Punch Burger

127 E. Ohio Street

Indianapolis, IN

317.426.5280

Punch Burger

I usually wait a few weeks or months for a new restaurant to find its identity and work out the kinks. After reading the feature in the Indy Star, I decided to break my rule and try Punch Burger. What sold me was the idea of fresh and local ingredients from here in Indiana. The first thing I noticed was the was the bright menu board. It was very easy to navigate. First they list the specialty burgers for those people that like decisions to be made for them. Next are the options to build your own burger. There are three bun options, three meat options, toppings, cheeses, sauce, and extras. You also have your choice to get a grilled cheese, if a burger isn't up your alley. I really enjoyed how this restaurant knows its identity. They want to do burgers and do burgers well. They aren't gimmicky. The menu is very reasonably priced. For around $18, we got 2 burgers, 2 sodas, sweet potato tater tots, and waffle fries. We went on a Monday night and the staff was very inviting. They were patient as we went through the menu, deciding what to order. It wasn't very busy, but you will have that a new restaurant especially downtown. I picture Punch Burger gaining steam through the winter with the Pacers season starting soon. Punch Burger is located at Delaware and Ohio, so 3 or so blocks North of Bankers Life. The restaurant is very bright and clean. It has the feel of a classic diner, with modern accents. There seems to be a fair amount of seating. It wasn't crowded and our food came out quickly, so they can turn tables pretty fast. They also have wine and beer on tap, mostly local breweries, and PBR for you hipsters.

I decided to build my own burger. I started with the pretzel roll (extra $.40), Angus beef patty, lettuce, tomato, grilled red onion (you can opt for raw), house made pickles, pepper jack cheese, and spicy aioli. I like the pretzel roll as it has the strength to hold up to a loaded burger. As juicy as this burger was, it did not make the roll soggy. They butter both sides and grill the bun to a golden brown to give that extra defense against any sauce or juice that can break up the bun. Grilling the bun also gives a nice crispy texture. The burger is 1/3 lb of Angus beef from Fischer Farms in Jasper, IN. At first, I thought that I might want to double the burger, but it was actually just the right size. We both left dinner feeling comfortably full. You do have the option to adding a patty for $2. This was one of the juiciest burgers I have had in a while. It had the perfect amount of fat. It was juicy not greasy. I did not feel disgustingly full after eating this burger. You can tell the patty is formed by hand as it is pretty rough looking. The toppings worked well together. I ate a few of the house pickles by themselves. They were crunchy and had a kind of sweet, kind of sour flavor. The spicy aioli was great. It had a creamy flavor, but added just enough heat. It was a perfect mild heat. They do have Sriracha if you are looking for hotter. The sweet potato tater tots ($2) were awesome. They were cooked just the way I like them, a crunchy outside and soft inside. You could see the tiny diced sweet potatoes. Next time, I would ask for a few sauces for dipping. The waffle fries ($1.50) were average, but I feel like we didn't get that many in a serving. You get more bang for your buck with the tots.

I will definitely go back to Punch Burger. I overheard a patron say, "This place is much better than Boogie Burger." I would rank Punch Burger up with Twenty Tap, and ahead of BRU, Bub's, and Boogie Burger.

"I'm in 'an open relationship' with EAting healthy" -Unknown

Bub's Burgers & Ice Cream

201 W. Main St.

Carmel, IN 46032

(317) 706- BUBS (2827)

Bub's Burgers & Ice Cream

 

The first time I ever ate at Bub's was 2 summers ago during an ambitious ride north on the Monon from Broad Ripple. I had just purchased a new bicycle, and we wanted to go on a ride. We thought it would be a good idea to go to Bub's for lunch, as it was getting much press from its feature on Man VS Food. It is a little over an 8 mile ride down the Monon. We decided it would be a good idea to make it a tradition after this trip. I'm sad to say that the tradition came to an end this year, as the other 3 of my friends that partook on this inaugural trip have since moved away from the Circle City. Nothing will compare to the first time riding down there as it was around 100 degrees outside and humid. 3 out of the 4 of us ate the "Big Ugly" 1lb burger. The other ordered the 1/4 lb hot dog. We were all successful in finishing the Big Ugly so we got our picture on the wall. Shockingly, the ride home took less time than the ride there.

