Can you handle an order of suicide chicken wings? This is the dare bestowed upon the Evanstonians who enter the Clark Street location of Buffalo Joe's.

Northwestern students call ahead, ordering party pans of BBQ wings for dorm mixers. Downtown Evanston residents wander in for a $3.99 buffalo cheddar burger, $3 pint of Burghoff Dark and a casual meeting with comrades while watching a game on the back room's flat-screen television. It's hard to tell if those tears streaming down their faces are due to a missed field goal or the feisty tango their taste buds are doing with some zesty wings. Perhaps someone should have settled for the mild sauce instead of trying to be a show-off.

There aren't any servers at Buffalo Joe's to keep the quenching pilsners coming when you need them. All orders are taken at the front counter, and dine-in patrons wait with their take-out counterparts on red vinyl stools until their name is called, signaling a completed order.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Nola Akiwowo