*This is the fourteenth post in an on-going chronicle dubbed the Great Wisconsin Brewery Tour. Follow the journey here.*
Riverside Brewery & Restaurant is located on the main street in West Bend. All photos by Joe Powell.
Riverside Brewery and Restaurant
255 South Main St
West Bend, WI 53095
(262) 334-2739
Visit date: 05/24/15
Quick Hits:
1) How many different beers?
8 on tap, at least 15 different total, 2 sodas; no seasonals
2) How long operational?
10 years
3) Why? (here, this, etc)
The city of West Bend convinced the restaurant owners to open a brewery too.
4) Distribution?
Only growlers to go.
5) What sets you apart?
The service. “For having beer & food (together), this is the only place (to) go.”
The front bar at Riverside. The brew kettles are near the front door around the corner.
On a rainy spring morning we made the trek from Milwaukee to West Bend to find a quaint main street and the welcoming Riverside Brewery and Restaurant. From the outside this hometown favorite looks like a small shop, but inside you’ll find a front bar, back dining room, basement dining room and bar, and riverside patio. Dark wood features adorn the bar and seating areas, which are clean as a whistle. We spent our morning cozied up to the front bar being served by a knowledgeable and friendly bartender. After being in the industry for decades, he commutes all the way from Milwaukee because he thinks the beer, food, and management are top-notch; employees often provide the best indication of a place’s reputation.
For only being served at this one location, Riverside makes some fun logos for each beer.
Noon meant it was time for a cup of beer cheese soup and a sampler of their 8 tap beers ($8.95). Those 8 were plenty to share.
Jerry’s Dairy Cream Ale
Creamy, a tad nosy.
Dizzy Blonde Weiss
Standard, easy to drink. Served with a lemon, even in the sampler.
Bent River Berry Weiss
Subtle but noticeable raspberry; good with a tart aftertaste.
Nectar of the gods.
Main Street Amber Ale
Watery and light, even a bit musky.
Time to Dye Dunkelweizen
Flavor cornucopia.
Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy-IPA
Not overly-hoppy; a traditional British IPA.
Luna-Negra Espresso Stout
Espresso taste but easy to drink like a light beer. Made with local Dunn Brother Coffee.
Broken Oak Abby Dubbel Ale
Definite dessert beer. Sweet and heavy, like a sickly-syrup.
The restaurant is decorated with plenty of local and national beer history, and they even feature a mug club.
No need to bring your own mug here.
Though we couldn’t sit out on their beautiful patio overlooking the Milwaukee River on this rainy day, Riverside Brewery and Restaurant offered plenty to keep us happy inside. After all, the sun’s always out when you’re drinking a good beer on the riverside.
Their patio on the Milwaukee River.