Champion's Classic - Indy Recs?

[WeepingThomasHill]

Any good sports bar/restaurant recommendations for Indy for the Champion's Classic?

[luburch]

Any good sports bar/restaurant recommendations for Indy for the Champion's Classic?

Are you going to the game and want somewhere to eat before or do you want to watch the game at a sports bar?

[Billy Dat]

Aside from getting some shrimp cocktail at the bar at St Elmo's, I am not sure one place is far better than another. Downtown Indy is extremely pedestrian friendly with dozens of bars and restaurants all walking distance in a very flat and easy to navigate grid-based urban layout. If you want to get some walking (or running) exercise, I recommend the Canal Walk which takes you right past NCAA headquarters where you can laugh at their folly:

https://www.visitindy.com/indianapolis-canal-walk

I also like Shapiro's deli if you are into cornbeef/pastrami/etc.
https://shapiros.com/

[devildeac]

Any good sports bar/restaurant recommendations for Indy for the Champion's Classic?

From luburch on Ymm, Beer on 10/5/17:

"Alright - I finally have enough time to revisit this.

Breweries to visit:

Sun King - My personal favorite in Indianapolis. It's located downtown. Owners are extremely nice, it's large, great beer selection. I know Sun King does official tours as well.

Fountain Square Brewing - This is located in an area called Fountain Square. It was a rundown area until about 5-10 years ago, but they've put a lot of work in. The buildings have a vintage vibe. Good selection of beer, nice owners and employees.

Chilly Water Brewing Company - Also in Fountain square! Relatively new and modern with a nice draft selection. Offer food as well, but I've never had it. Makes sense to stop in if you're going to visit Fountain Square Brewery.

St. Josephs Brewery - Located right down the road from Sun King. St. Joseph's is an old church that has been renovated into a brewery. Certainly unique and I don't think I've ever had a bad beer there. Not to mention some good poutine to snack on!

Metazoa Located between downtown and Fountain Square. I recommend this especially if it's a nice day outside. Nice patio with a decent view of downtown. It's a pet friendly brewery that donates to animal charities so you're likely to see a lot of puppies wandering around!

Taxman Brewing Company I know you've had a fair amount of Taxman before, but I think it's a unique venue as well. It's about 35 minutes south of downtown, so a bit of a drive.

There's a host of other breweries that I enjoy (Triton, Flat 12, TwoDeep, Bier, Indiana City, Round Town, Tow Yard, Blind Owl), but those are probably my favorites.

Restaurants with the best Tap Lists: The Tap (which is also another very good brewery) and Ralston's which are both downtown. Ale Emporium is on the north side and has a huge draft list and the best wings I've ever had in my life. I can go on and on about those wings and what to order...

As far as liquor stores to buy craft beer at: Crown Liquors is generally my go to. It's a five minute walk for me and has a pretty good selection. Saturday mornings when they open is the best possible time to be there. It's when they put out all the shipments they got for the week.

Kahn's Fine Wines & Spirits, United Package Liquors, and Vine & Table are all great options as well. I've never done one, because it's not really my thing, but there are some local brewery bus trips. I imagine they're similar to what other cities offer. Get on a bus while a tour guide takes you from brewery-to-brewery. Figured I'd go ahead and mention it.

Another local brewery that I love is Upland. It's based in Bloomington, so you probably won't want to make the drive (unless you can swing the IU/Duke game since it's in late November ), but there should be plenty to pick from in the stores. I'd give it a shot.

Anyway, I hope that covers it. Happy to answer any more questions!"

[devildeac]

Aside from getting some shrimp cocktail at the bar at St Elmo's, I am not sure one place is far better than another. Downtown Indy is extremely pedestrian friendly with dozens of bars and restaurants all walking distance in a very flat and easy to navigate grid-based urban layout. If you want to get some walking (or running) exercise, I recommend the Canal Walk which takes you right past NCAA headquarters where you can laugh at their folly:

https://www.visitindy.com/indianapolis-canal-walk

I also like Shapiro's deli if you are into cornbeef/pastrami/etc.
https://shapiros.com/

I'll vouch for:

1. Laughing at the ncaa-I almost got arrested for what I did as we walked by their HQ:o.

2. Walking, walking and more walking.

3. Shapiro's-dinner with family and friends (shout out to YMoBeThere for joining us there before the 2010 Duke-WVU FF game).

