Red Room Indy

was so excited to finally visit Thieves in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis, and it absolutely lived up…read moreto the hype. From the moment I walked in, I was obsessed with the atmosphere and all the thoughtful details that make the space feel so unique. I love that it effortlessly transforms from a cozy coffee shop by day into a cocktail bar at night--the vibes are immaculate no matter when you visit. The staff was exceptional and so helpful in walking me through the menu. One of my favorite things to do is ask the baristas what they recommend, and they definitely didn't disappoint. I went with a blueberry vanilla iced latte, and it was the perfect way to kick off my Friday.

Great drinks. Cool ambiance. Hot- turn on the A/C…read more I really enjoyed Thieves. It has a unique atmosphere with a mix of people doing their own thing. Some were quietly relaxing while others were catching up over drinks. The coffeehouse-meets-cocktail-bar aesthetic is well executed and gives the space a distinct personality. I ordered the nonalcoholic Basil Needs a Break, and it was excellent. If you like basil, this drink definitely delivers. It was bright, refreshing, and very basil-forward. The service was friendly and welcoming. My only complaint was the temperature inside. It was nearly 100 degrees outside, but the bar felt warm with very little air circulation. It was almost refreshing to step back into the muggy heat after leaving, which probably isn't the feeling you're hoping to give your guests. I'd definitely come back for the drinks and atmosphere, but I'd hope for a cooler temp next time.

Aperol spritz

Bathroom

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Inside

Alley Cat Lounge

4.2(145 reviews)

It has been a minute (cough*25 years*cough) since I've been to what locals call a "dive bar." Alley…read moreCat Lounge is considered by many to be that, and I won't disagree...but let me tell you it is not the dingy, drab bar that I had pictured. It was fresh, clean, cozy, and had excellent service. Although I didn't get any food, I did get a couple of cocktails and they were not only delicious, but were also SO cheap compared to bougie bars that I've frequented. Don't tell anyone else how good the Alley Cat Lounge is, though, so I can still have a seat. ;)

They have some the best burgers in the city for a dive bar. With an exquisite burbon selection on a…read moreregular so always excited to see my people. Service is great definitely recommend.

Specials

Cat burger

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The Northside Social

4.2(352 reviews)

0.3 mi•Broad Ripple

I'd heard interesting things about this place, so I decided to finally come with my mom and try it…read morefor dinner on a recent Sunday evening. We were greeted warmly upon arrival and taken to the patio, as requested. I can't remember our server's name, but she was nice! However, towards the end of our visit something turned and seemed off, though we weren't sure what was going on. I opted for the margherita pizza, which they add pesto to, making it a bit different. I didn't love the taste, and actually ending up removing the tomatoes when I ate the leftovers the next day, which made a significant difference. My mom ordered the fried chicken plate, which comes with two sides and she enjoyed it. Reservations recommended!

Came in recently and have to say food was sub par this time. Got the filet and the steak had no…read moreflavor. I'm not even sure they seasoned it at all. I don't need much, usually I just put salt on before cooking steak. Also asked for medium rare and it came out medium. Not sure if the steak knife I got was dull or because the steak was over cooked but it was hard to cut. Also the sweet potatoes were under cooked. Majority were still hard. Overall disappointed and won't be ordering this again. The only star/positive was bartender and the lovely dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. Service was good per usual sitting at the bar.

Bar area seating

Stout Braised Brisket

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Outside

Brick House Dueling Piano Bar

4.0(75 reviews)

I've been going here since it opened over 10 years ago and I absolutely love this place! And euchre…read morenights on Wednesdays are soooo much fun!

Brick House hosts CCA Euchre league's on Wednesdays. My cousin and I play on the league. We enjoy…read morethe atmosphere. The staff is friendly and quick to take your order. They are attentive to ensure you are never thirsty. They have daily drink specials and variety of brew option. We enjoy their patio in the summer time. Bathrooms are always clean here. Parking is limited. Street parking is available for a fee or you can pay for parking in the old Kroger parking lot across the street. Broad Ripple definitely needs more parking options.

