We were on our way to Cincinnati and it was almost lunchtime. That's when I remembered that this place was just a few minutes off the highway and was recently awarded a James Beard award for their fried chicken. I'm glad we stopped here. The chicken was worthy of all the accolades. The service was good too. read more

Wagner's Village Inn - American Near Me - Oldenburg, Indiana

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Food and service is always outstanding! Delicious fried chicken and sides.. Excellent value read more

Wagner's Village Inn - Fried Chicken Family Style - American Near Me - Oldenburg, Indiana

Oh boy where to get started. They've won a James Beard award for fried chicken and let me just say it's more than deserving. We went here on a Tuesday for lunch in hopes to beat a crowd. The place was virtually empty. The guy working was super friendly and chatty. Oh he also did the cooking. He had said the day before they sold out of everything so we picked the right day. When I say this was the best fried chicken I've ever eaten, it was just phenomenal. Perfectly crisp, peppery and tender. The sides were delicious as well and they were limitless but we couldn't get past what we had it was just so much food. The inside is old school restaurant with wood paneling that I'm sure had stories to tell. worth the drive. You'll need to go for a walk after. read more

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What a great choice ! Went on Easter ! It was delicious. So close to my MIL 's fried chicken - which she was famous for ! Fried chicken divine - so crispy and delicious, tender , perfect ! The coleslaw was so fresh and a great recipe ! Mashed potatoes with skin on also delicious plus let's not forget the gravy. Service was amazing and efficient! No wonder the win a James Beard award for their fried chicken ! Well deserved ! Highly recommend! Worth the drive to Oldenburg! read more

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Finally got to Wagner's after hearing so many recommendations for it over the years. They are now open 7 days a week. My wife had the 2 piece lunch chicken special with mashed potatoes and green beans and slaw. I had the 1/2 chicken family style dinner which was basically the same with 2 more pieces of chicken. I would have been able to get more sides if I had asked, but that was enough food that we were still able to take some home. The chicken was great and the slaw was surprisingly good. Service was OK, but not quite as good as the food.. This was an hour away from us, so we will not be able to go there too frequently, but we hope to return again (with an appetite) A small town gem. read more

Let's start with the service. The lady taking my order was the sweetest. The young man that brought me my food was also very friendly and had a nice smile. The ambience is definitely nothing spectacular. The place could use a little sprucing up. I so wanted to like the chicken better than I did. At first taste pepper is what I tasted. I do feel the crust was done to perfection. I will likely give it one more try. But if this pepper taste is the main ingredient on their chicken it will be my last time trying it. My green beans were exceptionally good. The mashed potatoes and gravy. We are just mediocre. read more

Wagner's Village Inn - American Near Me - Oldenburg, Indiana

Stopped in Odenburg to try the James Beard Award-winning restaurant, and I'm glad we did. The food was fantastic--bold flavors, great presentation, and clearly made with care. The only downside was the service, which could have been better. It wasn't bad, just not at the level you'd expect from a restaurant with that kind of recognition." read more

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We stopped through Wagner's on the way home to Indy to break up the drive. My wife, son, and I each got the fried chicken dinner because when in Rome, right? The chicken was super hot, juicy, and fresh. The ingredients are pretty straight forward, with the lone twist being the fact they skillet fry the chicken in pork fat, but they lean heavy into the black pepper - I'm a fan, but just a warning for those who aren't. The sides are just OK: the mashed potatoes are saved by the gravy and the green beans are plain Jane, but they remind me of the ones my mom used to make. The service was terrific and everyone was incredibly friendly and attentive. Was scrolling through the reviews after the fact and I think some folks are being overly harsh with this place. Yes, it comes with the James Beard distinction, but a big part of earning that award is the "no frills" approach: it's basic, traditional, reliable, and charming. Wagner's is located in Oldenburg, a 600-person town in the giant Nowheresville between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. I barely had cell service there. Is the meal mind-blowing? No. Are the green beans canned? Yes. But, is the chicken hot, crispy, and tasty? You bet! It's rural Indiana, guys! You want a prototypical Beard experience? There's an amazing Ed Lee place in Louisville that's 100 miles away, or you can trek to Chicago in around four hours to spend quadruple the price on something more upscale and oretenoois. This place *isn't* that... and, for a family-owned fried chicken joint, that was perfectly fine with us. read more

