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North Avenue vs. Water Street
Live the high life or score a blue ribbon?
By Darin Kwilinski
It doesn’t only come down to what kind of person likes wings and what kind of person likes burgers
There is a day every week that a lot of people look forward to. That day is Wednesday. Why? Because on North Avenue, at an establishment called BBCs, a little deal goes on called Burger Hell. For $1.75 you can enjoy a tasty burger and fries with one-dollar Pabst Blue Ribbon beers. How can you go wrong?
Well, if you don’t know about Brothers on Water Street, you could be missing out on another option entirely. Their deal is just as good as BBCs’. For a dollar you can enjoy Miller High Life Light and savor 10 cent wings, 30 wings per person and in four different flavors: original, barbeque, garlic ranch or ass-burner.
But is there a difference between the college students who go to one of these places and those who frequent the other? Having taken advantage of both deals, who better to distinguish between the two than me?
I could just go ahead and say, “If you like popped collars and aviator glasses, go to X place.” It’s not that easy, though, as both bars can house any number of “bros” at any given time. Typically, people dress up more near Water Street because of the clubs in that area. This leads to the bro population being mixed and diluted with people who actually have a fashion sense. Example: girls.
That’s not to say that North Avenue doesn’t dress nice. After all, there is Decibel…and…ummm…Vitucci’s? OK, so North Avenue is a little more laid back on the fashion. That’s not a bad thing. Sometimes you need a good night to dress down and not feel the peer pressure of impressing strangers. It’s not as laid back as, say, Madison, however. In Madison you can wear pajamas to the bars, because, honestly, who are they trying to impress? They already got into Madison. Show offs.
Hoodies and smokers are the grunt population on North Avenue, and if you don’t believe me, look up at the ceiling at BBCs one night - ANY night. Wait, what? Oh, that’s right; the ceiling is behind this veil of cancer and rat poison. Sometimes I like to think of BBCs as an upscale Axel’s.
So, fashion plays a role in the Milwaukee scene and it shows on these two streets. But look a little closer at the deals these two bars offer. One gives you a choice of food with a couple toppings and a decent beer.
The other gives you four flavors of wings and serves you the “Cham-pag-ne of Beer” (Get it? Because beer drinkers aren’t sophisticated, so they can’t pronounce champagne? …..Never mind.) While both places only give you one choice of beer, Brothers still gives you the option to mix and match your food.
It doesn’t only come down to what kind of person likes wings and what kind of person likes burgers. The matter of choice can not be stressed enough. Brothers gives you more choices by offering you four different types of flavors for your wings. BBCs offers you a hamburger, cheese burger or bacon cheese burger.
Does that mean the type of person who eats at BBCs is a mindless, smoking zombie who will take their burger and PBR without thinking? Not necessarily. Does that mean that the people who go to Brothers are pompous, stuck-up stiffs who contemplate how to mix and match their wings? Not entirely.
In the end it’s all about personal preference. So, if you have a car or enough money for the taxi fare (or enough patience for BOSS, which can’t take you all the way to Brothers anyway), Brothers wins because of the 10 cent wings and dollar Highlifes.
Sorry, North Avenue. I prefer living the high life as opposed to getting a blue ribbon for participating in drinking.
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