15 Indiana Restaurants Whose One Recipe Made Them Icons
Indiana’s food culture reveals itself one signature dish at a time. Some restaurants have built decades of loyalty around a recipe so singular it defines them, turning a plate into part of the state’s identity.
Walk into these dining rooms and you’ll find shrimp cocktail that clears the sinuses in the best way, tenderloin sandwiches so wide they hang over the bun, or pies baked with the kind of care that makes them unforgettable.
I traveled across towns and cities chasing these plates, and each stop showed me how one perfected dish can carry a whole story. This list gathers the Indiana restaurants where flavor and tradition meet, and where a single bite explains the crowd at the door.
1. St. Elmo Steak House (Indianapolis)
The dining room feels stately, with polished wood and crisp linens setting a tone that’s half club, half theater. The air hums with anticipation before the famous dish even lands.
That dish is the shrimp cocktail, notorious for its horseradish bite. It’s served cold, the sauce blazing hot, a combination that has defined St. Elmo since 1902. Tradition holds firm here.
Brace yourself for the first forkful. The fire clears your head, and the sweetness of the shrimp lingers long after the heat fades.
2. Nick’s Kitchen (Huntington)
The story begins with a sandwich that barely fits the bun: the Hoosier pork tenderloin. Golden, oversized, and audacious, it dwarfs everything around it. The vibe is pure small-town pride.
Nick Freienstein first served it in 1908, and it spread across Indiana until it became the state’s unofficial sandwich. The Huntington diner where it started still carries the original recipe forward.
You should order it the classic way, with onion, lettuce, and pickle. The crunch of breading against soft bun is exactly what Indiana tastes like.
3. Workingman’s Friend (Indianapolis)
Grease-stained parchment, the hiss of a flat-top grill, and a no-frills barroom vibe greet you here. It’s the kind of place where time has slowed, letting flavor take center stage.
The double cheeseburger is legendary, thin patties smashed until crisp at the edges, layered with cheese that drapes and melts into every bite. It’s straightforward but unforgettable.
I devoured mine without speaking for a few minutes. The salty edge of the meat and the caramelized crust made me realize why people call it Indiana’s best burger.
4. Triple XXX Family Restaurant (West Lafayette)
The neon glow and checkerboard booths instantly set a retro vibe. There’s a hum of students, locals, and travelers who know this place isn’t just kitsch, it’s a landmark.
What keeps them coming back is the Duane Purvis All-American Burger. Peanut butter slathered on a burger patty sounds odd, but here it works, adding nutty depth to savory beef.
I tried it half-daring myself, half-curious. One bite in, the creaminess blended with salt and char, and suddenly it made perfect sense.
5. Mrs. Wick’s Restaurant (Winchester)
At the heart of this small-town diner is a bakery case filled with pies that look almost too perfect to slice. The space feels cozy, with formica tables and the aroma of butter and spice.
The sugar cream pie, Indiana’s official state pie, is the crown jewel. Mrs. Wick’s has been baking it since 1944, sticking to a custard recipe that’s smooth, simple, and comforting.
Tip: ask for it warm with whipped cream. It’s the kind of sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm, just lingers softly.
6. Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island (Fort Wayne)
The first thing that catches you is the sizzling line of hot dogs on the grill, the snap of their casings faint under the chatter of a century-old lunchroom. It feels like stepping into history.
This shop has been serving coney dogs since 1914, with chili, mustard, and onions piled high on a steamed bun. Nothing fancy, nothing altered, just pure repetition of a winning formula.
I ordered a pair and watched them vanish faster than planned. The chili clung just right, messy enough to remind me why classics endure.
7. Mug-N-Bun Drive-In (Speedway)
Neon lights flicker to life as cars roll in, trays clipped to windows, and the smell of fryer oil carries across the lot. The vibe is pure nostalgia, a snapshot of midcentury Americana.
The star is root beer, made in-house since the 1960s, poured frothy into chilled mugs. Paired with hand-battered onion rings or a tenderloin, it defines the drive-in experience that’s lasted for generations.
I pulled in one summer night, sipped that icy root beer, and felt like I’d stepped backward in time.