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Been there many times . Drove a long way and today was not very good I'm sorry but the chicken was average at best . The Cole slaw was great and the mash potatoes were not the norm compared to the usual . The place was packed great vibe as always just not what has been in the past .. ps I'll give 6 months and try again . read more

Wagner's Village Inn - Friend chicken and the sides .. - American Near Me - Oldenburg, Indiana

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Literally the best fried chicken ever, anywhere! Absolutely delicious!! Cole slaw is completely on point. Mashed potatoes are truly amazing. Gravy is extremely good and not your average gravy with fillers. Green beans are addicting. House made rolls are light and incredible. Daniel the owner is so friendly, hard working, and runs the place with precision and total dedication. This restaurant is a MUST visit! Totally worth the drive -- and also worth every dollar spent. If you love great authentic local food made with care and love, you HAVE to eat here! We highly recommend it and can't wait to go back. Everyone please support this Indiana gem. You won't be disappointed! read more

Wagner's Village Inn is the recipient of a James Beard award. Wow! Once I heard that, of course I had to visit. How neat is it that a small Indiana restaurant receives such a prestigious food award? The fried chicken at Wagner's is possibly the best fried chicken I've eaten in Indiana. Them Jimmy Beard people know what they're talking about! The chicken is highly seasoned (lots and lots of pepper) and fried in hog fat. If you like crispy chicken skin like I do, you will like this chicken because there are lots of crackly bits to savor. The chicken is piled high on a plate if you get the family-style chicken meal. The family meals are 1/2 of a chicken per person, with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and coleslaw. The sides are all-you-can-eat, but for what it's worth, I felt like they gave me a lot with my first serving, so I never asked for a second. The coleslaw comes out first by itself, almost like an appetizer, and then the other sides are served with the chicken. The green beans tasted like they came from a can, so they were not my favorite. Kind of squishy and mealy. I did enjoy the mashed potatoes and gravy, though, and that side dish went really well with the slightly greasy fried chicken. They have a kids' menu, which my children insisted on ordering from. Kids' meals all come with apple sauce, inexplicably. My kids got fried mac-and-cheese bites, and chicken nuggets with wedge fries, and they were both just "meh" about their kids' meals. I really feel like Wagner's shines with one thing: fried chicken. Everything else just can't compare and is just fine. We visited on a weekend, late in the morning before the crowds. There weren't many people in the restaurant, but the service was incredibly slow, considering! I hope they pick up the pace when they are more busy. Wagner's definitely feels like an institution in Oldenburg -- lots of local-looking people pulled up to the booths, and many more walking in as we were exiting. read more

Visiting family in the area who said Wagner's chicken is the best in the state. Poor Indiana! The waitress was nice and helpful, offered drink refills, and checked in. Delightful service. Expensive lunch: 2-piece chicken with sides for 12.95. But the food was very disappointing. First a small bowl of slaw to share: shredded cabbage with a sweet sour mayonnaise-like sauce--that's it. Its quality served as a warning! The lunch plate: Canned green beans with a sad drizzle of bottled sauce. The mashed potatoes were good, from real potatoes as evidenced by the peelings included and tasty random real lumps-best part of the meal. Roll was from a package. The worst fried chicken I have ever eaten. WAY too much black pepper, too salty, and dried out even though it was dark meat. Our answer to the question about dessert was a quick, "No thank you." All this after a wait of 55 minutes. Oldenburg is a delightful little town to visit, but avoid this place. read more

I drive an hour to come get chicken here. Also like to treat my friends when I bring some home. Plus I love Oldenberg and the surrounding area. read more

