Decided to check out a different dish from courses, I got a cheese burger medium rare with everything, it was savory and delicious! Be sure to check the website for their hours they can vary since they are student run! Prices are great! read more

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I finally got to try the courses restaurant. It's ran by the culinary students. The views from the penthouse are incredible. I can't imagine them at night. We were quickly seated when we arrived, and our nice waiter came right over. My only issue is there isn't always a lot of variety or the ability to switch out a side for another side they have. My appetizer sandwich was huge. I really enjoyed the flavors and the bread was amazing. The calamari app was super super salty. My steak was great. I didn't prefer the black beans, but the grilled veggies were great. The dessert had one option and it was incredible. This again is all made by students! Can't wait to come back. Make sure to bring a coat or sweater as it can be chilly up there. read more

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I had no idea this was here! I was invited to a get-together through work and was pleasantly surprised. It is a full service cafe run by Ivy Tech culinary students. There was a huge variety of options from breakfast to lunch items. I chose the lasagna, and the "slice" was the size of a dinner plate. So. Much. Lasagna. It was cheesy, hot, and delicious. I also had a turtle brownie. It was super rich and chocolaty. The prices are incredible for the portion sizes. There were a few tables scattered around the cafe. There were lots of students on computers, it's definitely probably more geared towards students. There is free parking in the lot outside and the cafe is just right inside the door. read more

Both Courses Restaurant and Courses Bakery-Cafe are student operated at the Ivy Tech Culinary and Conference Center. My friend and I have attended all of the weekly lunches for the winter semester. We truly enjoyed each one of the International Menu lunches and the food was fabulous with beautiful presentations. Lunches were only $15 and each week the menu was based around a different country. Our managers, host/hostess, servers and bartenders were friendly, very personable and professional. Some servers were more knowledgeable concerning the menu and wine lists than others but they did find the answers to all of our questions. We enjoyed watching the students switch positions each week and see them grow into the roles. The restaurant is located on Meridian Street and 28th Street in the old Stouffer's Hotel where Elvis stayed. Courses Restaurant is located on the Penthouse floor with several elevators allowing two people at a time due to social distancing. Free parking is located directly in front of the building with handicap parking on the top level next to the building. Courses Bakery-Cafe, on the main floor, is still closed due to Covid. Once it opens they'll serve breakfast and lunch items, coffees, pizza, sandwiches and lots of delicious pastries items. Last night we attended the Tour De France Wine Dinner which was wonderful. It started at 5:30pm allowing us to enjoy the beautiful skyline view then going into sunset. The dining room was gorgeous with white table cloths, flowers and the lovely table settings. The 5 course meal was paired with different wines starting with Champagne Cocktails then 2017 Pinot Noir and finishing with a glass of Champagne. The menu was filled with different flavors and textures from Chevre Mousse and Baby Beets, Pea Sprout & Arugula served with a lemon-creme franchise vinaigrette, an amazing Salmon Filet served with a delicious rhubarb sauce and Roast of Lamb with potato. Dessert never disappoints finishing with a beautiful and heavenly Mille-feuille with berries, mascarpone, and honey. The evening was relaxing with delicious food, delightful company and great service. It was nice to see so many enjoying dinner while practicing social distancing and masks are required for staff and guests while up and about. If you get the opportunity to visit for lunch, served on Thursday's, or one of their special dinners, try to go. You can reserve a table on Trip Advisor, Open Table or online at Ivy Tech. Great spot for a special occasion, business lunch or catch up with a friend. read more

