Best Restaurants Indianapolis

Alcatraz Brewing Company: Definitely not prison food

Posted Friday, July 10, 2009 by Mitch Burk

Alcatraz Brewing Co.
49 W. Maryland St
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Question: What does the Alcatraz penitentiary and Alcatraz Brewing Company have in common?

Answer: Big.

The penitentiary held over 450 prisoners at one point, and a meal at the downtown Indianapolis restaurant could probably feed about 45 people (ok, slight exaggeration, but the meals were huge!)

The most outstanding feature of Alcatraz would be the portion sizes. The nachos were stacked a foot high and could easily be an appetizer for 5-6 people, and nearly all of us left with an entire take home box full of left-overs.

The food was great, the atmosphere was fun, and the service was very good. The menu listed as many beers as many other Indianapolis pubs and drink specials made many of them very reasonably priced.

If you ever go, plan on splitting a pizza and an appetizer and make sure to show up hungry! Alcatraz is a solid choice for anyone looking for the best restaurant in Indianapolis!

Circle Center dining: Champps Americana

Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 by Mitch Burk

Champps Americana
49 W Maryland St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317.951.0033

Recently my lovely girlfriend Melissa and I had a nice little date night. After searching through the perfect selections of Indianapolis date restaurants, I landed on Champps, located in Circle Center Mall downtown. We were both very happy with this downtown Indianapolis restaurant.

Surprisingly, we were seated immediately at 7:30 on a Saturday evening and had very good service. The wait staff was on top of things, and very friendly.

We were also surprised by the wide variety of selections on their menu. This is definitely not just another restaurant in Indianapolis, Champps has pastas, burgers, wraps, ribs, pork chops and so much more!

I went with the Chicken Parmesan and could not believe how big the entree was! I only finished less than half of it and took the rest home. Melissa landed on the Fresca burger and was very happy with her selection as well. (Coincidentally, she asked the question "Do you put ketchup on this" which was the same question she asked on our last date night to Red Robin)

All in all, we had nothing bad to say about Champps... It was a very solid choice and definitely on the the best restaurants Indianapolis!

How do blue eggs produce Red Robins?

Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2009 by Mitch Burk

Red Robin
(multiple Indianapolis locations)
13215 Harrell Parkway
Noblesville, IN 46060
(317) 773-8150

After a few hours of trying to decide which Indianapolis restaurant my lovely girlfriend, Melissa, and I should have our date night at on Monday, I landed on Red Robin. And I don't mean to brag, but it was a solid choice.

Red Robin is known for their gourmet burgers, and they do not disappoint. Their menu is almost overwhelming at first glance and you have to ask yourself, "How can they actually make this many variations of the cheeseburger!?"

The atmosphere is fun and very family oriented (for example, at 9:00pm on a Monday night, Nickelodeon was on half of the TV's, ESPN on the others). If you want to bring the whole family, they have plenty of seating for you, as well as a bar area if you're trying to avoid the occasional screaming 2-year-old.

The food itself would easily compare with some of the best restaurants Indianapolis. For myself, I went with the Whiskey River BBQ Burger, a massive burger topped with BBQ sauce and onion fries (and if you need your bacon fix like me, you add that too). It was a very... very good burger.

Melissa had the Banzai Burger, marinated in teriyaki and topped with grilled pineapple and cheese. She thoroughly enjoyed it and was very happy with her choice. The Banzai Burger did leave us both stumped at the question: "Do you put ketchup on a burger with pineapple on it?" (she decided not to...)

All in all, Red Robin was great. There's no denying that it is a little pricey as far as burger's go, but when you're paying for a gourmet burger, they provide gourmet quality. (Also, the waitress told me that adding bacon was an additional $.99 and threw a curve ball at me when it was actually $1.29!) But besides the bacon incident, I have no problem claiming that Red Robin will provide some of the best hamburgers Indianapolis.

McCormick & Schmick's Indianapolis Seafood Restaurant

Posted Friday, December 12, 2008 by Chris Baggott

During the holiday season we are always running late in making our group reservations for department or company parties. Usually all the best Restaurants in Indianapolis are sold out months in advance. So I really was pleased to get this email today from McCormick&Schmick's Seafood Restaurant Downtown Indianapolis today. Located just one block off the circle in Indy there is a ton of great parking all within a few steps to their front door.

