Breweries/Brewpubs:

Check their websites for hours and tasting/tour schedules!

• Sun King Brewing: The brewery that really ignited the craft brewing scene in Indy. Osiris Pale Ale is their best house beer, and their seasonals range from really excellent to total garbage. They offer tastings, tours, and growler fills!
• Flat 12 Bierwerks: Probably the second most popular brewery in Indy after Sun King, and definitely my fav. Most of their house beers are solid, and they do some really great seasonals, too. Unlike Sun King, they sell pints in their tasting room, and the atmosphere and decor are pretty great. They usually have food trucks on the weekend, and they are right across from The Smoking Goose Meatery, which I hear is pretty tasty!
• Indiana City Brewing: A newer brewery in Indy. I haven't really enjoyed anything I've had from them, but they do have a pretty sweet tap room that offers pints, tastings, and growler fills. Occasionally have food trucks.
• Bier Brewery:My second favorite Indy brewer after Flat 12. They have really great beers, and a cool tap room with pints, tastings, and growler fills. They are also right next door to a home brewing/winemaking/distilling shop, which is pretty cool if you're into that kind of thing. The big mark against them is that they aren't super close to downtown. Biking distance maybe, but definitely not walking.
• Triton Brewing Company: Triton is pretty hit or miss with their beers, and their actually brewery is way out in the burbs. They have a tap room in Broad Ripple called Triton Tap that is kinda neat. The brewery almost always has food trucks, and the tap room is on the BR strip so there are lots of food options around.
• Upland Brewing Co.: Upland is one of the oldest micros in Indiana, and are highly respected throughout the state. They started a souring program a few years ago, and it quickly gained national attention for being excellent. The sours are generally limited release, though, and their house beers aren't my favorite (anymore! I used to love them, so maybe it's just a problem of overexposure.) They are based out of beautiful Bloomington, IN, but have a tap room in Broad Ripple and a brewpub in Carmel. Both are very cool!
• Union Brewing Company: These guys are located in a crappy old strip mall in suburban Carmel, but are a serious diamond in the rough. They call themselve's a nano-brewery because everything they make is small batch and generally casked. They have like 4 handpulls plus several regular and ntiro taps going in their taproom, and their guest beers are always top notch. The space itself is really incredible, and you'll totally forget you're in a strip mall. They're located right off the Monon, so if you want to bike 14ish miles up there it's really convenient! Otherwise you have to drive up there, though, which is really a pain. A good little trip would be to hit this place and then go to the Upland Brewpub in Carmel, too, and split a cab there and back. The public transit here is garbage and it makes me so mad!
• Fountain Square Brewery: As the name implies, they are in the Fountain Square neighborhood. Their brewery/tap room does samples, pints, and growlers, and I think they may do tours, too. Not my favorite brewery, but I go there pretty frequently because THEY FILL GROWLERS ON SUNDAYS, AND THEY DO IT FOR ONLY FIVE AMERICAN DOLLARS! This is a big deal because you can't buy carryout beer (from anywhere except breweries!) on Sundays in Indiana, and this is the only brewery that stays open on to provide us with beer on the holiest of days. Bless them.
• Outliers Brewing Company: They are brand new and have limited hours, so I've never been here. What I've had at bars has been good. Their best feature is that they are the closest brewery to my mom's place. They are literally a block away. Check them out!
• Black Acre Brewing: "Small batch artisinal brewing" in nearby Irvington. I don't get out there very often, but their beers are generally excellent, and their guest taps are really great. They also have food that I remember being quite tasty. They are located next to Jockamo Pizza, which I find delicious. And they are "easily" (for Indy, anyway) accessible via public transit!
• Tow Yard Brewing: I have never been here and have no plans to go. The stated goals of one of the owners is to "cash in on the microbrew craze", and I'm pretty sure they are going to end up like Rogue Brewing. That is: they may have some decent beers occasionally, but they'll be drowned out by the constant stream of marketing bile that spews forth from their impeccably branded tap room. Or maybe they'll just be garbage, I dunno.

