The bowl of Ramen at Shoyu Shop goes beyond, earning a "Best of the Best" tag. I love ramen and I have been to different places in MidWest for nearly 3 years (and counting), Kyle managed to snag the trifecta of excellent broth, chashu, and notably, freshly house-made noodles. It's a testament to the shop's hard work, the employees are amazing, and also reflects Kyle's dedication to his craft and his constant innovation, looking for new dishes every season to try or things to improve. read more

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the fact that I haven't left a review for this place yet is insane to me! GET HERE ASAP BECAUSE ITS DELICIOUS! seriously though, the drinks are on point, the food is phenomenal and the staff LOVE THEM! such a vibe (especially the decor)! read more

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Came here on a Sunday evening and they happened to have happy hour $1 oysters which were great! Our drinks were very unique but delicious! I love the presentation and the variety of drinks they offer. Now for the tan tan noodles (soup-less ramen) , they have a very interesting flavor. At first they tasted delicious but after eating more it tastes like you're eating spicy salt. Don't get me wrong i love spicy and have a high tolerance but the flavor was definitely unique. I still give it 5 stars because they have other options I'd like to try next time like the ramen. The service is amazing! The dessert was delicious! read more

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3 of us went for happy hour to beat the crowd. We enjoy 2 dozen of excellent oyster that we do fresh, salty, sweet and smooth! Since it was happy hour, it is chefs choice on what oysters are provided. Was not disappointed! We all ordered different ramen dishes for dinner. Spice was excellent with a hint of spice. All of us were very impressed! Cocktails were delicious and unique. Wait staff were friendly but not very helpful with explaining the dishes or oysters. Later that evening and next day, there were serious reactions to either sodium and/or msg. Would definitely go back, just be careful. Great place! read more

Best Ramen I've had in indianapolis! Girls night dinner and requires good drinks, cute atmosphere, good music but not too loud so we can catch up, and new food to try. We stumbled across Strange Bird. Taking me back to the 70s with decor while grooving to 2000s and 90s R&B hits. We were offered a cocktail while we waited for our table. Cocktails are about $10-13. It was about a 20 minute wait. The parking lot shared so we did street parking. Our server was great. The oysters were really good but the ramen, so delicious. I can't wait to come back. read more

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30 min wait at 6pm on a Friday, but - WORTH THE WAIT excellent drinks, atmosphere, and food! Multiple types of oysters. We also got the gyoza and harumaki, not pictured. We drove from out of town, over an hour. Great experience! read more

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Although I'm a big fan of ramen, I can't say I was a fan of this ramen. The broth was too salty for my taste and lacked flavor. Ambiance is great however and service was also on point with food being delivered quickly! read more

Strange Bird - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Love this place!! Best Ramen in Indy! We stopped in for happy hour oysters and ramen. The chef choice oyster were fresh and had great flavor and the Ramen was amazing as usual ,the house made noodles are top notch and definitely sets strange bird apart! I had the TANTANMEN (SPICY) and my wife had the EBI SHIO great flavor and seasoned to perfection stop by when you are in the area, trust me you won't be disappointed! read more

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Came across a write up of this restaurant in a four year-old magazine I saw today, decided to give it a shot, and I'm so happy I did. A great tiki themed restaurant and bar that doesn't overdo the theme. Very light and breezy with enough of the tiki decor and music to keep the vibes appropriate. Food and drinks were superior and the wait staff was friendly. I would highly recommend. read more

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Love this place! Wings, ramen and a strong drink on their pet friendly patio are always my first thoughts and it should be yours too. Inside is a tiki bar setting, great service always. Hidden gem in Irvington. read more

Rum Bar + Ramen Shop Strange Bird landed in historic Irvington in 2019 with a winning combination of tiki style cocktails, oysters, and made-from-scratch ramen. There's definitely more in store than the name suggests. While it sounds like a stop off for those cravin' the avian, Strange Bird is a little piece of paradise for foodies. Patrons flock in from all over to enjoy the laid back ambience and full flavor food like the curry rice or the spicier Tantanmen ramen. Vegan options are excellent as well (recommend the Tokyo ramen). Happy hour (half price oysters) goes from 5 pm - 6 pm Tuesday through Saturday and all evening Sunday. Fans of the raw bar can also order up Peruvian, sashimi grade poke. Another feather in Strange Bird's cap is the cocktail menu. We enjoyed the Scorpion Reef (it's 'fire') and the Surf Rider. Whether you're feeling cooped up, looking for a chilled date night, post-golf snack (aka a "9 and dine"), or loungy option for cocktails, music and friends, Strange Bird stays fly. read more

