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Dawsons On Main

4.0 (390 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Dawsons On Main Photos

Business Info

DAWSONS ON MAIN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Dawsons On Main

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Reviews With Photos

House salad
Kyle A.

It was kind of weird to me. I arrived they asked if I wanted to sit at bar, I've been working would prefer not. They said sit wherever you want. There was a small table open so I took it as on my own and it was fourth of four tables against wall and other 3 were occupied. Then guy that works there with bushy hair came up and said would you like to sit at bar. I told him no. Then he said we don't like to sit people against wall why don't you go to a booth. I'm by myself and booths sit 6 so I wasn't planning on that. Just weird. Then waiter said what dressing on salad. I said Italian. He said don't order the Italian you might like these better. I wouldn't have noticed as much but first guy was weird wanting to decide where I seat when his test said sit wherever you want. Food was good.

Chicken Alfredo
Karen C.

Love the location right on speedway main road. Friendly waitress and good food. Will definitely have to come back when the weather is nicer for that outdoor patio seating.

Side salad
Marley W.

Delightful! Sat outside. Split a Rueben & salad with my DH. Fresh and crisp salad. Reuben very good. Too bad we were not more hungry. Everything that went to other diners looked wonderful. We will have to return here next month when we are in the area! Friendly wait staff and speedy service!

Breaded pork tenderloin
Chad C.

I stopped for lunch after a long drive from Detroit to Indianapolis (only 300 miles) next to this fine establishment near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and home of the Indy 500 on Main Street in Speedway, IN. I showed up without a reservation and was greeted upon arrival and seated at one of the tables in the dining room. My server, Kelsi D. , was very friendly, prompt, and kind. I ordered my Indianapolis "go to" pork tenderloin sandwich which is a portion appropriate for someone who has a 500 mile drive ahead and was absolutely delicious yet once again! The sandwich comes with lettuce, pickle chips, and a sauce on the side that was very tasty (maybe horseradish/thousand island dressing?), and a side of French fries. Several of the staff wore t-shirts with saying, "a drinking town with a racing problem". Always a fun stop and seasonally has patio and outdoor seating available. Make sure you're hungry and you will not be disappointed with the staple described above.

William S.

Everything here was executed at a top level, the food, the service, the overall vibes. This was a pork tenderloin sandwich I was told by many people to get, it absolutely did not disappoint. Just a fun and delicious experience.

Chew
Richard A.

Ordered angus cheese burger with provolone cheese, lettuce , tomato and pickles. It was cooked to perfection. Very delicious

Double Cheeseburger without the bun
Jonel Y.

What a nice location to dine in after a long ride at B&O. On a good weather, they have outdoor seating and there is a bike parking across the street. Service was attentive. Ours was lunch menu. Started with calamari streak. It's not the same as actual calamari and the batter was just ok. Main courses were ribeye steak with side of rice and double cheeseburger without the bun (subbed with lettuce) with side of fries. The rib eye was not bad, decent flavoring and love the crispy edge. The burger meat was also decent. Fries didn't have much flavor. Overall, the ambience and service make up for just an ok food, and it was filling. Dinner menu might be better. If you're used to flavorful food, you might get disappointed.

Hand Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich with fries
Dustin G.

Dropped on for lunch with a family member from out of town who wanted a tenderloin. We both got the breaded tenderloin sandwich with fries. Thought it was very good. Service was very attentive and good was ready quickly. Parking in the lot beside the building was easy enough. Price to value ratio was good. Would recommend.

House Soup
Carolyn W.

Dawsons is a retro diner on Main in Speedway just minutes from the track. The vibe is 70s with big comfy booths and swishy glass lighting. The music over head is pop from this under appreciated era. We were greeted and seated for a late lunch on a rainy day of sight seeing. Pleasant staff and clean tables and seats. So far so good. As for the food. Calamari: big thick, juicy and tender breaded "steak fries". Perfectly cooked and the remoulade was just spicy enough. I got the crab cakes for my main with a bowl of the house soup. The crab cakes are delicious and rich. The house soup is a cross between mushroom and French onion soups complete with melted cheese. A winter warmer! My husband had the tenderloin with jalapeño potato cakes. The cakes were great (he wasn't a big fan). The sandwich looked excellent and was well dressed. The kids had burgers and the meatloaf sandwich. Both looked great and were more than they could finish, which was fine. Cold beer all around. Dawsons is a delicious winner all the way around!

Julie M.

