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Muldoon’s on Main

Barringers Tavern just south of downtown Indy has the best tenderloin. It’s also one of the finest dive bars in town.
 
Have you ever had one at Grindstone Charley's? It's excellent - probably my favorite. Not a traditional Indiana 'loin, but so good.

Ned's Corner Pub in Kokomo is solid, as is Artie's, which is close by. Ray's Drive-In on the north side has one of the king-size tenderloins, but it's pretty thin
I have an irrational anger towards Grindstone Charleys because when I lived in Kokomo there was a Rax restaurant and it went out being replaced by Grindstone Charles. In fact I refused to eat there. With all this breaded tenderloin talk it makes me think that June can't get here fast enough so we can vacation in Indiana and get some. Here in Central PA we don't have any breaded tenderloin places.
 
So….I follow a Facebook group that is all about tenderloins (don’t judge f#ck nuts, I’m a dream teamer). As you can imagine, it’s awesome. You get great picks of tenderloins and hilarious comments. It’s comparable to having sex with a pretty comedian. A wonderful time.

Anyhoo…..Muldoon’s popped up today and it looks delicious. @larsIU have you been? How is it? Or is Muldoon’s beneath you? I’d ask @Bloom. but he can afford string cheese and doesn’t dine at those type of establishments. @hookyIU1990 you have some hillbilly in you, have you been?
I'm a dive bar guy. Muldoon's is neither fine dining or a dive bar. It has the best menu of the bar/pubs in Carmel. Their tenderloin is good for sure, but it's not my goto when I go there. Their French dip is fantastic.

If you're in a group, get the skewered fried cheese, also fantastic.
 
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Muldoon's been kind of a staple pub in downtown Carmel for a long time. Food always been decent for what it is. Used to skip out of work and have 3 hour wet lunches there with coworkers.
Muldoon's is the argument against those who complain about Carmel's growth, citing Carmel has lost its charm.

Carmel never had any charm around downtown and along the Rangeline corridor. Sure, they had Steckley's, but it closed long before any of the current growth. The antique 'mall' was nice for some, and Phelan's Music was certainly a staple. Only the antique 'mall' was a victim to modernity.

Most of Carmel's development and redevelopment of its central area replaced empty or abandoned lots. Muldoon's was in a strip mall long abandoned by Kroger. Next to it was an empty field where City Centre now sits. I would imagine the move to downtown Carmel with the subsequent development has been great for business.
 
What makes a good tenderloin? Most are kinda dry? Is it the breading?
The key is not pounding them out too thin. They are dry, bredy and gross.

Many many places want to show off huge BTS' with a tiny looking bun in the middle and they are stupid.
 
I do like onion on mine to go with the mustard and pickle. A buddy adds cheese and mayo to those 3. Kind of cringe to me, but more power to him.

I miss the days when I could eat one for lunch once a week at the Pawn Shop when it was down on College. Tenderloin and beer cheese soup with a beer when the old pot belly stove was going in the winter...perfection.

If I ate like that now, I could be Brendan Faser's stunt double.
There was a pawn shop and a Pawn Broker. Which one was in Nora?
 
I'm a dive bar guy. Muldoon's is neither fine dining or a dive bar. It has the best menu of the bar/pubs in Carmel. Their tenderloin is good for sure, but it's not my goto when I go there. Their French dip is fantastic.

If you're in a group, get the skewered fried cheese, also fantastic.
I used to love the food at Sahms in Fishers. You ever been there? They had a good tenderloin and steak sandwich.
 
If you want a unique experience, go to Bonge's. It's in Perkinsville, which is an unincorporated town along the White River between Anderson and Cicero.

When I met my wife (she's from Anderson), she took me to this place that was a dive bar that only served beer. Very cold beer to the locals and anyone fishing on the White River. Rumors were the upstairs used to be a whorehouse. Place was a dump.

Then some guy from Carmel - he either cooked, or owned, the Glass Chimney, and bought the place and fixed it up. He has about 4 items that always on the menu and 3 or 4 that change out. It didn't used to accept reservations, so people would literally tailgate while waiting for a table. By the time you got your table, everyone was usually sloshed. It's a very small place - maybe seats 50 people.

The food is excellent and it's actually reasonably priced. The clientele is what used to be called Yuppies.

