Mass Ave Indianapolis Restaurants: A Walking Guide

Mass Ave Indianapolis restaurants line a diagonal avenue that cuts across the grid of downtown, and the strip is the city's best-known dining street. Massachusetts Avenue is an arts district of theaters, galleries and small shops, and burger, pizza, fried chicken, taco and German beer garden rooms are the kinds of place guides repeat.

What are the best Mass Ave Indianapolis restaurants?

Several kinds of room appear in guides again and again: a burger room with a signature burger built around Taleggio, tomato jam and porter-braised onions, a pizzeria with creative toppings and a loyal following, and a fried chicken place that fries half chickens brined in house and serves Southern sides on one of the avenue's busiest corners.

Mass Ave's blocks hold a taco room with a long tequila list, a German restaurant with a biergarten and a Latin-inspired dining room in a restored brick building.

The mix is the point. A single block can hold a burger bar, a pizza counter and a German biergarten, so a group with different tastes can agree on the street even when they cannot agree on the dish. Walk the avenue before you decide, and read the menus posted by the doors.

Why is Indianapolis fried chicken a Mass Ave story?

Indianapolis fried chicken is a quiet local specialty, and a corner chicken room is the avenue's case for it. The kitchen brines chicken before frying, which keeps the meat juicy and the crust crisp. Pair it with Southern sides, such as greens, mashed potatoes or mac and cheese.

When you order fried chicken, ask how long it takes. A properly fried bird cooks to order, and the wait is part of the quality. Use the time to look at the room, order a drink and share a starter. The meat should be moist at the bone, with a crust that crackles when you bite.

If you have time for a second chicken meal elsewhere in the city, you can compare it with a neighborhood diner or a church supper. Mass Ave gives you one polished version, and neighborhoods farther out give you others.

Which Mass Ave patios are best?

Mass Ave patios are a draw in warm weather. Many restaurants have sidewalk tables, and some have rooftop terraces. A patio is the best seat for people watching on a summer evening, and a good place for a pre-show drink.

Ask when you book whether a patio table is available, and have a plan if the weather turns. In shoulder seasons, an indoor table by a window may be better than a cold patio.

How do you plan a night on the avenue?

Make an early dinner reservation if you have a show. The theaters along the avenue include several small stages, and curtain times vary, so check your ticket. Many restaurants will turn tables quickly for theatergoers, and some offer pre-show menus. Tell your server your curtain time.

If you have no show, choose a late dinner and a walk afterward. The avenue is lit in the evening, and its shops and galleries are an easy way to spend time between courses.

What does Indianapolis restaurants downtown offer beyond Mass Ave?

Indianapolis restaurants downtown include steakhouses, hotel dining rooms, food halls and casual counters. The city's Monument Circle area and the canal walk are close to Mass Ave, and a walk between them is easy. For a different pace, the Bottleworks District and the Indianapolis City Market offer food halls and market stalls.

Many visitors combine an afternoon at a museum or a sports venue with dinner on Mass Ave. Check parking, since downtown garages vary in price and availability.

If you are staying downtown, the whole area is walkable, and the avenue is a convenient meeting point for friends who are arriving from different directions. Choose a restaurant with room for a larger group, and call ahead if you are more than six.

What is Indianapolis neighborhood food like?

Indianapolis neighborhood food ranges from pork tenderloin sandwiches in diners to Mexican food on the west side to Ethiopian and Burmese restaurants in other parts of the city. Broad Ripple, north of downtown, has its own dining scene. A day trip to a neighborhood outside downtown is a good way to taste the city beyond the tourist strip.

A tenderloin is a must-try dish, and the best pork tenderloin sandwich in Indiana guide tells you where to start.

What else should you eat around Indiana?

For a budget day, read cheap eats in Indianapolis. For a drive, the food worth a drive in Indiana guide covers pie, Amish country and small towns. The US guides page lists more cities.

How do you plan a night on Mass Ave with a list?

Mass Ave rewards a long evening. Rate the dish at each stop, tag the patios you liked and keep one Mass Ave list for show nights, so a friend visiting for the theater can read your plan in a minute. Rate five places, answer three Top 3 questions and make a list in a city, and you earn Local Champion.

An avenue of restaurants is the right place to compare. Get the Mosey app, rate each dish you eat on Mass Ave by its flavor and its value, and keep an Indianapolis list that you can hand to a friend who is coming for a show.