This was the best grilled cheese I have ever had. Crisp buttery sour dough with a crunch and ooey cheese inside with bold flavor. The chili was excellent as well. Fast lunch on a busy Friday. The waitress was super helpful, I forgot my wallet and she let me know they had Apple Pay so I didn't have to drive back to office. Excellent experience all the way around!

California BLT
Ellen F.

I came here with my mom and boyfriend on the most beautiful afternoon to enjoy their patio. I am remiss that the weather is only good for patios here for a few months, but it looks like they have weather flaps to extend the season a bit. The staff are friendly and the service moves at an average pace for a nice afternoon lunch rush. We ordered... California BLT Blackjack chicken sandwich Grilled chicken club sandwich All of the sandwiches seem similar in nature here where we all had bacon, and the first two had avocado (or, at least the BLT did). Everything came out wonderfully and the fries are fantastic with the chipotle aioli. I really appreciate places like these and I look forward to my next visit!

Apple Harvest Salad
Christopher F.

Popped in for a quick dinner. The server was quick to check in as he was busy. Came back soon and got a drink order. We tried the bang bang shrimp. Delicious. That's a big portion too. I also had the chicken sriracha sandwich. Very good. Took half home for lunch the next day. The dining room decor could use some updates but unnecessary of service and food is that solid.

Chicken velvet soup with chicken salad croissant

Fun place with a racing atmosphere. Chicken velvet soup was amazing! Croissant was huge and plenty to share. Potato soup tasted more like a stew with carrots and celery.

Atlantic Salmon, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

My husband loves the tenderloin! I love salads and about everything is wonderful and generous servings!

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

The food is very good, a little on the pricey side but it's well worth the money! I would go back anytime.

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6 years ago

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2 years ago

Avoid the Beef Stroganoff. Wife loved the scallops and the Ribeye my nephew had was amazing. They should take it off the menu.

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Ask the Community - Dawsons On Main

Can you hear each other talk or is it super loud? Looking for a place to meet friends that we haven't seen in awhile. Thanks!

While there are times with "loud-ish" groups, the set up makes it easy to have conversations

Do they still do half off martinis on Thursdays?

Yes, Thursdays are half price martinis!

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Foyt Wine Vault - pinot and charcuterie

Foyt Wine Vault

4.4(63 reviews)
0.2 mi
$$

A friend and I made a reservation for a "fast six tasting". They had already set up a spot at the…read morebar and had iced waters waiting, which was a nice touch. We didn't really know what to expect, but you essentially choose sixes wines each from their list. Unfortunately, they were out of 2/3rds of red wines. They had 12 wines left, so each of us took six, deciding we would share and try everything they had to offer. We noticed that any of the sweet offerings were from Oliver winery, and they confirmed they don't have sweet wines at Foyt. After trying them all slowly with a charcuterie board and conversation, over a period of 90 minutes, there were only 2 wines that I liked, and only 1 of them that I would ever order a glass of. This experience was fine, and the place is nice, but considering it is a tasting, I expected to learn about the wines. No information was shared with us when we made our selections. Lastly, we noticed there were two other groups at the bar, each of them with a different tasting set ups. They had large glasses in a row with all their options in front of them, but we were given a mini glass that was refilled when we made new decisions. I'm not sure what the difference was.

Other sites say a must do when visiting the area. I'm sure it's nice but it is not open to the…read morepublic.. EVER. We went in while visiting Indy and we were rudely told this is a country club environment only for members. We were not welcome. No apology just told we were not allowed to stay. Not even allowed to look at memorabilia. The open sign was lit up in entrance & unless we missed it did not see a sign on door stating members only. Guess not many members as place was completely empty except person working.

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Foyt Wine Vault - Foyt Wine Vault in May 2024

Foyt Wine Vault in May 2024

Foyt Wine Vault - Small size charcuterie for 1-3

Small size charcuterie for 1-3

Foyt Wine Vault

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Astrea Rooftop

Astrea Rooftop

4.2(53 reviews)
4.5 miMile Square
Luxury
Rooftop seating

One of the things I miss about California is rooftop bars with a view!! Astrea makes me feel right…read moreat home. I went back there to enjoy the sunset on the outdoor patio. I love the fire pits and spacious seating and wraparound layout. The interior is chic and glam. We enjoyed chatting with the super fun and friendly bartenders Jacob, Liz and Hannah. Jacob was kind enough to make me a custom cocktail. I described something similar to a lemon drop but with passionfruit too. It was yummy! They also make a mean espresso martini! We will be back soon to enjoy patio weather and try their brunch.

