Sweet Jesus, Indiana, it took you long enough to get warm. And now that you've graced us with (some) sunlight and your winds are all aflutter on our brows, it's time to take our meal outside -- and eat it, too.
So here's our attempt at creating a comprehensive list of outdoor eateries. What's that? We left one off? E-mail me at abartner@metromix.com.
Jazz Kitchen's commitment to culinary and musical excellence remains unparalleled has won them kudos from Downbeat Magazine, musicians, and music lovers. South of Broad Ripple-proper on College Avenue, the Jazz Kitchen offers deck seating during warm months and intimate tables arranged around a dance floor inside, where the real action takes place. The restaurant hosts an array of local, regional, and national jazz as well as weekly Latin dance parties. Access is restricted to the 21-and-over set, and business casual is the word.
Arts and crafts-inspired lighting casts a warm glow over the dark walls, upholstery and memorabilia. The Ram will assert its dominance by head-butting your thirst and hunger with multiple beers brewed in-house and a massive menu.
Generations of Downtown workers have rubbed elbows in this pub. Outdoor seating is available if you need to escape the confines of your cubicle, but inside the "Room" is actually split between an open dining area and a bar with tall tables. Classy takes on standard sandwiches, soups and salads fill the menu and your belly.
An outdoor New Orleans gazebo ... inside; an inside fine dining experience ... outside.
Fireside has four distinct areas for dining, relaxing and socializing with the lounge, bar, patio and family areas. The atmosphere is inviting and comfortable with indoor and outdoor fireplaces, televisions, free Wi-Fi and occasional live entertainment.
A place to join friends for a drink after work, have lunch and view entertainment in a relaxed yet fun environment.
Brugge Brasserie begets Belgian brews. Chase paper cone-fuls of pommes frites with a wide array of foamy fluids, and remember to wipe that roasted garlic aoli off your chin. Indoor seating fills fast, but being outdoors is divine.
Forget American football, mate. Sit down with a pint and enjoy some real football. Well, we call it soccer here, but at Chatham's it's definitely called the Beautiful Game, the world's game.
Reds, browns, new lighting fixtures and an updated menu define the restaurant formerly known as Scholar's Inn.
Don't lean too close to the saganaki (fried goat cheese) when your server sets it aflame at your table. Santorini's popularity has exploded like a lit match to cooking oil, and it has more than tripled its capacity in recent years. Seafood plays a more prominent role here than at many so-called Mediterranean restaurants. All dinners include a salad and sides of green beans, rice pilaf and potatoes.
Working stiffs loosen up at lunch and make room for neighbors at night when there are gyro-filled bellies at the tables and gyrating bellies weaving between them. Opa!
Duck into this upscale grill and learn that Broad Ripple nightlife offers more than plastic cups and long lines. Listen to the pianist tickle the keys before DJs take over late nights next door.
As if fresh home style Italian dining and carryout beer weren't enough, brightly painted and lively Gia Bella's also offers special hours on Colts' home game Sundays (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and a shuttle to and from Downtown.
Nothing beats a lake shore restaurant serving the ocean's bounty. Seafood's the star at Rick's Cafe Boatyard, but if you're scaling back your fish intake Rick's offers an assortment of steaks and house specialty entrees. The multi-tiered deck is packed in pleasant weather and jazz bands jam jubilantly each night on the eastern shores of Eagle Creek Reservoir.
Reel in your catch on a deck overlooking the mighty Canal. The shack is small, but its aquatic heart beats as big as the outdoor seating area.
The Slippery Noodle Inn is on a mission from God -- to provide a haven for them what gots the blues and serve a delicious menu to needy Downtown patrons. Housed in a former safe-house on the Underground Railroad, the Slippery Noodle is the oldest bar in Indiana. Bluesmen from across the land take the stage most nights of the week, and lunchtime at the Noodle is jumpin' like a preacher on Sunday.
Three cheers for casual Italian dining among faux Roman ruins. Sit hearth side and watch pizzas cook in the wood-burning oven.
An upscale bar and grill catering to far north side professionals.
Nestled under the wooden beams of a peaked roof, this cozy space on second floor of Buggs Temple features classic furnishings and white tablecloths accented with contemporary touches. The chef places an emphasis on seasonal and local organic fare.
Turkey has been the site of cultural clashes between Europe and Asia for more than 1,000 years -- the Bosphorus Strait cleaves the two continents. This tidal wash of cultures has created a national cuisine that blends Arab kabobs with the cremes and cheeses of Mediterranean Europe. Enjoy the results in this cozy converted house just North of the interstate.
Bad for quiet dinner dates but great for groups, 30-plus screens guarantee there are no bad seats in this gigantic house. With sidewalk seating in the heart of Downtown, fast breaks start before tipoff, kick off, or the first pitch, but feet move even faster on some karaoke nights.
A treasure of downtown Indy with its truly spectacular skyline view from the Biergarten, the Rathskeller is concert venue, bar and German restaurant, but it's all history having been built by the grandfather of Indy's most famous son, Kurt Vonnegut.
