Massachusetts Avenue is the best entertainment bang for your downtown Indy buck.
It goes without saying that it's clustered with outstanding restaurants and great bars, but there's even more to love than you know about. From Mass Ave Wine's tasting events to theater festivals, locals and visitors alike can squeeze a lot of juice out of this one stretch of Indy road.
Written by Sarah Murrell and Updated by Maria Bashmakov & Ashley Eggert
Eat + Drink
329 Massachusetts Avenue
This might qualify as "Indianapolis-style" pizza: It's a little thick and slice party-style, and you can find pretty much any topping on the menu from shrimp to andouille to a full garden. It's classic, it's local, and it's great.
334 Massachusetts Avenue
Don't let the fact that it's a chain deter you — Bakersfield is whipping out Tex Mex plates that are *chef's kiss*. The margs are great, as are the big shareable platters of tacos that have the vegetarians covered.
310 Massachusetts Avenue
Another non-local great option is this fried chicken bar. We say "fried chicken bar" because, yes, that's a thing now, and ain't nothing wrong with that.
Photo via The Garden Table on Facebook
342 Massachusetts Avenue
Whether you're in the mood to eat healthy and green, or splurge on something fried, you can do both here. They've got outstanding cocktails, and the back-of-house staff has a light hand when it comes to letting ingredients shine on their own. The food's refreshing and filling, and it's just an all-around best bet for dining on Mass Ave.
331 Massachusetts Avenue
B&B was one of the first residents when Mass Ave began its latest renaissance, and they're still making great drinks and snacks. Summer is the ideal season to sit on the patio and watch folks stroll by while you sip a textbook-perfect Manhattan.
427 Massachusetts Avenue
If you've got one person who's vegan, one that's cutting calories, and one that wants the full-fat stuff, you can get it all at this chain specializing in custom bases and mix-ins frozen with liquid nitrogen.
Photo via Chatterbox Jazz Club on Facebook
435 Massachusetts Avenue
If you're in from out of town and want a taste of Indianapolis' soul and deep history of jazz music, you cannot miss this bar. It's still thriving while chains move in around it, playing host to some of America's most talented musicians using the tiny stage to stay tight when they're off the road. Yes, really. If there is anywhere that you should go to see a unique, surprising side of the fabric of our city, hit up the Chatterbox after a nice dinner, any day of the week.
505 Massachusetts Avenue
There aren't many seafood-centric spots in the downtown area, but this one has all the right bases covered. It's a local place that specializes in upscale seafood dishes that run the gamut from classic (think seafood towers and chowder) to contemporary.
410 E Michigan St
The name more than matches the food, which is Chicago personified: meat-centric, with lots of smoked options. It's also one of the more kid-friendly places to dine on Mass, as all the food is served on sheets of butcher paper, and they'll serve you a mound of mini corn dogs and hand-cut fries.
Photo via Indiana Landmarks
401 E Michigan St
Mass Ave is rich with Indianapolis history, and the Rathskeller plays a big part in it. Hell, the building appears three times on the National Historic Registry. The Rathskeller is perfectly preserved, so when you're sitting in the bar sipping a beer, you feel transported back to Bavaria. All the food is authentically German, and the 19th-century architecture makes it worthwhile to budget some extra time to check out the whole place.
575 Massachusetts Ave
Nine Irish Brothers is an Indiana staple and is often hailed as the Best Irish Pub in the state! The business is family-owned and operated and serves up some of the best Irish food and spirits around town!
Photo via Ralton's Drafthouse on Facebook
635 Massachusetts Avenue
This is one of the best spots on Mass Ave for a local place that pleases all palates. It's named after Indianapolis' original city planner, Alexander Ralston, a Scotsman after whom the bar is themed. Nachos might not be known for their authentic Scottish roots, but Ralston's serves the best ones on the Avenue. The beer selection is vast, the food is superb, and the darts and shuffleboard you can play while you wait are the cherry on top.
707 Massachusetts Avenue
As it was in the past, so will it be in the future. Metro will be the gay bar for getting a hot mess, sloppy, and clumsily shaking your ass. Downstairs is low-key, but the second floor is like someone put every style of bar and club from the 70s to the 2000s into a shaker. It's fun, a little dirty, and always a party. Oh, and it has the best patio on Mass Ave, bar none.
717 Massachusetts Avenue
Tini is known as "the bar for everyone," and stepping inside any given Saturday night reveals just that. Its libations are poured with a heavy hand, and vodka shots can be found in every nook and cranny. As the name implies, the little front room of the bar is tiny, but there is plenty more room to spread out upstairs thanks to a recent expansion.
719 Massachusetts Avenue
Let's get this out of the way up top: this place serves the best wings on Mass Ave. If that's what you want, just go straight here. It's a local soccer pub with a relaxed atmosphere, absolutely zero pretension, and is absolutely packed for the duration of the World Cup tourney.
