This is the best restaurant in Indianapolis, hands down. Food is ALWAYS delicious. The service and people are incredible. The tiki/rum bar vibes are immaculate and I always enjoy the patio in the nicer months. Their curated cocktails are always fun to try and never disappoint!! read more

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A Tiki bar experience that is well worth visiting. Excellent craft cocktails are on the drink menu and a variety of absolutely delicious Ramen dishes to choose from. Made to feel welcome by a friendly and knowledgeable staff. Highly recommended read more

We went for my little sister's birthday. We put our names in and were told that it was about a 1 and a half hour wait, they don't offer reservations. It's a long wait but my sister wanted to go so we got a couple drinks at a different bar while we waited. We arrived at the restaurant after about an hour and then proceeded to wait another 2 hour making our wait 3 hours. We watched a party of 5 walk in and get seated immediately after three hours of us waiting. Our waitress came to our table a total of 3 times. By the time we got our food the restaurant was almost empty and then on top of that a required 20% gratuity. Even most Texas roadhouses provide better service and check ins than this place did. I would never go back to this place lol. read more

We walked in and instantly fell in love with the ambiance and atmosphere. It's a cute date night places with the lowlight and warm tones. The fusion vibe also creates a warm atomoshoere welcoming you in. All the workers here are really nice and helpful and the food was great. Teriyaki chicken wings were very flavorful and crispy. Definitely get your moneys worth with these. The tonkostu ramen was not as thick/rich broth as I thought but the noodles and the topping were spot on. read more

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We had the shrimp rolls -- incredible 9/10 We had the gyoza -- delicious 8/10 We had the bao buns -- INCREDBILE 9.7/10 And then I had the shoyu ramen and it was on of the best things I have ever eaten. 10/10 Please try this place if you're in the area. We lucked out and got there around 5:30 before it got crowded and had a wait. read more

Strange Bird - Scorpion cocktail - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

We love Irvington and have visited just about every main attraction that there is to do since October, so it was time we hit up Strange Bird. Finally we were in the neighborhood on Not A Monday and in the parking lot at 4:45pm, allowing us enough time to mentally prepare to walk in at 5:00 On The Dot. This was important because probably close to 5:10, there might have been a wait. Strange Bird doesn't take reservations and it's not a huge place (does have ample outdoor seating and has what I'd call two halves - bar half and non-bar half), so it's important to know you're either going to need to wait or you need to be ready at 5pm. My partner is allergic to shellfish (what a buzzkill) so oysters are a no-go when I'm in his presence so we did skip that portion of the evening. I did order a rum drink (The Lost Lake) and he ordered an Old Fashioned. The Lost Lake was strong, which I'd hope it was for being in a tiki/rum bar, and he said the Old Fashioned was a little strong on the bitters. The Tonkotsu Ramen was amazing in flavor and the noodle texture was awesome, and his curry was nearly perfection. Definitely 8.5/10 stars in real life and 4/5 stars in Yelp life. A must-do if spending time near Irvington and love that this area has such a fun restaurant with an amazing, sexy vibe (as one patron in front of us called it, and I'm stealing it). read more

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Strange bird is one of the best restaurant experiences in Indy. The ambiance is very unique with tropical decor and a tiki bar. There is usually a pretty long wait time though as seating is limited. Highlights: - Toga blood wings: Super crunchy with a spicy, flavorful sauce. Would highly recommend if you like wings. Honestly could be a meal just by itself - Tantan noodles: Normally soupless but there is an option to have it served with broth. Very unique flavor but honestly can't go wrong with any of the ramen choices on the menu. - Rum cake: Light moist cake that wasn't too overpowering with the rum. Perfect light dessert Would definitely recommend checking Strange bird out for both the food and the ambiance. The only downsides are the wait times for a table and slow service, so would recommend going earlier in the evening. read more

