Some of Our Favorite Places to Eat Near Indy - Ashley Donielle (2024)

We are really lucky to have a number of awesome food options near our house. One of the questions I get asked the most about where we live is for restaurant recommendations, so we decided to create this post so we could easily share some of our top picks. I’m sure this list will change and we’ll add/edit as we go, but after almost two years here, these are our favorites so far! Hope you enjoy!

All of these places are totally fine for kids too!

Sangrita (Fishers): Delicious Mexican food, great margaritas and a fun atmosphere. It’s at the Yard at Fishers District shopping center and we’re there at least a time or two a month. Bryan orders the street tacos (they have a ton to choose from) and I like the fajitas. Don’t miss the Elotes – street corn! (GREAT FOR A DATE NIGHT OR GIRL’S NIGHT)

Rise’n Roll (Fishers, Broad Ripple): Same shopping center as Sangrita, but this place has some of the best donuts we have ever had. It is tough to choose every time we go, but they are all delicious. They also have cinnamon rolls and other baked goods to choose from that all look amazing. Highly recommend, but don’t go on Sunday – they are closed.

Monterey Cuisine (Carmel): Located in the center of downtown Carmel on Main Street, this restaurant has quickly become one of our favorite places for a ‘nicer’ dinner. Kids are fine, but you could absolutely go for date night as well. The fish and wine selections are top notch! The sushi and co*cktails are great too, and there are plenty of non-fish options for those who don’t care for it. All so delicious! (GREAT FOR A DATE NIGHT OR GIRL’S NIGHT)

SEEN ABOVE: drinks & sushi at Monterey Cuisine are delicious!

Field Brewing (Westfield): Beer and coffee, brunch and lunch – all fantastic. Take your craft beer loving guy here to try a flight and enjoy some super fresh, fun, and delicious food as well. They have outdoor seating and a bocce ball court for the kids to run. A fun option!

Chiba (Westfield): Bryan would tell you this is without a doubt his favorite sushi we’ve had since leaving California. The sushi is very very good, but the vibe and the fun might be what makes this place special and one of our favorites. It’s like walking into a luau with all of your best friends every time you go (especially on Friday). The owner Keith is the nicest guy, with an amazing story and the food is so good! Kona beer on tap? Yes please.

Savor (Carmel): This restaurant opened after we moved here and quickly became one of our favorites for dinner and drinks. Their dishes are all wood fired and so good! Their windows open in the front when the weather is nice so you get a cool indoor/outdoor vibe which is really fun. Favorites on the menu: Scallops, burger, steaks, and you can’t go wrong with whatever the special or fish of the day is. (GREAT FOR A DATE NIGHT OR GIRL’S NIGHT)

Big Woods (Noblesville): We actually found another location first last fall in Brown County, but realized after we loved our first time so much that we had one much closer to home. Great family restaurant or place to watch a game. Big menu with tons of different food on it. My favorite burger in our area for sure. The pizza is also very good!

Noah Grants (Zionsville): A grill house and oyster bar in the heart of downtown Zionsville (which you should absolutely check out if you’re in the area – lots of fun stuff to do). Absolutely everything we’ve ever had here is delicious: sushi, fish, steak, oysters, co*cktails, appetizers. As I’m writing this I’m asking Bryan to make a reservation! The grouper is not to be missed, but the rainbow roll (me) and bibimbap (Bryan) are tough to pass on as well. (GREAT FOR A DATE NIGHT OR GIRL’S NIGHT)

SEEN ABOVE: Noah Grant’s Butter Cake & a super adorable 2 year old Eloise

Graeter’s (Carmel): Eloise’s favorite ice cream without a doubt. Kind of an old school ice cream parlor with tons of awesome flavors. Line out the door usually means it good, and this place does not disappoint!

Cake Bake (Carmel and Broad Ripple): When people come to visit us here, this is where they want to eat, and it’s not tough to understand why. It is always impeccably decorated for the season, the service is fantastic, and the food is delicious. A bit on the fancier side of things, but totally worth it. The chicken velvet soup and chicken salad croissant are amongst our favorites. We have definitely made this our “birthday spot” for Eloise’s birthday every year as it’s just so much fun! You can’t go wrong on the cake menu. Come hungry!

SEEN ABOVE: Eloise at Cake Bake after majorly enjoying some of the best cake ever!

Rosies (Carmel, Zionsville, Noblesville): One of our ‘go to’ breakfast spots. A pretty traditional breakfast menu, everything we’ve ever had is good. Bryan loves the huevos rancheros and Eloise loves the pancakes. I usually order Rosie’s Style – 2 eggs, toast, pancake, bacon, and potatoes. So good!

Rize (Carmel and Fishers): Another one of our breakfast ‘go to’ spots. Their menu is a little less traditional/different than Rosie’s and that is not a bad thing at all. We always have a hard time choosing between the two. They have great breakfast bowls, brunch options, and really good sandwiches/salads. Definitely worth a try!

SEEN ABOVE: The Farmhouse Waffles from Rize – one of my favorite things to indulge in EVER.

Pies & Pints (Carmel): There are a lot of pizza options close by, and Bryan and I don’t agree all the time on pizza – except for this place. This is our favorite. They have traditional pizza, as well as some different ones (we really like the street corn). Eloise devours their plain cheese. They have a rotating beer list that always has good stuff on it. Highly recommend!

The Lemon Bar (Zionsville): We recently went to this restaurant as it had been closed basically since we’ve lived here. Super cute inside with a fun/funky menu. A great spot for brunch or lunch or to meet with friends on their patio! We’ll be back for sure. (GREAT FOR A LUNCH DATE OR BRUNCH DATE WITH GIRLFRIENDS)

SEEN ABOVE: The amazing “spring cobb salad” from Lemon Bar

Cafe Patachou (Carmel): We really like to eat here for breakfast or brunch, but they have a great lunch menu too. They have great omelettes, broken yolks, french toast, and of course mimosas!

Louvino (Downtown Indy): This was one of the most fun/delicious brunches we have had since we moved here. The menu is so fun and so hard to choose from. The pancake tacos were unbelievably good, very savory, but very good. Highly recommend the farmers market scramble and the biscuit board… and of course, mimosas! (GREAT FOR A DATE NIGHT)

SEEN ABOVE: Mimosas & coffee at the Cake Bake Shop – all very good!

As far as super fancy date night, Anthony’s Chophouse is where it’s at! It’s located right downtown in Carmel and right above it is a rooftop bar called 3Up. We love grabbing drinks there before eating at Anthony’s or Savor! We went to Anthony’s on a date night right before Henry was born and I’m still dreaming about the food…SO good!

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