4. Poutine and a flight at St Joseph's Brewery (raises glass to luburch for suggesting this place)

5. Flight (or two) at Sun King Brewery (another toast to luburch for this one, too)-not sure if they serve food as we went after eating at a rehearsal dinner.

[UrinalCake]

Rock Bottom brewery is my favorite, but as Billy Dat said the restaurants are all kind of the same. Indy is famous for their grilled steak sandwiches - basically a chicken fried steak on a bun. Worth a try to say you’ve done it, but that’s about it.

[Billy Dat]

devildeac clearly has a POV here so I'd heed that list...very impressive. I guess all those nights I was out in Indy for meetings with Lilly I should have been out visiting breweries. But you did remind me of a place I forgot. A few times, I lined up my trips with nights when a band I wanted to see was playing the Murat Theater - a great old room. There was a German Beer Hall that had a big outdoor space where I would grab a pre-show libation plus some sausages. It looks like it's still there:

http://www.rathskeller.com/

[luburch]

I'll avoid anything upscale, but for things around downtown that should meet your needs:

Beer
Sun King - Largest brewer in Indianapolis. Tap list changes monthly. The do have food, but do not show sports on TV.
St. Joseph's - An old church that is now a brewery. Poutine is wonderful. About 5-6 TV's that have sports on.
Metazoa - Animal friendly brewery with an extensive tap list. 50/50 on showing sports, but you'll get to pet a lot of puppies.
The Tap - Good food, good beer, and a ton of TVs showing sports at all times
Fountain Square Brewery - A nice, quiet place to grab a drink. Do not believe they have any TVs going.

Food
The Eagle - Delicious fried chicken and sides. Good drink list and you can catch any game sitting at the bar.
Bru Burger - Many people will tell you this is the best burger in Indy, I would disagree. Food is still good, believe they'll have games on at the bar.
Kumas Korner - The actual best burger in Indianapolis, but they do play heavy metal music at all times.
Kilroy's - If you're looking for a traditional sports bar, this is your best bet. In the heart of Georgia Street.

Sights
As mentioned there is the canal walk that will take you by the NCAA headquarters
The heart of the city has several different monuments, though one is under construction.
White River State Park is quite pleasant and is connected to the Canal walk

In my personal opinion, the best restaurant Indianapolis has is not downtown. It does have hundreds of TV's, an extensive draft list, and the best wings in the state. Ale Emporium - about 20 minutes north of downtown. Get the wings bone-in and Hermanaki style.

Hope this helps. Happy to answer any specific questions you might have.

[thedukelamere]

Any good sports bar/restaurant recommendations for Indy for the Champion's Classic?

Not sure how long you're staying or what your game plan is while in town, but here are a few of my favorites:

Pregaming options:
- Slippery Noodle Inn - Not a ton of tvs if you're going to watch a game, but it's that type of cool little place a block from the stadium to grab a pregame drink and/or a bite to eat before a noon football game.
- Brothers Bar & Grill/Claddagh Irish Pub - Good places to watch a slate of football games on the weekend.
- Kilroy's - Same as above, just with better BBQ.
- The Tavern - I usually park in the South Lot, so I've stumbled into this joint a few times after games and had a good time. South of the stadium is kinda sketchy, so I wouldn't go out of my way for this one unless you happen to be right there.

Afterparty places to celebrate a W:
- Don Shula's Steakhouse - I've celebrated a state championship in football and the '10/'15 national titles at Shula's. I'm still not sure if it's truly the best steak in the world or if I've just had dinner there on three of the best days of my life?
- Howl at the Moon - Dueling piano bar. Might get the B or C crew on a Tuesday night...
- Wild Beaver Saloon - The name should tell you everything you need to know. Open til 3am.