The owner just sold it to another guy who has a place in Fortville and supposedly isn't changing anything. Probably my favorite restaurant anywhere.
Always like the Glass Chimney.
 
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I used to love the food at Sahms in Fishers. You ever been there? They had a good tenderloin and steak sandwich.
Sahm's is good, but it's not worth traveling for. We have one in Carmel, but I never go to it. My goto for Sahm's was in Nora on the Monon, but it's now their breakfast version, which does nothing for me. Their Monon/Nora location had outdoor entertainment. Their interior sucked, so they didn't draw anyone who might be looking to combine dinner with a game, and I'm sure they felt like there was too much redundancy with nearby locations, as well as being attached to Big Lugs.

I'm not a Big Lugs guy.
 
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Sahm's is good, but it's not worth traveling for. We have one in Carmel, but I never go to it. My goto for Sahm's was in Nora on the Monon, but it's now their breakfast version, which does nothing for me. Their Monon/Nora location had outdoor entertainment. Their interior sucked, so they didn't draw anyone who might be looking to combine dinner with a game, and I'm sure they felt like there was too much redundancy with nearby locations, as well as being attached to Big Lugs.

I'm not a Big Lugs guy.

Didn't even realize that the Sahm's place next to Big Lug was a brunch spot. Shows how much I'm out these days. When did that change? I don't even recall what it was before.... Was it just a regular Sahm's? I had been in there for dinner years ago when they had first opened that whole complex.
 
Always like the Glass Chimney.
I've never been. Always heard about it, but it was out of my budget at the time.

My cousin used to work there with the guy who opened Bonge's. He died before Bonge's opened.

Another connection to Bonge's - my mother-in-law used to date Bonge's son. (yes, the original owner's last name was Bonge)
 
Didn't even realize that the Sahm's place next to Big Lug was a brunch spot. Shows how much I'm out these days. When did that change? I don't even recall what it was before.... Was it just a regular Sahm's? I had been in there for dinner years ago when they had first opened that whole complex.
F if I know. I don't even remember now when it was I found out. I was taking a date there sometime last year, and it was gone, rather renamed and closed since 2pm.

Luckily, T2's was acceptable, with a pool table even.
 
I used to frequent the Mousetrap during the 90's and early aughts. It was a spectacular dive bar. I've heard they do live music now. Haven't been in years.
Is the Alley Cat considered a dive bar? I really can't remember - I never went in there sober.
 
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There was a pawn shop and a Pawn Broker. Which one was in Nora?
Broker must have been in Nora, but I'm not familiar with it. The Pawn Shop was on College North of 54th. Brinkley's might be the name the place that is there now.
 
Broker must have been in Nora, but I'm not familiar with it. The Pawn Shop was on College North of 54th. Brinkley's might be the name the place that is there now.
Did you ever hear of the Vu in Nora? Kind of a diner/bar/dance place. Great music (kind of like Ike and Jonesys used to be) and a gathering spot for hot women. Good times.
 
I used to frequent the Mousetrap during the 90's and early aughts. It was a spectacular dive bar. I've heard they do live music now. Haven't been in years.

I didn't know a time where they didn't do live music.

My favorite dive closed. Keystone Sports Review across street from Mousetrap. The building was sold and torn down. They are supposedly reopening at the old Birdy's location at 71st and Keystone... But it's been months now and still nothing. Never can recreate the vibe in a new location, so I don't have high hopes
 
Broker must have been in Nora, but I'm not familiar with it. The Pawn Shop was on College North of 54th. Brinkley's might be the name the place that is there now.

Yes Binkleys has been there for damn near 20 years now. Pawn Shop still exists at least in name.... Over on 54th closer to keystone.
 
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I didn't know a time where they didn't do live music.
mid to late 90's the live music wasn't a focus. I think there was new owneship in the early to mid aughts that made it a point to be something other than a drug dealer's bar.

Eclectic group of people though if you happened to be there in say 1997 or 98 and you might see a pimp, a hillbilly, college idiots and everythign in between playing pool in the backroom.
 
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mid to late 90's the live music wasn't a focus. I think there was new owneship in the early to mid aughts that made it a point to be something other than a drug dealer's bar.

Eclectic group of people though if you happened to be there in say 1997 or 98 and you might see a pimp, a hillbilly, college idiots and everythign in between playing pool in the backroom.