Bars/Restaurants:

Mass Ave:
(In roughly South to North order)

• MacNiven's Restaurant and Bar: MacNiven's is a "Scottish" bar and restauarant that offers a excellent tap list and above average pub food. The beers (and Scotches, of course!) are all high quality, and very diverse. They always have at least 2 taps from Three Floyd's, the best brewery in Indiana (and maybe the midwest!), along with a unique cask on the hand pull, several quality Belgians, and seasonals from from Goose Island (the other contender for best midwest brewery), among other things! The food is traditional pub fare with a Scottish flare. The Scotch Eggs are a hit with meat eaters, and the French Onion Soup is one of several delicious options for vegheads. I highly recommend it!
• Bazbeaux Pizza: The most popular local pizza joint in Indy. It's not the most amazing pizza ever, but it's very good, and they have a decent beer list. The Chilope is my favorite pizza here! Order off the specialty menu if you go, as their regular pies leave a lot be desired.
• The Ball & Biscuit: A fancy cocktail and appetizer bar. It's not super pretentious, but don't go in jeans and a t-shirt or you'll feel pretty out of place. It's a no TV, locally sourced, artisanal pickle kinda place. The cocktails are on the expensive side, but it's a fair price for what you get!
• The Rathskeller: Specfically, the Kellerbar and Biergarten (skip the restaurant). It's Indy's preeminent German bar, and is the second closest bar to my Mom's. They've got a great selection of German biers, and they'll serve them to you in those giant glass mugs if you want! Their rotating taps are good, too, but if you don't order a German bier here you are an idiot. Get the pretzels with spicy mustard, but be careful because it will wreck you if you aren't prepared. Not the best place for vegetarians, but they do have options. If you eat meat you'll be in heaven! The outdoor Biergarten has live music every weekend, and will probably be bumpin for July 4th.
• Old Point Tavern: Bit of a weird place if you ask me. Not quite a dive bar, but not somewhere I'd take a date, either. They've got outdoor seating that is fantastic for people watching. The beers are ok, the food isn't great, but if you go you HAVE to get the the nachos. They're enormous!
• BRU Burger Bar: Overpriced, pretentious garbage. Skip it and go to Punch Burger instead.
• Chatterbox Jazz Club: A live jazz dive bar. It's pretty sweet if you are into that kind of thing. I haven't been in ages so I can't comment on their alcohol selection, but the food is bare minimum (think toaster oven pizzas and chips). The big draw is live jazz 7 days a week in a cozy little bar.
• Ralston's Draft House: I can't decide how I feel about this place. I always have a good time, but the food tries too hard (and usually fails) and the beer list is large but uninspired. They have shuffleboard and darts, which is nice, and plenty of TVs for sports watching.
• Liberty Street: The owner kicked a really cool restaurant out of a really cool space so that he could gut it and put in a really lame bar. Also he's a tea partier. I avoid this place on principal, but their menu also looks crappy to my admittedly biased eyes.
• Mesh on Mass: I've never been because it doesn't look great, and my mom dine and dashed once because she couldn't get anyone to bring her food or a check. So I guess that's technically drinking and dashing, but whatever.
• Mass Avenue Pub: Owned by the same folks as MacNiven's, and share a similar beer list. I go here occasionally, but I think the beer and the food are both better at MacNiven's. This place has decent pub pizza, though, which is usually my primary reason for going. They also do a lot of events.
• FortyFive Degrees: A club-y sushi-y place. I think it's absolutely garbage, but it appeals to a certain crowd. Avoid unless you are pretending to be rich and famous and want overpriced sushi and bottle service.
• Yat's: The original Indy-area Creole/Cajun restauarant chain. People either love Yat's and could eat it every day, or they think it looks and tastes like a steaming pile of vomit. I fall into the former camp, so I highly recommend it. They have great options for vegans and meat eaters alike, and the downtown location has a small but decent beer selection.
• R Bistro: Gourmet, locally sourced restaurant with a weekly menu. I tend to go here for my birthday because it's usually out of my price range. Really incredible food, with a quality drink list to match. Get reservations if you can!
• Black Market: This place is usually described as a gastropub. It's basically bar with really excellent food and a great beer list. It's a little pricy, especially for dinner, but not as much as R Bistro. Definitely get the Welsh Rarebit and the Pickles if you go. This used to be one of my favorite places in Indy, but everytime I've tried to go recently they've been closed for private events, water main breaks, so you might call ahead to make sure you're not as unlucky as me!
• Chatham Tap: The most popular soccer bar in Indy! It's seriously jam packed when games are on. The food is very good, and the beer selection is above average. They've got outdoor seating right on the Cultural Trail, which I enjoy.