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I've been hearing good things about Strange Bird for almost two years, so it was finally time to cross it off my bucket list. The broth of the Tonkotsu and Tantanmen were 10/10 good, and the noodles were probably a 9/10. I loved the egg and scallion within my tonkotsu, but wished there were maybe a few more garnishes in it to liven things up a little more. My boyfriend felt the same about the tantanmen. Cocktails were interesting but maybe just not my cup of tea. The garnishes were adorable, but beware if you're someone like me who will try to eat whatever is put on my drink--the mushrooms were real, and taste real weird with alcohol. I loved the dark tiki vibe of the place and having a view of all the cool glassware at the bar. Service was polite and they worked pretty quickly given how busy it was. read more

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

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I'm not quite sure how I haven't reviewed this place yet, so here it goes. I avoided this place for a while because I didn't think that anyone in Indiana would be decent at either ramen or oysters. I was obviously wrong. The staff is friendly and professional. The food is top notch. The shrimp ball ramen is probably my favorite. I like to get it with the spicy hot sauce mixed in. They have an oyster happy hour from 5-6pm where they have one type of oyster half-off. The drinks are great tiki bar drinks. They make a great traditional daiquiri. The Scorpion Reef is lit on fire, if you like that sort of thing. Give these people your money. read more

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I can't say enough good things about my dining experience at Strange Bird. I went there on. Sunday evening by myself and I was so tired and hungry They served me 1/2 price oysters served with lemon and something like pink, sweet frost to top it and a perfectly mixed cocktail. Not syrupy like a lot of restaurants, but a nice actual drink. The menu items were explained and the waitstaff were so nice. I had the Tonkatsu where the very rich chicken broth was so flavorful. The cured egg was the best part of the dish or maybe the pork belly that fell apart in my chop sticks from tenderness. What a pleasant surprise! And I love the design of the bowl and spoon! And I will always retreat to this place for sure on another Sunday evening. read more

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Great food with impressive ambiance. Not everything at this restaurant is vegan, but can be made vegan with the exception of oysters. I love that it's inclusive so that I can go there with friends who both do and do not have dietary restrictions. It's also some of the best completely house-made ramen I've had. read more

Went to strange bird tonight for a friend's birthday, we were having a great time sitting at the bar celebrating and talking to a wonderful bartender when out of nowhere a manager approached us and said they have a policy that you can only stay two hours and then you will be asked to leave even if you're buying drinks! Will not be going back !! read more

There is no better place to be pampered and feel tropical if you seek evocative flavors in the Midwest! It's romantic, exotic, and a true feast for the senses. The atmosphere is incredible. The staff knows their stuff. The rotating menu of cocktails and availability of truly excellent ramen make this restaurant a MUST. It might be one of my favorite places on earth. Come see! read more

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

Arrived just before 7 pm and there were multiple people waiting already. We put our name down and they said about 45 minutes. Ran over to Scarlett lane for a drink while we waited. Finally went back to get seated at the bar which was great. Our bartender, Katie was amazing and super helpful with what to order. The drinks were strong, one was more than enough for me. Everyone working was nice and I love the tiki setup. Chill spot for dinner and perfect on these cold and chilly nights. read more

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First Food and Drinks were great. Great flavors and presentation. I love anything tiki! All around we enjoyed and would recommend. However, the 3 percent fee/charge for the kitchen staff is a bit ridiculous. Now this is not just this restaurant, but then they want 30 percent recommended tip. How about charge what you want and pay your staff yourself. This tip culture is getting completely insane. Im about to revolt back to 10% everywhere. Does three drinks, two appetizers and three plates warrant $40 in tips? Sorry the answer is no. read more

World class ramen. Incredible selection of fresh oysters at very reasonable prices. This is a must try restaurant. read more

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We checked this place out on a Sunday at 7pm What lured us was the 1/2 off oyster specials, but the server says they had ran out of oyster early every week, sad but alright. Got the Tonkatsu Ramen, imo it wasn't the best ramen in Indy, other people raves about it, but I agree with one of the yelpers about Wei Ramen being better, the noodles were a little hard for me and there wasn't a lot of broth to noodle ratio. KatsuDon was okay, nothing to rave about portion was a little small Don't know if I'll be back, definitely can get better Japanese for cheaper but some people like this place.m, maybe for their tiki drinks? I wouldn't know I didn't get a beverage read more

