A great restaurant is more than just good food.





It’s more of a matrix of factors, with price, service, atmosphere and food all teaming up to bring you an experience that either lives up to the hype or it doesn’t. These 50 restaurants have a guaranteed high payoff, which is why you’ll find a hefty number of holes in the wall alongside fine dining, pubs, and a couple of local chains. These are the places we really, truly, actually go, because they’re reliably delicious, owned by folks we know, and the price-food-atmosphere-taste matrix has found them worthy.

















Fletcher Place / 501 Virginia Ave #101





It’s become a staple of Fletcher Place, keeping Indy residents in a cruel addiction to their curry ramen. It’s just one of many lunch and dinner menu staples orbited by an ever-changing list of specials that change as seasonal ingredients become available.









Fletcher Place / 653 Virginia Ave





Amelia’s was supposed to come before Bluebeard, but fate would reverse the order and in doing so, create the best in modern farm-to-table dining. It’s gotten its fair share of Beard nominations, and its upscale-eclectic interior reflects the creativity on the menu.









Fletcher Place / 534 Virginia Ave





You’ve heard all about the hot food, but there’s never been a better time to stock up from bakery and enjoy your goods at The Idle down the street. That said, if you have the patience to wait, it’s officially open door season at the ol Tooth.









Herron-Morton / 402 E 16th St





After exorcising some demons in management, Tinker Street has never been better than it is now. They’re still doing some magic things with seasonal ingredients, and the vibe has become that much more comfortable and neighborly.









Fountain Square / 902 Virginia Ave





Owners flirted with the concept with their rum-heavy menu at Black Market, and what was to be a pop-up bloomed into a full-fledged Polynesian jungle escape. The drinks, the food, the interior attention to detail is unmatched in any other bar in the city.









SoBro / 5215 N College Ave





Latin food has never enjoyed such a high-end incarnation as it does at Delicia. It’s an obvious date night spot for folks breaking out of their Friday fajitas routine, and doubles as one of the best places to get brunch in B-Rip.









Meridian-Kessler / 5694 N Meridian St





It’s fancy, it’s friendly, it’s a little bit of both. Technically, it’s a “neighborhood restaurant,” surrounded on all sides by the gorgeous architecture of Meridian-Kessler. While the interior is stately, the menu is full of accessible, seasonal food.









Fall Creek Place / 2503 N Delaware St





Sandwiches and soups really fly off the shelves during the week, though we’d recommend sitting in for a charcuterie session on the weekends. If you’re new to the place, always start from home base: the Batali, perhaps the very best sandwich in the whole city.









International Marketplace / 4760 W 38th St





You could eat your way up and down 38th street and never get bored, but Saigon really stands out for authentic flavors and a setup that’s perfect for large group dining. Service is super fast and their traditional menu has vegan and omnivorous options.









Broad Ripple / 6267 Carrollton Ave





The Alley Cat is a fave, and you may be surprised to find they serve one of the best traditional burgers in the city. When the limited hours keep you away from Workingman’s Friend, stop by the Cat for a patty, or come by Thursday night for steak night.













Mass Ave / 877 Massachusetts Ave





It’s hard not to love every single thing about Love Handle: a rotating selection of biscuits and gravy, an option to add pork belly and egg to anything, and a homey, humorous feel to the dining room. Just go. It’s great. You’ll love it.









Kennedy-King / 1702 Bellefontaine St





Chef Erin Kem helmed R Bistro for years, and she’s never been better than she is managing this kitchen. The menu is refreshingly short and focused, bringing Kem’s fine dining chops to the brewery’s menu of elevated snacks, paninis, salads and entrees.









SoBro / 1051 E 54th St





Chef Greg Hardesty is back, he’s healthy, and he’s doing it entirely his own way this time around. Every dinner is private, and the only table is the chef’s table. It’s like being able to get tickets to a private cello concert with Yo Yo Ma.









SoBro / 4907 N College Ave





Speaking of Hardesty graduates, Neal Brown is making midtown waves with the lessons learned at H20. What was to be a lunch-only ramen “concept” has melded with the dinner menu, and the big comforting bowls are now available all day.









SoBro / 4915 N. College Ave





In the same strip, you can find the latest gem in Midtown dining. The pie shop serves both sweet and savory creations, though the Thai chicken pot pie is the spicy overall winner. Keep your eyes on their Instagram for short-running specials.









Holy Cross / 452 N Highland Ave





With a base in Bloomington, the pizza powerhouse has finally landed in Indy. It’s the pizza elevation we needed as a city, with slow-risen crusts and ingredients that make an old favorite feel brand new. Don’t miss the salads, wings, or the bread and butter course either.









