Atwood Hwy BBQ To Replace Hot Wax at Crossroads Collective
BBQ restaurant set to open April 10 will fill 'meat niche' at East Side food hall.
Crossroads Collective. Photo by Dave Reid.
After just under a year of serving its popular burgers and Nashville-style hot chicken at Crossroads Collective, Hot Wax has announced a closing date for its stand at the East Side food hall, 2238 N. Farwell Ave. A new restaurant is already lined up to replace it.
Owner Ben Crevensten called the closure “a tough decision,” but said it will allow him to focus fully on his first concept, Meat & Co. The “modern deli” business operates a food truck at Zocalo Food Park.
Hot Wax opened at the food hall in April 2022. Known for its indulgent burgers, chicken sandwiches, elevated hotdogs and other carnivorous options, the restaurant filled the “meat niche” left open when Heaven’s Table BBQ departed to open its flagship restaurant in Washington Heights.
And though the restaurant will remain open for several more weeks — through March 12 — a new, meat-focused business is already lined up to take its place.
Atwood Hwy BBQ Company is expected to open in the former Hot Wax space.
The Southern-style barbeque joint is run by husband-and-wife team Donteah and April Morehouse. The couple, both formerly in the real estate business, got their start as chefs in 2020, when they began selling seasoned pork rinds at local farmers markets.
The business took off from there, leading the couple to open their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in March of 2022 in South Milwaukee.
The restaurant’s Tennessee flair, as well as its title, is inspired by both owners’ upbringing in the southern state — April Morehouse in Nashville and Donteah Morehouse along Atwood Highway.
“Atwood Hwy BBQ is all about family,” the couple said in a statement. “We both learned to cook watching family members in the kitchen, and food has always been something that brings our families together. We put a lot of love into each dish we make, and it’s because when we serve food we’re really welcoming you into our family.”
The restaurant serves a variety of slow-smoked brisket, wings, ribs, sandwiches, sides, drinks and desserts. With each bite, Donteah Morehouse promises that diners will feel transported to the south.
“Good food helps people connect and feel at home with one another,” he said. “It’s not fussy or overcomplicated. We’re just creating a place where our customers get to know us, where they know that our staff is excited to see them, and they feel the love that goes into every bite.”
Atwood Hwy BBQ Company is slated to open April 10 in the Crossroads Collective space that currently houses Hot Wax.
“Atwood Hwy BBQ is an exciting addition to our food hall, said Paige Hammond, general manager at Crossroads Collective, in a statement. “Our customers have been asking for it, and there’s no better duo than Donteah and April to bring good Southern barbecue to Milwaukee’s
East Side.”
From now through March 12, Hot Wax will continue to operate with limited hours on Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
After the closure, Crevensten will continue to offer customer favorites from Hot Wax at Meat & Co., which operates Friday through Sunday at Zocalo, 636 S. 6th St.
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