Silver Moon restaurant opens to full house in Watertown
Silver Moon, The Silver Moon restaurant opened to packed crowds in Watertown, Wisconsin, with a grand opening and a Friday fish fry. Read about the debut weekend.
Prajakta Sanjay Warwadkar 
WATERTOWN, Wis., June 15, 2026 — The Silver Moon restaurant drew full crowds over its first weekend in Watertown, filling the bar and dining room at 1601 E. Gate Dr. The venue launched with a Thursday grand opening on June 11 and followed with a busy Friday fish fry.
The restaurant occupies the north wing of the Silver Moon bar and event venue, on a riverside site that has held several establishments over the decades. Its arrival adds a new sit-down dining option to the city.
Silver Moon restaurant opens with a packed first weekend
About 30 customers filled the bar and dining room on the Thursday grand opening despite drizzling rain, staying for several hours. The opening menu pairs casual items such as Kraemer's cheese curds with entrees including a 14-ounce grilled New York strip steak.
Executive Chef Chris Ghobrial said the debut followed months of preparation by the staff. "It feels amazing," Ghobrial said, adding that the restaurant has already booked reservations for special occasions weeks in advance.
A bar, a dining room and a Rock River view
The space blends two areas: an upscale bar and cocktail lounge with three televisions, game machines and a TouchTunes music kiosk, and a dining room with large windows facing a patio and a bend in the Rock River. Staff and customers pointed to the riverside setting as a draw.
The site previously held Settler's Bay, On the Rock, the East Gate Inn and the original Silver Moon Tavern, which dates to the late 1930s.
Friday fish fry brings a rush
The Friday fish fry drew a heavier crowd, with seats rarely staying empty for long. The menu featured pan-fried walleye fillets, three-piece beer-battered cod and fried perch.
Staff kept pace through the rush, and patrons marked occasions including a birthday celebration on the patio. Reservations and hours are listed on the Silver Moon Watertown website.
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