M & S's isn't just for Seafood but also is a great steak restaurant and the bar has one of the best great happy hours, complete with a huge Hamburger for about a dollar.

According to this ad, they still have room for holiday reservations...not bad for one of the Best Restaurant Indianapolis.

Indianapolis Seafood Restaurant

The Quest for the Best Burger In Indianapolis - 5 Guys

Posted Saturday, November 22, 2008 by Chris Baggott

Best Burger, Hamburger, Indy, Indianapolis, Restaurant Review

Five Guys
2902 W 86th St
Indianapolis IN 46268
(317) 876-0811

Any credible blog seeking the best restaurant Indianapolis has to have a special place for the best hamburger in Indy right? I love burgers and am constantly soliciting recommendations. Well this one: Five Guys is a great new addition to my Indianapolis menu guide.

Now keep in mind, Five Guys is a chain but it's also a really good burger, not your usual fast food Indianapolis joint. The menu has only three things Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Fries. In those catagories Five Guys streaches a little including Kosher Style, Bacon, Cheese for the Dogs, Five Guys Style or Cajun for the fries (cooked in pure peanut oil) The claim to fame on the hamburgers is the choice of any or all 15 toppings...all no extra charge.

If your date is a vegitarian, they do have an option of a veggie sandwich using any of the burger toppings and a grilled cheese sandwich...hmmm Maybe I'll start a quest fo the best Grilled Cheese in Indianpolis next....

If you want to put in a restaurant review indianpolis post, just hit me with an email. c hris@compendiumblogware.com

Deano's Wine Bar & Restaurant - Indianapolis Restaurant Review

Posted Saturday, November 22, 2008 by Chris Baggott

Deano's Wine Bar&Restaurant
1112 Shelby St
Indianapolis, IN 46203

(317) 423-3154‎

Indianapolis Nightlife, Wine, fine dining?   OMG thank you for Deano's Wine Bar & Restaurant!

Located just off Fountain Square this is sincerely one of the best restaurants in Indianapolis.   Just about a mile from downtown, owners Dean Wilson and Jody Bryant have created something that is truly unique.   With a motto of "Good food, good wine and good friends" these guys have really come through in creating a great Indianapolis date restaurant.

Oh...did I mention they have music on weekends? How's that for those of you looking for some Indianapolis Nightlife that's for adults?

The dinner menu has lots of seafood like a smoked salmon platter appetizer or a "more crab than cake" Crab Cake. What Indianapolis fine dining restaurant review would be complete without a shrimp cocktail? (Shrimp Cocktail is to Indianapolis Restaurants like wings are in Buffalo...available everywhere)

The appetizer menu even includes an Italian restaurant touch with four different Pizza's and a portabella & pistachio salad.    Entrees cover seafood to chicken to beef. As an Atkins eater who is trying to eat more locally produced food, I was thrilled to see Indiana Bison Steaks on the menu...pared with a suggested Petite Sirah......perfect.

Writing this Indiana Dining Guide is makeing me hungry...

High End Downtown Indianapolis Restaurant for Lunch or Dinner

Posted Thursday, November 13, 2008 by Chris Baggott

Once again my good friend Nicki Laycoax of Squish Designs has come up with a fantastic review of another place to go under the category: best restaurant Indianapolis.

14 West Restaurant at 14 West Maryland
www.14westindy.com

14 West Maryland Street
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204
Telephone: (317) 636-1414
Email: customerservice@14westindy.com

A colleague of mine that I met as a result of blogging, treated me to a nice lunch at 14 West Restaurant. It was my first visit, but had heard great things about the restaurant and the suites that are above this downtown Indianapolis restaurant, from multiple people.

The restaurant has a great wine list, exciting menu, and very able catering
staff. (I thought I saw a full bar, but I can't confirm from the website)
Ashley Sorenson, the very sweet and professional Hotel and
Banquet Manager made certain that our dining experience was great!