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It may be a little hard to figure out, unless you know where you are going, but once you enter the lobby, just head straight for the elevators and head up to the PH, penthouse that is. Once you arrive on the uppermost floor, it gets a little confusing as to where you check in for your reservations, we somehow ended up in the bar crashing a staff party. Oh well, someone came and ushered us out of there and guided us to our table. We lucked into the "French" night. Apparently they have a different menu each time, featuring other countries. A three course meal for a fixed price. And to our delight, they offered a cocktail flight to go with the menu. We paid $15 for the meal and another $15 for the cocktail flight of three full sized cocktails. A bargain by any means. Of course you need to keep in mind that this is a school. The students are not polished experienced food industry workers, so some are a bit awkward, shy, tongue tied, unable to make suggestions... but they all try really hard. My personal meal started out with a nicely done flatbread featuring bacon and caramelized onions. Very delicious. It came with a Manhattan cocktail... boy was that strong. Others at my table enjoyed salad, which was deemed very good. One lady had the pumpkin soup which turned out to be sweet, even so she had been told it would be savory. The devil's in the details. For the entree, I chose Beef Burgundy with Spaetzle. It was good. A bit mushy and the Spaetzle more like little droplets, not actual Spaetzle. The crepes with shrimp and lobster looked delish and the small taste I had was pretty good. This came along with a Vodka Martini, also very strong, but very tasty. My favorite drink of the night. We didn't get a choice on the dessert, since they were out of all but the Kugelhupf, which was the equivalent of German fruitcake. Not sure what that had to do with French cuisine, but most of us didn't go past licking the icing off it. This came with a side car cocktail... another strong drink. I have to say that the cocktail flight left me slightly intoxicated, so I highly recommend it. Service was good, they all tried really hard. And while the food wasn't spectacular, it was good enough to have me coming back. Give it a try and don't forget to tip well, it's my understanding that the money made goes towards the students tuition and that should always be supported. There is always the awesome view from up above. read more

Courses Bakery - Cafes Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Let me just start off by saying that I can't believe I am the first Yelp review!!! Come on #Yelpindy peeps!! Courses is a student ran restaurant at Ivy Tech Culinary School. They are open for lunch and dinner during reservation only dates throughout the year. There is a preset menu and price. Lunches are $15 and dinner is $25. I've always wanted to visit and decided to finally do it on Valentine's Day of all times. Lots of pressure for that one!!! I will admit I was nervous about the menu. All we knew was the theme of Spanish Tapas. Usually they publish the menu before the event but tonight we went in blind. We couldn't have been happier. The building has a interesting story as having previously been a hotel and the restaurant is on the penthouse floor. It's really cool as they have restored all the wood. The view is pretty awesome of downtown as well. Now these are students. I think you need to keep that in mind. Things may run late and that is okay. Tonight the buffet food came out slow but again, we were in no hurry. So the food... wait, no, let's talk alcohol :) I had the Candy heart martini. It had loopy vodka in it that gave the drink a fruity loops taste. How cool! The food.... they went special tonight since it was Valentine's Day and not only has the Spanish Tapas buffet but had a Brazilian steakhouse passed meat course. Buffet include salad with three homemade dressings. My fave was the herb curd. I could have had a plate of salad and dressing, it was that good. I took a pic of the menu so I won't list out everything. The meat that was my fave was actually the chicken. They had smoked it and then placed on grill. Very good. They even included additional meats that weren't even on the menu. Would we visit again. Definitely. Was food perfect, no BUT, it was a great meal. And these are students. I can't sign off without giving props to the servers! Amazing!!!!! Ours told us about the food, where the meat came from, sauces, etc. He was actually excited. That made the experience so much more enjoyable!!!! And everyone wanted to know how we liked the food. They actually care. Which was refreshing. A must visit for everyone! read more

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Courses is the culinary restaurant for Ivy Tech to prepare the students to run a restaurant. They serve lunch and dinner throughout the semester. The space is also available for private events. I attended dinner on 3/30. If you aren't a big fan of planning your evening out meal wise, this might be for you. They often won't have dinner menus available until a few hours before hand as it depends on what ingredients they have available and what the class wants to prepare. Based on my experience, there were two appetizers available, 4 entrees, and one dessert. You'll get one of each for $25. Drinks are extra. Tips are expected, but go toward the operation expenses of the restaurant and the school. You'll also be interacting with a host, a beverage consultant, and a server. Feel free to ask the beverage server or the regular server about the culinary experience/school, they'll gladly tell you more. The room is the penthouse of the culinary building, which is a former hotel. You will have a great view of the city. Indianapolis was experiencing a thunderstorm throughout the evening when we were there, so it was interesting seeing the city divided between gray and dark gray clouds, and thunder could be heard and lightning could be seen. I would imagine a clear day would give you a great view as well. The tables have table cloths, and (and this is one of my pet peeves) there are no glass covers or plastic coverings protecting them. I love this. They're going to treat you like adults in that they trust you to handle a table cloth. My girlfriend and I ordered the French Onion soup as the appetizer and were pleased. It may have been the stand out of the evening. The soup had actual substance to it, and the cheese on top had been baked onto it, creating a nice layer that settles with the soup. I ordered the duck stew for my entree. The stew itself was fantastic. In fact, I would've loved to have that as an appetizer and maybe ordered the steak as an entree. The duck complimented the stew well. The dessert was underwhelming, but for an excellent appetizer and a great entree, I was in a forgiving mood. Throughout the evening, we were well attended to by the students. Note that at least for dinner, this is supposed to simulate a fine dining establishment, so expect to be here for 1-2 hours. There was a bit of delay in getting our food due to a large group (I think one of the other Yelp reviewers was a member of the party), but the atmosphere is great and they have a decent selection of beer and wine to enjoy while waiting for the food. For fine dining at a fraction of the cost, this is well worth the trip. Reservations aren't absolutely necessary but are recommended. read more