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Strange Bird is described as a "tropical hideaway on the East Side" and that truly captures it's vibe. They have done a wonderful job transforming the space into a cozy but adventurous atmosphere with delicious, creative drinks and unexpected dishes. There isn't anything else quite like Strange Bird, and that makes it a place that people want to come back to time and time again. Their food menu changes regularly, but features Shoyu Shop ramen, which is made by hand and has the best flavor. They have a small selection of non-ramen options if ramen is not your thing (the gyoza are delicious!) and a daily selection of oysters. For those wanting to try a fish dish, I recommend trying the poke nachos when they're available. As someone who is not a fan of rum, I can honestly still say the drinks at Strange Bird are all top notch. They bartenders will always steer you in the right direction if you're not sure what you want. The Planter's Punch is always a good place to start if you've never visited! I love the Scorpion Reef, which comes with a nice fiery surprise when you order it. I also really like the Saturn which features gin and passionfruit. Strange Bird is the best of the best. Great in the summer and even better for a night out once the weather gets cooler. If an evening getaway is what you're looking for, Strange Bird has it. read more

Strange Bird - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Different Bird, Same Strange This was my first time back at Strange Bird since February 2020...pre-pandemic! They've expanded from the tiny bar they once were. We came for dinner with friends and really enjoyed it! It's definitely a juxtaposition having a tropical island atmosphere yet serving Japanese food, but somehow it works. The ramen was wonderful. Not too salty, with narutomaki on top! Next time I'll order the Tonkotsu my husband had. The pork belly was sweet and I wanted more of it. There was also an issue in the kitchen and I received my ramen a bit later than the rest of my party and Katie comped the entree without even asking. Great service. read more

Strange Bird - Tokyo Shoyu - Chicken and Pork Belly combo - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Strange Bird is neither strange nor a bird. Tucked away in Irvington, it is a ramen/tiki bar. For vegans, all the ramen broth dishes can be made vegan. On a busy Friday night, the wait time was initially quoted to be an hour but was actually 20 minutes. We had ourselves the wings first with Nori ranch followed by the ramen. The rum I had was hella strong. Overall 9.0/10. 4.5 on Yelp, rounded up to 5. It's a great date spot for sure. Won't be disappointed by the great ramen you get. read more

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I love Strange Bird. It's a laid back place with delicious food. The thing I love most is you can make anything vegan. I usually have the same server and I love B so much! I always get the gyoza which is seasoned so well and has a little spice, it comes vegan already. Then I'll do the vegan wings with the sauce on the side, it keeps them really crispy. The curry sauce is my fav. I even get some for my tonkontsu which I of course order vegan and add mushroom to. Don't have pics because I get to work as soon as it hits the table. Honorable mention: lemonade The parking lot is small, so you may have to park on the street because they're typically busy. So much so, we showed up at 5p (opening) and there was a line. You can't order ahead of time. You have to go in to order takeout. But that only means it's going to be fresh. read more

I visited Indianapolis for the All-Star game and saw this restaurant on Instagram and decided I had to go. According to their Instagram, they offered not only vibes, but fresh shucked oysters as well. Upon entering, you are definitely shocked at how Instagramable this place is!! We were seated in the bar area. It took our waiter about 10 minutes to get to us. We ordered dumplings and were not impressed. I feel like I get better dumplings from Aldi's. As for the oysters, these are the smallest oysters I've ever seen in my life. The waiter also couldn't tell us the difference between the selection. Lastly, the drinks were not as tasty as they looked. Unfortunately, I think many restaurants are getting good reviews due to the ability of one being able to take a good picture/selfie instead of the real taste and depth of the food being served. read more

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Strange Bird @ Indianapolis, as the tiki tour 2022 continued.... hipster cool atmosphere, not stylized music, delicious & balanced drinks with on-point presentation, no proprietary swag or cocktail napkins for garnish as u drink. Kinda light & bright vibe, modernized tiki decor, not classic/dark/Polynesian style. Dressed up strip mall. Drinks moderate, not super strong--good start to your night. Super cute retro-restored neighborhood. Enjoyed but probably would not return. Tried: - Hamilton 86 shot - Scorpion reef=winner of the night! And, fire....yes! Some hibiscus powder as a "bam" of color, too. - Planters punch - Painkiller read more

