The Mad Raven
841 Main StreetThe Mad Raven is the place to be Wednesday nights to enjoy some drinks and some pre-weekend socializing. The bar is small, so it appears to be full without having a lot of customers, with no room for dancing or even much milling around. The music is pretty random, as one can hear anything from hip hop to Jamiroquai on a given night. However, its convenient location makes it, along with neighbor Joe Sent Me, a choice place to get over that middle-of-the-week hump. Located across from Victory Supermarket, the Raven is pretty fair with its pricing, and a thriftier customer-who doesn't care what he or she is drinking as long as it "does the trick"-can enjoy Pabst Blue Ribbon drafts for $2 or pitchers for $7, which yield four to five beers. On Tuesday nights, a patron will often find him or herself in the midst of a Bentley crowd, and, on weekends, a smattering of Waltham residents.



Joe Sent Me
849 Main Street

Located right next door to the Mad Raven, Joe Sent Me seems to be the underdog competitor. Joe's is actually much more spacious and has a better set-up, with more seating, bigger and better TVs and an area more conducive to socializing and moving around. Additionally, the redesigned wall dcor makes for a laid-back atmosphere, a drink menu boasts different types of martinis and specialty drinks and Busch Lite drafts are typically offered for only $1. Yet, somehow Joe's still seems to struggle compared to the Mad Raven for Wednesday night debauchery, although in the past, and during certain weeks, Joe's will be more crowded instead. For some Brandeis students, it's less about where and more about who will be there.

Monica Asher '05 frequents both Main Street bars, and has no real preference of one over the other. "I just go where everyone else goes," she said. However, others do actually have a preference for the Raven over Joe's. "It's crowded, there's no music and it just feels like a local townie bar rather than a college bar," said Brian Snyder '05. According to a Joe Sent Me bartender, Wednesdays tend to be Brandeis nights, while Bentley students come out on Tuesdays for their weekly alcohol fix.



Margaritas
227 Moody Street

There are two main attractions at Margaritas: its namesake drinks and free chips and salsa. While a customer can certainly order a Corona, or any other popular beer or drink, the margaritas themselves are a must-try. An entire page of the drink menu is devoted to various flavors, and the bar also offers other frozen specialty alcoholic drinks as another delicious option. These drinks are not only among the best you can get north of the border, but they're also decently priced, costing between $5.50 and $6.50. The free munchies make up for what the service sometimes lacks, and Margarita's sit-down atmosphere make it a great choice to just catch up with friends or for an introductory drink before a long night of revelry.



The Skellig
240 Moody Street

The Skellig is an Irish bar that boasts 18 beers on tap, dozens of bottled choices, cider and wine in addition to standard alcoholic beverages-all with standard prices. Live Irish music is frequent, and the bar has live cover bands on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Brandeisians sometimes go on Monday nights for Trivia Night where teams of five pay $5 to enter, rack their brains and compete against other teams for the pool of money and a round of drinks. Justin Gelfand '05 is a frequenter of these trivia nights.

"It's fun pretending you're intellectual while intoxicated," he said.

Two rooms leave a lot of space to move around and socialize, although during certain weekdays and on slower nights it can leave the establishment looking bare. The crowd is random, and it's anyone's guess what type of clientele the Skellig will attract on a given night.



Iguana Cantina
313 Moody Street

This Mexican restaurant draws a drinking crowd on nights with a full bar and an extensive specialty drink menu offering modestly priced, strong and tasty drinks. Iguana Cantina also offers a few drinks meant for two which cost about $12 for a massive bowl of alcoholic fun. One fun promotion is free tacos on Thursdays from 10:15 p.m to midnight, which frequently lures students in the fine college tradition of always coming out for free food. Although the tacos themselves leave a little something to be desired, the hope is that by close to midnight no one will care. The bar at Iguana Cantina is very small, but a small crowd makes it appear full and lively.



Watch City Brewing Company
256 Moody Street

Watch City is rarely patronized by students, but for beer lovers it offers the best brew around. A full restaurant by day, the bar is sparsely populated at night but is a perfect place to grab a drink or two in a quiet, low-key atmosphere. They brew their own beer in the restaurant and offer five flagship choices such as Moody Street Stout and Tick-Tock Ale, in addition to seasonal brews. Descriptions of the different beers are available at the bar, and the bartenders are happy to provide guidance.

"I like the beer a lot," said Greg Sasso '05. "I'm going to buy some to bring home." Watch City sells sampler packs as well as large jugs of your choice brew called growlers.

Other Waltham bars or pubs in the immediate area that draw students from time to time are John Brewers Tavern at 39 Main Street, Dos Amigos at 139 Felton Street and Shoppers at 725 Moody Street.

Overall, Waltham bars are pretty standard, although generally described as "sketchy" or "lame." While indeed there is no dancing, no trendy or upscale establishment and nothing particularly unique, the drinks are of high quality and priced well almost across the board.

"Although I usually drink in Boston...Waltham is definitely cheaper," said Diana Yarmovich '05.

And while Waltham bars may seem at times unremarkable, they can provide a forum to chat with friends or maybe even the chance to meet someone new.

In general, a patron looking for some fun and alcohol in Waltham will find him or herself in an occasionally awkward, yet always amusing, mix of students and Waltham residents, with weekends drawing an almost entirely older crowd as students remain on campus or flee to Beantown.

In a college town, students want to go somewhere crowded, upbeat and lively, so drawing a young crowd is a vital, yet difficult, task.

"Waltham bars need to cater more to the college students by having dancing," said Adam Goldstein '05. According to Snyder, special promotions aimed at college students are needed to make the bars more popular. "Things like one dollar shots, beer pong tournaments or wet T-shirt contests would definitely get more people to go out," he said.