In the picture, you are looking at the Caesar Salad topped with
Seared Tuna as well as the Crab Cakes. We also had the Red Garnet
Yam Soup and the Lobster Brie Macaroni&Cheese.

This restaurant is recommended for those on a professional lunch or
dinner meeting and would also be a nice spot for a romantic Indianapolis date restaurant. At lunch, the music playing in the background was modern adult contemporary. It was a nice change from what I normally hear in restaurants.

Summary: Food was absolutely excellent. Prices were moderate. Service was perfect.

Reserve your table now!

Italian Restaurant Indianapolis...(actually Carmel) Macaroni Grill?

Posted Tuesday, November 4, 2008 by Chris Baggott

Indianapolis Restaurant Reviews, Italian Restaurant Indianapolis

Romano's Macaroni Grill
Carmel Indiana
2375 116th East
Carmel, IN 46032
317-582-1637

Today I had a great lunch up in Carmel Indiana with Patty Bender of Compendium Blogware client Sheetz Century 21.

I've never been to a Macaroni Grill before and usually try and avoid the big box eateries on Indy's north side. If I'm looking for the best Italian food in Indianapolis, I'm not sure this would be my first choice.

Until now that is.   Every time I have this experience, I have to just say: "Chris Baggott: Get over yourself"   Romano's Macaroni Grill is awesome. I can't say for dinner, but for a lunch restaurant it was fantastic. The environment is high end Italian cusine. I love an Italian Restaurant that has bread and olive oil on the table....just sets the quality meter up right from the start.

I had the Grilled Halibut Seasoned halibut topped with a tomato basil relish and served with pesto Parmesan risotto for $16.99. Clever marketers that they are, each item on the menu was accompanied by the Chef's Recommended Wine. In this case a Chardonnay by Mezzacorona (Italy).

I'm guessing that this place packs them in at night, but the bar is huge and looks like a lot of fun.   Patty and I kept it to business and didn't indulge in any wine or cocktails, but for a lunch meeting is was one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in Indianapolis.

One last great thing about Romano’s Macaroni Grill is their Curbside to Go program. Call or order Indianapolis Best Italian food online and pick it up at the curb.   They have great to-go family style food too!

oh..and they teach you Italian in the bathroom and on the site:

Impress Mom and Pop with anniversary wishes spoken in Italian. Or learn how to celebrate the evening - Italian style.

Sample:

English

- "Happy Anniversary!"

Italian

- "Felice anniversario!

Listen to It in Italian here....

Downtown Indianapolis Best Steak Restaurant for Ambiance

Posted Monday, October 27, 2008 by Chris Baggott

Mo's A Place for Steaks
47 South Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, IN
Phone: 317-624-0720
Fax: 317-624-0721

What I love about this Downtown Indianapolis Steak Restaurant is the setting itself. (I'll get to the food) I like windows and because of Mo's location on the Corner of Pennsylvania and E. Maryland you have great windows not only in the front, but also all along the wall on the Maryland side. I love reviewing Indianapolis restaurants, but don't often get to talk about windows...but once you have them you hate to give them up. We are blessed with some great Steak Restaurants in Downtown Indy including Morton's, St. Elmo's, Shula's and Ruth Chris' but none has nearly the great interior of Mo's.

Mo's Steak indianapolis restaurant reviews Indy

When you think of Indianapolis Nightlife, Mo's is well located next to Conceo Fieldhouse so it's perfect for before or after an event. The bar is great for Pub beers and terrific Martini's or anything else you would want in a cocktail. They do serve lunch but are much better suited as an Indianapolis Dinner Restaruant. No entertainment so it's not a nightlife place except for the other people who keep it buzzing.

Oh the food....delicious. Excellent Steaks including a huge Porterhouse and awesome filets. Some seafood and of course a hamburger. What more can I say?

I would put Mo's clearly in among the best restaurant in Indianapolis and one of my favorite Date places..... Fine Dining for sure.

