Game on at Game Over | Washington Co. Business News

WEST BEND — West Bend community members can now get their game on at Game Over restaurant, which held its grand opening Friday.

The restaurant is located at 228 N. 6th Ave. in West Bend, in the building that was formerly 6th Ave. Bar & Grill. The building has since changed hands and has been transformed into a ‘90s-era nostalgia haven, featuring classic arcade cabinets, movie posters, toys, books and more.

Prior to the grand opening, new owner Wesley Feest, General Manager Melissa Matenaer and Head Chef Nate Mankowski took a moment to share some information about the new restaurant; the theme, the food, the service and more.

Feest, who is also owner of The Hive and The Outbreak, expressed great excitement with this location, noting that this one presents a completely different experience than the others he has in West Bend.

“This is definitely my favorite opening,” said Feest. “The other ones were good too, but they were all-business and stressful. With this one, I had a decent amount of time; it was more laid back. We had lots of time to perfect the food and cocktails and everything and get everything ready.”

While the restaurant will feature a variety of different items, the primary menu item at the restaurant is set to be smash burgers, a type of hamburger patty that’s cooked by pressing it thin onto a hot griddle or pan, resulting in a crispy, caramelized exterior with a flavorful, browned crust. Mankowski, as head chef, expressed pride in his creations as well a commitment to the freshness of the meat and other ingredients he uses, including locally-sourced beef.

“Wes (Feest) kind of talked to me, he pitched it and we realized that between Washington and Ozaukee County, there’s maybe one other place that does smash burgers,” said Mankowski. “They’re delicious, but you can’t really find them around here, so we’re going to do it.”

Mankowski also talked about how exciting it would be to allow the public to experience the unique items the restaurant will have to offer.

“I like to get weird with it, but in a good way,” Mankowski said. “You kind of get the same food everywhere; the same menu items but they do it their own way, but I like to think out of the box.”

Matenaer, having sampled the food prior to opening, also expressed excitement for the public to get to see what Mankowski has come up with.

“He’s able to put his creative spin on what we’re going to want to get people to come here for,” said Matenaer. “Everything we’ve tried has been awesome. It’s so good.”

In addition to the restaurant itself, the location also revitalized the building’s banquet hall for live music performances, charity work and other special events as well. Matenaer talked about the transition of the location into what it is now, establishing a flashy new aesthetic while still offering the same quality experience as well as a space for the community to gather and enjoy.

“We kind of wanted to bring that sense of the old-school arcade, where people would get out and game,” Matenaer said. “We want to be that place where families can unwind a little bit with a cocktail or two while letting the kids run wild a little bit. I’ve worked in this industry for a very long time, and I believe it’s important to have that community connection to bring everybody together.”