Restaurant GUIDE
DOWNTOWN
INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square
Bakersfield Mass Ave
TACOS & BOURBON This hip spot done up with timbers, steel beams, bourbon barrels, and dangling Edison bulbs does a nice job with all the late-night standards: booze, raucous music, and tacos topped with the likes of achiote-braised pork, pickled red onions, and habanero salsa. Plenty of customers wash down the pretty little tacos with PBRs from glass boots, but more spirited regulars opt for one of the 50 bourbons or 50 tequilas. Lunch and dinner daily. 334 Massachusetts Ave., 317-635-6962, bakersfieldtacos.com
Bazbeaux
PIZZA As some of Indy’s most celebrated restaurateurs open pie places all over town, we haven’t forgotten where we first found artichoke hearts and goat cheese on our ’za. Bazbeaux has changed little since 1986, when it opened in Broad Ripple, and it hasn’t really needed to. Flat crust baked crunchy. Toppings you won’t find at Domino’s, like pine nuts and prosciutto. And the cheese—mounds of mozzarella blended with provolone and pecorino. Lunch and dinner daily. 333 Massachusetts Ave., 317-636-7662, bazbeaux.com
Beholder
CONTEMPORARY A former car-repair shop just outside Woodruff Place sets the stage for a daring piece of performance art that has featured pig-skin noodles, granita-topped uni designed to melt on the tongue, grilled cucumbers, and other transfigured meats and veggies. Laborintensive cocktails are so smart and spot-on that it’s hard to choose just one. Or three. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 1844 E. 10th St., 317-419-3471, beholderindy.com
Black Market
CONTEMPORARY Sophisticated Mediterranean touches and wine-friendly Continental fare now top the menu at this Mass Ave standard, where recently installed executive chef Esteban Rosas took the reins from longtime chef and partner Micah Frank in late 2018. The burger with halloumi cheese and house frites is still one of the best bar meals in the city, but elegant pastas such as cavatelli with a fragrant lamb ragout and a simple spaghettini with imported tomatoes and toasted garlic are not to be missed. Pan-roasted cod; a slow-cooked cotechino sausage with French lentils; roasted marrow bones with grilled bread and pickled apples show; and scoop after scoop of savory ice cream just how much this rustic gastropub has evolved into an innovative bistro through the years. The secluded, pergola-topped back patio with the low buzz of the interstate is still one of downtown’s most relaxing urban retreats for a summer supper. Dinner Tues.–Sat. 922 Massachusetts Ave., 317-822-6757, blackmarketindy.net
Bluebeard
CONTEMPORARY Crowds still roll in for chef Abbi Merriss’s take on seasonal comfort food, a category she dominates in town as evidenced by her vast collection of national media mentions and James Beard Award nominations. Start with the bread baked next door at sister business Amelia’s—delicious slathered with anchovy butter—and build your meal from the ever-changing menu of small and large dishes. Fried morels may show up on a spring picnic plate, while winter nights call for a comforting butcher-shop Bolognese. Bluebeard is a rare neighborhood restaurant open for Sunday dinner, a popular $1 oyster night. Lunch Mon.–Fri., dinner daily. 653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580, bluebeardindy.com
Bru Burger Bar
GOURMET BURGERS The Cunningham Restaurant Group, based in Indianapolis and the force behind several of our hottest spots, revives the gilded burger trend to great effect, pairing patties that combine sirloin, chuck, and brisket with craft beers in a young and stylish spot the Cultural Trail. The signature Bru Burger reinvents the bacon cheeseburger with Taleggio, sweet tomato jam, and porter braised onions. Lunch and dinner daily. 410 Massachusetts Ave., 317-635-4278, bruburgerbar.com
Burgerhaus
GOURMET BURGERS Crunchy, well-battered fried pickles are addictive, and standard thick-cut fries benefit from one of several toppings, from garlic-Parmesan to Machu Picchu Chili Cheese, on offer for an upcharge (it’s worth it). But, aptly, it’s the burgers that shine here, whether ressed up with tangy feta and pepperoncini as in the Basilica, or served straight up with blue cheese, butter lettuce, and bacon in the American. Validated parking is available in the underground garage of the 9 on Canal building. Lunch and dinner daily. 335 W. 9th St., 317-434-4287, indy.burgerhausrestaurants.com
Burger Study
BURGERS Part of the St. Elmo Steak House family, Burger Study conveniently backs up to Circle Centre, offering mall-side USDA Prime Black Angus burgers made from a blend of brisket, short rib, and chuck. The burgers are gilded with posh add-ons like root beer–glazed bacon, gouda, and pimento cheese. One (the Prime Degree) is made with dry-aged beef, and the Wagyu burger contains locally sourced beef from Joseph Decuis topped with triple-crème whipped brie, blueberry jam, and arugula. Lunch and dinner daily. 28 W. Georgia St., 317-777-7770, burgerstudy.com
Cafe Patachou
CAFE The original Meridian-Kessler “student union for adults” still draws in the baseball capped morning crowds and has inspired citywide offshoots, such as this sleek downtown location, a huge hit with the business, convention, and weekend hordes alike. The cinnamon toast is still as thick as a brick, the produce is still locally sourced, the massive omelets still have cheeky names, and the broken-yolk sandwiches are still a lunch favorite. Breakfast and lunch daily. 225 W. Washington St., 317-632-0765, cafepatachou.com
The Capital Grille
CLASSIC A theme of rich decadence permeates this downtown steakhouse adjoining the equally posh Conrad hotel, from the gilded-framed pastoral paintings that hang on its dark-paneled walls to the selection of elaborate steaks (one of them drenched in a Courvoisier cream sauce, another sauced with aged balsamic—and some of them dry-aged). The servers are exquisite, of course. Lunch and dinner daily. 40 W. Washington St., 317-423-8790, thecapitalgrille.com
