This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Gastropub at 111 N. Bridge St. in downtown Smithville, MO — opened in a soft launch in October 2024 by owner Dustin Racen in the former Humphrey’s Bar & Grill space. The menu was developed in consultation with Jonathan Justus, the James Beard–nominated chef who ran Justus Drugstore (Smithville’s acclaimed fine-dining institution, closed 2019) on the same downtown corridor. Elevated comfort food — burgers, hearty entrees, fresh locally sourced ingredients, gluten-free options — in a neighborhood bar format.

Description

Gizmo’s Tavern occupies 111 N. Bridge Street on downtown Smithville’s main block — the former Humphrey’s Bar & Grill space — and opened in a soft launch in October 2024. Owner Dustin Racen brought in Jonathan Justus as consulting chef to develop the menu, an association that carries significant weight: Justus ran Justus Drugstore on the same Smithville corridor for years before closing in 2019, earning a James Beard Foundation nomination that made it the Northland’s only nationally recognized fine-dining institution of its era.1

Gizmo’s is not fine dining — it is a neighborhood gastropub in a bar format — but Justus’s culinary involvement means the kitchen operates at a standard well above typical Northland bar food. The menu leads with burgers and hearty comfort entrees using fresh locally sourced ingredients, with gluten-free options available.1

The location and culinary connection make Gizmo’s the effective spiritual successor to the Justus Drugstore legacy on the same downtown Smithville block, reframed for a casual community-gathering format.

Ownership and history

Dustin Racen opened Gizmo’s Tavern in the former Humphrey’s Bar & Grill space at 111 N. Bridge Street, Smithville. Reporting places the opening in mid-July 2024, with a soft-launch period continuing into that autumn; IN Kansas City named Racen (with partner Kyle Squires) as ownership.12 The menu was developed in consultation with Jonathan Justus, who had operated Justus Drugstore on the same Smithville downtown corridor until its 2019 closure.1

Racen is reported to operate as Gromet Entertainment and to have previously run the Tank Room, a Kansas City music venue — a Kansas City hospitality background consistent with the Tier 1 classification.

The tavern is active with strong early reception: Yelp shows 30 reviews (updated 2026) and TripAdvisor a 4.8-star rating, both confirming continuous operation at 111 N. Bridge St.34

Tier classification

Per the vault’s tier doctrine, tier is an editorial judgment of roots-and-involvement and the owner’s ratification is authoritative; a public pinpoint cite for the Tank Room association would further strengthen the record but is not the basis of the tier. The Jonathan Justus connection elevates culinary pedigree but is separate from the tier basis.

Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Source: Gizmo’s Tavern official website (dinner menu) · URL(s): https://gizmostavern.com/menu · Confidence: High (full itemized dinner menu with prices captured directly from the restaurant’s own site)

Gizmo’s Tavern serves an elevated gastropub menu — shareable appetizers, composed salads, smash burgers and handhelds, chef-driven entrees, and house-made desserts, with gluten-free options throughout.5

Appetizers

  • Shrimp Cocktail — chilled, creole seasoning, house cocktail sauce, dressed greens; gluten-free (1 lb $22, 1/2 lb $13)5
  • Crispy Calamari — served with sweet soy dipping sauce ($17)5
  • Fried Cheese Curds — seasoned mozzarella cheese curds served with bacon tomato sauce ($12)5
  • Philly Eggrolls — drizzled with queso and chives, served with sweet soy dipping sauce ($14)5
  • Pretzel Sticks — sea salt sprinkled, queso dipping sauce ($12)5
  • Spiced Gizmo Wings — chipotle-smoked and buffalo-spiced, fried and grilled, with house-made ranch or blue cheese; gluten-free ($17)5
  • Hummus — cherry tomato, cucumber, feta, olive, pesto, Za’atar-spiced crispy flatbread (GF with celery/carrot/cucumber, or half and half) ($14)5
  • Shallot & Herbed Cheese Spread — served with herbed and grilled baguette spears, or GF with celery/carrot/cucumber ($9)5
  • Fried Polenta Cheese Balls — served with house-made bacon tomato sauce ($12)5

Salads

Add bacon $2 · add chicken $7 · add 3 shrimp $5.

  • House Salad — greens, sweet onion, cheese blend, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, radish, house croutons, bacon, roasted pumpkin seeds, hard-boiled egg; choice of house-made dressing (all GF) ($10)5
  • Classic Caesar — romaine, house Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan, house croutons (add salt-cured white anchovy filets $2) ($10)5
  • Greek Salad — greens, balsamic vinaigrette, feta, red onion, pickled shallot, grape tomatoes, cucumber, pepperoncini, house-marinated artichoke hearts, green onion, roasted chickpeas, fresh oregano, kalamata olives; gluten-free ($13)5

Handhelds

Served with fries or potato salad; substitute a side salad for $2.