Goodfella's Pizza

Posted Friday, July 18, 2008 by kristen hanschu

Goodfella's Old World Brick Oven Pizza
Location:
9641 Olio Road
McCordsville, Indiana
317-336-6666
http://goodfellas.com/

My husband and I are from a small town Northeast of Indianapolis. Our town has very few good restaurants. What our town does have are 1,000 pizza restaurants to choose from and they just keep on coming. (Seriously we can get any kind of pizza within a 15 mile radius. Ok, maybe not 1,000, but at least 15.)
One of the best restaurants of Indianapolis is Goodfella’s Restaurant Old World Brick Oven Pizza. It has become our favorite Italian restaurant. It just opened last year and it is absolutely wonderful! I just crave the wonderful Italian cuisine.
It was voted World’s Best Pizza Restaurant in 2007. Goodfella's is real NEW YORK ITALIAN!!

My husband and I start off with their chopped salad and house balsamic vinaigrette dressing, which we split. Then on to the main course, the pizza. We order the Old World Brick Oven Pizza, which is a thin crust type of pizza. We order the works with pepperoni, sausage, extra cheese, meatballs and prosciutto. YUMMO!
Check out the menu guide to see all the wonderful choices they have to offer.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the hot Italian bread with dipping sauce is scrumptious, but be careful not to fill-up on the bread. Side note: they do not serve bread before 5:00.
They also have wonderful pasta. My kids love their spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce on the pizza and spaghetti is so fresh. It is like eating fresh squeezed tomatoes.
The service is wonderful. The waitresses and waiters are always friendly and helpful in ordering. They also have full bar and their Cosmos are my fave! I would highly recommend this wonderful Northeast Indianapolis Italian restaurant!

Shula's Steakhouse puts the "fine" back in fine dining!

Posted Thursday, June 12, 2008 by Dean Stratman

Although it has been quite a few years since I have visited Shula's Steakhouse in downtown Indianapolis, I will never forget the experiences, nor the food, that I enjoyed there. The first time I walked into Shula's, probably around the age of eight years old, I clearly remember trying to decide in my head whether it was some type of sports bar or fine dining restaurant, but never really figuring out which. It isn't until right now that I have realized that it cannot be placed into some type of category as I had been trying to do, because it is a very interesting mixture of restaurants. Not only is it a fine dining restaurant that serves probably the best

Click here to see the menu guide from Shula's Steakhouse

steaks in Indianapolis, but it is also an elegant sports bar (the menus are actually footballs!), as one would expect coming from the coach of the Miami Dolphins' perfect season Don Shula. In fact, Shula's Steakhouse could be included in many other categories in my opinion, because it is not so fine that children aren't completely welcome, making it an incredible family restaurant, but it is elegant enough to take a date on a special occasion or to hold a very professional meeting. Shula's is an all-in-one dining experience, bringing together sports, fine dining, families, romance, elegance, and great steaks! So, visit Shula's Steakhouse for any occasion and see why I consider it the best restaurant in downtown Indianapolis, by far.

Shula's Steakhouse
Westin Indianapolis Hotel
50 South Capitol Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317-231-3900
Visit: Shula's Steakhouse

Claddagh Irish Pub Indianapolis Restaurant

Posted Wednesday, December 26, 2007 by Chris Baggott

Claddagh Irish Pub

234 South Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46225
317-822-6274
Other Indianapolis Locations

So in spite of Claddagh being a chain, it's one of the best restaurants in Indianapolis if you are looking for an authentic pub experience. With a great hamburger and steak as well as seafood, Claddagh is really great at the traditional Irish fare offering a full menu of some of the best food in Indianapolis.

Although this restaurant is absolutly family friendly, let's face it.....this is a Pub and it's really all about the beer. The offer a full bar of course, but what make this really special is the great selection of terrific Pub style brews.

Is Bazbeaux the Best Pizza in Indy?

Posted Thursday, October 25, 2007 by Chris Baggott

Bazbeaux Pizza

Indianapolis Pizza Restaurant Bazbeaux

Broad Ripple
811 E. Westfield Blvd.
317-255-5711

Downtown
334 Mass Ave
317-636-7662

I think for location, ambiance and a hang loose vibe, Bazbeaux’s is the best pizza restaurant in Indianapolis. The whole thing has a college feel that is decidedly un-chain…something that is getting very hard to find in Indianapolis Restaurants.

