ask a local: best eats in Indianapolis & suburbs

If there’s one thing I love more than travel, it’s gotta be food!!

One thing I plan my itineraries around is when we will eat, what we will eat, and where the locals eat. Some of my favorite places to go for insider intel is reddit, yelp, and google. After I find a list of potentials I will cross check with their instagram page to see just how drool worthy their plates are.

Insider tip: check their tagged posts too! Chances are, if a restaurant lives up to the hype, then their tagged posts look just as good as their staged foodie photographs. If they don’t have many tagged posts from the people, then I move onto the next place on my list. Plus, you get the real time reviews on the exact dishes to try. Sure, you could go to any restaurant based on a positive recommendation and scour the menu, but a lot of time I go in knowing the exact plates in mind that I am going to try.

Living in Greenwood, Indiana (a suburb of Indianapolis), I have no shortage of ‘gram worthy options at my fingertips. No matter what your preference, there is surely something for you. Here is a list of my top 10 places to dine in central Indiana in no particular order. In hindsight, this was way harder to narrow down than I thought it would be…

Please share your favorites in the comments section below 🙂 If you visit any of these be sure to tag me on my instagram @jesstakethetrip and let me know what you think!

Festiva: best Indianapolis hole in the wall mexican food

best shrimp tacos, hole in the wall indianapolis

best mexican: Festiva

I would like to thank our very own local celeb Alexa Green for sharing this one on her ‘gram. Jordan and I showed up to Festiva for our first time without a reservation. Turns out, this place is tiny and reservations are a must. We just happened to arrive when another couple was late so we scored their table (sorry if that was you, but also don’t be late). If you have time to wait, feel free to try without a reservation. It’ll still be worth it.

The.shrimp. tacos. Omg. I don’t even know if anyone could possibly replicate these ever. The breading, the texture, the flavor, the fresh tortillas… drooling just remembering them. They had a seasonal margarita, something with blood orange, which basically anything blood orange would be a yes for me. It was 10/10. Of course we got the churros. They were a must try and I don’t even like churros, but these were next level. Their quac was fresh, chunky, and full of flavor.

Perfect for a date night or just showing off an unsuspecting hole in the wall to your out of town friends. Driving by, you may not even give it a second glance but I promise you will be glad you did.

Location: 1217 E 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202

best hole in the wall authentic italian food in indianapolis

📷: Iaria’s Facebook page

best italian: Iaria’s Italian restaurant

I actually slept on a gift card to Iaria’s for I dunno, eight ish years! I won it at an ugly sweater Christmas party. When we finally booked a reservation (highly encouraged) for this place, I walked in and was shocked to find every table packed on a week day. From the outside, it appears to be another hole in the wall (which it is). We ended up grabbing two bar seats as another couple left because we were early for our table. The bartender was a no-fuss-no-frills-grumpy-in-a-good-way guy so we stayed at the bar for our meal.

We dined during devour downtown and they offered a sample platter to try their top 4 dishes. I can honestly say, best Italian food I have ever had. The only other place that would rival this place would be Battistas Hole in the Wall in Las Vegas – which, if you ever go to Vegas is an absolute must and I’ve been twice.

If I had to choose a favorite dish, it would have to be the chicken parmesan. Honestly though, every dish was 10/10 and even the excessive amounts of gluten in one meal caused zero regrets. I really feel like it is hard to mess up Italian food in general, yet even harder for it to really stand out. Maybe because competitors all taste the same to me if you go somewhere mediocre. I’m telling you though, there is nothing mediocre about the flavor of this joint and it certainly stands out.

Location: 317 S College Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46202

best hole in the wall tavern in indianapolis

📷: Barringers facebook page

best hole in the wall bar: Barringers Tavern

Grab your buddies and hit up this tavern if you want the most non-bar bar-food, unmatched drink prices, great service, and daily entertainment. Established in 1879 on Indy’s south side, the history of Barringers goes way back to prohibition days. If sitting in a booth with a beer envisioning the likes of Al Capone & John Dillinger doing the same in a past era, then this is the vibe for you.

You won’t find a bad dish here and many nights they sell out of their daily special pretty early. Don’t be too upset if you miss out, I think this is just a testament to how many local die hards come here through the week.

They are also wonderful for group events too. No charge, just send an email and the staff are eager to take care of you. I surprised Jordan for his dirty 30 and we filled the place with about 30 firemen and they accommodated us well. They are used to the firemen congregating here, as it tends to be the hot spot for weekday lunches or a pre-game stop before heading downtown for the night.

From their website: “Barringer’s was the last stop on the trolley line going South out of Indianapolis, so it was people’s last chance to get something to eat or drink, which is why there was and is a “Last Chance” sign in the window out front. During Prohibition, Barringer’s stayed in business selling ice cream and candy, as well as lunch and dinner. There is a black window with a slot that opens where it is rumored people could get illegal alcohol. Al Capone and John Dillinger were known to have dined at Barringer’s on occasion. In the back of the lot, there was a pond with live turtles used for making fresh turtle soup! Barringer’s was also well known for pig’s feet. In 1942 alone, Barringer’s sold 96,508 pigs’ feet to its customers.”

So come by for a weekend brunch, trivia night, live music, or $11 Tuesday steak nights and you might even find yourself next to the pull tabs. Good food, good drinks, and good company always.

Call an Uber: don’t drink and drive.

Location: 2535 S Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46225

Best indiana brewery, central indiana, greenwood.

