Gatsby’s, Indianapolis (NW side)

I’ll be honest.  I’ve had folks request that I review a certain restaurant/tenderloin, and I’ve had varying success.  I always feel badly when sometime tells me about a breaded tenderloin that they think is a 5 out of 5, and it turns out to be a fritter.

So, when a good friend asked me to join him for lunch and review the tenderloin and Gatsby’s…I was cautiously optimistic.  I really hoped I wasn’t in for a letdown.  And, I suspected I wasn’t…because he is a firefighter, and if one thing firefighters know, it is good food.  I later found out that the owner of Gatsby’s is an Indianapolis Firefighter, another plus.

Gatsby’s looks like your typical strip mall pub from the outside.  It’s located just off of I-465 and 71st street on the West side, and is surrounded by office parks and motels/hotels.

Upon entering, it’s much larger than it looks like from the outside.  There’s a raised dining area, and the main floor.  They make efficient use of the space here.

The wait staff was friendly and helpful, but we both knew what we wanted…the breaded tenderloin.

When they brought it out, it was obviously hand breaded, and it’s sized right. It’s not so large as to be overwhelming, but it’s certainly filling.  The sandwich is seasoned PERFECTLY….and the breading stays crisp throughout the life of the sandwich.  The meat is moist and tender.  Although I was a bit skeptical at the beginning, I can say with assurance this is one of the best tenderloins I’ve ever had.  It’s a 5 out of 5, no questions asked.  Seriously.  Go get this sandwich.

For my side, I chose onion rings, and I’d say they are above average.  They’re not the best in town, but they’re certainly better than what one usually gets.

Gatsby’s breaded tenderloin goes for $8.29, and is served breaded, grilled, or Cajun. Cheese is .50 extra.

A bit of advice….if you’re going for lunch, go a bit early, or after 12:00 Noon.  We got there about 1130, and it was pleasantly busy, but by noon or a few minutes after, there were folks waiting to be seated.

Gatsby’s is located at 6335 Intech Commons Drive.  You can find them online at http://www.gatsbysonline.com , and they also have a Facebook page.

Montgomery’s Steakhouse, Spiceland, Indiana

Montgomery’s Steakhouse personifies a restaurant “out in the middle of nowhere”.  It’s located in the little hamlet of Spiceland, Indiana, south of New Castle, just off of the intersection of State Road 3 and I-70.

The parking lot is huge, and for good reason…this is a HUGE facility!  2 big dining rooms, a very large bar, and an area they call “The Back Porch”, where they have outdoor concerts in the summer.  They draw some pretty large crowds, with groups like 38 Special, Confederate Railroad, and more.

We were there for a comedy night, which was held in one of the dining rooms.  It’s got a very cozy feel that makes it seems intimate, in spite of its massive size.

As a steakhouse, they’re menu definitely runs towards the beef side.  There are a lot of steaks, of course, a very complete appetizer menu, some desserts, and more.

I spied ”hand breaded tenderloin” on the menu, and asked our server if it was done in house, and she told me indeed, it is, so I decided to give it a try.

This is one of the thicker…perhaps THE thickest breaded tenderloin I’ve had.  It’s a hefty sandwich, to be sure.  Was it too thick?  For me, no, it wasn’t.  But, for some folks who prefer a thinner sandwich, it might well be.

The breading was nice and crunchy.  It wasn’t as seasoned as some I’ve had, still, it was very good.  The meat itself had a good flavor…not outstanding, but above average.  However, at least one bite had a hunk of gristle in it.  I realize this happens from time to time, but it does detract from the overall rating of the sandwich.

I ordered a side of onion rings, and I gotta say, those are some FANTASTIC onion rings.  Obviously hand breaded, done perfectly, some of the very best I’ve EVER had.  And I’ve had a lot of onion rings!

I’m really torn on how to rate this sandwich.  It’s good, but finding a nice hunk of gristle can’t help but bring the rating down.  Still, I’ll give it a 3.5 out of 5 bites.  It’s a little above average, and I’d order it again when I’m there.

For her dinner, Holly had the veggie burger and a side of steamed broccoli.  The veggie burger was average – nothing spectacular.  The broccoli florets were smaller than usual, which made them kind of difficult to eat with a fork, but other than that, the taste and level of “doneness” was fine.

I’ve got to give a shout out to the service.  With it being a special event night, I didn’t know what to expect.  They did a GREAT job on serving the crowd.

Montgomery’s is located just south of the intersection of I-70 and Highway 3 in Spiceland, Indiana.  You can find them online at:  http://www.montgomeryssteakhouse.com/

Route 67 Bar and Grill, Mooresville, Indiana

Holly and I had heard of the Route 67 Bar and Grill from several friends, and we were looking for the opportunity to try it.  We seldom get out to Mooresville, but we had a meeting with some folks so this was the perfect chance.

The Route 67 Bar and Grill is located in a little strip mall, very close to Grey’s cafeteria.  It’s not terribly convenient to get to…you have to cut across a gas station parking lot to get to it, but it’s worth the effort.