My most recent trip was on this past Labor Day. The restaurant was as busy as always, it seems to have a pretty steady flow of patrons no matter what time or day it is. It doesn't hurt to be located right off the Monon and in Downtown Carmel which has hundreds of visitors a day. We even got there at 11:30. Luckily it was a nice day out and we could sit on the patio. Actually, I have never eaten inside, it has always been on the patio. There are a good amount of picnic tables out there to accomodate large groups. Our service was great. The food came out quickly and our waitress was very friendly. I have never had any issues with the restaurant. My only caveat is be prepared to wait to be seated. They do not take reservations unless you book the party room. Luckily during the summer time there are games outside to keep the kids occupied. They also line up patio chairs so you have a place to sit. It is a great place to people watch.

This time around I ordered the 1/2 lb Elk burger. Elk is healthier for you as it has less fat, cholesterol, and calories than beef. All the burgers come with your choice of cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomato, and onion. I went with the pepper jack cheese. I also ordered a side of sweet potato waffle fries with marshmallow sauce for dipping. The burger was cooked to a perfect medium, which as far as you want to go with game meats. If I have learned anything watching cooking shows, it is to cook game meats to medium rare. Each bite was juicy and flavorful. I have always felt that a good burger can stand up on its own without any condiments. This holds true with the Bub's burger. This was also the first time I have had elk. I really couldn't tell too much of a difference between my elk burger and JBH's beef burger besides the elk tasting a bit sweeter than the beef. The buns are baked locally, specifically for the 3 different sizes of burgers. The bun was toasted and had a wonderful buttery flavor. The sweet potato waffle fries reminded me of Thanksgiving. These were a perfect blend of sweet and salty. The fries were crispy thoughout. I find that sometimes sweet potato fries are usually on the soggy side, but not these. I was full after my meal, but not uncomfortable. It helped cure any lingering hang over effects I was feeling from the wedding I went to that weekend.

Of all the burger places I have written about Bub's falls somewhere near the middle of my favorites. It is a good burger with a fun atmosphere, perfect for families. I just think there are better burger joints that offer a more grown up taste.

"EAting is really one of your indoor sports. you play three times a day, and it's well worth while to make the game as pleasant as possible." - Dorothy Draper

Road Trip: Bloomington, IN - Hinkle's Hamburgers

206 S. Adams

Bloomington, IN 47404

(812) 339-3335

Hinkle's Hamburgers

I was down in Bloomington again to coach in the IHSAA State Track Meet. I had driven by Hinkle's Hamburgers numerous times while I was in school, but I had never actually eaten there. It is located southwest of campus off S. Adams St. If you take Kirkwood west past the cemetery, veer to the left and the restaurant is on your right. Hinkle's is the epitome of a dive restaurant. It is not very big and it seems the decor hasn't changed in years. The menu is the same as you would find in a concession stand. I think this is what gives the restaurant its signature "No Frills, Classic Food" flair. It has a couple of seats at the counter, about 7 or so table tops, and a few benches outside. I think only recently they started accepting credit cards. When you walk in, there are about 5 or so employees behind the counter. The place was pretty busy when my brother and I arrived. We were unable to eat inside the dining area, so we went to the picnic tables outside.

 

We each got a double cheeseburger meal (burger, fries, soda) for $6. I went with grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato on mine. We also ordered a side of the fried pickles ($3). The price couldn't be beat. If you look at the specials menu, you can see the 3 hamburgers for $5. I think they really know the target market of Bloomington townies and college students on a budget. I mean "townies" with the utmost respect. Having to put up with college students 9 months of the year, you deserve great restaurants like Hinkle's. I really wish I would have tried this place out when I was an undergrad, as you can't beat the price. Also, this would have hit the spot for many a hangover. I know when you see these pictures, you will think the burger is pretty unappealing, but tell me the last time you went to a fast food joint and the burger looked like the burger from the commercials. The fries were typical. The fried pickles were spears not chips. I was hoping they were hand breaded, but to my disappointment, they came out of a bag in the freezer. The freshest part of the meal was the burger. The beef is ground fresh daily. It was about the size of a McDonald's patty in thickness and area. The flavor was more along the lines of a White Castle burger, but with much better meat. This can be attributed to the steamed onions. I saw the chef cover the burger with a stainless steel cover to melt the cheese faster. I guess it was a good thing I was only coaching, not running in the meet, because this meal sat heavy. Although on numerous occasions this year, I had to explain how important it was to not eat junk before the meets.

