Best road-trip restaurants in Indiana

$$

Fourth Street's only Tibetan restaurant, family-run by a former monk refugee who once hosted the Dalai Lama, serving momos and thukpa.

$$$

Chef-driven Midwestern restaurant celebrating Indiana ingredients with local and organic produce turned into dynamic, flavorful heartland dishes downtown.

$$

Fourth Street kitchen serving traditional Burmese specialties alongside noodle plates and rice dishes in Bloomington's famed international dining corridor.

$$

Family-owned campus institution since 1973 famous for pan pizza with a buttery crust, drawing generations of Indiana University students and locals.

$$

Iconic IU tavern since 1927 wrapped in Cream and Crimson memorabilia, home of the Sink the Biz game and hearty pub fare.

$$ · Indiana Dunes National Park

Craft beer, burgers, and pub plates minutes from the park entrances, giving Indiana Dunes a proper casual dinner option beyond beach snacks.

$$ · Indiana Dunes National Park

A bohemian Chesterton kitchen mixing Eastern European comfort, seafood, and vegetarian-friendly plates — the character pick after a dunes day.

$$$ · Indiana Dunes National Park

Italian classics and martinis in a snug converted house with a fairy-lit patio — a longtime Region best-Italian winner and the dressed-up option minutes from the lakeshore.

$$ · Indiana Dunes National Park

Downtown Chesterton burger den grinding grass-fed Tallgrass beef, with six rotating regional craft taps. The town consensus pick after a day on the dunes.

$ · Indiana Dunes National Park

Cozy Broadway coffeehouse pulling serious espresso and stacking deli sandwiches since 2005 — the pre-beach provisioning stop before the South Shore train crowd arrives.

$$

Columbus family restaurant open since 2008, with sandwiches, burgers, quesadillas, cold beer, patio seating, and homemade desserts near the west-side highway.

$

Ornate 1900 soda fountain and ice cream parlor with carved oak, Tiffany-style lamps, and a museum, serving house-made ice cream and classic lunches.

$$$

Downtown fine-dining room from twice James Beard-nominated chef Aaron Butts, focused on local farms with some of the Midwest's best cocktails.

$$$

Locally owned upscale Asian and Thai restaurant delivering thoughtfully composed, carefully presented dishes considered among the area's most impressive.

$$$

Upscale Latin restaurant drawing on Brazilian, Chilean, Peruvian, and Mexican traditions for a refined finer-dining experience in downtown Fort Wayne.

$

Huntington diner since 1908 credited as the birthplace of the breaded pork tenderloin, hand-pounding and frying it to crackling golden perfection.

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Longtime spot for traditional injera-and-wot feasts. (Northside)

$$$ · Indianapolis 500

The acclaimed brunch diner formerly Milktooth, inventive scratch cooking. (Fletcher Place)

$$$

Jonathan Brooks's intimate chef-driven counterpart offering a refined, frequently rotating menu of technically precise small plates in an artful dining room.

$$$ · Indianapolis 500

James Beard-recognized farm-to-table spot with an in-house bakery. (Fletcher Place)

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Top-rated modern Thai kitchen with boldly spiced dishes. (Downtown)

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Mass Ave mainstay for craft burgers in a former auto showroom.

$$

Kamado-style live-fire cooking destination founded in 2005, offering wood-smoked barbecue, communal dinners, and hands-on grilling experiences in Broad Ripple.

$$

Beloved neighborhood butcher shop and salumeria with a rotating menu of house-cured meats, sandwiches, and cheeses on Delaware Street.

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Texas-style smoked-meat hall with a lively beer garden. (Broad Ripple)

$$$ · Indianapolis 500

The more casual sibling of St. Elmo with the same iconic cocktail sauce. (Downtown)

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Beloved soul-food destination for Southern comfort classics. (Northeast Side)

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Fourth-generation red-sauce institution on the same corner since 1913. (Downtown)

$$

Stutz Building taqueria praised for masterfully handled carnitas, al pastor, and asada plus some of the best vegetarian tacos in town.

$ · Indianapolis 500

Indy staple for smoky, saucy ribs and no-frills BBQ plates. (Northwest Side)

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Family-owned Fountain Square staple for over 30 years.

$$$ · Indianapolis 500

Buzzy two-story Mass Ave hangout with Latin small plates and a rooftop.

$$

Jonathan Brooks's globally celebrated daytime cafe reverted from its Arlene's experiment, serving inventive ever-changing brunch in a former garage on Virginia Ave.

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Artisan stone-hearth pizzeria from James Beard semifinalist Martha Hoover. (Meridian-Kessler)

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Warm downtown Indian kitchen spanning curries and tandoori.

$$ · Lincoln Highway

A century-old Indianapolis deli for the Midwest middle of the Lincoln Highway run.

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Historic blues bar and grill with catfish and live music. (Downtown)

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Indiana's oldest bar, pairing pub fare with live blues nightly. (Downtown)

$$$$ · Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis landmark since 1902, famous for old-school steaks. (Downtown)

$$

Longtime SoBro neighborhood pub and kitchen turning out one of the city's most defended breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches alongside comfort classics.

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Lively Mass Ave spot for craveable fried chicken and sides.

$$

Indianapolis's oldest restaurant, open since 1894 in a historic German cultural building with a biergarten serving schnitzel and sauerbraten.

$$$

Unfussy fine dining and wine bar with an oft-changing seasonal menu sourced from local farms and artisan makers in a casual house setting.

$$$$ · Indianapolis 500

Chef-driven tasting menus from James Beard semifinalist Thomas Melvin. (Downtown)

$ · Indianapolis 500

Zero-frills 1918 tavern beloved for crispy-edged smashburgers. (Near West Side)

$ · Indianapolis 500

Cult-favorite counter-serve Cajun spot with a rotating chalkboard. (Mass Ave)

$$$$

Destination farm-to-fork fine dining in a historic rural village, showcasing estate-raised Wagyu and melt-in-your-mouth Gunthorp Farms duck.

$$ · Indianapolis 500

Minutes from the track, an Indiana craft brewery with a pub menu. (Speedway)

$ · Indianapolis 500

Race-fan breakfast staple across from the Speedway since 1975.

$$ · Indianapolis 500

One block from the track, a go-to for steaks and the local tenderloin. (Speedway)

$ · Indianapolis 500

Retro carhop drive-in serving the west side for nearly 50 years. (Speedway)