741 Massachusetts Ave
Locally owned and locally loved, Thaitanium has great, cheap lunch specials and an impressive wine list for dinner. Opened in 2017, they serve traditional Thai dishes from noodles to cold salads. They deliver through GrubHub if you need that authentic pad see yew flavor but don't want to leave your house or hotel.
745 Massachusetts Ave
Perhaps the last true dive bar on the Ave, Mass Ave Pub has been powering the after-hours drinking of Mass Ave's hospitality workers for nearly 20 years. They have unbelievably cheap lunch and drink specials, retaining the same everyman, no-pretension vibe that keeps them going today.
765 Massachusetts Ave
Since 2008, FortyFive Degrees has been the sophisticated big sister gay bar to the rest of the Ave, with a consistently good sushi menu in a lounge/dining room that looks like something out of a Hype Williams music video. It's a fun place to have a few drinks or fill up on half-price sushi on Sundays.
Photo via Love Handle on Facebook
877 Massachusetts Ave
There just isn't enough praise in the world to heap on Love Handle, which serves comfort food with fun, unpretentious culinary cool kid twists. They serve daily, ever-changing, always vegetarian biscuits and gravy, and sweets and donuts that are worth every last calorie. Imagine breakfast, lunch and dinner at your friend's house with the best, wildest wallpaper who can all-caps COOK and BAKE. It's one of the best meals you'll eat in Indy, guaranteed.
885 Massachusetts Ave
Indy's favorite Cajun Creole needs no introduction. Their most famous dish is the chili cheese etouffee, which we would highly recommend with the B&B and an extra order of bread (trust us). It's still locally-owned and each location maintains a unique identity. Mass Ave's location comes complete with a wine slushy machine, to which we say, laissez les bon temps rouler.
314 Massachusetts Ave
Named after the Union general with the most awesome facial hair, this local bar has gilded frames and flocked wallpaper, and an upright piano right by the front door. You can also see their antique cocktail-shaking machine, which gets quite a bit of use. Make sure to look over the mule menu.
423 Massachusetts Ave
TFC is an Indianapolis institution specializing in those adorable handheld treats we all love. Theirs are incredibly moist and run the gamut from the standard size to the massive cake-for-two size. TFC carries a handful of daily vegan options, and we'd recommend joining their rewards club, if only for the free cupcake on your birthday.
721 Massachusetts Ave
Almost Famous has it all with coffee, cocktails, tapas, and entertainment. No literally - what else could you want? They're open daily and are the perfect spot for a mid-afternoon lunch.
Shop + Do
Photo via Mark D'aiuto on Pexels
318 Massachusetts Ave
OG local shoe store. Friend of teenage growth spurts, people with foot pain. Enemy of knee and back pain caused by ill-fitting shoes. Let them help you get your shoe game right.
454 Massachusetts Ave
Locally owned and loved, Silver in the City is one of those catch-all gift stores that sells everything from local goods to the funny ice molds and coffee cups you know and love. Stop by here to find something for the person who has everything.
Photo via Austin Friedline
502 N New Jersey St
Not one, not two, but three different concert venues are housed in this massive, Moorish-themed event center. Sit down for a show in Indy's oldest stage house, The Murat Theatre, catch a huge headliner in The Egyptian Room, or go underground for up-and-coming stars in The Deluxe. In any case, you're bound to have fun.
845B Massachusetts Ave
Locally-owned, modern boutique for women with tons of clothes and accessories. Their bag selection is always top-notch, and they're rich in phrase shirts to let your Instagram audience know your mood.
627 Massachusetts Ave
The theater scene in Indy deserves more attention, and The District Theatre is one of the best places to take in a show. You can get incredibly close seating in the intimate theater, or rent the place for your own event.
719 E St. Clair St
Mid-August means the 700-block of Mass Ave transforms into a mini version of Broadway for ten days, and it's all centered around the small-but-mighty IndyFringe Indy Eleven theater. When the IndyFringe festival isn't going on, get a ticket and experience some of the best theater happening in the city.
431 Massachusetts Ave
Locally owned and locally loved, Sage is one of those boutiques that specializes in sturdy staples and great shoes. If you hate the bustle and crowding of mall shelves, the spare interior of Sage is calming in a sea of shopping mania.
446 Massachusetts Ave
You can get plenty of great gifts on Mass Ave, but at Global Gifts, your money could help stabilize vulnerable people through the handmade goods you buy. Many of the items on the shelves here support global poverty initiatives and many other non-profits.
517 E Walnut St
A family-run home decor shop that features a variety of unique pieces. You'll find furniture, upholstery, accessories, and more. The store is also a great stop if you're looking to buy a gift for anyone.
708 Massachusetts Ave
Beautiful home decor and gift shop adding to the eclectic and unique vibe on Mass Ave. You'll find a variety of cool pieces here that will make you want to come back for more. The shop is also locally owned.
Did we miss your fav place? Let us know!
Check out our Fletcher Place neighborhood guide HERE!