Downtown:

• Tomlinson Tap Room: OH MAN, this place is AWESOME. It's a bit hard to find, as it's on the second floor of the Indianapolis City Market, but it's really worth it. The big draw is that it's 100% INDIANA LOCAL MICROBREWS. It's a really, really cool concept in a really, really cool place. They get a lot of limited releases from local places, some of which are garbage and some of which are incredible. They usually have a couple Three Floyd's taps, too. A can't miss bar if you are looking to sample as many Indiana beer as possible!
• Wholesale District (Kilroy's, Howl at the Moon, etc): This is a pretty big area a couple blocks south of the Circle. It's PARTY BAR central! If you wanna get drunk and grind or hit up a Hooter's, then this is a great area to go; otherwise, avoid it.
• Slippery Noodle Inn: The oldest continually operating bar in the state of Indiana! And they have live blues! I don't really have much more to say about it, despite having been there several times. It's extremely average!
• Scotty's Brewhouse: An Indiana orginal chain! The food used to be pretty good, but has gone downhill since they've started expanding widely. The beer selection is OK but not great. They have a brewery called Three Wise Men up in Broad Ripple this is also OK but not great. Overall: better than Chili's or Rock Bottom or whatever, but not world beating.
• Pearl Street Pizza: Pretty good pizza, pretty good beer. The spicy Hawaiian pizza thing they have is the best! I'd usually rather go here than Bazbeaux, but they are pretty evenly matched.
• The Libertine Bar: A fancy cocktail bar. I've never been, but it looks cool!
• St. Elmo Steakhouse/Harry & Izzy's: The most famous restaurant in Indy! St Elmo and Harry & Izzy's share a kitchen. St Elmo is much fancier, more expensive, and more steak-centered. I dunno what else to say about these places except that they are not overrated! And Harry & Izzy's has one of the best vegan dishes in the city, which is bizarre!
• Mikado Japanese Restaurant: The best downtown sushi place, although that isn't saying much! The menu is kinda small and overpriced, but the service is usually pretty good. Midwest sushi, woooo!
• Ram Restaurant and Brewery: A chain-y brewpub. I'm listing it for two reasons: 1) It is very popular with out of towners, and 2) my dad was the construction manager for the downtown location, and I like telling people!
• The Eagle's Nest: A rotating restauarant on top a hotel. It's actually pretty cool. Dinner is really, really expensive, but if you go for just drinks and desserts it doesn't break the bank. It made me a bit nauseous after a while, but I am easily motion sick!
• Nicky Blaine's Cocktail Lounge: A scotch and cigar bar. I've never been here, and never plan to, but if you like smoking inside of buildings then this is one of the last places you can do it in Indy!
• Punch Burger: Kind of like Shake Shack without the shakes, but with better burgers and beer. The veggie burger is good, and all the toppings and specialty burgers are great! The beer selection is weirdly good for a fast casual burger joint, and they have a bar sorta area with a couple TVs. Highly recommended!

