Probably more for locals, but has anything new opened up to check out? I know Goodwood closed, but has anything moved in there, or is the Georgia Street redo bogging everything down. We all remember the gamer themed places, and it would be so cool to get some of that vibe back.
It really seems like the current level of office occupancy in downtown Indianapolis, whatever it is, has permanently cut the number of restaurants and coffee shops needed by like half, given how few of the old classic Gen-Con haunts that closed have even been fully dismantled, let alone replaced. I mean other than the Ram you can still see the old signage for places like Sugarfire Smokehouse, Scotty's Brewhouse, Colts Grille, I think even Claddagh and Haveli
I still miss dicks bbq on Pennsylvania ave.
This made me go and check to make sure The Eagle is still there. They are, and I recommend it. Fried chicken, spoonbread and Miller High Life.
The Eagle – Menu (eaglerestaurant.com)
No Scotty's went under because Scott Wise was a HORRIBLE owner. He lied to the new buyers about the value and revenue stream of all the restaurants. He lied to the secret shareholders after he took their ca$h.
It was great, it was just run by the wrong person.
Unfortunately, there's going to be a bit fewer food choices downtown for a while. City Market will be closing for a while so that the buildings can be renovated.
Somehow I've never heard of Saint Shack, despite being in Indy semi-regularly. I want to try them.
There's a new high-end restaurant called Commission Row near Gainbridge Fieldhouse (that's Indy's NBA stadium). It's right up the street from the Alexander hotel. It's described as a steakhouse and speakeasy, and while it's severely uncheap - they list a $199 seafood tower! - it looks like it could be an appealing alternative to St. Elmo's, Capital Grille, or Hyde Park Steakhouse. If you're feeling spendy.
What else? Agave and Rye, nearly across the street from the Alexander. And the new Tupelo Honey is directly east of that hotel. I never got a chance last con to try Nevermore, and that's right nearby, in Union Station. And then some old standbys, like Shapiro's Deli southeast of Lucas Oil Stadium, Nada's, Old Spaghetti Factory, Yard House...
I know not all the places I'm listing are new, but I don't always hear or read some of these places when people talk about restaurants nearby. And that's mostly because many of them are a bit farther than Steak n Shake, Cafe Patachou, or any of the hotel restaurants. But they may be "new" for some people who haven't ventured too far from the ICC.
Fascinating, through that anti-Scott Wise post I have learned he is back in business and runs Roots Burger Bar in a former Scotty's Brewhouse location in Muncie. And he has another one in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel! And apparently tried opening one in Indianapolis proper in 2022 which made it all the way to...2023.
I actually went to Agave & Rye last week, food was good but not worth the cost. If you want some KILLER tacos, $5-$6 a pop, try the Condato 530 Mass Ave
I could be wrong but since Nevermore re opened under new ownership I thought it was just for events only
Shapiro's has been around for over 100 years. KILLER Pastrami.
The thing about Shapiro's is that every time I go there, my eyes get too big for my stomach and I can never finish what I buy. But hot damn, going there is worth it.
Yeah, I'd definitely be interested in knowing who does good tacos. If Agave & Rye's quality to cost ratio isn't that good, I definitely would like to know about alternatives.
And I have no idea about Nevermore; I just know that both them and, for different reasons, Whistle Stop Inn both seem like places to at least try. If Nevermore is only available for events, though, that curtails things.
Is Whistle Stop closed Sundays? I wandered over there last year on Sunday and it was closed.
Thanks! It just seems strange that Sunday would be the day closed with Lucas Oil Stadium right there. If I am not mistaken, things happen there on Sundays when there is no Gen Con.
Yeah, but if you can't get enough business, then management will close rather than lose money on operating costs.
I'm seeing restaurants where I live being closed at least once a week, some twice a week now, and even having non-contiguous hours (i.e. open for lunch, closed after, say, 2pm, reopen at 4 or 5, etc.) now. True, some places in other cities have done that as a matter of course for years now, but I'm talking about places that used to be open solid for mostly the same hours every day.
Things changed with COVID, and changed even more post COVID.
I'm just not surprised to see a place, even one downtown in Indianapolis that's that close to Lucas Oil, the ICC, and not too far from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, be closed on Sundays. I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised.
Yeah, I have gotten used to the town my wife and I frequent on Lake Erie doing that. Even Friday or Saturday night. If no one is there at 7:30, they close. But thats a small town, not a big city. But you are right, the ways things were before Covid in the Earth that Was, sure are not anymore.
Majority owner of bankrupt Scotty’s plans to oust operating partner, focus on basics – Indianapolis Business Journal (ibj.com)
"The troubles facing Scotty’s are common to restaurants that go through ownership changes, said Steve Delaney, a real estate broker with CBRE. “Service, food quality, cleanliness can all suffer when the original owner/operator leaves,” Delaney said. Scotty’s Brewhouse was especially susceptible to this dynamic because Wise was so closely associated with the company he founded, Delaney said. “People knew who he was. Once he left, I think operations suffered, because it was his baby.”
This is why economics is not a science.