For my beer connoisseurs:
- Yardhouse - If you're never been to one, you're missing out. 100+ beers on tap from around the world.
- Ram Restaurant and Brewery - Limited in-house brews, but it's close to the stadium and they brew a pretty tasty Belgian Quad.
- TwoDEEP Brewing - Try the BBA Jolly Old Nitro.
- Sun King - The most recognizable but commercialized brewery in town. Still have some tasty brews, but you can get most of their beers at any restaurant in town.
- Scarlet Lane Brewing Company - My favorite brewery in Indiana after 3 Floyds. Keep in mind that they are closed on Mondays, so this would be for anyone coming in on Saturday or Sunday (or leaving later in the week) who trusts me enough to make the 15 minute drive to the Northeast side of Indy. Their Dorian Stout series is amazing and their Eirik Bloodaxe (11% Double IPA brewed with honey and blood oranges, tastes more like a 5% session beer without the traditional IPA taste) is in my top 5 beers. I've driven the 2.5 hours on a random Saturday just to enjoy their taproom.

[SlapTheFloor]

From luburch on Ymm, Beer on 10/5/17:

"Alright - I finally have enough time to revisit this.

Breweries to visit:

Sun King - My personal favorite in Indianapolis. It's located downtown. Owners are extremely nice, it's large, great beer selection. I know Sun King does official tours as well.

Fountain Square Brewing - This is located in an area called Fountain Square. It was a rundown area until about 5-10 years ago, but they've put a lot of work in. The buildings have a vintage vibe. Good selection of beer, nice owners and employees.

Chilly Water Brewing Company - Also in Fountain square! Relatively new and modern with a nice draft selection. Offer food as well, but I've never had it. Makes sense to stop in if you're going to visit Fountain Square Brewery.

St. Josephs Brewery - Located right down the road from Sun King. St. Joseph's is an old church that has been renovated into a brewery. Certainly unique and I don't think I've ever had a bad beer there. Not to mention some good poutine to snack on!

Metazoa Located between downtown and Fountain Square. I recommend this especially if it's a nice day outside. Nice patio with a decent view of downtown. It's a pet friendly brewery that donates to animal charities so you're likely to see a lot of puppies wandering around!

Taxman Brewing Company I know you've had a fair amount of Taxman before, but I think it's a unique venue as well. It's about 35 minutes south of downtown, so a bit of a drive.

There's a host of other breweries that I enjoy (Triton, Flat 12, TwoDeep, Bier, Indiana City, Round Town, Tow Yard, Blind Owl), but those are probably my favorites.

Restaurants with the best Tap Lists: The Tap (which is also another very good brewery) and Ralston's which are both downtown. Ale Emporium is on the north side and has a huge draft list and the best wings I've ever had in my life. I can go on and on about those wings and what to order...

As far as liquor stores to buy craft beer at: Crown Liquors is generally my go to. It's a five minute walk for me and has a pretty good selection. Saturday mornings when they open is the best possible time to be there. It's when they put out all the shipments they got for the week.

Kahn's Fine Wines & Spirits, United Package Liquors, and Vine & Table are all great options as well. I've never done one, because it's not really my thing, but there are some local brewery bus trips. I imagine they're similar to what other cities offer. Get on a bus while a tour guide takes you from brewery-to-brewery. Figured I'd go ahead and mention it.

Another local brewery that I love is Upland. It's based in Bloomington, so you probably won't want to make the drive (unless you can swing the IU/Duke game since it's in late November ), but there should be plenty to pick from in the stores. I'd give it a shot.

Anyway, I hope that covers it. Happy to answer any more questions!"

Upland also has a tasting room on College Ave in Indianapolis.

[duke2x]

Since you did not specify--

Adults only - you have good suggestions

Adults + Kids - Old Spaghetti Factory downtown. This is a chain centered on the west coast with a few satellite locations in the midwest (Indy, Cincy, Minny, Louisville). Inexpensive for full meal, the menu can fit both tastes, service is usually pretty quick, no TVs.