Euchre Night foe CCA

Tap Blue Moon and Angry Orchard Cider

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Euchre Night

The Alley Cat Lounge Front Room

4.4(29 reviews)

Stopped in on a Thursday night for the steak special. The deal is 10% off on the three choices for…read moresteak. Pricing was already reasonable and so the 10% was a small kicker. I had the 12oz ribeye which was on the thin side but overall was a good steak. I expected a grizzly steak with a good amount of fat but it was on the leaner side for a ribeye and the whole steak was edible. My sides were fries(crinkle cut) and salad (a blen of iceberg and green leaf along with other veggies and cheese). Served with Texas toast. Overall a good value meal! Worth stopping for. The atmosphere was ok. A little stale and preppie. I believe they have another bar area which is divided by a wall, I cannot comment on that if so. Where I sat was more of a diner atmosphere with alcohol. Service was good

Most of us Broad Ripple Neighborhood OG's remember the Alley Cat back in the day, hidden away in…read morethe alley around the corner from OPT's. It was dark, definitely a late night bar, and was normally the place to grab your last beer of the night before heading home! Now, it is near the Post Office on Carrollton and has been rechristened as a real restaurant and bar with really good food and all kinds of trouble in good whiskeys, Bourbons, Scotches and Irish whiskys! I was there for St. Patty's day and the drinks were cold the corn beef & cabbage authentic and filling, and the camaraderie as cheerful and rambunctious as you would expect! I highly recommend!

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Trinidad sour

Lit Cigar Lounge

3.4(15 reviews)

Disrespectful. Embarrassing. Completely Unacceptable…read more I rarely write negative reviews because I am used to having positive experiences, but our experience at Lit Cigar Lounge on the evening of May 1st was so disappointing that it needs to be shared. Our group of 17+ was there celebrating a surprise birthday, a gathering of educated, professional, family-oriented individuals who simply wanted to enjoy a night out. Throughout the evening, our server was subpar. She was dismissive, made snide remarks, and appeared uninterested in providing even basic hospitality. Despite this, her disposition, we still pressed on and still had a great time, and tipped her subpar service. That's the kind of people we are. Approximately 11:15, three police officers entered the establishment. Many in our group casually joked among ourselves that they must be there to serve a warrant on someone, albeit never imagining they would be there to remove us. Things escalated in a way that was both shocking and embarrassing. Shortly after, we were told we needed to leave. No prior warning. No conversation. No explanation from the staff. Others and I inquired of the manager, why? The manager resisted giving any adequate response other than to "leave now". No one could give us a clear answer. When pressed, I was told by the manager, "We don't want your business." It appeared the issue may have stemmed from a flyer associated solely with our group, but whatever the concern was, it did not warrant being handled in this manner, especially with a group like ours that was respectful, cooperative, and willing to comply with any request had it simply been communicated. To involve the police in a situation like this when there was no disturbance, no scene, and no attempt to communicate with us first was completely unnecessary and humiliating. Even the officers themselves expressed that they were unsure why we were being asked to leave, and made it clear they were just doing their job. I will say, the officers were respectful and professional, and we appreciated their sensitivity in an uncomfortable situation. What made it even worse was being escorted out in front of other patrons. It was embarrassing and completely unwarranted, especially considering that no issue was ever brought to our attention. The most unfortunate part is that this experience does not reflect what we believe about the upstanding reputation and business standards of the owner, who operates multiple establishments that many in our group have supported over the years. The handling of this situation by the manager was unprofessional, excessive, and disrespectful. What should have been a totally joyful celebration turned into an uncomfortable and degrading experience. I will never forget those words about not wanting our business, and he will not have to worry, because I will not be returning as long as he is the manager, and neither will the people I came with.

Oh my! Really enjoyed this spot. The Bartender )Amora) was very attentive in making the proper…read moredrinks for the patrons. Although I didn't eat, but I heard the food is very good. I really want to try to catfish and quesadillas that I heard are very good. They have a small humid door with limited selection of cigar (decent selection) I brought my own so I was good.

Interior Signage

Tropical Punchtini

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Bar

Shadow Lounge & Restaurant

4.1(66 reviews)

1.7 mi•SoBro

On this visit to Shadow Lounge, I had the new Pasta New Orleans. The pasta was savory, flavorful…read moreand full of protein! In addition to the catfish, shrimp and real (not imitation) crab that were in the pasta, I decided to add in andouille sausage. This took my pasta to the next level and I look forward to getting it again! The service tonight was awesome. Our waitress took care of us - a party of at least 10. It was $2 Tuesdays so there were plenty of patrons looking to take advantage of an awesome deal for small bites and drinks! The ambiance varies by the day and whether you're going in the day time or evening. Just know that no matter which, it's a great environment for food, celebrating a birthday, a night out with your people or even some karaoke. Highly recommend for vibes and food!