Service was unacceptable. The entire staff from manager, servers, kitchen staff, and buser need to be replaced. We were excited to eat here at 5:30 pm on January 17th, 2026 after 4:30 Mass at Holy Family parish down the block. Even though we had a 5:30 pm reservation, we did not get seated until after 5:50 pm because apparently the people at the table we had reserved would not leave after finishing their meal. Once seated next to the kitchen in back, we then ordered a Wagner's Salad, Buffalo Chicken Salad, and two kids chicken nuggets order from the menu. We waited through 3 drink refills with our waitress telling us "how sorry she was", "how busy the kitchen staff was", and "our food would be out any minute". After waiting another 50 minutes after our order, our waitress told us "The salads were taking so long because of the fresh chicken being fried and that the kitchen was actually out of chicken nuggets for our kids meals." The worst part was that the kitchen staff was obviously having a good time laughing it up in the back while our waitress told us this. (We were seated at the 6 top table right next to the kitchen and were watching them the whole time), so either they lied to our server about our order status during our 50 minute wait or she just lied to us. We offered to pay for our sodas and left. When I asked to speak to the manager all she could muster was a pathetic "Sorry?" to our family, after waiting 1 hour and 10 minutes for 20 minute late seating and no food for 50 minutes after ordering. Added bonus we saw the buser come out twice to collect dishes while we waited. He had earbuds in and carried the bus tray sideways dripping liquid and food from prior table clean ups onto the floor. Gross. Avoid this place at all costs. They do not respect you as a customer nor as a person and will lie to you about your order without making anything right. Wasted our time, and made Oldenburg look bad. Reposting this on Google as well so people know to avoid this establishment. read more

Highly disappointed, the only seasoning on the fried chicken was pepper, pepper, and more pepper, service not very good. Best dish was the cole slaw. I don't know how it's possible this is award winning fried chicken. read more

We always come with a large party so I'm hoping that's why service is bad. I've been there about 3-4 times total. Each time it's like the servers are new or have 50+ other tables to worry about. Food is subpar and the wait time once seated is horrendous. Mozzarella sticks were fine but the pretzel bites/cheese were cold. Expect to spend 2 hours here or longer. They don't do quick service. read more

Wagner's Village Inn - Mozzarella Sticks and Pretzel Bites - American Near Me - Oldenburg, Indiana

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I would definitely recommend this place again! We stopped here, because they have a James Beard award for the fried chicken! I just had to try it, and the pan fried hog fat chicken delivered! Honestly, so crispy, crunchy, seasoned very well! I ordered a whole chicken with sides! I ordered mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, and coleslaw. The mashed potatoes were average but the gravy was super tasty! The coleslaw was refreshing and added a great cool element! The service was lovely, very helpful and attentive! She told us the story of how they received the James Beard award and it was wonderful to hear! The decor was definitely an ode to the town of Oldenburg. It was a lovely small town! The best part of the meal other than that delicious chicken was the price! It was so affordable which was refreshing! A whole family could eat good food for a reasonable price! You can't get better than that! read more

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Restaurant is quaint with a full service bar. They serve your fried chicken meal family style. You get coleslaw to start with crackers. Then they bring out chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and rolls. Chicken is floured and fried upon ordering so it takes a little bit to get your food. Chicken was very good. Such good flavor and juicy. Mashed potatoes are homemade with peels in it. They are very good. Gravy is also homemade with bits of chicken in it. Gravy is a bit salty for my liking, but the rest of my family liked it. Green beans are very good. They have a garlic hint to them. We really liked them. All your sides are unlimited so if you leave hungry it's your own fault. read more

What could have been a great meal was overshadowed by the unfriendly waitress. She yelled across the room for us to be seated. Then continually would not look at us as she placed our food on the table and walked away without a word. Overall she was just plain rude. Won't be back read more

Not my favorite place for chicken. Don't prefer it pan fried in lard. Place feels small and cramped. Have not found it a welcoming environment. read more

Just had lunch there. We both ordered the chicken dinner. The review on the food is excellent - really good fried chicken! The sides were fine - gravy stood out. Service? Not so much. 2 servers barely acknowledged us as we entered. The one who worked with us looked and acted like she just didn't want to be there. She literally 'tossed' a bowl of Cole slaw on the table and said nothing and walked away. Not a smile from either of them. We both have had experience as service workers, and had many not so great nights on those gigs. But the vibe came off as if they truly wanted to be anywhere but there. Pretty uncomfortable. read more

The fried chicken is second to none I am told it's the cast iron skillet but it has to be the love that goes into the chicken. A small, unassuming restaurant in downtown Oldenburg IN - but super clean and friendly. This is a consummate family restaurant that will be serving chicken for years to come - just don't change anything! read more

