I was talking to one of my friends this weekend about our favorite places to eat in the Broad Ripple Area. He mentioned one that I haven’t been to in a while so we just decided to go for dinner. The place is called Yats and is located on the corner of 56th and college.

Yats is one of those places you can go anytime you want something out of the ordinary of ‘normal’ restaurants in Indy. The kind of food there is Cajun Creole. I know what you’re thinking… oh that means it is spicy… so it’s out of the question. I typically am not one for spicy, unless I am in the mood to consume a LOT of water with it. However, there are some less spicy options there. Plus if you don’t know what you want or get really anxious and uncomfortable with commitment, you can ask for samples of anything that is on the menu. But be warned… the menu does change a little from day to day. One day you might go in there and find something you really like and the next time you are in, they might not even be serving it. One of my favorite dishes there is the White Chili with Chicken, which is their own secret recipe. The other dish that I get when I go is the Chili Cheese Etouffee with Crawfish which is a little spicy, but if you like it spicier there are different kinds of sauce to put on it depending on your taste. The foods are delicious, but make sure you get extra bread because it complements the flavor of all the food very well (it costs a little extra, but it is worth it). After you order, you can go get your drink (free refills) and they will bring your food to you. However, make sure you grab a spoon and plenty of napkins because it can get messy if you sometimes suffer from poor hand-eye coordination like me.

The atmosphere is great. They have outdoor seating at all the locations that I know of, and is a great place for people watching. The people there are always friendly and are willing to answer any questions you have about the food. The price isn’t bad at all. You will get a lot of food and a drink with free refills for a very reasonable price. I wouldn’t recommend that you go there for a business meeting, but it is definitely a place to go if you just want to hang out. But remember it can get busy around 6 o’ clock each night so get in there a little early to beat the rush. There are several locations around Indianapolis, one on 56th and College, one on Mass Ave, one in Greenwood, one on 96th street. There are two more, but not in Indianapolis. They are in Chicago and in West Lafayette. So go ahead and check out their website and try out Yats at any of their locations.