5 Best Restaurants in Indianapolis, Indiana

Since 1986, this local fave has won raves for its "thin or thicker" pizza with a whopping 62 choices of toppings, from the mundane Italian sausage to the dare-you-to-try Cajun shrimp. It also offers a full slate of French bread sandwiches and huge salads. Besides the Broad Ripple location, there are outposts downtown (333 Massachusetts Ave.) and in Carmel (111 W. Main St.), all with outdoor dining options.

Grits, biscuits and homemade gravy, hickory smoked bacon and fried pork chops. These are some of the mouthwatering highlights at this off-the-beaten path destination for made-from-scratch Southern cooking. Humble beginnings in 1988 as a six-seat countertop diner, Kountry Kitchen Soul Food Place has evolved into a sit-down restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and early dinners. It also happens to be a standard stop for visiting celebs, including President Obama.

The real thing, only better. That's what this full-service restaurant really is, because from 1905 to 1990, the L.S. Ayres Tea Room was a ladies-who-lunch fixture of the L.S. Ayres department store. But when the store closed, the restaurant lost its home. A decade later, it found a new space and new, family-friendly setting in the Indiana State Museum, complete with replicated tables, chairs, carpets and lighting, and a menu featuring some of the old-fashioned favorites like chicken velvet soup and the children's "hobo lunch."

This self-described "student union for adults" definitely has the camaraderie and community feel down, with food appreciated by students and grownups alike. Sourcing locally before it was cool, owner and Texas native Martha Hoover opened her first Indy restaurant in 1989 and by 2002 had earned a shout-out in Bon Appetit magazine. She still does it right, from deliciously flavorful cups of sustainably grown coffee to the famous "broken yolk" breakfast sandwiches and fresh house roasted turkey wraps.

It says "Famous since 1902," and it truly is. In 2012, this storied steak house was named a James Beard Award-winner in the category of America's Classics. It's clear why: The ornately carved wood trim, tin ceiling, bow-tied servers, and walls covered with photos of famous diners throughout the decades hint at its history. Expertly done filets, prime rib, ribeye and porterhouse confirm its continuing appeal. An impressive 2,000-square-foot wine cellar boasts nearly 12,000 bottles or, for a sip with a kick, order the signature Elmo Cola (Maker's Mark bourbon infused with Luxardo cherries from Italy, served with an ice-cold bottle of cola on the side).