingerling potatoes; peach cobbler; blueberry ice cream.

Stay away from: The salads are inconsistent and need some re-tooling.

Will I go back?: The question is not "will" but "when."