This cafe hides in plain view along 54th Street. The food delivers, how else do you think the place thrives without the hype other eateries enjoy?
God gave rock 'n' roll to you but left the burgers to someone else. Grab a sandwich or make like a true rocker and belly up to the bar.
It must be true that good things come in small packages because this cafe serves some of Indianapolis' best gyros and shawarma out of a cafe the size of a walk-in closet. Seating isn't tight, it's non-existent. The owner, Rageh Hefni, mans the counter tirelessly and with good humor deep into the night.
Clean, friendly, laid back and inexpensive, this is Taffy's favorite Northside Mexican joint. The deck at La Piedad seats as many, if not more, than the enclosed dining area does, and the top-notch Mexican cuisine plated there means that, during warm months, both stay packed.
A family-friendly pub during the day but the grown-ups play inside when the sun goes down. There's also never a need to clear the air inside smoke-free Binkley's.
Mama Carolla's inhabits a 1920s vintage home on 54th St. where it crosses the Monon Trail. Upstairs bedrooms are now intimate dining rooms, and seating areas spill into the walled gardens and side patio.
Family-owned and family-friendly fine dining about two blocks from the Track that has a very fine atmosphere complete with a soothing brick wall along one side the dining area.
The contrasting colors and materials give the interior a contemporary feel that stops short of being avant-garde. There is little to distract you from feasting on fishies.
Take a casual, kid-friendly trip south of the border. This Mexican joint is hoppin' during lunchtime, when Downtown professionals dip in for salsa, chips and the usual Mexican fare.
Lined in rich hardwood throughout, the smoke-free rooms of Indy's first brewpub fill up quickly during the winter months. Patrons can peek through picture windows to see the gleaming vats where little beers are born. In the dog days of summer, the patio stays packed with patrons pounding pints and puffing on heaters.
Patachou serves standard breakfast fare with healthful gourmet flair. Critics have lauded the cafes omelettes, granola and smoked salmon. Breakfast and Sunday Brunch with the family are always bustling, but the superior waitstaff smooths over any wrinkles in the dining experience.
Forget you're in Indy at a well-worn juke joint doesn't need to dress itself up to impress. Enjoy spirits, NOLA-style vittles and live music inside or on the double-decker wrap-around porch. Have a good time but please don't throw any beads off the balcony.
Elect to eat lunch at this spiffy Irish pub. All politics are locally, but they are especially so when your clientle draws heavily on the Statehouse and Government Center across the street. The walls are covered in political memorabilia, lest we forget the glories and infamies of our past.
Servers in simple black and white patrol beneath vintage chandeliers, helping The Library retain the classic, upscale feel of the French restaurant it once was.
There are several places to get pizza by the slice downtown, but you can only get a slice of Quattro formaggio from these jokers. Slammed at lunch, busy at dinner, Bazbeaux has been an anchor during Mass. Ave.'s resurgence.
Named for a Hoagy Carmichael tune, you can bask in the present while learning about the past at this cafe inside the Indiana Historical Society.
It's not the fanciest joint in the city, but the Chatterbox Jazz Club does what it knows best: "talk, drinks, jazz." Down the street from the Murat, the Chatterbox is a favorite after-theater destination, and it plays host to some great local (and not-so-local) jazz musicians. Live music is featured every night, and special non-smoking early shows are held on weekend nights.
Upscale family dining and bar in the venerated former home of the 19th century Dodd's Townhouse overlooking Alice Carter Park.
Light yellow walls harmonize with exposed brick and a dark wooden bar, recessed lights in the ceiling augment wall-mounted torch-like lamps, and the patio is enclosed with brick walls and iron fencing bringing a local flavor to Zionsville!
The Rooftop Garden shares a menu and kitchen with Shelby St. Cafe & Bistro. Take in Taffy's favorite view of the Indy skyline while you take in frou-frou eats. Patio-style dining open from Memorial to Labor Day.
The historic Indiana Oxygen Co. building lives on as Jeff Dunaway's fine dining depot. The beautiful art deco building and rooftop view of Downtown helped the restaurant quickly become a destination for local foodies, but the steaks, seafood, 14,000 bottle wine cellar and creative gourmet desserts didn't hurt Dunaway's cause.
Sit atop stamped concrete or anchor yourself to the expansive deck for dockside fine dining. Action on the water, an open-air kitchen and two bars keep your senses swirling.
Traders Point offers private tours, guided tours and self-guided tours to showcase for Hoosiers this quaint rural nook-and-cranny of Indy's northwest corner, but TP's is more than a farm. This is a farmer's market, restaurant and dairy bar, outdoor seating area and a great weekend afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of downtown.
After a walk on the Monon Trail, stop in to devour some homemade donuts. They'll make you walk some more.
What other people are saying...
slutmuffin from Downtown - May 27, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Sweet Jesus is right. Now, next question: which one of these places is the cheapest? ~cheapmuffin
Report This CommentKeiannaRae from downtown - May 22, 2009 at 12:11 PM
I can't wait for this time of year to eat outside. Amy, check out Creation Cafe in the old Buggs Temple and SideStreet Deli on 16th Street. Both pl...
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