August 21, 2025 – West Bend, Wi – The list of business closings in West Bend, Wi, grows by one more today following the confirmation by Wayne and Dana Kainz that Riverside Brewery Restaurant’s last day is August 31, 2025. Earlier this year Applebee’s closed as did 1840 Brewery. A note from Wayne and Dana is below. What are your favorite memories of the locally owned restaurant?
Yes, it’s true. With careful thought and consideration, we, Dana Wiedmeyer Kainz and Wayne Kainz have made the decision to close Riverside Brewery and Restaurant. After 20 years, we are looking forward to the next chapter of our lives. This community has been so supportive in helping us live our dream.
We are grateful to all the guests who have come in and shared their celebrations, special occasions, date nights and family dinners with us.
We are also so grateful to the staff – many of whom have been with us since practically the beginning. They have been loyal, hardworking and giving; they are truly among the best in the business. They are family.
It is with mixed emotions that we say goodbye. We will miss seeing those of you who are “regulars;” we will miss the staff, the energy and the community events that have been such a large part of our world. And, without a doubt, we will miss the food!!
All that being said, we are looking forward to all that is yet to come. We have been blessed and thank God for His generosity.
We will officially close on Sunday, August 31, 2025. If you get a chance, please stop in and say hello. We will try to be there as much as we can as we wind things down.
And, so as we transition, thank you. Thank you all for your kind words, your ongoing support and your friendship. And, sincerely, thanks for the memories.
On a history note: In 2008 an article in Around the Bend highlighted Riverside’s new additions to their menu.
Riverside Brewery & Restaurant has unveiled new additions to their menu including a 16-ounce bone-in rib eye steak and four new pasta selections including crab and lobster ravioli and chicken caprese. Five new sandwiches has also been added including a porta bella mushroom Swiss burger, a turkey bacon ranch wrap, a tuna melt and club Panini with thickly sliced ham and turkey layered with hickory smoked bacon and sharp cheddar cheese. Two new salads have been tossed in the mix including an Asian salad with Thai chili glazed chicken and red bell peppers and three new appetizers feature shrimp cocktail, fried eggplant and steamed dumplings.
Riverside Brewery & Restaurant opened in October 2005. The local brewery is working on recreating a version of Lithia’s lager beer.
The brewmaster at the time was Christopher George.
In April 2008 is when the Riverside started its resurgence of brewing Lithia beer.Â
Riverside Brewery has been tabbed to create a starter batch of Lithia beer. Gunter Woog from U.S. Imagineering owns the rights to the Lithia label and is fulfilling a dream to tap a keg of the old hometown favorite. “This was a well branded name with a following and a history in West Bend,” said Woog.
Originally brewed in West Bend in the 1940s, Lithia used lithium, found in the well water at the brewery. Woog is doing his best to stay true to the original recipe. “The lithium added to the popularity of Lithia,” he said.
The resurgence of Lithia has been in the planning stages the last five months. Initial production runs would be minimal, possibly as much as 1000 six packs. The beer is expected to be released in early May.
An article published in December 2010 reported on some of the other specialty beers featured at Riverside Brewery including a pumpkin beer and the famous Broken Oak Abbey Dubbel Ale
A Broken Oak Abbey Dubbel Ale is the featured beer this holiday at Riverside Brewery in West Bend.
“It’s aging in an oak barrel,” said Brewmaster Christopher George. “And I’ve kicked up the hops this time
“Last time it was aged on oak strictly; this time it’s actually fermenting with the oak too – so there are certain characteristics that come as a result of that.”
George tapped into the Broken Oak Abbey Dubbel last February and turned a cribbed, home recipe into one of his finest creations.
Aged in an oak barrel, the Abbey Dubbel contains a lot of whisky characteristics as a result of the wood and the high gravity of the beer. Carrying 7-percent to 11-percent alcohol by volume the Abbey Dubbel is slightly darker – but not black like a stout.
“It’s very flavorful; not necessarily syrupy in terms of feel or weight but definitely a more substantial beer than you’re used to,” said George.
This round, George has taken creative license and opted to make substantial changes in the hopping schedule.
“There’s a different variety of hops and much more hop character than there was previous,” he said.
The Broken Oak Abbey Dubbel Ale was originally created by Trappist monks as a way to get through the fasting period of Lent.
Known for its wild flavors, George said the hops present a very “citrusy character.”
“It’s almost like you took a ruby red grapefruit and sprinkled it with brown sugar and some spice and broiled it for about five minutes and then glazed it with rum,” he said.
Other beers currently on tap at Riverside Brewery include Octoberfest and a seasonal pumpkin beer.