Thanks to Yelp, I had a rare opportunity for a behind-the scenes tour of the new Ivy Tech Culinary School's "Courses" venue, a 13-floor, 196,000 square foot state of the art culinary institute that formerly housed the Stouffer's Hotel and, before that, the Stokley-Van Camp mansion. I hear Elvis stayed at the hotel in 1977 when he performed his final concert at Market Square Arena. The first floor houses a pastry shop that will soon be open for students and morning commuters to stop by for a freshly baked breakfast made by the students of the culinary school (with reserved parking spaces out front for to go orders.) Behind the shop are state of the art classrooms where students gain firsthand knowledge in a kitchen environment on all types of cooking techniques from basics to sushi and even foods involving liquid nitrogen. As the tour wound upstairs towards the Penthouse restaurant, it became very apparent that Ivy Tech can accommodate almost any size meeting in their various conference rooms, each one with an impressive list of technology available for crowds big and small. Our tour ended in the Penthouse, a sit down restaurant on the 13th floor with impressive views of the downtown skyline and even better desserts and finger foods created by the talented student chefs at Ivy Tech. We might have had one or two cocktails throughout the evening, maybe some great wine from Butler and Huber Wineries, but one thing is certain: we all had a great time decked out in our tackiest Christmas attire and I for one will certainly be back to Courses in the very near future. read more

I love courses bakery. I work on the 5th floor of the building so I have quite a relationship with this bakery. I absolutely LOVE the bacon cheddar scones and croissants (TO. DIE. FOR). The bakery is made by students from the front registers to the cooking. Today I ordered the Schnitzel Biscuit which is pork on a biscuit. My ultimate favorite are the chicken and waffles!!! They also serve an 8" individual pizza with healthy options for toppings. The biggest tip I can give is that you need to have time to wait, because this bakery is student led, everything is cooked to order. Missy the manager is great and the students do a wonderful job preparing the food. I am tempted on a daily basis to spend money at the Courses Bakery; it is light on the wallet so I can totally spend to my little hearts content. My meal today costed $3 for the schnitzel biscuit and cheese fries! I think its definitely worth my time and money! The bakery is open to the public and is great for anyone who wants to stop in for lunch between 7:30am-1:30pm. read more

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My wife and I attended the Valentine's Day dinner service here. It is on the top floor of the Ivy Tech building at 28th and Meridian. The dinner service is not an every night thing, so reservations are needed for them. Tonight's theme was Spanish and Brazilian. The Spanish foods were served on a buffet and called "tapas", while the Brazilian food was served in the style of Fogo de Chao and Tucano's. The tapas options were not overwhelming. The patatas bravas were my favorite and the sauce had a perfect amount of heat for my palate. The salad was made to look pretty with color from the yellow tomatoes and cucumber slices around the edge and the red pepper slices stacked in the center of the bowl. Unfortunately, the effect didn't last past the first couple of guests. The sherry vinaigrette was excellent, and made in house. The was gazpacho andaluz served in a shot glass, plus dolmades, various charcuterie meats and cheeses, and an egg and chorizo dish that didn't really fit in with the other items, but tasted pretty good. My only negative on the tapas was that the cod and potato cake dish was extremely salty. The Brazilian steakhouse items were the real stars in my opinion. The chicken thighs and drumsticks were smoked, then finished on the grill with a maple bourbon sauce. Extremely tasty. The item that truly blew me away was the chicken hearts. I'd never tried them before, but the flavor was outstanding. I had three, but I could have gone for more. Of everything else, the least favorite for me was the filet mignon. It had great flavor but they cut it similar to the meat you find on a steak sandwich. The thin cut resulted in an odd texture compared to my usual filt experience. The staff, from kitchen to front of house, is comprised of culinary students and hospitality students at Ivy Tech. The enthusiasm for their restaurant comes through in the delicious food, the thoughtful presentation and the excellent service. Our server was great about getting answers from the kitchen when we asked about the food, and he made great cocktail recommendations. If you have the opportunity to try one of the dinber services at Courses, I'd definitely take it. The price is more than fair and the experience was worth the drive from Greenwood. If you enjoy historic buildings, this will be a real treat. The restaurant space is where the hotel that was here from the mid-60s had their restaurant. The dark wood, stained glass and huge brick fireplace contribute to an ambiance rivaling sone of Indy's finer establishments. read more