  • Double Smash Cheeseburger — brioche bun, two 1/4 lb patties (local angus/bacon blend), onion-scented (add bacon $2, add patty $4) ($15)5
  • The Gizmo Smash — brioche bun, pepper jack, bacon jam, crispy bacon, sauteed tajin jalapenos, Carolina Gold BBQ sauce, fried onions ($17)5
  • Grilled Chicken Sandwich — brioche bun, crispy bacon, pepper jack, tomato, romaine and sriracha aioli ($16)5
  • Grilled Turkey Sandwich — ciabatta, crispy bacon, swiss, tomato, romaine and smoked aioli ($16)5
  • Reuben — proper rye, pastrami, swiss, cultured sauerkraut, thousand island ($17)5
  • Turkey Reuben — proper rye, turkey, swiss, cultured sauerkraut, smoked aioli, bacon tomato sauce ($17)5
  • Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap — garlic herb tortilla, grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese, bacon and ranch ($14)5
  • Turkey Wrap — garlic herb tortilla, turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese, bacon and smoked aioli ($14)5
  • Bacon Lettuce Avocado Tomato — ciabatta, crispy bacon, lettuce with pesto avocado sauce, tomato ($14)5
  • Greek Salad Salmon Wrap — greens, balsamic vinaigrette, feta, red onion, pickled shallot, grape tomatoes, cucumber, pepperoncini, house-marinated artichoke hearts, green onion, roasted chickpeas, fresh oregano ($18)5

Entrees

  • 16 oz Ribeye with Chimichurri Sauce — served with rustic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables; gluten-free ($42)5
  • 8 oz Filet — served with rustic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables ($38)5
  • Half Rack of Lamb — served with polenta, seasonal vegetables and a berry-herb glaze; gluten-free ($38)5
  • Pig & Shrimp Green Chile Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese — crispy bacon, Spanish-spice-seasoned shrimp; gluten-free ($20)5
  • Cioppino — saffron tomato broth with Pernod, cherry tomato, grilled lemon, green onion, zucchini, shrimp, sea bass, mussels, calamari and salmon, served with herbed baguette ($32)5
  • Shrimp Scampi — linguini, white wine, herb butter, spinach, cherry tomato, pine nuts and pesto ($24)5
  • Seared Salmon — spinach, artichoke heart, grilled onion, pistachio orzo, grape tomatoes, chimichurri and chili crunch; gluten-free ($26)5
  • Lobster Ravioli — spinach butter sauce ($24)5
  • Mussels Mariniere — Mediterranean classic: white wine, fresh herb and cream broth, grilled lemon, chili crunch, served with grilled toast points ($24)5
  • Braised Beef Short Ribs — served with polenta, braising jus and seasonal vegetables ($26)5

Desserts

All ice cream is made in house.

  • Chocolate Torte & Coffee Ice Cream ($11)5
  • Boston Cream Cake with Coffee Ice Cream ($13)5

See also

Sources

**** Map-pin needed: 111 N. Bridge St., Smithville, MO 64089 (downtown Smithville / Clay County Northland). Confirm coordinates for map layer.

Footnotes

  1. Kansas City Star — “New restaurant opens in Smithville” — https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/openings-closings/article293309484.html — accessed 2026-06-30. Asserts: Gizmo’s Tavern; 111 N. Bridge St., Smithville, MO; owner Dustin Racen; consulting chef Jonathan Justus (formerly Justus Drugstore, James Beard nominee); soft open October 2024; former Humphrey’s Bar & Grill space; elevated comfort food bar, burgers, hearty entrees, locally sourced, gluten-free options. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. IN Kansas City Magazine — “In Culinary News: Gizmo’s Tavern,” https://www.inkansascity.com/eat-drink/news/in-culinary-news-gizmos-tavern/ — asserts: opening announcement; ownership Dustin Racen with partner Kyle Squires; opened mid-July 2024 in the former Humphrey’s Bar & Grill space. ↩

  3. Yelp — “Gizmo’s Tavern (Smithville),” https://www.yelp.com/biz/gizmos-tavern-smithville (accessed 2026-06-23) — asserts: open/active, updated 2026, 30 reviews; The Gizmo Smash burger and Cioppino cited as standout items; dine-in. ↩

  4. TripAdvisor — “Gizmo’s Tavern (Smithville),” https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g44918-d32204530 — asserts: 4.8-star rating; downtown Smithville tavern. Per vault tier doctrine, the owner’s ratification is authoritative. ↩

  5. Gizmo’s Tavern — official menu, https://gizmostavern.com/menu (accessed 2026-07-14). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35

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On the record — ks.city/registry/gizmos-tavern · record updated 2026-07-19