[Gooch]

All good recommendations above in this thread. A couple to add:
- For upscale Mexican food I like Nada (walking distance to all the other bars/restaurants in downtown) and Bakersfield (on Mass Ave which is a bit longer walk from the center of downtown) Nada: www.eatdrinknada.com/indianapolis Bakersfield: http://www.bakersfieldtacos.com/
- Union 50 (www.union-50.com) is just off Mass Ave and has amazing duck-fat fries (the rest of their menu is really good too). They have a good drink/craft beer selection and often have live music.
- Rebar (www.rebarindy.com) serves beer by the ounce (you tap it yourself) and typically has a rather ecletic selection of craft brews. The owner is a huge bourbon connoisseur and they have many brands I had never heard of before. Food selection is limited but their cheese curds are excellent.
- Tomlinson Tap Room (www.tomlinsontaproom.com) is upstairs in the Indianapolis City market. They rotate their taps a lot and have interesting selections. I don't think they serve food but the City Market is like a smaller version of Faneuil Hall or Reading Terminal Market with lots of good food stalls. Not sure how late the food places are open.

I LOVE jetting around the city on the new Bird or Lime scooters. They are everywhere in the city and are pretty cheap and you can leave them anywhere (vs. rent-a-bikes where you have to dock them at specific locations). There are several bike paths and wide sidewalks around the city so you can generally avoid navigating around car traffic. Super easy to use the app (which helps you find the scooters also).

I've really enjoyed the last year travelling here each week for work. Have fun!

[devildeac]

devildeac clearly has a POV here so I'd heed that list...very impressive. I guess all those nights I was out in Indy for meetings with Lilly I should have been out visiting breweries. But you did remind me of a place I forgot. A few times, I lined up my trips with nights when a band I wanted to see was playing the Murat Theater - a great old room. There was a German Beer Hall that had a big outdoor space where I would grab a pre-show libation plus some sausages. It looks like it's still there:

http://www.rathskeller.com/

LOL :o.

There's another place downtown that I wanted to mention because we had great wedding reception dinner there but I'll have to review downtown Indy fine dining and post that name this evening.

[DavidBenAkiva]

devildeac clearly has a POV here so I'd heed that list...very impressive. I guess all those nights I was out in Indy for meetings with Lilly I should have been out visiting breweries. But you did remind me of a place I forgot. A few times, I lined up my trips with nights when a band I wanted to see was playing the Murat Theater - a great old room. There was a German Beer Hall that had a big outdoor space where I would grab a pre-show libation plus some sausages. It looks like it's still there:

http://www.rathskeller.com/

This is my recommendation as well.

Near to Banker's Life Stadium, I also suggest Harry & Izzy's (http://www.harryandizzys.com/), if only for the cocktail sauce. It is horesradish heaven. I don't eat shellfish, so I've ordered the cocktail sauce to pair with bread. It will clean you out and leave you begging for more.

A little outside of the immediate downtown, there Canal is pretty neat. It's like Indy's take on the San Antonio Riverwalk. It's less crowded, obviously. When I am downtown in Indy, the Canal Trail is great for run in the morning.

[WeepingThomasHill]

Great recs all, thanks. Sorry for not being more specific - going to the games in Indy with friends and no kids. Was just looking for some suggestions for Monday night and then pre-game on Tuesday - thanks for the great tips!

[westwall]

St. Elmo's, yes! But beware the horseradish for the shrimp: strongest I've ever had.

[Gooch]

St. Elmo's, yes! But beware the horseradish for the shrimp: strongest I've ever had.

Love the horseradish cocktail sauce and the tradition of St. Elmo's, but my steak was just meh (and not cheap at all). I actually prefer Hyde Park (near Monument Circle) as my choice of the 500 steakhouses in Indy.

Harry & Izzy's is owned by the same company and there is an excellent burger joint (Burger Study) also owned by the same just around the corner.