Traders Point / 9101 Moore Rd





Cream straight from the cow — it doesn’t get much fresher than that. With a mix of rustic vibes (the restaurant is in a renovated barn steps from the pastures) and high-end farm-to-table foods, it’s a prime date night restaurant for folks who love buttery, creamy dishes.









Lockerbie Square / 601 E New York St





There is so much good food coming out of CRG restaurants, but this one has the greatest payoff for design, flavor and innovation. If you’re going to get spendy for dinner, treat yourself to the freshest greens and one of the best wine lists in the city.









Mass Ave / 635 Massachusetts Ave





There’s plenty of great bar food scattered along Mass Ave, but Ralston’s is the kind of place you can meet up with your college friends and also take a gastronaut on a casual date. Psst, we’d tell you to get the nachos, but we already did.









Renaissance Place / 825 N Pennsylvania St





Fine dining meets incredible Ethiopian dining at this restaurant just a few steps outside of Mile Square. Sure, they’ll give you a fork, but those truly making the most of their experience will dig in traditionally with their hands.









West Indy / 1146 Kentucky Ave





The “Famous” stew is a Macedonian-style spicy tomatoes and meat situation, and it’s the most comforting bowl you’ll have all winter long — served with a side of white bread and butter, natch. The other 10/10 winner? John’s Famous pork tenderloin. It’s the real deal.









Washington Park / 3355 N Keystone Ave





We would put Chef Oya against anyone. We’d put Chef Oya’s seafood against Gordon Ramsey, Bobby Flay, anyone, because The Trap is The Truth. Follow them on Instagram for the most accurate hours and specials, because they do not last long.









Emerson Heights / 5102 E 16th St





Inside this simple hot dog stand is a Mary Poppins level of magical hidden flavor. The lines can stretch long in the warmer months, so bring cash and be prepared to eat your dog standing up or in your car, but it’s worth it for a couple bucks’ worth of the best dog you’ve ever had.













Multiple Locations





It’s a great restaurant, it’s a groundbreaking charity, and it’s really fixing one of Indianapolis’ most pressing problems: food access inequality. Pile up your tray with barbecue brisket, kale caesar salad, or a lemony orzo salad, and all the profits benefit hungry kids.









Broad Ripple / 6406 Cornell Ave





Don’t sleep on this cafe just because it’s part of Indy’s most famous popcorn brands. The menu is excellent and the restaurant is playfully decorated, making it an ideal place for ladies who lunch in leather pants.









City Market / 222 E. Market St

Fountain Square / 920 Virginia Ave





Three Carrots is changing the landscape of plant-based dining in Indianapolis, serving comforting vegan versions of Hoosier faves, and becoming a fave of vegans and omnivores alike. It’s inventive, it’s always fresh, and it delivers on flavor every time.





Multiple Locations





This locally-owned “mini-chain” is a beloved Indianapolis institution of perfect eggs, strong coffee, and pancakes stacked high. It’s always packed from 9 am to noon on weekends, sending out those enormous iconic platters piled with bacon and waffles.









Beech Grove / 4540 S Emerson Ave





Ask any Indianapolis resident what their fave Chinese place is and they will likely name Egg Roll #1. Northsiders make the journey for this Beech Grove mashup of Chinese and Vietnamese food.









SoBro / 5410 N College Ave / Mass ave / 410 E Michigan St





Old Style, Italian beef, and the Chicago penchant for casual excess is all you’ll find at Fat Dan’s. Everything is served on butcher paper, with sharing and mess encouraged, so sit back with a couple pints, maybe a baby, and enjoy a pile of smoked wings.









SoBro / 5406-08 N College Ave





Twenty Tap is still putting interesting twists on a diverse menu of bar food. Items like Buffalo cauliflower, the roasted veggie salad, and the shrimp and grits prove there’s more to this menu than fancy burgers and cheese curds.









Ransom Place / 910 W 10th St #4





Poke bowls are the street cart food of Hawaii, served out of casual restaurants and stalls, and no one is doing it quite as well as Ali’i in Indy. You can build your own bowl, or you can let them make one for you from the house creations. Insanely refreshing, multi-textured mouth party.













SoBro / 5301 Winthrop Ave Suite B





The people have spoken, and the love the lil’ Liter. The fine dining German restaurant, Liter House, is still going strong, but the entirely a-la-carte menu has already lead many deep into meat-and-three temptation.









Bayview / 7460 Shadeland Ave / Zionsville / 6685 Whitestown Parkway





Great seafood doesn’t have to be expensive, and Caplingers serves it for the people daily. You can get fancy with a dozen oysters on the half shell, or a fried whitefish sandwich, plus a fish market so you can take home some seafood for DIY cooking.