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A tiki bar that serves Ramen? Say no more! Strange Bird is nestled in a small building that also is home to Landlocked Bakery, and being both a tiki bar that serves ramen - you couldn't get any more eclectic than that. The cocktails they serve are delicious and unique, while the ramen is surprisingly good with great depth of flavor - and three staple options. The price tag associated is on the higher side for ramen about $20 a bowl, but you can tell it's because they care about the artistry that they serve. If you're looking for something a little more unconventional when going out for ramen and cocktails, I definitely recommend Strange Bird. read more

Strange Bird - Tonkotsu Ramen - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

This was the perfect date night spot! We are obsessed ! Loved the ramen and drinks and service and atmosphere are amazing read more

Strange Bird - Menu - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Ambiance was really different loved the vibe relaxing and zen like Wonderful drinks and good food read more

It's so cute in there!!!!! I LOVE the ambiance of strange bird. I've been several times at this point through several different menus. The service is always pretty great. The drinks are the star of the show at strange bird, they're gorgeous and delicious! My most recent visit offered a ramen/ Asian inspired menu. I enjoyed my food overall. read more

Strange Bird - Ramen - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

How are we just finding this gem? Fabulous meal and fabulous cocktails and pretty darn good wait staff. The outside dining seals the deal: our new favorite place! read more

This was such a cool and vibey place to visit. Honestly I'd expect nothing less from Irvington! The theming is spot on, you really feel like you're somewhere tropical and not in Indiana! They had a variety of drinks, many served with flowers or in tiki glasses ( a must!). Their menu was not expansive, but I had a hard time choosing what to order because everything sounded THAT good. Ultimately we ordered gyoza, tonkatsu+ spice, and tankatamen. Our ramen bowls were seriously delicious. Our friend also claimed that the wings he ordered were the best he's had in a while. Our only challenges really came in the form of waiting and service. We were told at the host stand that our wait would be about 20 minutes but truthfully we wait about 90. Our service was also slow. So give yourself plenty of time to visit this spot. read more

Strange Bird - Tonkatsu - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Such a cute and unique restaurant. Loved the decor Went here with a group of friends and had a great time, staff was very friendly and nice The Curry Rice was so delicious. I am an oyster lover and this platter was great. Each oyster wasn't the same, they have a variety of oysters to choose from. There was an oyster that had a little hint of salt in the taste and that was my favorite one. The drinks were good and tasty! The bartender that night was on point. They also have ramen here and I'm mad I didn't try it then but it gives me a reason to go back read more

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This bar has come up with the most unique way to follow covid protocols by using moving pods as private dining rooms. Each pod has its own heater and curtains to help keep you warm in the cold weather. They now have plexiglass windows in your pods where servers can hand you your food and drinks. I got there about an hour after they opened (they opened at 5pm). I had to wait about ten minutes for a pod to open up, but they have a heated porch to wait under and gave us menus to look at while we waited. They do make sure to thoroughly clean out each pod after they are used. Now on to the good stuff! I ordered a Mai Tai and my friend ordered a Scorpion Reef. These drinks are STRONG lol. They also have a small selection of beer for people who don't like mixed drinks. The best part of my experience was the food. We ordered the mozzarella sticks ($10), loaded fries ($10), and split a burger ($8). The burger was literally one of the best burgers I've ever had. It was easily in my top 5 if not higher. I do believe some of the food comes from the restaurant next door called The Heartbreaker. My friend and I spent the whole ride home talking about how we can't wait to get another meal here. read more

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What a great place for some good cozy ramen. I've been to this place before and the taste keeps being so good! I had a shout ramen with pork and the service was super fast and really good! Also it looks like a tiki bar and it's really really cute read more

Strange Bird - Shoyu ramen - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Near religious experience can be had at Strange Bird. Easily a top ramen destination in Indy but away from the noise - this is in Irvington. Friendly service and of course delicious ramen. I ate the spicy ramen which definitely packed a nice punch. I would probably avoid any ramen with the beef in the future because it throws the texture off a little bit but at the same time very filling. Will definitely be back! read more

Strange Bird - Spicy Ramen - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Another night at Strange Bird! Again, they do not take reservations. We walked in on a Thursday evening and were seated instantly in the bar. The bar has a different vibe/feel than the main dining room. It is louder in the bar, and the music is very good, but at times difficult to talk at the table. The decorations were great, and the drinks were completely on point. Again, I had the ramen but decided on the shrimp roll appetizer, these were so good. The sauce that comes with them is amazing for the tastebuds. Service is more laid back in this restaurant (it feels like the European type of service), so just be ready for a lovely evening and don't feel rushed. read more

Although I really liked everything, the drinks here is what really stood out to me. Together, my friend and I tried 3 drinks: Scorpion Reef, Mai Tai & the Zombie. All amazing. You got the gyoza as an appetizer, which was delicious. The Tantanmen ramen and the curry bowl. The curry bowl was a little too thick for what I was expecting but the flavor was great. Our server was great and food came way quicker than expected! I will definitely be back for a happy hour dinner or a date night. read more