I have long said that Bloomington is a food mecca. Hinkle's just extends my theory. My brother overhead some kids talking about where they wanted to eat after the meet. I was very disappointed to hear that their options were Olive Garden, Bob Evans, and Applebee's. Please, do yourselves a favor. If you ever go down to Bloomington, stay away from the chains. You will not regret your decision.


"I want to keep fighting because it is the only thing that keeps me out of the hamburger joints. If I don't fight, I'll EAt this planet." -George Foreman

BRU Burger Bar

410 Massachusettes Ave

Indianapolis, IN 46202

(317) 635-4BRU(4278)

BRU Burger Bar

I've come to the realization that I go on food kicks. After my delicious burger at Twenty Tap, I followed that with trips to Boogie Burger and BRU. All three were equally amazing, but unique in their own right. It would be hard to pick a favorite of the three. I will say that the service at BRU was spectacular. Our waitress, Jackson, was happy, friendly, and helpful from the moment we sat down. She asked if we had ever eaten here before and the proceeded to explain the menu. "We are known for burgers and beer. All the meat is organically farmed and we strive to use the freshest ingredients." The only question I had about the menu was; which is better, fries or onion rings? she said "They are both good but, our onion rings are cooked to order. We have slices of onions sitting in a bath of buttermilk, then they are hand breaded and fried." I was sold. We did not have to wait very long for our food to come out either. Jackson would come check on us to see how we were doing and kept our refills coming. (I opted out on the beer because they were out of the only beer I wanted.) The restaurant itself is moderately sized. The only other time I had been was when we stopped in during the Super Bowl, but it was a 2 hour wait. On a Monday during dinner, we came right in and sat down. I know weekends are pretty crowded and you will have to wait to be seated at a table. The good thing about BRU is that they have a huge bar. It spans pretty much 3/4 the length of the restaurant. If you don't get a table, you are likely to find a spot at the bar. I would describe the restaurant as classically modern or hipster fancy. The art on the wall in front of me were old pictures of Mass Ave. (fancy) but they had a colorful mural of a city (hipster) on the wall near the restrooms.

I mentioned I ordered the onion rings. They were as good as advertised. The only problem was there were only 5 rings. I just wanted a few more as they were so tasty. The rings were perfectly fried to a golden brown and they use a PBR based batter (so hipster). For my main course, I decided on the Blazing Saddles burger. The burgers are a blend of three cuts of meat. BRU uses a mix of sirloin, chuck, and brisket. This combination results in an ideal ratio of fat and lean meat. The burger was cooked to slightly more done than medium. It was juicy and a tad messy, but that is expected with a burger. Burgers are not a dainty food item. This burger was topped with habanero cheese, roasted jalepenos, chipotle remoulade, and garden (lettuce, tomato, onion). At first glance, you would think that this is an extremely spicy burger, but it was more on the medium side. It had heat, but was not too powerful. I couldn't pinpoint where the sweetness came from, but later I learned they add a tomato jam. The chipotle remoulade added a smokey and creamy flavor. The roasted jalepenos added freshness. I think the roasting cuts out some of the heat from the jalepeno. I asked Jackson to bring both the house ketchup and BBQ sauce. The ketchup was unlike any ketchup I had ever eaten. It was much thicker in texture and it had a sweet, tangy flavor, that had a little bit of a kick at the end. The BBQ sauce was sweet and smokey and also had a little kick. The sauces complimented the saltiness of the onion rings. To top things off, Jackson comped our dessert because it was JBH's birthday. We were so full from the meal, she even packed it in a to-go dish for us. We ordered the chocolate mousse. It was hard to tell how good it was because we did not eat it until a couple hours later. I do remember there being nice big chunks of dark chocolate.