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We absolutely LOVE Strange Bird!! We typically sit at the bar, service has always been great. The drinks are unique and high quality . The atmosphere is relaxing and chill with low lighting and good music in the background. The Ramen is top notch, the Katsu Curry is a favorite of mine, Gomae salad is delicious as well! Their menu is small however they do change it up regularly. Half priced oysters everyday from 5-6pm and all day Sunday, the oyster are flown in fresh 3 times a week. I highly recommend you give Strange Bird a try! read more

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It was alright. I ordered a drink and it was watery so the took it back and made me a new one. The Birria Ramen was good, but however when I got home I had puked it all out. I guess the meat was undercooked. read more

I got so lucky finding StrangeBird on a Sunday night after arriving in Indy for business. Thank you Yelp! Firstly, it was Oyster night, so I got 12x dealer's choice oysters for $1.50 ea!!! Secondly, the atmosphere was really cool and they had stubby Coors bottles. Third, the Tofu rice bowl was out of this world. Delicious, full of vegetables and perfectly cooked tofu cubes and a plentiful amount of sauce that was perfect. This place is great! read more

Strange Bird - Atmosphere was all tiki bar vibes and the waitstaff was hip - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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I am so mad I didn't go to this place sooner! We have been twice now this week. I was convinced I wasn't a fan of rum and they sure did change my mind. The food and staff is just as great! The menu definitely needs a little explanation of items for first timers and the staff was more than helpful with explaining thingsWe ordered the teriyaki green beans that were incredible, and two different types of ramen. The pork belly ramen was a little too fatty tasting for me, but I think that is totally a "me" thing, as everyone else liked it. read more

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Came back (several times) and thought I'd share today because I tried several new things that were great! Had the katsu with chicken which was like a version of comfort food! Rich katsu gravy with perfectly crispy chicken or pork over rice. Very satisfying! I tried one of the mock tails - Tropical Fizz, and if I could have this in bottles to take home, I would be drinking it all the time. Perfectly effervescent, sweet and tart... So refreshing and a nice soft drink feel without any caffeine or alcohol! We tried the oysters and our fave was Blue Pool! Ocean kiss was great too! This continues to be a go to and I wanted to share the new faves I found today! read more

Toga blood wings were awesome, arguably some of the best in the city. The oysters were prefect, loved the different fruit sorbets that came with them. Innovative and delicious and awesome. read more

Loved the space. Wish we sat in the bar area but we took photos in both spots. We don't get to this side of town often and not our traditional meal. I was so happy with my meal. Our drinks were top notch and creative. It was also Oyster Happy Hour when we came in and it was Chef's choice. I'd definitely one again and brings friends. I love the Irvington area. It's a nice walking neighborhood. read more

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A tiki bar with half price oysters during happy hour? Who needs more? Add in fun decor, excellent drinks, delicious entrees and this place is a winner. The tiki drink choices are fun. Try something new! There are several varieties of oysters to chose from and they were very fresh. Food choices are interesting. Wings, ramens, curry's and gyoza's. I had the Kani Hiyashi which is noodles lump crab and veggies. It was awesome. I will definitely go back! read more

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Saturday night. Places is slammed, 35min waiting. Has potential. Menu is Japanese-ish, a fusion theme. Packed tightly with people. Bartender making a fortune in drinks with vegetables hanging from them. I can't wait. So, I decide, what to eat that's quick? OK. I see it, vegan gyoza. Cool. What could go wrong? 22min later, someone is looking for me. They have a small box. The contents of the box are in the pic. There are nine gyoza and a small container of shoyu with onions, maybe something else like ginger. Just the box and gyoza and sauce. No bag, no napkins, no chopsticks, no receipt, nothing. The odd number stymies me when I arrive at my destination. Would a double order of gyoza have to be an even number? We're starved, and so we eat them. Not bad. They're $2/each, not counting tax and tip. Aldi's has them for about $4per box, tofu gyoza, where the quantity is approximately the same. I'm not compelled, given the prices and sample order, to return. YMMV. read more

