‘Breakfast will be a star’ at new, locally owned chili restaurant

A new and independently owned chili restaurant called Rivertown Chili and Breakfast opened in June in Miamisburg.

The new restaurant is located in downtown Miamisburg at 105 S.  Second St., in what’s developing as a restaurant row of sorts, near Watermark restaurant and the Canal House Eatery, co-founder Brian Walusis said. It will be open for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

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Walusis and his father John have been participating in chili cook-offs around the region for more than 30 years. “The recipes that we are using are craft chili recipes that have received awards in competitions as well as various iconic chili recipes made famous throughout different regions of the country,” Brian Walusis said.

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The restaurant’s founders test-drove the concept a year ago with the  pop-up restaurant called Clashmore Mike’s. Rivertown Chili will seat 30 inside and as many as 20 more on a porch and patio, Walusis said. The restaurant does not yet have a license to sell beer, “but we are working toward making that happen,” he said.

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Here’s how Walusis described Rivertown Chili’s menu:

“We will always have a slate of chili options and are opening with John's Dayton Homestyle — this would be a style that is familiar to anyone who grew up in this area. Secondly, Clashmore Mike's Texas Red, a true Texas style chili, no beans allowed, and (also) Koko's Favorite, a vegan chili. We will also be featuring a sandwich made with Watermark's Smoked Brisket, which is house-made in their smoker two doors down from us. Sides include a house salad and coleslaw, as well as New York style cheesecake for dessert.”

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“The breakfast will be a star in its own right. Our breakfast chef, Mason Downey, hails from Oregon, and he came up as a breakfast chef in the National Park System, working at Yosemite, Denali, Bryce Canyon, and Yellowstone and also worked at the Cowboy Smokehouse in Utah.”

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Breakfast items will include omelettes, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, grits and French toast, “as well as of course, great coffee,” Walusis said.

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Plans call for adding late-night hours on Fridays and Saturdays and later to add Sunday brunch service, Walusis said.

Despite Rivertown’s Second Street address, the restaurant’s entrance and parking are actually on the First Street side of the building.

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