Indianapolis Food Halls: Garage Food Hall and City Market

Indianapolis food halls are a good way to try the city's food in one stop, and the best known is The Garage Food Hall in the Bottleworks District. This guide covers what to expect there, how food halls work, what the city's historic market means for a visit and what to order.

Order at the stall, carry your food to a shared table and drinks from the bar. A breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is the Indiana dish to look for.

What are Indianapolis food halls?

A food hall is a group of independent food stalls and bars sharing one building and a common seating area. In Indianapolis, the idea has taken hold in neighborhoods that have been redeveloped, and the halls often draw office workers at lunch and families on weekends.

The advantage for a visitor is range. A group of four can order four different meals and eat at one table, with local beer and coffee within reach.

Garage Food Hall Indianapolis: what to expect

The Garage Food Hall sits in a redeveloped district of old industrial buildings, in a former garage building at 906 Carrollton Avenue. It has a rotating set of vendors, a bar and a casual space with long tables. Third-party listings show hours from late morning through the evening, with later closing on Fridays and Saturdays, but vendors can keep different hours, so check before you go. The hall describes itself as a place for local makers and chefs, and its stalls change from time to time as new businesses come and go.

Walk the district before or after you eat, because the old plant buildings around the hall are part of the visit. Go at lunch on a weekday for the easiest seating. Evenings and weekends are busier. If you are visiting with children, arrive early and claim a long table, then split up to order. Many families treat the hall as a casual dinner stop on a weekend, and the range of dishes helps when people want different things.

Why visit the Bottleworks District?

The Bottleworks District is a redeveloped complex that includes a hotel, shops and restaurants around a historic bottling plant. It is a short drive from downtown, and it is a pleasant place to walk after a meal. Parking is available in lots and a garage near the hall.

The area has other restaurants, so a hall visit can be part of a longer evening. Allow time for a stroll through the old plant buildings, which now hold shops and offices.

Indianapolis City Market: the historic public market

Indianapolis City Market is the city's historic public market downtown, and it has had long closures in recent years, so it is not a safe bet for a meal. Check the market's own channels for the latest information before you plan a visit around it, and have a second option in mind, such as The Garage Food Hall.

How food halls work

Each stall has its own menu and counter. You order and pay at the stall, wait for your food and carry it to a shared table. Drinks come from the bar. Some halls ask you to clear your own tray. Seating is first come, first served, so one person can find a table while another orders.

Hours differ between stalls, and some close on certain days. Look at the hall's own page for the day you plan to go.

What should you order at a food hall?

Choose a dish from the stall with the shortest line or the most interesting menu, and share it. If you are in a group, send each person to a different stall and meet at the table. Include something fresh, something fried and something sweet.

Ask the person behind the counter what is popular. A hall is easiest with a friend: one person holds a table while the other queues, and sharing plates lets you taste more of the hall in one visit. Indiana's classic breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is a regional favorite that may appear at local restaurants, so ask about it elsewhere in the city.

What local foods should you look for in Indianapolis?

Indiana has a few dishes of its own. The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is the state's signature: a thin pork cutlet, pounded, breaded and fried, served on a bun that is far smaller than the meat. Sugar cream pie, a simple custard pie, is the state pie. Sweet corn and tomatoes arrive in summer from farms around the city.

Ask a vendor or a server where the cooks go on their day off, and write down the answers. The best tips come from people behind the counter, and they change with the season.

What about dietary needs?

Most stalls can answer questions about allergens, and many offer vegetarian options. For a serious allergy, speak to the kitchen, not only the cashier. Cross-contact is possible in shared spaces.

Where should you go next?

For a nearby city's food, read the brunch in Chicago guide and the St. Louis toasted ravioli guide. For Kentucky across the river, see the hot brown in Louisville. Every city is on the US guides page.

Lunch from three stalls is three dishes to remember. Download the Mosey app, rate each one while the memory is fresh, and keep an Indianapolis list for the next time someone asks where to eat.