I attended a reservation only wine dinner here on a recent Wednesday evening. The entire experience was fantastic! The penthouse restaurant has a spectacular view of downtown Indy from afar. The staff and service were terrific. The food presentation and flavor in addition to the wine pairings were outstanding. For the price, this experience was WELL worth the $34 spent for the evening! Here's what we had: Salad: Spring greens, apple cider cranberries, feta cheese and spiced walnuts Entree: Braised Beef Short Ribs with roasted fingerling potatoes, haricot vert and petite carrots Dessert: Petite Gateau of Almond and Nougat I definitely recommend attending one of these events. Courses also serves lunch on occasion. I can't wait to go back for lunch! read more

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This is the most quality, most affordable breakfast and lunch in the area, hands DOWN! Student ran... plenty of seating. Delicious desserts and pastries of all kinds and a homemade garden to back the ingredient up! All around a wonderful experience and would advise anyone to come in to study, eat or meet. read more

I had this review all written ahead of time. The location, the legacy -- Stouffers restaurant, where my parents took me for my birthday dinner back in '78, age 14, in my green denim leisure suit. It was one of the 'nice' restaurants in town and had that showy view! And oh to learn the Lilly Endowment would pull this facility back into existence. And Indy would have one of those fun culinary institutes with a restaurant 'lab'. And all within four miles of my house. Well -- I couldn't wait. Then I promptly forgot. THEN I was on Yelp at 3:00 am a couple weeks ago, cruising around and realized this place had come to life. It was Courses! It was downhill from there... The website was three weeks out of date as of 1/1/13. The reservation person listed on the site didn't return my emails. The Ivy Tech hospitality department chair did! Reservations were made, and the magic moment arrived, I dined there with a friend last night. That Lilly money bought a damn sweet interior re-do. That was apparent right off the elevator. We were met by a mumbling albeit friendly host who seated us. Several of the student waiters buzzed about. We were well, if goofily, attended. It was funny to think that this was probably the first restaurant job for these kids. Like, the only place to get restaurant experience is doing practicals at Courses. Makes ya appreciate the working staff at real restaurants all the more. The food was average to terrible. The salads were okay. The escargot completely uninspired. The braised beef short rib on whatever mashed potatoes contained about (literally) 2 oz. of meat and was a joke. The crepes suzette were decent. The whatever french pot of chocolate was some weird, highly rich pound of brown goo. Pardon my french. At the beginning of the meal, I saw someone getting soup and I hadn't seen soup on the menu so I asked our server. She said yes, chef sometimes created dishes that weren't on the menu and proceeded to read them to us. Though she spoke no french so that was sorta odd as she made no attempt to read her notes if it was in french. My dining partner asked if those might be called "specials" in the non-academic dining world. All food was served within 18 minutes of being seated. Waitress didn't know what beers they had other than something by Sun King. Bread (which sucked) was taken away (??) as we were discovering the braised short rib was mostly nothing. Well, you get the idea. Total bill with two beers: $43. Add tip to $50. Highly amusing but not very inspired. And yes, unparallelled views. No one from the teacher/professional side of the venture ever made contact to ask how things went. I had the whole thing lined out -- I was writing the yelp review the entire meal. (Dog ate first, good version) Would I go back? Hell yes. Was it good? Sadly, no. read more

It pains me to rank this place low, but a bad experience is a bad experience. I understand that this restaurant is ran by students, and I was completely prepared for a wait, or things not to be perfect, but lunch took over two hours! Lunch on a weekday; people have places to go! Aside from a huge chunk of my day being eaten up, the food was good, well priced (cheap even - mussels for $6!?) and the venue was gorgeous. What a view of Indianapolis! So, if you're willing to gamble on time, it's worth checking out . Insider tip: Make sure you plan your visit at the end of the semester as that's when students are most polished on working on final projects (fancy meals/desserts). read more