I will definitely go back. There were a couple more menu items that I would like to try including the Mexicali burger and the patty melt. There is a nice sidewalk space in front of the restaurant, and my co-worker and I are convinced they will use it as an outdoor dining space. This will also alleviate some of the wait for tables.

"A grown man is so secure with himself he will go flip burgers to make sure his baby can EAt." -Madea

Twenty Tap

5408 N. College

Indianapolis, IN 46220

(317) 602-8840

Twenty Tap

New blog followers, but old friends @Jamielinenberg & @BWL1285 asked @Pbarmann and myself to go with them to try out Twenty Tap on a Saturday night. I have been wanting to go there for a while. First, because they have a great selection of craft brews as well as I have heard that the food is amazing. Twenty Tap is located on the Northwest corner of 54th and College, which qualifies it as SoBro (South Broad Ripple). Last summer I read an article in the Indy Star about how SoBro is an up and coming neighborhood, with trendy boutiques as well as a foodie haven. What the article left out is that it is a mecca for hipsters. What's a hipster you ask? A hipster is a man or woman in their 20's to 30's that love vintage fashion, skinny jeans, indie-rock, thick rimmed glasses, side swept hair, and anything else that goes against mainstream popular culture. For example, the restaurant is called Twenty Tap, but in all reality they have 31 beers on tap. I should be more accustomed to the hipster subculture, because I lived in Bucktown in Chicago, but for some reason hipsters still annoy me. To prove my point on how hipsters do not care about social norms: Twenty Tap has two restrooms, one for men and one for women. I was waiting in line for the men's restroom, and this hipster comes up to me and says:

Hipster: "Hey bro, is this the line for the men's room."
EAting Indy: "Yes. A guy just walked in there."
Hipster: "What about this one, is it open? (Pointing at the women's door)
EAting Indy: "I don't know, its the women's restroom."
Hipster: "F*** it, I'm going to piss in there. They have a toilet too."
EAting Indy: "Sweet, make sure you flush and put the seat down."

Twenty Tap is a good place to eat. I only say eat because the bar area is pretty small, so it is not the best atmosphere to grab drinks with friends, unless you are waiting for a table in the dining room. To give you a visual, when you walk in you are looking at the restaurant side. To the left, is the bar side. There aren't many tables in the bar area. Also, two dart boards take up some space. I can't really remember how many tv's they have there. Probably not a lot because hipsters don't like sports, but they love throwing darts. We had to wait for about an hour to get a table in the dining room. Luckily we were able to snag a table and order some beers, as well as an order of cheese curds. The only time I have ever had cheese curds was at Culver's. These were infinitely better than Culver's. Imagine tiny pieces of mozzarella cheese, breaded in a beer batter. These reminded me of something you would get at the state fair, specifically because of the breading. Each bite was crispy and oozing with cheese. I honestly have been dreaming about these heavenly morself of cheese. Twenty Tap offers a few selections of aiolis for dipping. We went with horseradish, chipotle, and roasted garlic. My favorite was the chipotle which was smokey and had a little heat. I expected more horseradish flavor and a bit of a kick, but it was lacking. It had the heat of a mild cocktail sauce. The garlic aioli was very garlicky, something that would scare vampires away. This is a dip you do not want choose on date night. Well, at least early on in your relationship.

The burger was one of the best burgers I have had in the city. I went with the Tex: smoked provolone, bacon, bbq, and caramalized onions. I think all burgers are cooked medium well, as I was not asked how I would like it cooked. What I liked the most was how it was not a super fatty burger. I know the burger isn't supposed to be inherently healthy. But is was comforting to eat a burger that wasn't oozing with grease. From top to bottom, this burger had it all. The bun was soft but toasted. The toppings just worked together. The bacon added saltiness, the onions were sweet, the cheese was smokey, and the bbq sauce was a mix off all of those flavors. Each bite was a perfect sampling of all the fixins. I usually don't expect a lot out of fries, but the fries at Twenty Tap are amazing. They may be pushing the salty end of the flavor spectrum, but there are other seasonings involved. I tasted black pepper and hints of garlic. They are thicker cut, not as thick as a steak fry, but larger than a shoestring. The only part of the meal that missed for me were the house pickles. The pickling spice was more sweet than acidic. I couldn't tell if the spice that stuck out was all spice or clove, but it reminded me of a Thanksgiving pie. I know pickles should not remind someone of Thanksgiving, but the only time I ever cook with cloves or allspice is during Thanksgiving.