After reading all the reviews. I did not know what to expect from this place. People love it or hate it. We just came home from there. The chicken and livers were very good but if you do not like hot food, you will not be able to eat them. REALLY heavily spiced with pepper. I asked that they hold the pepper. I was able to eat my livers but I could not eat my husband's chicken. Coleslaw is great. Mashed potatoes are good and not instant as someone stated. Green beans are nothing special. But we had good service and overall really enjoyed our meal. Also... very large portions. read more

Wow! Incredible fried chicken. Made on a tabletop fryer in lard. Best fried I've ever had. Waited twenty minutes for a fresh serving. On Fridays they have chicken livers and gizzards but other than that there is no other meal served here. It's too bad you can't get something different if chicken isn't your thing and your with a group. read more

We come here around every other month and on this occasion they were the busiest they have been in a long time. At first I was ready leave since to took a long time to get service but we realized how short handed they were so we stayed and were glad we did. The fried chicken was great as usual as were the sides; slaw, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy. The only downside was the cost has gone up the last 2 times we have visited. We love this place, but unfortunately, at $22.95/person, we are contemplating the cost for another visit. read more

I luv the fact it had won James Beard award. It was good, not great. Simple basic recipe one can recreate at home. Service was so slow and one of the worst I've had. Never checked on us, would have ordered more beers/drinks. You can only order the family size platter $17.95 (1/2 chicken with sides) There are appetizers otherwise chicken only. I understand since they won the award, capitalized on it and make it easy on the staff. read more

Wagner's Village Inn - fried chicken and sides - American Near Me - Oldenburg, Indiana

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The owner is carrying on his grandparents' legacy & has perfected the culinary art of pan fried chicken. Delicious & crispy! Family style servings give customers a great potion size. Also, it keeps to the Germany heritage with the wall art. This restaurant is a James Beard award winner as well! read more

Worst chicken i ever had kfc is better the chicken was so dry i had a hard time swallowing the food the potatoes had no tastexat all Service was great very nice servers clean place drove 4 hours to eat there what a waste of time read more

Amazing chicken! The owner/chef/waiter was extremely nice. Long standing family business deserves 5 stars or more.

Now, I know what all the hype is about! The restaurant is approx 50 miles southeast of Indy and easily accessible from the highway. It is in a small, quaint town with plenty of parking on the street and surrounded by some small shops. I was greeted by Lexi when I walked in. She is quick, friendly and provided a little history about the restaurant. She answered all of my questions and took my order, promptly. Before, I knew it, she brung out the silverware, drink and napkins. I love quick service! Then, Kole greeted me almost as quickly. He is personable. As I observed, he was constantly working in the kitchen or just staying busy. Kole put his "foot" in that chicken! It was well seasoned, crispy and not dried out. I love good chicken! The food and service were excellent! Food presentation is extremely important and they did not disappoint. The restaurant is family friendly and clean. Next time I'll be bringing some people with me and I'm ordering peach cobbler too. This place definitely deserves an award! read more

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Took a "field trip" to this quaint town to experience a James Beard award winner dinner! This restaurant got swamped after the win so now the only menu item is their famous fruit chicken! I'm not a big fan of fried chicken, but this WAS the bomb! Served with bottomless coleslaw, mashed potatoes and green beans, and only $17.95. Two types of Warsteiner German beer on tap. Worth the trip! read more

Wagner's Village Inn - Half a chicken - American Near Me - Oldenburg, Indiana

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We went to Wagner's the other evening for the first time to meet some friends there. The hubby and my friends all ordered beer a Dunkel. My friends order that beer all the time and they really enjoy it there. I ordered a cocktail and didn't really have anything in mind so they asked me what I liked and they made me something and it was good. I ordered an appetizer for us which was the fried hot cheese. My friends ordered the liver and gizzards. We also ordered our entree at the same time and my hubby ordered the fried chicken with french fries and I ordered a grilled pork tenderloin with onion rings. Our friends ordered a plate of chicken. The fried cheese was pretty good and the waitress also brought another round of drinks for my friends and my hubby. She was very attentive. She delivered our entree and the cook forgot my onion rings so they made a order of them up quickly but they were greasy when I got them. That pork tenderloin was very good it was small and thicker because it was not all pounded out. My hubby loved the fried chicken he couldn't get over how well they seasoned it! This place is known for their fried chicken but I am not a fried chicken fan so I always look for something else on the menu when we go to a place like this. I was happy with what I got. I am sure that we will go back here again. read more

