These reviews are making my wallet thin, and BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery didn’t help it expand to a respectable size. The brewery instead left my wallet as thick as the two $1 bills inside of it.

We missed happy hour at the restaurant by an hour. Looking at the beer selection, we realized that meant an extra $1.50 to $1.75 more than what we paid at Gentle Ben’s and Thunder Canyon.

This didn’t matter much to my 22-year-old landlord Alex Causey: he drives a new Jeep Rubicon; he likes 18-year scotch; and he owns a house.

For me and Todd Blankenship, another tenant of Causey’s, the price hike was a concern. But once we took our eyes away from the beer list, we realized BJ’s potential extra income does have its benefits.

BJ’s interior is slick. The brick masonry beats you over the head with a feeling that you’re not in Tucson anymore; you’re in Chicago. And under the subdued lights, the three of us wondered why red represents Chicago: the Chicago Bulls, the 1871 fire, the soccer team that uses that tragedy as their name – the Chicago Fire.

In addition to the interior, BJ’s menu is top-notch. A picture of each beer stands next to its description, and below the entertaining descriptions that contain a ridiculous amount of adjectives and a reference to Russian Tsars, are food suggestions for the beers.

I started with the Tatonka Stout. I ignored the food suggestions and description, which in retrospect was a mistake. I would’ve learned that the stout is incredibly sweet. I made one of those puckered, confused faces when I took my first sip.

Causey stuck with the Piranha Pale Ale and was disappointed. The beer found the mid-point of hops and malt and Causey decided that wasn’t a good thing. He would’ve preferred an India Pale Ale over its American brother – the PPA.

Blankenship ordered BJ’s P.M. Porter. It’s nice to think the beer’s title meant it would knock you out, but we discovered it was only a reference to color. When pressed to describe in detail what he thought of the beer, Blankenship offered, “”It’s good,”” with a shrug.

Causey and I got a second round.

The Jeremiah Red Lager paralleled the “”award-winning”” Roadrunner Red Lager from Thunder Canyon. And simply put, it was tasty.

Causey tried the seasonal brew, an Oktoberfest beer. He fell in love with it. Causey’s an ass, and I assumed he liked it because of the distinct liquor flavor the beer contains. It brings him closer to his 18-year-old scotch.

But Blankenship didn’t order. He didn’t want to incur the cost. He’s the wise one.

We got up from the table and spent the rest of the night enjoying the 10 p.m.-to-close happy hour at a close-to-home Applebee’s.