Hasn’t the weather just been gorgeous recently? Doesn’t it make you want to go outside? Doesn’t it make you want to eat outside? If you’re like me, the answers to those three questions: yes, yes, and yes. And what better place to spend outside eating and people watching than Broadripple? This area has by far been the most reviewed by me because, well, I love this area. Not only is it close to campus, but there are so many restaurants within the it’s little square that I hadn’t tapped into until this semester. Aside from the main strip, Broadripple is full of nooks and crannies full of little gems. To name the ones I’ve reviewed: Canal Pointe, Noodles and Company, Bazbeaux Pizza, Thai Café, Shalimar Indian Restaurant, Hogshead Barbeque, and now—Broadripple Brew Pub. Phew! That’s a lot of eatin’ huh? I better keep running.
The Broadripple Brew Pub is located on Cornell Avenue, right across the street from Hogshead Barbeque, where I was last weekend. This place can be hard to find at first, but after a few tries you wind about on this hidden strip. Saturday was the perfect day to go to the Brew Pub. The sky was clear, so everyone congregated outside to eat. There was a Motor-cycle exhibition close by that day, so the motors were revving up left-and-right.
After only a minute wait, my friends and I landed a great spot outside. We were right next to the street, so we could watch all the commotion going on, but we weren’t right smack dab in the sun. So it was perfect. The only downside was that it was windy, and I kept losing my napkins. Thankfully, the waitress gave me extras.
It took my friends and I awhile to decide. After all, there are so many interesting and appealing choices. The Brew Pub has a variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees. We finally agreed on a starter: The Beer Cheese Crock. I was a little skeptical of this at first, but agreed to order. For $8.50, I thought it was just mediocre. The description for this crock says that it’s two of their house brews blended with two kinds of cheese. It’s served with many slices of both white and wheat bread. Basically, you’re getting a fondue: dipping bread in hot, melted cheese. The cheese was tart, smoky, and tasty compliments of the beer and cheese blend. For the price of it though, more expensive than my actual meal, I didn’t find it worth the filler space.
So I was really excited to head on to something more exciting: the sandwiches. The sandwiches are the bulk of the Brew Pubs menu, and each one is distinct and alluring. Each choice sounded great, so it too me awhile to decide. Since the Brew Pub is rated as having one of the best Vegetarian menus by Nuvo, I decided to try something on the greener side. I chose the Spinach Melt. This sandwich was a wonderfully creamy blend of spinach, sour cream, and water chestnuts grilled on sourdough bread with monterey jack cheese and a tomato. The outside was crisp, browned and toasty, while the inside was warm, cheesy and creamy. The spinach blend reminded me a lot of spinach dip, so much I could’ve asked for a side of chips and dipped them in the mix! On the side comes pickles and lettuce, if you so choose to top them onto your sandwich. Each sandwich also comes with potato chips. I was a disappointed that the chips were actual chips—pretty much just Ruffles. I would’ve been happier had each sandwich come with French fries of some sort. If you want to substitute with those, you do have to pay extra.
The second sandwich I tried was the Lawnmower Chicken. The name itself makes you’re interested peaked, right? This baby is a tender breast of chicken marinated in their Lawnmower Pale Ale served grilled, beer battered, or fried. I chose it grilled, to save more room in my stomach. The chicken was juicy, and the marinara gave it an extra kick. Make sure you ask for specific topping though. The sandwich itself is good, but adding some extra toppings like onions, lettuce, and tomatoes makes it great!
And the last sandwich I tried was the standard: The Brewpub Burger. The burger was grilled medium-well, topped off with melted pepper-jack cheese, and topped off with lettuce, pickles, and a tomato. The sourdough buns that both sandwiches, besides the Spinach melt, is soft, tasty, and dusted in flour. The meat patty is a small portion, and could’ve been a little bit juicier. And man, if that burger had come with complimentary fries, it would’ve been so much better. But chips it was. I just really missed using ketchup.
But I’ve gotta hand to Broadripple Brewpub: the do the outdoor seating thing well. The servers are quick, the atmosphere’s casual, and you can look right out onto the Monon Trail. When the sun comes out, and the weather is fine, you need to get right up, and move on over to Broadripple. The Brewpub is a great, traditional standard, but has interesting choices that you can try with each visit. This is a place I’d visit again. Next time though, I want to try their beer.
842 E. 65th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 253-2739
Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 11am-midnight
Fri-Sat: 11am-1am
Sun: 3pm-10pm
Five Star Ratings
First Impression: 4
Atmosphere: 4
Food quality: 4
Bang for your buck: 3
Bathrooms: 3
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