Meridian Park / 2960 N Meridian St / Eskenazi Hospital / 704 Eskenazi Ave





Way before it was cool, Duos served whole, mostly plant-based foods from a truck. Now, they’re serving Eskenazi patients and staff as well as Midtowners, and it’s satisfying like grandma’s food — if your grandma was a hip vegetarian world traveler.









Stringtown / 234 N Belmont Ave





The reigning supreme queen of smashburgers was born here and lords over her beefy kingdom to this day. Here’s the correct order: double, cheese, full garden, and you go with a friend to so one gets fries and the other gets onion rings.









Broad Ripple / 1011 E Westfield Blvd





Don’t ever call it a comeback. If you forgot about the sandwiches, mussels, waterzooi and whole rainbow of dipping sauce flavors, well, that’s on you. Brugge is awesome now, as it will be in the future. Oh, also: check out their Mussel Mondays promo.









Multiple Locations





This is one of those American Dream stories, and now The Tamale Place has expanded to three locations serving massive quantities of one of Mexico’s most iconic foods. These are silky, and served fresh from the steamer like a Christmas present ready to be unwrapped.









Bates-Hendricks / 946 S Meridian St





This is another essential lesson in payoff. Are there multiple romantic Italian restaurants in Indy? Yes. But Iozzo’s is the best cross-section of Italian comfort food, price, plus rom-com level of Disney set design romance.













Multiple Locations





Your fave’s pastrami could never. It’s all scratch-made food, served in seemingly endless quantities, and all of it always sounds good — in the style of every bubbie who’d feed their grandkids like a foie gras goose given the option. Don’t neglect the bakery, either.









Multiple Locations





Like creole culture, Yats' mishmash of big flavors and comfort food is one of Indy’s universal food equalizers. Old people love it. Kids love it. It’s good on Tuesday at 6pm. It’s good on Sunday at 10am. It’s Yats, and Yats is Indy, and Yats is awesome, forever and ever, amen.









Audubon Gardens / 6916 E 30th St





His Place isn’t really near anything, so you know when the parking lot is regularly full, it’s because the restaurant is full. No matter what you get for your main, get a side of bourbon corn and a red velvet waffle for the table.









SoBro / 1050 E 54th St





You probably know all about the pies, but you might be sleeping on the rest of the hot foods. Neighborhood regulars know that hog roasts are a regular event, as well as other dinner options offered in the evening, and it’s better than anything you’ve got in your next dinner box kit.









Crown Hill / 3736 N Doctor M.L.K. Jr St





Texas style barbecue might be suddenly trendy, but Hank’s has been making mesquite smoked brisket for coming up on 15 years. Order excessively — yes, get the loaded potato with your brisket — and take it for a finger-licking picnic.













SoBro / 1101 E 54th St G





You’ve already seen the opera cakes and macarons and mesmerizing mirror glaze videos, but you might have missed the savory selections. It’s a simple menu of French cafe heavy hitters, and makes for a sophisticated but simple meal to cushion the chocolate mousse landing.









City Market / 222 E. Market St





OK, so we’re cheating by putting these together, too, but they’re each other’s yin and yang. Sweet French pastry meets savory sandwiches and soups, which you can also find alongside the sammies at Goose at other restaurants around town.









Lake Maxinhall / 5172 Allisonville Rd





It has come to our attention that many Indianapolis residents have never had a Jamaican patty, which is basically the world’s most delicious Hot Pocket, and PoJ’s are the best. Make a point to try the goat and the oxtail if available, ya noobs.









Lawrence / 8867 Pendleton Pike





Korean barbecue is a fun way to try a totally different kind of Asian cuisine than Americans are used to, and Mama’s is a favorite of Indy’s Korean community. If you’re feeling congested, go for Mama’s kimchi jjigae, a spicy soup made from the fermented cabbage side.









Gateway West / 3818 N High School Rd





Bypass your taco instincts and go out for one of Mexico City’s most popular street foods. Nothing satisfies quite like a torta with cheese and a ring of pineapple with a dash of flaming hot sauce, and it will make you a believer about pineapple as a savory topping.













Castleton / 6414 E 82nd St





The reservation list is always full, and walk-ups are a gamble. That’s how good this restaurant is, with Chef Nina Takamure — Indy’s only female sushi chef — behind the counter. It’s absolutely worth the wait for a table.









Lawrence / 10625 Pendleton Pike





We know you’ve forgotten about this place, and that’s OK. It’s ready to meet you all over again, and remind you why it’s one of the best places in the city to sit down with a bowl of noodles or soft shell crab curry.