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This restaurant received the James Beard award. A year ago this place was the best to go to for fried chicken. Went again for the first time in a couple of years. They served dirty mashed potatoes (peels on and smashed), salty as hell green beans and greasy fried chicken, cole slaw was excellent. The plate it was served on was swimming in grease. It is the first time we left chicken on the table and did not take it home. I suggest James Beard needs to visit again. We will be going back to the Brau House in Oldenburg. Waitress was very friendly, attentive and kind. read more

I will not go here again. We called ahead to make an order and told it would be an hour wait, which was fine. The lady sounded annoyed that we'd wait but then said they might be out of food. Then she said they did have food so it'd be okay. Awesome. When we went in to pick up our order the lady behind the bar was less than helpful (guessing she's the one on the phone as well). We paid $60...got a small thing of cold potatoes, separated gravy that looked gross, and a small tub of green beans that were probably from a can. Chicken was tiny and burned. We had eaten here a few times within the last two years and something has happened to this place. Yikes. read more

Honestly, hubby and I were not impressed. We appreciated the old time charm and legacy of the restaurant, but I guess with them being an award winner and all, we thought the food would be really good or even amazing. I think our expectations were set too high. My husband ordered the unbreaded chicken thighs. I ordered the Wagner salad, which my served said contained their famous chicken. Hubby said his thighs were good, but the green beans were canned, the slaw unremarkable. My salad was all bagged iceberg with some diced pink "grocery store" tomatoes, unappetizing chunks of strong white onion, a sprinkle of orange cheese, a little bit of bacon, and a half handful of fried chicken skin, cartilage, and breading. I didn't have more than one or two bites of actual chicken meat. The Lance Crackers brought to the table were stale and the small plastic pot of ranch dressing was warm. Looking around the room, we did see some people sharing big platters of fried chicken, but with the same green beans plus mashed potatoes. Couldn't tell if the potatoes were instant or not, but the people seemed to be enjoying the chicken...at least the quantity of it. The restaurant itself was definitely dated and kind of run down. We liked seeing some of the vintage items, but my husband noticed water stains on the ceiling, and general lack of attention and updating. Service Was fine. Our server did as expected and was pleasant. I'm not sure that we would have the desire to dine here again. Maybe we would consider takeout chicken only, but we wouldn't order sides, or any other menu item, other than the fried chicken. We have been to some pretty shabby hole in the wall places with outstanding food, but we just didn't find that here. We feel sad about that. Seems they held on to the fried chicken legacy but let everything else go. read more

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Great food. And lots of it. Shared the family meal. Affordable and great service. Dated decor but that made it even better!

Best fried chicken ever! We will come back! No need to decide what you want. Everyone gets the same! read more

The chicken was delicious. Sides are great too. When I was there the owner was working the shop all by himself, service was really good. Hats off to someone working to keep a family business going. read more

Ate lunch there today so nice to be greeted, very clean, food was great, large portions and great service. Can see why it was given the James Beard award. read more

Wagner's Village Inn - Fried Chicken - American Near Me - Oldenburg, Indiana

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I drove all the way out to this little town to try this restaurant's famous fried chicken. Appetizers were pretty average, the macaroni bites were made of Kraft instant mac and cheese instead of homemade, cheese bites were melty and crispy so overall good, the breaded mushrooms were crispy. Chicken was underwhelming, it was tender and crispy and the breading had lots of black pepper in it. It seems like the whole thing was hyped up and exaggerated way too much so perhaps I just excepted more from a James Beard award. The servings are enormous, half of a chicken for only one person. It wasn't anything super special and not really worth driving hours to get to. Gravy was delicious and flavorful and seemed to be made from the chicken drippings. Overall it was a nice place with an old fashioned ambiance. The service was good, and servers were friendly. I would recommend if you were nearby, but not to drive hours to get to. read more