📷: Oaken Barrel Facebook page

best brewery: Oaken Barrel

Located in Greenwood just south of Indy you will find this local gem and watering hole: Oaken Barrel. The owner here is a well known and loved member of our community and life time supporter of the fire department. This is by far the best brewery in central Indiana. One of their seasonal beers: Apple Buzz, sells out every year within days for carry out. It also comes with a two drink limit if served in house 😀 All of their brews are available for bottled carry out or growler fills.

My personal favorite beer is the Razz Wheat. The food here is exceptional and well priced. We have attended many events here as well. Whether celebrating a birthday, a retirement, or just meeting a group of buddies, they are able to accommodate your needs easily. The bartenders and staff are well loved and despite always being busy, are quick to serve with a smile on their face.

The restaurant is family friendly with two bar areas and a beautiful outside dining option as well.

Location: 50 Airport Pkwy L, Greenwood, IN 46143

Best breakfast in Indianapolis

📷: Milktooth facebook page

best breakfast: Milktooth

Do not sleep on this breakfast spot in Fletcher Place. Milktooth is a fine dining establishment that has been featured in numerous publications including best new chef and one of the best 10 new restaurants in the USA. Seating is by walk in only, no reservations. Show up early and be prepared for a wait.

Substitutions and changes to the menu are not permitted. Though I can’t hardly think of a thing you would want to change here. If your taste buds vibe with exceptional food, the dishes will come as is with perfection.

Enjoy outdoor seating in the warmer months and they also offer a variety of cocktails to go with your lattes.

Location: 534 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46203

Best tacos and margaritas in Indianapolis

best tacos & margs: Bakersfield

So to me, truly authentic tacos are the ones you can only find at the back counter of a Mexican grocery store or in an Abuela’s kitchen. Then, there’s Bakersfield as close to authentic outside of that. I will forever say yes to coming here for the freshest margs, eat-it-by-the-spoonful quac, and nearly authentic, definitely perfection tacos. Don’t make me pick a favorite, they’re all divine. Oh, but spicy marg, 100% go spicy.

What better place to host group events too. My bachelorette party kicked off in the basement of Bakersfield and I only blame the countless pitchers of margaritas for the outcome of that night 😉 No better place to spend a Taco Tuesday, Margarita Monday, or Fiesta Friday or whatever else made up holiday to support your visit to Bakersfield.

Location: 7 States – Indianapolis: 334 Massachusetts Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Best and tastiest mimosas in indianapolis. Bucket of mimosas.

best mimosas: Garden table

I am on somewhat of a mission to find an establishment that can live up to the pink lush mimosa here at Garden Table. So far, I continue to come up short. No problem though, Garden Table is always just a short drive away and will likely forever reign as the best mimosa. The first time I came here was the day my (now 11 year old) daughter went to kindergarten for the first time. I ordered the bucket of mimosas and was immediately hooked. It comes with a variety of juices, but you only need one and it’s called pink lush.

Bridal showers, baby showers, brunch date, girls day… whenever your heart is calling for a good mimosa then this is your spot! Their food is fresh and by brunch standards is fairly decent though a little on the pricey side. You can also purchase the pink lush for takeout, as well as some pretty great quiches if you ever need to impress your gals at an event.

Location: Carmel, Broad Ripple, Mass Ave

📷: Jockamo Pizza facebook page

best pizza: Jockamo Pizza

Hands down no dispute, in my opinion you will never have a mediocre slice of pizza at Jockamo Pizza! There are sooo many great pizza options in the city but if you have never tried this place, stop what you are doing right now and get a Friday night pizza night on the calendar. Dine in or take out. I also love that they take care of our public service while on shift with discounted pizzas.

They do not skimp on the ingredients here. The dough is mouth watering and now I am going to have to add this to our dinner line up this week because I cannot stop thinking about it…

If you are a cheese lover, buckle up because the Cheese Louise (my fave) is quite literally my favorite pizza ever and cannot be beat. It has ricotta, cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella and if that’s not enough, smoked gouda also topped with a little bacon and red onion. If meat is more your vibe then try the Slaughterhouse Five – Jordan’s fave. This one has pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon, and italian beef and you’ll need to wear your stretchy pants for the drive home 😉 If spicy is your vibe, try the Creole for some authentic New Orleans flavors inspire by Mama Roux herself. You also cannot go wrong with a classic BBQ pulled pork or the margherita pizzas.

If you live on the south side and averse to driving downtown, we have our very own Jockamos in old town Greenwood!

Location: Lawrence, Irvington, Greenwood

Best date night in Indianapolis, best steak house Indianapolis

📷: St Elmos website

best steak date night: St Elmos & 1933 Lounge

Steak house options in the city really are endless and about a dime a dozen. This particular one is the oldest standing downtown steakhouse and has been an Indianapolis landmark since 1902. What I love about St Elmos personally is the vibe. Oh, and the shrimp cocktail. Because IYKYK. Really though, don’t be a hero. You only need a dab of the cocktail sauce. The steaks come buttery and sizzling to perfection. If you get a chance, tour the lower level private suite where Peyton Manning enjoys dining.

St Elmos certainly meets my expectations for phenomenal steaks. While one of the pricier options on this list, it’s always a nice option for mom and dad to dress fancy and hit the town for special occasions.

We almost always nightcap upstairs at 1933 Lounge for an Elmo’s Cola while taking in the ambience. If the price tag is a little too much, visiting during Devour Downtown Indy is always an option to experience fine dining on a budget. Speaking of Devour Downtown – winter fest is about to start and runs from January 22 – February 4, 2024. This would be the perfect time to try out some of the places on this list, most of which have devour menus.

Location: Downtown – 127 S Illinois St, Indianapolis, IN 46225

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