The service was a little on the slow end, but this was because it was a Saturday night and it was very busy. I wasn't too angry with the service, because sometimes it is just nice to hang out and relax with good friends. Also, we were having a debate on how the prefix bi- can be confusing. As in, "Lets meet bi-weekly." This can be confusing as it means: twice a week as well as every two weeks. I've only used it as every two weeks. For example, "I should be blogging BIWEEKLY, or else I have to take one you to lunch."

"Let the stoics say what they please, we do not EAt for the good of the living but because the meat is savory and the appetite is keen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Boogie Burger

1904 E. Broad Ripple Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 255-2450
Boogie Burger

It was a Friday night and my roommate asked if I had dinner plans. Now if you know KJM, the restaurant choices are pretty thin. As previously mentioned, I can say these things, as he doesn't read this blog. Having eaten at Chipotle for lunch, I had already thrown out one of his go to restaurants. Being friends with someone for 20 years, you pretty much know everything about that person. KJM's Chipotle order: Chicken burrito, no beans, extra rice, mild salsa, lettuce, and cheese. So when I offered the suggestion of going to Boogie Burger, I thought I would be able to pin point exactly what he would order when we got there. He had never been there before, and I had never visited their new location off Broad Ripple Ave. The nice thing about their old location was that you could order food while you were out on the patio of Monkey's Tale. The downside was that it was WAY too small. Both times I went it was too crowded to sit down. These burgers are on the messy side, so you definitely need room to eat. I just hope the new location is just as successful. The last restaurant there, The Red Eye Cafe, was only open for a brief period of time. We went a few times on a hungover morning, and it wasn't bad. I think the problem was that it is kind of off the beaten path and they had strange hours. Closed one day during the weekday, and they would deliver late night food. I can just assume the operating costs were astronomical. It was also pretty dark and dingy. Boogie Burger did a bang up job of redoing the interior. It is much brighter and there are more booths. They also built an outdoor patio. The downside is there is not a lot of parking. The staff was young, upbeat, and very friendly. The young lady taking our order decided she wanted to try to guess the names of the patrons before they ordered. She chose Frank for me and Brandon for KJM. I guess if that helps you get through the work day...more power to you.

So back to me trying to figure out what KJM was going to order. You see, he has a very simple pallet. So cheeseburger with ketchup, lettuce, tomato. Boy was I wrong. I said what I was going to order, and KJM said, "That sounds good, I'll have that too." Each 1/3 pound burger comes with lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo, and a pickle spear. I had mine without mayo, KJM no onion and mayo. We both ordered the Wild West Burger, which is advertised as their most famous burger. It is a single patty with cheddar cheese, onion rings, hickory smoked bacon, and BBQ sauce. I ordered their garlic fries and KJM got the onion rings. Also surprising was we both agreed on the taste of the burger. With all those toppings, the only ingredient we could taste was the bacon. Each bite had a little bit of something else, but the bacon was the star of the show. I really couldn't figure it out why. Now I love bacon, but I just wish I could have tasted the BBQ sauce or the onion rings. The garlic fries were enough for two people, so I was unable to finish them. There was enough garlic to ward off the vampires. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, because they are delicious, but you could smell them throughout the entire restaurant. They are crispy, not soggy. It is a pretty good size fry as well, not as thick as a steak fry, but larger than traditional fast food fries. The parsley gives a nice fresh taste, but it is overpowered by the large chunks of garlic. I do not recommend this place as a first date restaurant, as you will be reaching for the Altoids soon after the meal is over.

I would definitely go back, but I would probably order a different burger. PJB said that the Buffalo Chicken sandwich is pretty good as well. If I were to rank my favorite places to grab a burger in the Nap, I would go in order: 96th St. Steak-burgers, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, then Boogie Burger. I have heard good things about the burgers at The Sinking Ship, and today my coworker raved about the burger he had at 20 Tap at 54th and College. Where is your favorite place to grab a burger?