Strange Bird - Two orders of Gyoza. Oy. - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

When I say this place is worth the hype, I mean it. I've lived in places with great ramen & I was pleasantly surprised Indy had this spot. I had the Tonkutsu with added spice which I highly recommend. Also, tasted one of the soupless ramens and it was even better than the broth based ramen! Moving to beverages, the drinks aren't just cute to look at, they actually got some strength to them. They have cute names & glasses. I'd recommend the painkiller & scorpion reef. The service is good with the waiting area allowing you to order drinks while your table comes available. I will warn that the wait in the evening can be a bit crazy at an hr+ but I just take that as a sign it's a well-liked business. read more

Went here for the first time today after having it on my list for years. It was a busy Saturday evening, so they told us the wait would be an hour, but we ended up waiting half that. We were seated at the bar and ordered our first round, a Port Light and and a Worthy Park Colada for me. The menu says you can only order 2 max of the colada and I found out why lol. I love a strong drink that does the job and it definitely did. The service was great and we enjoyed chatting with the bartender. My husband ordered the bombo old fashioned for his second drink and was satisfied. I was still working on my strong but tasty colada. We enjoyed our time here despite the wait and would like to come back and try the food! read more

Strange Bird - Port light and Worthy park colada - Tiki Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

We love going back to the place ! Great ramen for a chilly Sunday evening ! I got the usual Chicken Shoyu and did add a little bit of chili paste for the heat . We also tried the oysters as they have a happy hour in the evenings so be sure to look out for that next time! Also recommend this tiki bar ramen combo place but we did experience a slower service from our server :( This place is open only in the evenings which we had forgotten about so had to wait for about an hour for the place to open . We didn't mind at all as I was craving for ramen :) read more

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The Raman here is the best I've ever had. All the appetizers are amazing. Try the Japanese fried chicken. The bar serves strong rum cocktails. read more

We waited around 40 minutes for a table on a Saturday night. It looked like maybe one person was both busing and hosting. Bar is not open seating. You can order from an abbreviated cocktail menu while you wait. The food was worth the wait to be seated. The ramen was so flavorful. Cocktails are well made and booze-forward. I like a lot of spice, will probably even go for extra next time even with the spicy ramen. read more

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

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I came here because this is one of the few places I could find that serves tiki bar/tropical drinks. This bar has two sections a lounge area and a tiki bar area with bar and dining room seating. The dining area is relatively small so be prepared to wait. The bar has like a trendy/tiki bar/laid back kind of vibe. The sad part about the bar is that it is only open in the evenings. The staff there is awesome. They were very entertaining, fun, friendly, and helpful. Shout out to Ry-guy. They have a menu full of tropical favorites like the painkiller and mai-tai.....mmmm. I got the painkiller and it did not disappoint. Their drinks are good and they take extra pride in making them visually appealing. They have food that you can order from three sister restaurants like ramen, burgers, wings and oysters. I ordered a grill cheese with a side of fries. It did not take long for me to get my food. The fries were good, but small. The grilled cheese did not look like much, but it was good as well. The tomato dip that came with it put it over the top. Yes, the drinks here are a bit on the pricey end. It was like paying tourist prices, but they are good and hard to find a bar that specializes in those kind of drinks. I highly recommend this place and know that you will enjoy it. They have good food, top notch service and a great atmosphere. I hope to be back real soon. read more

Was super excited to try Strange Bird but was slightly disappointed to feel it was average. Went for dinner in a Friday night. Pros: - large parking lot and street parking - staff was friendly and helpful in explaining the menu - oyster happy hour all day Sunday - cute interior with unique seating - fun cocktails Not so favorite: - ramen bowl was very salty. It was decent, but very salty - though staff was super friendly, pretty sure our waitress forgot about our table. We waited for 35 minutes for our check - food is pricey. It was good but expensive for what it was Overall very average. It was fun to go to. Would probably go again but I don't feel the need to rush over or highly recommend read more

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

A warm ambiance and exceptional staff characterized the venue. The food was outstanding, and the concise menu made it easy to choose from a range of options. read more