Yeah I wasn't around then. By 2005 or so definitely seemed to have live music on the regular. Still a dive today.
 
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If you want a unique experience, go to Bonge's. It's in Perkinsville, which is an unincorporated town along the White River between Anderson and Cicero.

When I met my wife (she's from Anderson), she took me to this place that was a dive bar that only served beer. Very cold beer to the locals and anyone fishing on the White River. Rumors were the upstairs used to be a whorehouse. Place was a dump.

Then some guy from Carmel - he either cooked, or owned, the Glass Chimney, and bought the place and fixed it up. He has about 4 items that always on the menu and 3 or 4 that change out. It didn't used to accept reservations, so people would literally tailgate while waiting for a table. By the time you got your table, everyone was usually sloshed. It's a very small place - maybe seats 50 people.

The food is excellent and it's actually reasonably priced. The clientele is what used to be called Yuppies.

The owner just sold it to another guy who has a place in Fortville and supposedly isn't changing anything. Probably my favorite restaurant anywhere.
If you want a unique experience, go to Bonge's. It's in Perkinsville, which is an unincorporated town along the White River between Anderson and Cicero.

When I met my wife (she's from Anderson), she took me to this place that was a dive bar that only served beer. Very cold beer to the locals and anyone fishing on the White River. Rumors were the upstairs used to be a whorehouse. Place was a dump.

Then some guy from Carmel - he either cooked, or owned, the Glass Chimney, and bought the place and fixed it up. He has about 4 items that always on the menu and 3 or 4 that change out. It didn't used to accept reservations, so people would literally tailgate while waiting for a table. By the time you got your table, everyone was usually sloshed. It's a very small place - maybe seats 50 people.

The food is excellent and it's actually reasonably priced. The clientele is what used to be called Yuppies.

The owner just sold it to another guy who has a place in Fortville and supposedly isn't changing anything. Probably my favorite restaurant anywhere.
Love Bonge’s, haven’t been since ownership changed…
 
Did you ever hear of the Vu in Nora? Kind of a diner/bar/dance place. Great music (kind of like Ike and Jonesys used to be) and a gathering spot for hot women. Good times.
The Vu and Pawn Brokers followed each other in the same building in Nora. I don't remember which one was there 1st, maybe Pawn Brokers......
 
I’ll also offer The Dugout in Fountain Square as a fine dive bar. I rate my dive bars based upon ambience, drinks, music, food and most importantly, day drinking vibe.

How about Dorman Street?

Antelope Club is another gem.
 
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I used to frequent the Mousetrap during the 90's and early aughts. It was a spectacular dive bar. I've heard they do live music now. Haven't been in years.
Live music five nights a week, and they have really good food. The smoking laws compelled bars to up their ante on food. Many have scratch kitchens.
 
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mid to late 90's the live music wasn't a focus. I think there was new owneship in the early to mid aughts that made it a point to be something other than a drug dealer's bar.

Eclectic group of people though if you happened to be there in say 1997 or 98 and you might see a pimp, a hillbilly, college idiots and everythign in between playing pool in the backroom.
I know the guy who owns the Mousetrap. There's a group of people who worked at OPT and branched out, some partnerships with the original OPT owners and some on the their own. Side Out on the westside (now long defunct), Mousetrap, Chumleys (gone), and the crew that owns Northside Social, Kitchenette & Delicia are all from that group of people. All really good dudes and dudettes too.

Met a friend for lunch today at Charelston's. Saw it on the menu and had to do it for reporting purposes.

VTCCpbK.jpg


I give it a B. It was not quite overbreaded and was pounded thin, but not too thin to dry it out. I would do it again. $16 with the a side.
 
I know the guy who owns the Mousetrap. There's a group of people who worked at OPT and branched out, some partnerships with the original OPT owners and some on the their own. Side Out on the westside (now long defunct), Mousetrap, Chumleys (gone), and the crew that owns Northside Social, Kitchenette & Delicia are all from that group of people. All really good dudes and dudettes too.

Met a friend for lunch today at Charelston's. Saw it on the menu and had to do it for reporting purposes.

VTCCpbK.jpg


I give it a B. It was not quite overbreaded and was pounded thin, but not too thin to dry it out. I would do it again. $16 with the a side.
Fries look fantastic
 
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