I apologize I do not have a picture. Luckily the website has many pictures. I promise when I go back, I will take a couple pictures.

"When I EAt with my friends, it is a moment of real pleasure, when I really enjoy my life." -Monica Bellucci

Cheeseburger in Paradise

4670 Southport Crossings Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46237
Cheeseburger in Paradise

It was a cold and rainy day the weekend before I went on adult Spring Break. JBH and I headed down to the Edinburgh outlet mall so I could hopefully find a new swim suit and some deep V's to take with me to St. Pete. After about a couple hours of shopping, it was lunch time. The options were to go to the Max & Erma's in Edinburgh or I also suggested Cheeseburger in Paradise in Greenwood on the way back to Indy. We decided on Cheeseburger. Hindsight is 20/20 and we probably should have gone to Max & Erma's. I love that place, probably because it brings back memories of the one on Michigan Rd. with the sweet arcade. One of my fondest memories was when we went there after our Junior High musical and I'm pretty sure we may left without paying, but we were stupid 8th graders. And there were about 100 kids plus parents there, so I think someone must have footed the bill for us. *Kids, DON'T dine and dash, its pathetic. I will admit wholeheartedly that I am a Northsider through and through. No I'm not from the Golden Ghetto known as Carmel, but actually the Northside of Indy (I had to explain that on numerous occasions in college). My coworkers know I like to razz Carmel. Stemming from my days playing CYO sports, I have not liked the Southside at all. This dislike has grown throughout my life, especially this year going to Pacers games. At one point I tweeted during the Pacers-Heat game, "I want to thank all the Heat fans for making the trek up from South Beach, now please have a safe drive home to Greenwood." So yes, my Northside bias runs deep. Well I guess I view it more as Cubs vs White Sox hatred., we are both from the same city, but we just don't get along. Anyways, its time to review Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Once we were seated, I bet JBH $5 that nobody will help us for at least 15 minutes. I am proud to say I won that bet. No drink order, not even a server stopping by to say they will be with us in a second. No contact at all for over 15 minutes. To me, that is ridiculous. The restaurant wasn't even that busy. We had at least 4 different workers walk by, and not one person said anything. Should I have stopped one of them? Probably, but as I mentioned earlier, I do not like the Southside, so I am for any reason to grow my animosity towards them. When the waiter finally showed up, we ordered everything right away, as we had enough time to fumble through the menu. I did like how they had Fresca on the menu, so I ordered one. *I created a drink during Junior Spring Break of college called the EA Special. Gratuitous amounts of flavored Rum and Fresca. **Try it if you are over the age of 21. Drink responsibly! For food, I ordered the Beach Burger (Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Dill Pickle, American Cheese) and JBH got the mini sliders. At one point, I thought the Beach Burger was actually called the Cheeseburger in Paradise, but I guess Mr. Buffet wasn't satisfied with his 4% royalty check for the naming of the restaurant, so they had to change the name (complete speculation). I substituted fries for Sweet Potato Chips. The food came out in a pretty decent time, which seemed only thing they did correctly. The patty is pretty thick and it is bigger than the bun, which is better than the alternative. I can't stand when I run out of patty and I am just left with bun. The sweet potato chips are a nice change of pace from fries. I think after 25 1/2 years, I am just bored with run of the mill fries. I just wasn't overly satisfied with my burger. I can name 10 different places in this city that have better burgers.  I think next time I go back, I will opt for the Mini Burgers. They remind me of White Castle, but with better quality meat. And am I in no way knocking White Castle. Someone once asked me, "If you could have one last meal, but you are drunk, what would it be?" Without thinking, I blurted out, "A crave case from White Castle. 15 burgers, 15 with cheese & onion petals." Please leave your answer to that question in the comments. I apologize for going off topic, but I thought I could make this blog more involved. Also, I got bored talking about an average meal from Greenwood.

Like Jay-Z, I'm on to the next one...

"Frogs have it easy, they can EAt what bugs them"