by Tim Brechlin & Mike Ironside
Back in the day (ancient times when Mike Ironside went to Loras), there were four bars on what can best be dubbed University Hill – Whiskey River, The Avenue Top (known to everyone as “The Ave”), Gomer’s, and the bar then known as the Barrel Tap and, later, Schrobie’s. Of course, this was before the drinking age changed to 21, so every weekend there were hordes of drunken college kids packing the bars and roaming the streets between them.
Times have changed, businesses have come and gone and there was a particularly nasty fire a while back, but make no mistake: The University Hill has more life and activity in it than ever.
One need only set foot onto that section of University Avenue (between Glen Oak Street on the western boundary and Alta Vista Street on the eastern) to suddenly be smack-dab in the middle of one of Dubuque's most centralized locations for dining, nightlife and more.
These are exciting times for the University Hill area, with last year's rebirth of the Athenian Grill and subsequent purchase by Michael Paul Bries, Happy Joe's moving across the street from its prior 1099 University location to its sterling new digs, the new Dollar Dish establishment (opening May 19), a buffet-style restaurant where “every dish is a dollar,” moving into the old Happy Joe's spot and the ongoing successful establishments such as Fat Tuesday's, Jack's Chicken Palace, The Whisky and more. 365ink was able to sit down with a number of University Hill entrepreneurs to get their thoughts on life, the universe and everything.
"It's nice up here," says Jack's Chicken Palace owner Jeff Field, who has owned the nearly 50-year-old business for a year and a half after purchasing it from prior owner Nick Hancock. "You've got your pick of what you like to eat ... and the owners pretty much get along with everybody."
Athenian Grill owner Bries, who attended culinary school in Bettendorf, formerly owned the bar Breezer's on Central Avenue and spent time as essentially the head chef at Olive Garden, is a recent transplant to the neighborhood after purchasing the business from Jim & Debbie Matheos, who renovated the building after a devastating July 2006 fire.
“I’ve always had a real passion for food and once I got out of the bar business I wanted to be in the restaurant business,” Bries says. “I got a call one day from a realtor friend of mine, who said, ‘I’ve got an interesting opportunity for you – the Athenian Grill is going up for sale, and I was wondering if you wanted to take the first crack at it.’”
Since then, Bries has taken the Athenian Grill to an entirely new level, winning last year’s Taste of Dubuque, introducing gourmet burgers and a great breakfast selection to the menu, and becoming a popular food destination during festival season – and, in turn, opening up the menu to diners who don’t especially crave Greek food.
“What we strive for here is a personal touch, because going that extra mile leaves an impression with customers,” says Bries. “We want to have perfect food and perfect service, and while you can’t be perfect every time, we try our hardest to make it happen. And I love this neighborhood and where it's going.”
Another longtime stalwart of both the University Hill area (and festivals, too) has been Fat Tuesday’s Cajun Bar & Grill, under the stewardship of owner Rico Hirsch.
“We draw a diverse clientele,” says Rico, who has owned the business for nearly 11 years after purchasing it from Burt and Kathleen Perron. “From 21 to 71 is what I always say.”
The multitude of visitors that Fat’s draws is of little surprise, given the relaxed “neighborhood bar” atmosphere and great food. The bar has long been a hangout for the Dubuque Jaycees softball team as well as a favorite spot of 365 (it was during 365 editor Tim’s first week at the office that the crew took him to Fat’s and introduced him to the delicious tacos as big as your head). Another reason for its popularity is the sheer variety and the unique tastes offered from Fat’s kitchen.
“The Cajun griddle is popular, too,” says Rico, who built the menu from scratch. “It’s blackened chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage … burgers are really starting to take off … people are coming in and trying different things.”
Moving further down the street, it would be impossible to miss The Whisky, the tavern owned by Chad Streff since he purchased it in 1989. Formerly known as the Whiskey River, the bar was been cleaned up and renovated on both the interior and exterior. Looking back at the days of the Whiskey River, it was a blue-collar joint with country music playing on the jukebox and a popular destination for locals. Today, The Whisky boasts a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and in doing so it draws a crew of regular customers from all over town.
“We have people who come in here five times a week,” says Streff, a veteran of the bar business (his father owned Capone’s, now The Other Side, in East Dubuque, as well as Mr. Bill’s, now The YardArm). Loyal barflies aren’t the only standby at The Whisky – one of the bartenders has worked there for fifteen years, and another for eighteen years, reinforcing Streff’s philosophy of good customer service: “People don’t wait for drinks.”
The influx of regular customers is a recurring theme among the area business owners. Think about it: When was the last time you saw a billboard for Jack’s Chicken Palace?
“It’s both word of mouth, and we have very loyal customers,” says Jeff Field of Jack’s. “It gets passed down from generation to generation – their kids come in, and their kids come in, and on down.”
In addition to regular patronage, the chicken recipes have been passed on down through the nearly five decades, as well.
“It’s the same recipe that Jack had,” says Field. Part of the secret, he says, is in the pressure fryers: They fry the chicken quickly, but the moisture is retained. Other popular items include the homemade onion rings and a boneless catfish that Field says is a big seller.
While recipes, traditions and personalities have been constant, the area is rather different from what it used to be. The main two college hangouts – the main destinations, years ago, as Dubuque’s downtown had yet to experience the renaissance of now -- were the two that no longer exist today. The Ave (once on the corner where the car wash now is) was extremely small and narrow and was populated almost exclusively by college kids, especially frat boys and sorority girls. The other big college destination was Gomer’s, which was on the corner where salon Jamaica Me Tan is now. It drew a lot of local kids, too, so it was a melting pot of locals and Loras and UD students (a combination which led to the occasional fight, but isn't that part of growing up?). Nevertheless, fun has always been an integral part of this section of town.
But one ongoing problem, University Hill owners are quick to point out, has existed for a long time: The parking. One of the drawbacks to having so many businesses concentrated in an area of only a few blocks, without a dedicated parking area nearby, is the simple reality that on-street parking spaces fill up quickly.
However, with the plethora of side streets that this particular area of Dubuque has in spades, it’s often not difficult at all to find a spot within spitting distance of your chosen University Hill destination. As Mike Bries points out, “Walking a block from where you’ve parked isn’t anything like you’ll find in Chicago, where you’re lucky to park within six or seven blocks of wherever you’re going – and even then, you’re going to spend an hour looking for that parking spot!”
We’ve barely scratched the surface on the goings-on and activities in the University Hill area. From the always-quality pizza offerings of Happy Joe’s (which will always have one of the best garlic breads in the land, for our nickel) to the brand-new Dollar Dish (again, opening May 19 at 1099 University) and all points in-between and beyond, this particular block of University Avenue deserves to be re-discovered. And if for some reason you haven’t discovered the area in the first place, smack yourself upside the head and make your way in that direction immediately. From Greek to gourmet burgers to pizza to Cajun to chicken to hopping nightlife to friendly taverns and some of the nicest owners around, you can’t go wrong. And tell ‘em 365 sent you.