This Legendary Family-Owned Pizzeria Has Been Dominating Since 2002 in Watertown, SD

Dempsey’s Brewery Restaurant & Pub is not your average small-town pizza joint — and it never has been.

From the very beginning, the Dempsey family made it clear that their goals were bigger than their zip code.

Bill Dempsey III, serving as General Manager, Brewmaster, and — only at Dempsey’s — official Bagpipe Major, has steered the restaurant into national recognition with a relentless focus on craftsmanship and quality.

Owner Sean Dempsey is a member of the United States Pizza Team — a rare distinction that took him to competitions across the globe — and in 2022, his Traditional pizza won #2 Overall at the International Pizza Expo, one of the most prestigious pizza competitions in the world. 🌍

Sean also trained at the International School of Pizza in San Francisco, where he studied under 11-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani.

The restaurant is also proudly the second oldest brewery in South Dakota, boasting over 21 tap lines with house-brewed beers as well as their own house-made root beer and cream soda — making it a one-stop destination for the whole family. 🍺

Their bread is baked from scratch every morning, their bacon is cured in-house, their burgers are hand-ground — and their pizzas use a 24 to 48-hour cold-rise dough that gives the crust its distinctive depth of flavor and satisfying chew.

Dempsey’s currently holds the #1 ranking among all restaurants in Watertown on a major travel review platform — a testament to the years of consistent excellence that have kept the tables full and the community deeply loyal. 🥇

• The Angry Dragon: House-cured bacon, Italian sausage, green peppers, and jalapeños on Marinara sauce, finished with a bold Sriracha drizzle. 🌶️

• Sweet Sicilian: Prosciutto di Parma, capicola, black olives, and Peppadews on traditional red sauce — a sophisticated Italian-inspired pie. 🍕

• Blue Haven: Bleu cheese dressing, sirloin steak, green peppers, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and house-cured bacon. 🥩

• Tuscan Chicken: Extra virgin olive oil, roasted garlic, grilled chicken breast, artichoke hearts, and fresh mozzarella.

• Greek Islands: Italian sausage, black and green olives, feta cheese, artichoke hearts, and diced tomatoes on traditional red sauce. 🫒

• Royal Hawaiian: Ham and fresh-cut pineapple on traditional red sauce — a sweet-and-savory island classic.

• CBR: Grilled chicken breast, diced tomatoes, and house-cured bacon on ranch sauce — a lighter but deeply satisfying combination. 🥓

• Supreme: Pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, and black olives on traditional red sauce.

Dempsey’s Brewery wraps you in the warm, character-rich energy of a true European-style pub — think rich wooden decor, international flags from Ireland, the US, and Canada draped overhead, exposed brewery equipment, and the kind of buzzing, convivial hum that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into the best bar in a small Irish town.

The space seats over 160 guests and expands in summer to include an outdoor patio, giving it a lively seasonal versatility that keeps regulars coming back year-round.

It’s equal parts neighborhood pub, craft brewery, and serious pizzeria — a rare trifecta that Watertown has wholly and enthusiastically claimed as its own. 🏡