Who knew such a gem existed in the city?! Ivy Tech recently rehabbed an old hotel, creating a sharp, modern, professional culinary school, topped off by "Courses," the student-run restaurant. The restaurant still retains the original woodwork, including intricate archways and beautiful fireplaces. Low lighting and comfortable seating arrangements make for an intimate setting. The room is surrounded by windows, revealing the beautiful Indianapolis skyline below. The food, prepared by the talent of the students, was incredible. While I was only visiting during a special event, I very much look forward to seeing this place in action! read more

This is such a great place! A couple things they got going for them. 1. The food is delicious! I've been here twice now, got the breakfast platter the first time (eggs, bacon, toast, and potatoes) and got a chocolate chip scone and coffee the second time (sooo good, I couldn't put it down). 2. The prices are very reasonable. The breakfast platter was under 4 dollars. Most places charge around $7-$10 for a platter like that. I got a scone and large coffee for $3. It was the best $3 I've ever spent! It's a relatively quite cafe, most likely due to the fact it is so discreet and hidden. This will be my go to spot from now on, as I am a student at Ivy Tech and get hungry after my morning class. Like mentioned in another comment, the food is cooked to order, so the wait time is pretty normal for a sit down restaurant. It is so worth the wait though! A great way to support Ivy Tech too! read more

My husband and I had my retirement party at Courses last night. All 20 of us had a wonderful dinner and a lot of fun It was French night and the Salmon,steak and Cornish hens were enjoyed by all. The staff was helpful I had ordered four bottles of wine per table and they had printed up a copy of those wines as if they were a wine list. Very impressive. The views of the city r amazing from the top floor read more

I was here for a catered event, not a practicum for culinary students. So I won't comment on the food. However, the atmosphere is great. The room is decorated in dark wood paneling and upholstered chairs. The bar is in front with a small lounge area. The dining tables are in the back. The view of downtown Indianapolis is one of the best. read more

We had a Spanish tapas lunch buffet with beverage today. Lovely venue with crisp white linens!, sparkling glasses, low music, prompt and friendly service staff and great food. My favorite was the lemony cauliflower with toasted almonds. Second was the salt cod cakes that were perfectly cooked and light and fluffy inside. They reminded me of being at the sea coast. The ceviche was scallops. There were two paella selections, one with shrimp and a vegetable only one. Lots of other choices. I cleaned my plate. Will be going back. Note they have only a few lunches and dinners each month and the menu varies. Next week is an African inspired buffet. Great value at $12 plus tip. Downstairs is the bakery where I picked up a homemade $1 cookie for dessert later. It too was fantastic. read more

This cafe is run by the culinary and baking students at Ivy Tech Community College. Full service coffee shop featuring Hubbard and Cravens Coffee. Students also prepare breakfast and lunch Monday - Friday during the semester. read more

Amazing!! Ivy Tech culinary students have a bakery on first floor and wonderful restaurant on penthouse level!! Menu changed frequently. What an awesome location, view, menu & service. So glad we just discovered this treasure!! read more

The BEST croissants and scones in Indy! If you are looking for a great cup of coffee, wonderful scones and danish, and the friendliest service in the area, then please stop by the Courses Cafe. They are on the main floor of the Ivy Tech culinary building. It's a lovely little casual cafe, with tables, TV, well-lit area....ready for enjoying that morning coffee or come back for a great lunch. Either way, the service is fast, friendly, and the cafe is run entirely by the culinary students. The food is excellent and made fresh that morning. What a great way to start the day. read more

I am a graduate from ivy tech, but I must say I never had a SINGLE good experience with staff... Talk about them being rude and unconvinced

A little slow, but good food! Try the breakfast burritos.

Excellent food and service. Great dining experience

What an excellent opportunity to be a part of IvyTech Hospitality program. Hi, my name is Lorian and I am in the process of completing my Event Management and Business Management degree. I can't put in to a few words how great the Customer Service class is this summer. This course teaches the practical knowledge and skills of restaurant operations. I must agree with Anne M, excellent food and service with a "GREAT" dining experience. read more

I am Peter Searfoss, a student at Ivytech and I am currently taking a customer service class, and i must work as a waiter in this restaurant. Last week I was a middle server who had to refill water and bring bread to the guests. There were only three guests, so it was easy to keep up. read more