Workingman's Friend is a burgers restaurant in Haughville, Indianapolis.
Workingman's Friend in Haughville, Indianapolis is a 1918 lunch counter. The thin-patty smash double cheeseburger is the West Side standard.
Signature dishes: Smash double cheeseburger
Must order: The smash double cheeseburger with mustard, onion and pickle.
Tip: Cash only. Lunch counter; in and out. Closed Sunday.
Address: 234 N Belmont Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46222
Yats Broad Ripple in Indianapolis runs Cajun-Creole on North College for over two decades. Bowls of jambalaya, etouffee and drunken chicken.
Signature: Chili cheese etouffee, Jambalaya
Order: The chili cheese etouffee with crawfish, the cornbread.
Tip: Order at the counter. Hot sauce on the table.
Mama Carolla's in Meridian Kessler, Indianapolis is the canonical Italian-American room of 54th Street. Red sauce and a candlelit cult following.
Signature: Veal Marsala, Chicken Parmesan
Order: Veal Marsala, chicken Parmesan, eggplant rollatini.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Patio in summer.
Iaria's in Indianapolis has been on the same South College Avenue corner since 1933. The canonical old-school red-sauce Italian-American house.
Signature: Cheese ravioli, Spaghetti meatballs
Order: The cheese ravioli, the meatballs and house Chianti.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday dinner only. Bar walk-ins, dining-room reservations.
Bru Burger Bar opened on Mass Avenue in 2011 and remains the avenue's standard burger room. Hand-pattied house grinds, scratch brioche, craft-beer list.
Signature: Bru burger, Truffle fries
Order: The Bru burger with sharp cheddar, truffle fries, an Indiana draft.
Tip: Walk in for the bar, reservations on OpenTable for the dining room.
Bazbeaux on Mass Ave in Indianapolis has built specialty pies for over 30 years. Thin crust, creative combinations, the Mass Ave dinner-walk standard.
Signature: Specialty pies, Bazbeaux salad
Order: The Quattro Stagioni pie, a Bazbeaux salad, a craft draft.
Tip: Slices 11:00 to 1:00. The patio runs spring through fall.
Forty Five Degrees on Mass Ave is the avenue's sushi anchor. Cocktails, hot-rock cooking and a strong roll list, with a late-kitchen most nights.
Signature: Sushi rolls, Hot-rock dishes
Order: Two creative rolls off the menu, a hot-rock entree, a craft cocktail.
Tip: Late kitchen Friday and Saturday until midnight. Walk-ins seat at the bar.