Chatham Tap Restaurant & Pub
PUB GRUB This energetic establishment blurs the line between eatery and drinkery. On any given game day, footie fans crowd around the TVs, enjoying pub grub washed down with pints of beer. The fish “sarnie” (or sandwich)—a fresh filet blackened with lemon-pepper seasoning—lives up to the hype. The range of burgers includes a highly regarded black-bean version as well as The Heartstopper, two burgers topped with three cheeses, mushrooms, bacon, and a fried egg. Lunch and dinner daily. 719 Massachusetts Ave., 917-8425, chathamtap.com
Chuck’s Coney Island
CHEAP EATS Natives of Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan will wax nostalgic at the offerings from Detroit native Charles Lovelady’s hot-dog walk-up. He and son Charles Jr. even drive up to the Motor City every few weeks to load up on authentic chili for their Coneys and piled-high cheese fries. But don’t discount the pair’s original creations, such as the three-cheese Boom Bang Burger layered with corned beef on Texas toast. Seating is limited, so prepare to make off with your bounty. Lunch and dinner daily. 2932 E. 10th St., 317-426-4945, facebook.com/chucks coney1
Comida
LATIN FUSION Food truck–style fusion in the form of General Tso’s chicken tacos and char siu pork burritos are some of the tasty globally influenced choices at this counter service spot. Breakfast scrambles and pastries from such local sources as Saraga International Market start the day alongside espresso drinks, and street food favorites such as beef and chorizo empanadas, “flaming hot” corn-and-mayo elotes, and Korean-inspired bulgogi nachos make great choices for lunch. Don’t pass up a hearty dinner of the fragrant paella-like Gran Castigador with pigeon peas, chicken, and mussels. Breakfast daily, lunch and dinner Tues.–Sat., lunch Sunday. 43 E. 9th St., 317-426-4392, comidaindy.com
Condado Tacos
TACOS The vibrant Ohio-based chain offers a paper menu of build-your-own taco options, from tortilla to sauces. Customers fill in the dots next to their preferred fixings, like the Firecracker hard shell, the house-made chorizo, and the Thai chili tofu. Lunch and dinner daily. 530 Massachusetts Ave., 317-222-5999, condadotacos.com
Conner’s Kitchen + Bar
CONTEMPORARY At this luxe, relaxed restaurant inside the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, a glowing wall of alcohol separates the dining room from the bar, and deep, all seasons sofas made for lounging sit on the sidewalk-side patio. Art-directed cocktails, like the Prickly Pear Margarita and the Peppered Paloma, elevate after-work drinks, and a simple upscale-casual menu focuses on chopped salads and basic dishes done well, like a grilled five-cheese sandwich and a little pail of black-truffle potato chips too addictively light and crispy to share. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. 350 W. Maryland St., 317-405-6100, connersindy.com
Duos
CASUAL This vibrant sanctuary for vegetarians and the people who love them has several iterations around Indianapolis. The Duos food truck dolls up soups and sandwiches at ClusterTruck festivals and other sidewalk gatherings. A busy location called The Kitchen near The Children’s Museum offers coowners Becky Hostetter and John Garnier’s earthy cuisine (the eggplant sandwich with fontina, tomato chutney, and caramelized onion is worth the trip alone) in a cafeteria setting. Duos’s glassed-in diner outside Eskenazi Health hospital is one of downtown’s cutest undiscovered spots. Last fall, Duos added a counter inside City Market, offering salads and other light bites. Breakfast and lunch Mon.–Fri. at 2960 N. Meridian St., 317-927-6810; lunch Mon.–Fri. at 720 Eskenazi Ave., 317-880-5676, and City Market; duosindy.com
The Eagle
SOUTHERN-INSPIRED Just try to resist the country-fried charms of this lively Cincinnati-based eat drinkery on Mass Ave. The drinks are as potent as they are fun, but The Eagle had us at whole-bird fried chicken—which you may drizzle with spicy honey and pair with mashed potatoes drenched in white gravy or sweet-corn spoonbread, if you like. (And yes, you do want the whole bird.) We’re smitten with the friendly staff, the wildly embellished Bloody Marys, and the mini cast-iron skillets. Lunch and dinner daily. 310 Massachusetts Ave., 317-929-1799, theeagleotr.com
The Eagle’s Nest
FORMAL The circular restaurant sitting atop downtown’s PNC building affords a stunning 360-degree view of the city as it spins in a slow full rotation over the course of a nice three-course meal. That skyline eye candy—and not the basic high-end hotel food along the lines of herb-crusted prime rib and teasmoked duck breast—has made this romantic perch 22 stories up a sentimental favorite of prom dates and special-occasion diners since it opened in the late 1970s. Dinner daily. 1 S. Capitol Ave., 317-616-6170, indianapolis.hyatt.com
Fat Dan’s Deli
MEAT AND POTATOES Be prepared to use plenty of napkins when you chow down on burgers loaded up with such tasty add-ons as smoked pork, pastrami, gorgonzola, capers, and brie. Brisket smoked for 14 hours is a mainstay of the made-from-scratch menu, as is the house corned beef, but don’t miss the plump Vienna dogs that will transport you to Wrigleyville. Lunch and dinner daily. 410 E. Michigan St., 317-600-3333, fatdansdeli.com
Flatiron at the Elbow Room
Nearly two years after downtown pub The Elbow Room shuttered, the historic building that housed it gained new life with two dining concepts overseen by longtime country-club chef Glenn Brown. Weekday counter-service breakfast includes meat-and-eggs options, grain bowls, and entrée “cups” from “Mom’s Cupboard,” such as quinoa grits and