Downtown Breakfast

• Le Peep: Standard breakfast! The skillets are good, and the gooey bun is good.
• Maxine's Chicken and Waffles: Soul food breakfast! Don't let it's proximity to a gas station scare you away! It's really, really good! And it's the closest breakfast place to my mom's! Get some peach butter and dip things in it!
• Cafe Patachou: Fancy breakfast! I have never been here, but I hear it is really good! It's also super close to the convention center!
• Square Donuts: Donuts! The only donut place downtown! And they are pretty good! Not open on Sunday's for some stupid reason. Actually I just remembered there is a Dunkin downtown, too, but it's in Banker's Life and is kinda weird. Also closed on Sunday!

Fountain Square:

• Bluebeard: Locally sourced gourmet restauarant with a menu that changes daily. And they do $5 PBR and a shot for some reason. I've been once and it was AWESOME! Pretty expensive, though. Everything is meant to be shared, and you're supposed to get several courses.
• South of Chicago Pizza and Beef: Chicago style pizza and beef. Not the best I've ever had, but the best you'll get in Indy!
• La Margarita: Mexican food with a surprisingly good beer selection! I've never been, but I've heard great things. They do limited release beer events all the time, which is cool
• Red Lion Grog House: An English style pub. The curry fries are off the hook! The beer selection is ok, and they have some cool cocktails. I like this place, but it's not usually at the top of my list!
• Revolucion: A taco and tequila bar! With a bunch of house made hot sauces! I really like this place! Great selection for vegetarians and meat eaters, and tons of tequila. If the regular hot sauces aren't enough for you, ask for the secret extra spicy ones!
• The Brass Ring Lounge: I've never been here, but I hear good things, and they have St. Louis style pizza which sounds interesting!

Broad Ripple:

• Twenty Tap: Twenty Tap has way more than 20 taps now, and they are all really good! The food is also to die for! The beer battered fried cheese curds are incredible, and they have great vegetarian options, too. The worst part about this place is how popular it is. I'm pretty sure it's packed 100% of the time it's open! It's worth it though if you don't mind a wait
• The Sinking Ship: Originally a punk/metal bar, now a hipster/hockey bar. I guess. I dunno it seems pretty much the same to me! They have excellent veggie options, a good but small tap list, pool, darts, TVs, and a patio. Plus they are right next to Lava Lips!
• Lava Lips: A hot sauce tasting bar! A pretty weird concept, but it's totally awesome. They have hundreds of sauces, from the mildly spicy to the OH MY GOD I'M DYING hot.
• Brugge Brasserie: Easily one of my favorite places in Indy. They brew their own beer, and always have a sour or two on tap. The frites are to die for, and the sauces are top notch. They also have mussels, crepes, and other delicious goodies! There is a bar upstairs that has shuffleboard and (I think) darts. If you go to Broad Ripple, you HAVE to go to Burgge!
• Broad Ripple Brewpub: The original Indianapolis brewpub! The brew their own beer, and it's mostly really good! They have great food, too. An Indy tradition!
• The Strip: Broad Ripple Ave between College and Westfield(ish) is the other mecca of PARTY BARS in Indianapolis. Wanna get drunk in a loud bar and grind? This is your place! Some of the bars are actually pretty enjoyable on weekdays, but it's a nuthouse on the weekends!

Lafayette Square:
This used to be a dying area full of empty strip malls, but is now a thriving haven of ethnic cuisine and groceries! There are way too many hole in the wall places here that I haven't been to, and from what I hear they are all incredible. I shop here for groceries regularly (Saraga and Carniceria Guanajato are incredible!!!!!!). The only restaurant I've been to enough to highlight is Spice Nation, but if you want ethnic food this is where to go!

• Spice Nation: THE BEST INDIAN BUFFET I'VE EVER BEEN TO! It's a hole in the wall in a weird little building, but it's incredible. It's 100% vegetarian, and they do vegan buffets on certain days and times, too. Oh man, so good. There is an Indian grocery in the same building, and a non-veggie restaurant, too. They also have a food truck called Dhaba Indy that cater to both veggie and meat eaters, and it's really good!