Joe's Grille

When my wife was researching places to eat in Indianapolis, Joe’s Grille caught her eye because they served the breaded tenderloin sandwich.  She had originally read that this was an Iowa or Hawkeye specialty but later found out it was also an Indiana or Hoosier specialty.  We had originally planned to go to Joe’s for dinner on the second evening in Indy but decided to go back to Loon Lake Lodge instead.

On the second and final day of the conference, my coworkers told me to pick where we would eat lunch.  I chose Joe’s since that was the only choice that I knew something about that I hadn’t tried yet other than Skyline Chili.  I drove us back towards the hotel and turned right into the strip mall that included Joe’s Grille and Skyline Chili.  We entered and it was apparent that Joe’s was a very unfancy bar with loud TVs tuned to sports channels and smoking allowed inside.  It’s divided into two sections each with its own bar.  The darker, more crowded section on the right had louder TVs and mostly just chairs and barstools.  The quieter section on the left had more lighting, video games, and pool tables.  We initially sat in the right section but I soon moved us to the left where there was less cigarette smoke and there were ceiling fans for ventilation.  Joe’s lives up to its title as “A Gathering Place”.

The menu isn’t very large and includes the standard appetizers, burgers, soups/salads/wraps, pizza, sandwiches, and entrees.  The sandwich section includes the breaded tenderloin sandwich and our friendly server confirmed that the breading contains buttermilk.  They also have a variant of it under the appetizers: tenderloin chips.  Most items come with cheese or other things I can’t eat.  I opted for Joe’s burger and paid extra for onion rings in place of the included fries.  Some of my coworkers ordered drinks and found that Joe’s doesn’t have a wide selection of beers, no local microbrews but they do have the popular brands.

Our orders came quickly and my burger was excellent.  It was medium-sized, thick, grilled solid on the outside and juicy and flavorful but still fully cooked inside.  It’s one of the better burgers I’ve had.  The onion rings were also good, lighter than fries would have been, and therefore complementing the heavier burger well.  Just like the day before at Charleston’s, our server noticed our name takes with the word “Visitor” on them.  Rather than joke about it, she asked us where we came from.

In all it turned out to be a good lunch despite the informality of the setting.  One of my coworkers even complimented my choice.  We’ll have to go back there the next time we’re in Indy so my wife can try their breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.