For an old fashioned Italian Pizza, this might not be the best restaurant…although they do make great traditional pizza. What Bazbeaux’s is known for however are their unusual Gourmet Pizza. They have a great Seafood Pizza with Shrimp & Crab and a Barbeque Chicken Pizza that features owner Deb Berman’s own recipe barbeque sauce. For those with a more Mexican taste, there is the Tchoupitoulas pizza who’s toppings include Cajun shrimp, a ridiculous andouille sausage (kind of Mexican/French I guess) and roasted red peppers. There is even a vegetarian Pizza that will thrill the most ardent PETA supporter.

If you are looking for the Best Pizza Restaurant in Indianapolis, Bazbeaux might make an excellent choice.

Palomino one of the best Indianapolis restaurants downtown

Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2007 by Chris Baggott

Palomino

Palomino Best Restaurant In Indianapolis

49 West Maryland Street
Indianapolis, In 46204
317-974-0400

Every time I think of the best restaurant in Indianapolis for a date, Palomino enters my mind. This restaurant is the essence of a tasteful yet cool downtown restaurant.

The key to a successful date here is to try the custom mixed margaritas served Martini Style. The other key is to avoid a regular table and sit in the bar. As you know, a big part of a successful date is seeing and being seen. Getting a table in the bar is worth waiting for and if you can score a window seat, well let’s just say you have really scored…

You won't find Pizza slices or breakfast, but you will find great seafood, steak, Italian dining in an excellent environment. Take my advice and take your date downtown to one of my favorite and best restaurants in Indianapolis…Palomino.

Le Peep is my go-to brunch spot

Posted Friday, August 10, 2007 by Mike Hinker

Le Peep is the best restaurant to grab brunch in Indianapolis. I look forward to going to Le Peep after church on Sunday morning and enjoying their delicious "Granola Blues," which are blueberry and granola pancakes. I also love Le Peep's french toast and omelets. If you are hungry for breakfast or brunch, Le Peep should be your first choice!

Introduction to Dean's Favorite Indiana Restaurants

Posted Saturday, August 4, 2007 by Dean Stratman

We've all seen it: "the cuisine was not only exquisite, but the atmosphere was entirely ...copious and completely and utterly breathtaking... blah blah blah." A restaurant review in many magazines and other online blogs would probably feature a description such as this, leaving many readers entirely confused and left with little or no understanding of what the restaurant actually is. However, this is where my restaurant reviews come in to play. They are not only going to critique the food and atmosphere of many of the best, and probably some that are not the best, Indiana restaurants, but they will do so in a very straightforward and decipherable manner. There will be no "blah-blahing" when it comes to my opinions on the food choices and atmospheres of the various restaurants that I describe. For all of my restaurant reviews, a system similar to the 5-star system or the 2-thumb system will be employed so as to display how the restaurant ranks among what I would consider my favorite restaurants. It will also feature a distinct and reader friendly description of each restaurant, followed by links to the best restaurant menu and menu price. Finally, I will occassionally feature my choice as to what to order at each restaurant, based on which of the dishes I believe to be the best at each restaurant. So, I will now begin reviewing the restaurants that I consider to be my favorite restaurants in Indianapolis!

Bazbeau Pizza is the best place to grab a slice

Posted Friday, July 13, 2007 by Mike Hinker

My favorite place to get a pizza with my buddies is Bazbeau Pizza in Broadripple. I always knew that their pizza was very good and extremely popular with my friends but I recently learned just how popular Bazbeau's is. I was flying back to Indy and picked up a magazine that was ranking the best places to get a pizza in large cities and Bazbeau Pizza was first on the list! I highly recommend the BBQ or the Hawaiian, those two are my favorites but I'm sure you can't go wrong. You have a ton of different choices since their menu is so big. Bazbeau Pizza is the best restaurant for pizza in Indy, bar-none.

Best Dining in Indianapolis - Zest!

Posted Monday, July 2, 2007 by Ali Sales

The best restaurant and best dining experience in Indianpolis is at Zest! Their menu changes daily. This is by far the best restaurant for breakfast / brunch on the weekends.

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