Saturday night was busy here, and parking can get extremely tight. Someone was leaving as we pulled…read morein so we got lucky and got a parking spot right by the door. This was super convenient because they wouldn't sit us until the whole party was there. They gave us a buzzer, but not really sure if it was really activated or what. I think we could have tried to wait inside, but it was busy and crowded so my truck was a better option since it was too cold to wait outside. When the whole party was there, we finally got a both table in the back which was like the covered patio area but they had warmer flames so it was nice and heated. These were adjustable, and some in our party took advantage of that as it got too hot. We ordered hooka and the lady brought it to the table and she didn't even start it. Hooka was $31 and you get to choose a flavor, we had tropical punch and it was good. We got fries to go with our drinks and they were decent. The drink I got was the casamigos lemonade in peach flavor and it was good. I don't feel like the drink was very strong though and it was $14. My husband got the strawberry casamigos lemonade and he said it was good too. They had a DJ in the back and a DJ in the front, they played different music. 2 restrooms are located near the entrance, which can be a hassle when it's busy. We noticed after we got home that they charged our card twice for our order, so I'd make sure to check that out.

Catfish and grits

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Demolished that food.

Turntable

3.4(15 reviews)

0.2 mi•Broad Ripple

The majority of shows I have been to was at The Vogue, but Turntable is also a good sister venue…read more It's meant to be a smaller venue for emerging artists or more intimate shows. During the night of my visit I saw a solo artist with a small band. The sound quality was quite good with very little feedback. I enjoyed sitting at the cabaret style tables toward the back. I also attended the annual bourbon tasting at Turntable. In addition to concerts and shows, they can host some special events as well. The space is not big so don't expect to cramp too many people in there. The Vogue is an iconic venue in Indy but Turntable has its merits also. The vibe is definitely different and I enjoyed seeing a more chill show in there. They have multiple events every week so keep an eye out on their calendar.

Turntable is kind of an ideal size for seeing a show, with a capacity of up to 400 (depending on…read morewhether there is seating) and a pretty good sound setup. But I do want to add a couple caveats to that (and out myself as a cranky old man). We saw a sold-out show here recently and found it to be just too damn crowded for the allotted space, which limited our enjoyment of the music and also made me think it's not terribly safe. We did end up finding an intimate spot by a garbage bin near the back where we could sort of see the stage and chit-chat with the drunkards who were also back there for easy access to the bar. And we were definitely happier there than we would have been near the stage, where everyone had to sacrifice elbow room and the option of a bathroom trip in favor of a better view. We would have been a little happier in the premium seating (which was sold out before I was able to book), but, lesson learned. I'd just rather be at a place where capacity is more limited but the setup is geared toward ensuring the audience has a little more comfort.

Wall in the bar area

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The Egyptian Cafe and Hookah Bar

3.4(196 reviews)

0.2 mi•Broad Ripple

BEST BUTTERCHICKEN !! Best service and Hookahs are phenomenal. The place is built and makes you…read morefeel you are in Egypt.

The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was very inviting from the moment we arrived. I…read moreordered the butter chicken, which was incredible--full of flavor and perfectly prepared. My partner had the lamb kabobs, which were very good, though slightly chewy given the temperature they were cooked to; this was not a fault of the restaurant, just a personal preference. The music selection was old-school hip hop, which added an amazing, cool vibe to the space. After dinner, we were able to sit and work on our laptops without any interruptions, which was a huge plus. Overall, this is a great spot for a chill date night or a dinner-and-work stop for professionals. I'm really looking forward to going back.

Finger food combo. Cauliflower wings. Cocktail.

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Hennessey margarita

Centerpoint Broad Ripple

4.3(7 reviews)

Enticed by a kid and dog friendly location . Pleasantly surprised they had Guggman beer which is my…read morego to , but was interested in trying Centerpoint beer and they didn't have any Good: dog and kid friendly, room for kids to roam, but it's all concrete so at their own risk. Loved the yard games and chalk, a worker (I assume) came out and gave my son a ball and balloon which made his day and kept him busy which was kind. Not so good: first time here and they were out of almost all of the food, and I think only one person working because it took a good 10+ min to see anyone to order my beer. Again first time here so I was confused; was I in the wrong spot, do I go up front to order? Do I need to use the QR code for beer? I ended up asking some people in the area and they said "oh you're in the right spot, I just haven't seen anyone in quite some time." Suggestion would be more signage as to where to order, and maybe even a "will return in X min" sign so you know someone is working somewhere and have a better idea of when they will return to set expectations. If the guy, who I assume worked there, didn't come out and give my son a ball, fill the dogs water bowl up, etc. then I would have been uninterested in returning, but I think I'm going to chalk it up to a holiday and it being hard to find service people. Since they have Guggman beers I may be back if I'm looking for a dog and kid friendly location.

What a perfect chill spot! This place has great drinks and you can order from 317 BBQ next door,…read morethey'll bring it out to you. The beers are great, they have a few that are always on the menu. I like to try the new ones that come out. What I also like about this location is that they have coloring pages, probably meant for kids but I partook in that. I did however do some work while I was there. Didn't need the internet and I'm not sure if they have WiFi for clients. The bartenders are always great and patient when I'm asking to sample all the new beers. Check it out if you're in the area.