The ambiance here is EVERYTHING. If you snag a spot on the rooftop patio the vibes are perfect for…read morea date night or girls night. My friend and I each got a few cocktails and split the "girl dinner" on the menu. White Linen - gin, elderflower, lemon, sugar, club soda, cucumber -- 2/5 * I understand cucumber is involved but the drink was VERY pickle-tasting which was overpowering Hugo Spritz - elderflower liqueur, sparkling wine, club soda, lime, mint -- 4/5 * the first few sips we thought it was just plain wine, then we mixed it all up and then it started to taste better! Caipirinha - cachaca, lime, sugar -- 3/5 * sort of a standard Brazilian cocktail you would get but we didn't love it Espresso martini - vanilla infused vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, cinnamon infused aromatic bitters -- 4/5 * definitely our favorite of the night but not as frothy as I hoped Girl Dinner - large Caesar salad and truffle fries -- 4/5 *just personal preference but I don't care for pickled onions in a salad but overall the salad/dressing was solid / the truffle fries and sauce were perfect! Overall - we would come back but try different drinks. There was a great music playlist going of older hip-hop/rap hits. And the views/ambiance were amazing!

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Astrea Rooftop
Astrea Rooftop
Astrea Rooftop

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Bocca

Bocca

4.6(253 reviews)
4.7 miHerron Morton Place
$$$

Oh my gosh... I have no words for how good this place is. BEST PASTA IN INDY! Me and my friends…read moreshared the baked goat cheese appetizer which was divine (i don't even really like goat cheese and it was so good). The bread was also insanely soft! We asked for more bread and they gave it free of charge. I ordered the Della Casa and it was the best plate of pasta I've ever eaten. The flavors melted together in a creamy tomato sauce with the perfect amount of spice. It was genuinely the best sauce for a seafood pasta and the shrimp and noodles were both cooked properly and to perfection. Nothing was overcooked. Every bite was like heaven. I tried my friend's pastas as well and the Tortellacci was suprisingly so tasty. The amount of lemon they add in the sauce pairs so nicely with the cheeses they used. I say "surprisingly so tasty" because to the naked eye it doesn't look that special but when you take a bite your eyes get big because it's so good lol. The chicken was also insanely tender!!! I do wish the service was a little better. I feel like our waiter forgot about us and we barely got checked on during our time there, but the food made up for it. Seriously this is the best italian food I've ever eaten and I never rave about pasta. I think about the Della Casa often. I can't wait to go back!

I was looking forward to a nice Italian meal especially with all the glowing reviews for this…read moreBocca. I'm glad that I made a reservation because this place gets busy. The service was friendly and was knowledgeable especially with their drinks. We came during happy hour and the options for a spritz were a lot for this newbie, but our waitress was kind and informative. We started with a half order of summer caprese, which was stock full of strawberries and watermelon. The nuts were old, and there wasn't much of a lemon vinaigrette and balsamic drizzle leaving the salad kind of tasteless. There were three kinds of oysters available and they were exactly as described. They tasted fresh and presented well. Unfortunately the mussels we ordered were the opposite of the oysters. It had an unpleasant odor, the mussels were rubbery, and there was not much flavor in the chili broth with butter and beer. It appears these were overcooked. As for the Bolognese, the fettuccine was cooked perfectly, however the sauce was lacking depth and attributes of a slow-cooked, simmered sauce made with wine, mirepoix, and some quality tomatoes. While the staff here are attentive and friendly, the food left a lot to be desired. The drinks were a highlight, and the bread a good start, but the entree's need more attention.

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Bocca - Bar seating

Bar seating

Bocca - HH oysters & Italian 75

HH oysters & Italian 75

Bocca - Oysters

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Oysters

Tinker Street - Fantastic first course

Tinker Street

4.5(1k reviews)
4.8 miOld Northside, Herron Morton Place
$$$

Anniversary dinner @tinkerstreetindy tonight! I've been wanting to go here forever and we finally…read moremade it happen! Started with the cauliflower steak- curry with saffron rice with potatoes and a pomegranate molasses along with the brightness of cilantro and mint. This is listed as a large plate, but we chose it as our starter. Hubs had the pork belly and by how quickly it disappeared, he definitely enjoyed it! I was torn on what to choose, but ended up with the shrimp étouffée and so glad I did! The sauce was divine and the apple chutney added a surprisingly wonderful addition. Dessert? Of course! Banana pudding for the hubs and I had the apple cider whoopie pie. This thing was giant! I tasted the banana pudding and it was good. I might have stolen some whip cream to taste with the whoopie pie and honestly- five five stars.