8. The Beef House Restaurant (Covington)
On the Illinois border, this steakhouse feels almost like a lodge, spacious, lively, with the scent of grilled meat trailing from the kitchen. The energy builds as plates start arriving.
What anchors the place is its rolls. Served piping hot, brushed with butter, and fluffy inside, they’ve been a staple since the restaurant opened in 1964. People drive hours for them, sometimes more for bread than beef.
Believe me, you shouldn’t skip the honey butter. It’s a simple add-on that turns a great roll into something truly memorable.
9. Shapiro’s Delicatessen (Indianapolis)
Step through the line at Shapiro’s and you’re greeted by glass cases stacked with meats, knishes, and desserts. The rhythm is quick, the atmosphere bustling, like a deli should be.
Corned beef piled thick on rye is the signature, a sandwich that feels as tall as your face. It’s hand-sliced, juicy, and unapologetically filling, the same recipe the Shapiro family has served since 1905.
I ordered one and needed both hands. Each bite was peppery, tangy, and rich, the kind of sandwich that leaves you both full and grinning.
10. Ivanhoe’s (Upland)
The first impression is overwhelming in the best way: a menu board filled with 100 shakes and 100 sundaes. Students and travelers line up, voices bouncing as they debate flavors. The vibe is half soda fountain, half carnival.
Ivanhoe’s has been serving its frozen creations since 1965. The family-owned spot became a rite of passage for Taylor University students, and word-of-mouth carried its fame far beyond campus.
I tried a sundae piled with strawberries and brownies, and the sugar rush was worth it. The nostalgia hit just as hard as the sweetness.
11. Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor (Columbus)
Walking through the door is like stepping back to 1900. Marble counters, Tiffany-style lamps, and a gleaming soda fountain create a sensory time capsule.
The hallmark here is the Gom Cheese Brr-grr, a quirky combination of sloppy joe filling with cheddar, balanced by sundaes and floats served from original machinery. Zaharakos was restored in 2009, preserving its place as both restaurant and museum.
Ask for the house-made ice cream in a float. Watching it fizz from century-old fountains is part of the magic.
12. Mother Bear’s Pizza (Bloomington)
Walking through the door is like stepping back to 1900. Marble counters, Tiffany-style lamps, and a gleaming soda fountain create a sensory time capsule.
The hallmark here is the Gom Cheese Brr-grr, a quirky combination of sloppy joe filling with cheddar, balanced by sundaes and floats served from original machinery. Zaharakos was restored in 2009, preserving its place as both restaurant and museum.
Ask for the house-made ice cream in a float. Watching it fizz from century-old fountains is part of the magic.
13. Arni’s — Market Square or Columbian Park (Lafayette)
Bright red booths, buzzing chatter, and the smell of pizza define Arni’s. The vibe is warm and bustling, a mix of families and college crowds sharing platters across big tables.
The signature is the thin-crust pizza, cut into squares, topped edge to edge. Since opening in 1965, Arni Cohen’s recipe has anchored the menu, spreading eventually to multiple locations.
Order the Arni’s Junior Salad alongside your pizza. Crisp greens and house dressing balance the indulgence, making it the classic local pairing.
14. Hinkle’s Hamburgers (Bloomington)
The sizzle of a flattop greets you before the door even shuts. The small space fills quickly with the aroma of onions caramelizing into patties, creating an almost hypnotic smell.
Hinkle’s has been flipping these burgers since 1930. The process hasn’t changed: patties smashed thin, topped with a mound of grilled onions, slid into soft buns, and wrapped in wax paper. Generations of students and locals swear by them.
I grabbed a couple on a Saturday morning, and the flavor was unbeatable, greasy, oniony, and exactly what I wanted.
15. Bonge’s Tavern (Perkinsville)
A line of tailgaters forms outside hours before the doors open. Coolers, folding chairs, and conversation set the tone for an evening that feels part picnic, part pilgrimage.
Inside, the standout is Perkinsville Pork, a dish so popular it turned this rural tavern into a destination. Since the mid-1990s, the recipe has kept people driving out of their way for something truly hearty.
Join the tailgate. Waiting becomes part of the fun, and when your plate finally arrives, the anticipation sharpens the whole experience.