We went in for drinks and desert on a Friday night. Atmosphere was great! Service was great! As for the food, the tres leches rum cake was bold on the rum taste side which was too much for me personally and the drinks were okay. We would want to go back and try the ramen for dinner but overall would probably not go back for solely drinks and desert like last time. read more

Strange Bird - Tres leches rum cake - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I first tried Shoyu Shop when it was just a pop up at Strange Bird and I can say they just keep getting better, even when they already serve the best ramen in Indy. Some how it's always better than the last time. My husband is not a soup lover and they even have him craving their ramen. The ramen's broth has amazing umami flavor. I also like to add the spice (rayu) to give it a kick. I'm obsessed with the pork chashu, it's tender and has the perfect char that adds to its deliciousness. The noodles are the perfect texture. The gyoza is like a pot sticker. I love the crust on the outside and the sauce it comes with is savory with a hint of sweetness. Lastly, the broth-less noodles are AMAZING! It is spicy so be warned if you can't handle the heat. It comes topped with an egg yolk and let me tell you, it made it so creamy and delicious! I hope they keep it on the menu, even in the colder months. Honestly, if we lived closer we go more often, but you better believe we make the drive when we are in the mood for ramen. read more

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THE RAMEN!!! Are you kidding me!? So killer. It always hits. Then on top of that the tiki bar feel is so quirky in the best way and the staff is friendly. My husband isn't super familiar with rum, but he got a rum flight and the bartender picked it all just for him based on his taste preferences and he LOVED IT! We've never had a bartender know his stuff quite so well. read more

Strange Bird - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The vibes are cool, the drinks are strong, and the food is outstanding. I'm a huge fan of ramen, and I've tried just about every place that serves it in Indianapolis. I'd heard incredible things about Strange Bird, specifically Shoyu Shop, and knew I had to try it for myself. First off, our server was kind and very knowledgable on the menu. Even though I've tried a lot of similar dishes, I didn't recognize most of the toppings on the ramen options. Our server (wish I remembered his name!) took the time to clearly explain the ingredients and the flavors of each dish. I told him what flavors I typically like, and based off that, he helped me choose the one I would like the most. I went with the Tonkotsu Ramen with added spice. INCREDIBLE. The broth was rich and flavorful, the chashu perfectly tender, and the toppings complimented each other nicely. I love spicy foods, and the extra spice added the right amount of heat. I also got to try a bite of the Gomae Salad and Gyoza, both phenomenal. The classic mojito was good, but be aware that it was pretty strong. I'm very excited to go back and try more of the menu! read more

Strange Bird - Tonkotsu Ramen, with Spice - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

One of the best ramen bars I've been too! The Tantanmen was sooo flavorful and good. Highly recommended.

This bar/restaurant is a hidden gem over on the East side of Indy; along with a couple other businesses within the same strip - worth checking out! As soon as you walk inside, you are welcomed with a tiki aesthetic, which gets you right into a fun mood. I ordered the Poke Nachos and White Ginger Ramen w/pork belly. The dishes had so much flavor to them. For the Ramen, the pork belly was very soft and tender and the broth was just a huge hurst of flavor. I highly recommend. The Poke Nachos were also so good and refreshing. They added pineapple in the poke mix and had very crunchy, homemade chips which hit the spot. *Tip: $1.50 oysters on Sundays! read more

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The place is very cute, nice music. They have developed an extensive cocktails menu but we didn't order. The water seems straight out of the tap and has a heavy unpleasant taste, the curry wings we ordered are supposed to be house special but are overall salty, it does have a good crispy texture but the sauce and flavor are disappointing. The spicy ramen that I ordered is also salty, and the minced beef has an off flavor. Service was quick and communication was good. read more

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Went for the first time on Saturday. Walked right in at 5:45, but then it got really busy. Arrive early to avoid the wait. We tried the oysters, buns, teriyaki wings, both types of ramen and a few of the specialty drinks. We loved everything. Fun place with a great vibe. read more

Strange Bird is becoming one of my fave places to eat. Their ramen is sooo good. The broth is warm and full of flavor, the noodles are homemade and cooked perfectly, and the toppings are always bomb. My fave is the white truffle shoyu. The gyoza is absolutely a must-have for me. I would order a full bucket if I could. I have yet to try their oysters but from what I can tell they are very popular and tasty. It's a neat place to grab some food and a drink and I love coming here! read more

