19 Indianapolis restaurants Michigan fans should visit while at the Big Ten Championship

downtown indianapolis

Michigan takes on Purdue in the Big Ten Championship football game in Indianapolis on Saturday, December 3, 2022. (Photo provided by VisitIndy.com)

INDIANAPOLIS - University of Michigan fans will be flocking to Indianapolis this weekend to see the Wolverines take on the Purdue Boilermakers in the Big Ten Championship game. And while fans are staying in town, they’ll be looking for some local staples to dine at.

Saturday night’s game is scheduled to kick off just after 8 p.m. ET from Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indy, which means a lot of Michigan fans will be staying in downtown Indy, so we talked to some locals, including the folks at VisitIndy.com, to see what some of their favorite restaurants are.

ST. ELMO’S STEAKHOUSE

Let’s start with perhaps the most iconic Indianapolis restaurant. Located at 127 Illinois St., this downtown staple since 1902 is a steakhouse also known for its shrimp cocktail. This restaurant serves what the Travel Channel has called the “World’s Spiciest Dish,” its fiery shrimp cocktail. St. Elmo’s also serves chicken, rack of lamb, pork chops and seafood.

shrimp cocktail

The famous shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo's Steakhouse in downtown Indianapolis. (Photo provided by VisitIndy.com)

You can also get the famous shrimp cocktail next door at Harry & Izzy’s, which is co-owned by Peyton Manning. This steakhouse also serves salads, pasta, pizza and sandwiches.

THE SLIPPERY NOODLE INN

Located just steps from Lucas Oil Stadium is Indiana’s oldest, continually operated bar in its original building. Founded in 1850, The Slippery Noodle Inn is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The menu consists of wings, subs, nachos, soups, salads, fries, tots, burgers and pastas. This place also has live jazz music nearly every night of the week.

CONNER’S KITCHEN + BAR

This place is currently listed as the No. 1 ranked restaurant in Indianapolis on TripAdvisor. Located inside the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown at 350 West Maryland St., this place serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The restaurant describes itself as serving “elevated comfort food.” The dinner menu features southern fried chicken, fish tacos, shrimp and grits, smoked pork Cubano, wagyu streak frites, a wagyu burger, salads and plenty of apps.

THE DUGOUT BAR

“My personal favorite bar,” says the communications manager with VisitIndy.com, this place is consistently rated the best dive bar in the state.

Located at 621 Virginia Ave., the menu features appetizers like deep fried pepper jack cheese balls, breaded mushrooms, pulled pork nachos, wings, potato skins and deep fried cheese ravioli. There’s also plenty of salads and sandwiches to choose from along with an assortment of pizzas.

TEN HANDS SOCIAL BAR & EATERY

Home to downtown Indy’s largest TV, this sports bar is located within the Westin Indianapolis Hotel at 241 W Washington St.

The menu serves smoked chicken wings, calamari, short rib tacos, pulled pork nachos, pizza, salads, sammies and a variety of entrees including its chorizo ora king salmon, honey glazed pork chop, green chili braised beef short rib and shrimp fettuccine.

SHAPIRO’S DELI

This place has been an Indy staple since 1905. Located at 808 S Meridian St., here you’ll find all of your traditional Jewish deli favorites here including a variety of soups and sandwiches like corned beef, pastrami on rye, matzo ball soup and apricot rugelach.

You’ll also find brisket, chicken, roast beef, stuffed cabbage, meatloaf, stuffed peppers, fried chicken and more.

LIVERY

Locals enjoy this place for its Latin-influenced menu. Located at 720 N. College Ave., this place used to be a horse stable.

The menu features tacos, empanadas, ensaladas and paella. There’s also a full bar featuring vino, cervezas and a large variety of Tequilas.

MAMA CAROLLA’S OLD ITALIAN RESTAURANT

This old-school Italian restaurant is located at 1031 E. 54th St. and serves classics like beef lasagna, eggplant puttanesca, chicken piccata, steak, veal and fish.

There’s also an assortment of desserts like the homemade tiramisu and the homemade ricotta cake.

MILKTOOTH

Conde Nast Traveler once listed this place as one of the best restaurants in the world. Located at 534 Virginia Ave., this garage turned restaurant is open just for breakfast and brunch.

It serves dishes like a s’mores sourdough waffle, Dutch baby pancake, grilled cheese, biscuits and gravy, quiche, Italian beef, cheddar grits and twice fried spicy teriyaki wings.

BAZBEAUX PIZZA

There’s a lot of pizza places to choose from in Indy and downtown, including this place which is popular with locals, located at 333 Massachusetts Ave.

Bazbeaux has all of the traditional pizza toppings you’d expect along with some you might not like genoa salami, albacore tuna, artichoke hearts, avocado, snow pea pods and arugula.

The pizzas are made with a blend of provolone and mozzarella cheeses and homemade tomato sauce on wheat or white crust. The gluten-free vegan crust is made off-site.

YATS

Known for its fast Cajun and Creole food, this place has multiple locations all over Indianapolis. The menu features crawfish, chicken, gumbo, jambalaya and various etouffee dishes.

THE RATHSKELLER

This place is a little Bavaria in downtown Indy. Located at 401 East Michigan St., The Rathskeller is known for its authentic German food including pork schnitzel, sauerbraten and rouladen. There’s also various chicken, beef and seafood dishes along with dozens of German beers on draft.

UNION 50

Locals love the sharables at this restaurant like the charcuterie boards, salads, poutine and hand-cut fries. Located at 620 N. East St., this place also has live music multiple nights of the week.

Entrees include wood-fired wild mushrooms, pan fried gnocchi, kimchi meatloaf, beef tartare, swordfish, shrimp and grits, tomahawk pork chop, salmon and duck.

MUG-N-BUN

You don’t have to get out of your vehicle at this place. Located at 5211 W 10th St., this drive-in restaurant is known for its huge tenderloins, hand-dipped onion rings and what it calls its “secret Coney sauce.” This place is also known for its homemade root beer and milkshakes.

ALE EMPORIUM

This sports bar is known for its wings. Located at 8617 Allisonville Road, locals love its “Herman” sauce which consists of a secret blend of peppers and spices mixed with the Ale’s secret sauce. Ale also serves a large selection of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and salads.

BLUEBEARD

This restaurant is located in Indy’s oldest neighborhood inside a renovated 1924 warehouse at 653 Virginia Ave.

Its rotating menu features soups and salads along with dishes like beef tartare, butternut gnocchi, fideos, dragon shrimp, seared tuna, octopus, mussels, fried chicken and ribeye.

IARIA’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

This family-run restaurant has been serving Italian favorites since 1933. Located at 317 S College Ave., you’ll find traditional pasta dinners like spaghetti, capellini and penne along with stuffed pasta dinners like ravioli and tortellini. There’s also lasagna, chicken piccata, marsala and parmesan along with pizza and desserts.

THE INFERNO ROOM

This island-themed restaurant boasts having one of the largest collections of Papua New Guinea native art outside of a museum.

Along with a large array of tropical cocktails, this restaurant at 902 Virginia Ave. serves shrimp rangoon, Szechuan green beans, wings, kabobs, salmon, egg roles, burgers, chicken, pineapple fried rice, a duck sandwich and its inferno flying saucers which are grilled spam and cheese sandwiches with tomato soup.

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