Bridge Tender Tavern — Downtown Racine, WI

A laid-back riverfront bar and grill on the Root River in downtown Racine, right beside the Dodge Street drawbridge — its light-blue drawbridge logo is literal, and when the bridge goes up, the house pours $1 Bridge Shots. Opened August 2, 2024 on the former John's Dock site, it serves classic pub food done simply: much-praised smash burgers, beer-battered cheese curds, Italian beef, pizza, wings, and a Friday fish fry, mostly $9–16, with 16 taps and cocktails. Boaters can tie up along the river and dine inside or out on the patio, and there's always something on — Tuesday trivia, live music, karaoke, and waterfront bike nights. It sits next door to its sister restaurant, Chartroom Food & Spirits — the two share the same Kaiser family ownership (Restaurants at River's End) but offer entirely different waterfront dining experiences, with Bridge Tender the casual, come-as-you-are side.