A new spot to grab a pizza is now open in Northern Kentucky.
Wayfarer Tavern, located at 635 Sixth Ave. in Dayton, Kentucky, is celebrating its grand opening Tuesday. The restaurant offers a menu of bar-style pizzas, snacks and salads, along with full bar service. All created by founder Mike Dew, Chef Mark Knight and Sous Chef Jessie Hensley.
Dew, a Northern Kentucky native, says when the first floor of the historic Burton Building became available, he jumped at the opportunity to give his one-of-a-kind pizza concept a home.
“The mission of Wayfarer Tavern is to bring a top-quality and unique dining environment to Dayton, Kentucky, that deepens human connection, embraces shared experiences, and inspires emotion. Our pizza is the vehicle for creating these experiences,” Dew said in a press release.
The pizza is the culmination of Dew spending years exploring pizza styles across the United States and abroad and experimenting with different regional styles, refining the recipes through monthly pizza parties at his home. What resulted was a combination of East Coast thin and crispy bar-style pizza with a Detroit-style caramelized cheese edge. The pizza is cut into Midwest tavern-style squares.
Popular pizzas include the “Tavern Classic” with housemade fennel sausage, onion, banana peppers and red sauce, as well as the “Pickle Power,” featuring roasted garlic white sauce, pickles, crunchy potato chips, herbs and magic ranch dressing recipe.
The menu is balanced out with salads and shareables, including mortadella tonnato, Wagyu beef carpaccio, tuna crudo, marinated gigante beans, a family recipe horseradish onion dip, and cheese-stuffed peppadew peppers. The tavern also has a custom-built bar that serves a curated selection of beer, wine and specialty cocktails crafted with housemade syrups and fresh ingredients.
Starting Tuesday, Wayfarer’s operating hours are Monday through Thursday from 4-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can make reservations here.
Wayfarer Tavern, 635 Sixth Ave., Dayton, Ky. More info: wayfarertavern.com.
This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2025.