Friendly staff. Great ambiance and low key, approachable decor. Unassuming. Low volume music sets…read morethe right mood without it being distracting. It's a very small kitchen where all the action happens, which is very impressive for a restaurant their size. Very knowledgeable staff and servers described all the ingredients and notes of flavor to look for in the dishes very well. Most ingredients were locally sourced and staff highlighted the importance of souring fresh local ingredients with every dish. Everyone form the hostess to the bartender and bus boy were friendly and welcoming. definitely 5* for service. The menu is a mix of several cuisines from Korean to Italian and even some French with a twist. The menu has great vegetarian options. Unfortunately the chef's tasting menu wasn't available as my reservation was made same day, but I decided to go with the two specials of the day. Dinner kicked off with a shot of Champaign on the house They like welcoming their guests that way. Water kept being refilled immediately. The staff again was very attentive. As an appetizer I went with the Scallops crudo with house made berry vinegar. The crudo was a healthy serving of scallops. Crispy raw carrots and radish provide some texture, while greens including endive provided some bitterness. This dish was a bit heavy on pepper and bitterness from the endives and could use some acidity to balance it out. Scallops were not as sweet as I was expecting. A bit more of the homemade raspberry vinagrette would have been perfect. The dark blue ring caused by the marination process would have shown more on a different color serving plate instead of a black bowl. For the main course I ordered the Beet linguini with sea bass. Interesting take on linguini Pickled rhubarb, rainbow radishes, fresh dill and a 'beet marinara' sauce reminded me of borscht. Unfortunately the linguini was overcooked and soaked up a lot of the butter and sauce. The pickled rhubarb provided a break from the heaviness of the dish but overall the dish lacked brightness. Sea bass was perfectly cooked. Seared and crusted with salt and pepper on one side, simple. Well executed but nothing special. For dessert I went with the Strawberry dacquoise which was delicious. The white chocolate bark with pink peppercorn stole the show. It should be layered inside the dessert! I wanted more of it. This dessert was not overly sweet. it was a great mix of pistachios and strawberry and fluffy cake. Gelee was a bit too dense but otherwise fantastic end to a good meal.

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Tinker Street - Weird but I loved these flowers in the bathroom!

Weird but I loved these flowers in the bathroom!

Tinker Street - Mushroom Stroganoff ‍

Mushroom Stroganoff ‍

Tinker Street - Fried Korean mushrooms

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Fried Korean mushrooms

Kaukau Hawaiian BBQ - BBQ chicken,  rice,  macaroni salad,  and under the chicken are broccoli and cabbage

Kaukau Hawaiian BBQ

4.7(43 reviews)
1.5 mi
$$

I heard there was a Hawaiian BBQ restaurant in Speedway. I finally had a moment, and was in the…read morearea. I ordered the same plate I used to get when living in Cali, and visiting Hawaii. To be honest I wasn't very hopeful. I went in dinner hours. Small with a few tables. They had a few door dash orders to go. My order was ready very quick. I saw there was 2 containers for sauce. One was the Katsu and the other Teriyaki. I got one of each to go. Got home, opened it up, smelled amazing, looked amazing. I had taken a bite of the macaroni salad, the chicken with the katsu sauce and rice together. Under the chicken was fresh broccoli and cabbage. It was absolutely delicious. Fresh, hot, the rice and chicken was perfect and moist. For $13.07 total I will definitely be back. I got 2 meals out of this plate.

Hawaiian eatery that is not poke, but BBQ, was exactly what was missing in Indy! and it is a great…read moreaddition to this strip mall in Speedway. I have ordered delivery from here and ate inside once. I like their BBQ chicken and katsu. They are both good and reasonably priced in my opinion. The seating inside is limited, and not exactly a "cozy" space. When I got there, there was a self-order screen which was easy to use. I had a little cash on me and saw a tip jar on the counter, so when I paid for my order with my credit card, I hit the Skip button for the tips. However, the receipt showed that they still charged 15% tip on my card. This had never happened to me before at any business. I do not know what kind of error it was, but I perceived it as deceitful and sneaky. However, when I brought it to the staff's attention, he corrected the amount right away which I appreciated. I also saw someone else's review mentioning the same thing. I hope they will fix the issue. That said, I still like their food and I thank them for bringing more variety to the area.

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Kaukau Hawaiian BBQ
Kaukau Hawaiian BBQ - Spam musubi

Spam musubi

Kaukau Hawaiian BBQ

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Dawsons On Main - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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