Strange Bird - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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I'm really sad to write this review... I have been to Strange Bird 5 times now with friends and even once by myself. My main complaint is that I am consistently disappointed in the quantities of food for the price. The ramen is $18-20 a bowl and the protein source quantity in each bowl is abysmal (not even a full deli meat slice size of pork bell or chicken). They also only serve half of an egg per bowl so, when you order extra ($1) it's the other half of the egg. The bowls also lack an appropriate amount of noodles for the generous quantity of broth they pour in (you can add a few more noodles for $5). In short, the price of the ramen doesn't equal the quantity. Strange Bird also serves small portions of dessert as well, the key lime pie was very good but tiny for $6, definitely not a shareable option. A nice positive though is the staff! Our waitress last night, Logan, was kind and knowledgeable about the menu. She really was good! We also liked the quick and convenient check out process where they bring the mobile credit card scanner right to your table. It's unfortunate that the ramen really is delicious but that other locations match their quantities with their prices. I don't know if I will be back honestly. I know most of my friends said it's not worth it so, if I do return, I'll likely be alone. read more

Strange Bird - Ramen menu - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Port light drink was refreshing with a hint of sweetness. Not overly sweet but still gives you the punch of alcohol. Everything is dining outside. Tip: go within the first hour of opening for no to little wait. We tried the poke chips which were delicious but we didn't get a pic. I would've liked more fish but beggars can't be choosers. The crab Rangoon was comparable to your favorite Chinese restaurant (ours at least). The sweet and sour sauce has hints of cherry which are a nice compliment to the flavors. read more

Strange Bird - Port light drink on the patio - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Strange Bird and I moved to Irvington around the same time, at the height of the pandemic. When Yelping places to eat near my new home, I was intrigued by this place. At the time they weren't able to offer indoor seating but came up with a variety of creative ways to service the community (can someone say shipping containers?!). Over the years, Strange Bird has evolved and so has our relationship. I'd say it's getting pretty serious as I am there almost every Sunday for their all day oyster happy hour (oysters are freshly shucked and my favorite spot for fresh oysters in our landlocked city). The staff is always cool, music is always a vibe, and the cocktails are creatively made with exotic flavors and rums. I usually just ask the bartender to make me something good and they kindly oblige. Now. Let's get to the shoyu shop. Ramen: once upon a time, I frequently traveled to Japan for business trips. Obviously, during that time, I fell in LOVE with ramen and have tirelessly sought out similar experiences in the US. Strange Bird's handmade noodles are perfection and the soup broth is the balance I look for in a ramen dish. Top that with fresh, deliciously paired ingredients and you have a wonderful, warm, delightful bowl of ramen perfection. I've tried all the variations of their hot ramen dishes and have never been disappointed. Cold dishes: this summer, they introduced cold noodle dishes to the menu and I have been delighted to get my ramen fix in the summer without the added heat. The Kani Hiyashi Chuka is my go to, topped with lump blue crab meat, fresh summer veggies and sesame flavor. I absolutely love this new addition and every time I order it I finish the entire bowl. I will end my love letter with this... try the wings. Try the panna cotta. Get the gyoza. And the green beans. They're all good too. read more

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Took my husband to the restaurant for the first time and he had the same reaction as me the first time I went. We loved it! While we missed the happy hour eats, we happily ate the different types of oysters and the owner's favorite was mine as well. We will be back soon! read more

This is a wonderful spot for cocktails and ramen. I really enjoyed the selections and the overall experience. The pricing is definitely more expensive than fully casual or budget but it does have high quality to match. read more

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Cute restaurant in Irvington and free parking out front! They have mostly Roman dishes but also have spring rolls and dumplings. The theme inside is tiki and they have alcoholic and nonalcoholic tiki themed drinks. There is also an outside porch for seating. It wasn't very busy on a Saturday you can just walk in. I had the chicken ramen, which was very good and the spring rolls were three spring rolls for nine dollars but they were very good! read more

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This is my new favorite restaurant! I love the ambiance filled with lots of greenery. It's well-decorated. Service was great too! I ordered tonkatsu ramen and the noodles were the perfect amount of Al dente, broth very flavorful and egg perfectly cooked. Meat was very tender! 10/10 would order again. I loved the unique cocktails and the cups they came in! Get the painkiller, you won't regret it :) read more

Strange Bird is such a great addition to the Irvington area. If you live in or around the downtown area the bars get kind of old and redundant. Strange bird brings new life to the city as it is vibrant and fun and expand past the boundaries of downtown Indy (just a quick 10 min drive away). The decor at strange bird is so fun! It's tropical with all sorts of plants on the walls and ceiling (including some adorable monkeys ). And the drinks were top notch! What puts this place over the top, however, is the service. Despite being extremely busy, the bartenders always make sure you are being served, they offer great suggestions, and just provide the place a really friendly vibe. Shout out to Ian behind the bar! read more

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