Upon entering, the first thing I saw was a very large aquarium, a nice touch!  The bartender greeting us warmly, and we were shown to a table for dinner and to conduct our business.

I have to say…I’m seldom felt as welcomed in a restaurant as I did here.  The folks really seemed to appreciate the fact that we chose their place for dinner.  That, alone, makes me want to return and patronize them again.

On the menu, they advertise their “big, sexy tenderloin”.  You can get it either breaded or grilled, and, of course, I chose the breaded version.

This is one HUGE tenderloin.  And it’s perhaps the biggest bun I’ve ever seen in my life.  Seriously.  I’m not sure the scale of this sandwich comes through in the photograph, but you’d better be hungry if you intend on eating it.  Better yet, plan on sharing.

This sandwich is certainly hand breaded.  Not only is it huge, it’s thick, also, which is my preference.  It LOOKS good….however, there’s a problem.  When the sandwich came out, it was already starting to get soggy.  Maybe not terribly so, but enough to detract from the taste and texture.  That’s the problem with a huge sandwich….keeping it fresh and crisp in almost unmanageable.

The meat was tasty, but the sogginess of the breading certainly took away from that.  Don’t get me wrong….it wasn’t terrible.  It just wasn’t great.  On a scale of 0-5 bites, I’ll give it 2.5, just average.

For her meal, Holly chose the Black and Blue Salad.  She ordered the steak medium and it came out just as she had asked.  The dressing (blue cheese) was good and as an added bonus, they put blue cheese crumbles on as well, which took an above average black and blue salad to the next level!  It was the perfect size – an excellent dinner salad she said she wouldn’t hesitate to order again.

All in all, it was a very good experience.  The service was outstanding, the price was right, and the atmosphere was warm and friendly.  We’ll certainly go back.  Be aware, they are 21 and over, and they are a smoking restaurant. However….I DO believe this was the least smoky of any smoking restaurant I’ve ever been to.

 
Route 66 Bar and Grill is located at 600 S State Road 67 in Mooresville, Indiana.  They have a website at:  http://route67barandgrill.biz/

Barbee Hotel and Restaurant, Warsaw, Indiana

I’m always looking for a good tenderloin when I’m traveling, as most of you know, and I’m also always looking for a good, locally owned restaurant, preferring to get local taste instead of a chain when I’m on the road.

We were up in Warsaw, Indiana, playing a St Patrick’s day gig, and one of Holly’s friends lives up in that area, (Hi Erin!  Hi Reyna!!) and they had heard good things about the Barbee Hotel and Restaurant, just off of Lake Barbee, so we decided to give it a try.

The Barbee Hotel is famous for 3 reasons…it was the reputed hideout of Al Capone during his heyday, the Gable and Lombard suite…where they stayed when they were married, and its reputation of being haunted.

We didn’t see any ghosts while we were there, as some folks say they have  (but not for lack of trying!!) nor did we smell Al Capone’s cigar smoke wafting through the building, as some say they have, but we did enjoy a VERY good meal and enjoyed the after dinner ghost hunt.

Although the Barbee Hotel doesn’t look like much from the outside, the restaurant itself is VERY nice –   textured tin ceiling, nice bar, comfortable seating, and an attentive waitress.  We were off to a good start.

The menu is quite varied, with everything from sandwiches and salads to steaks, seafood, and quite a number of Italian dishes, with daily specials.

I saw they had a breaded tenderloin, and asked our waitress if they were done in house, and she honestly didn’t know.  However, they also offered a grilled tenderloin, so that told me they probably DO make them in house, and I decided to take a chance.

As you can see from the photo, it does appear to be hand breaded and cut…it’s not a pre-processed pork fritter, of that, I’m certain.  It’s neither uniform in shape or thickness, so I suspect they are, indeed, made in house.

So, how was it?  It wasn’t bad.  However, in all fairness, it wasn’t that good, either.  It certainly was a bit above average, but far short of outstanding.  The breading was..pretty bland.  And the meat was just a bit dry for my tastes.  But, again, it wasn’t bad.  There was just nothing to set it apart from the others.  Since it did appear to be fresh and made in house, I’m going to give it a 3 out of 5, just above average.

I got fries as my side, and they were nothing special, but the salad I ordered was VERY good….one of the better side salads I’ve had in a while.

For her meal, Holly chose one of the house specials for the evening:  parmesan encrusted whitefish.  She reported it to be outstanding – very flavorful, with a nice balance between the fish and the seasoning of the breading.  The dinner special came with a choice of soup or salad, vegetable du jour, and your choice of potato – so there were several combinations available from which to choose.

Even though the tenderloin wasn’t stellar, the experience as a whole was great.  The service was tops, LOVE the atmosphere, and the rest of the food looks to be FAR above average.  I’m sure we’ll be back up that way this year, and this will be a must stop for us.
The Barbee Hotel and Restaurant is located at 3620 N Barbee Road in Warsaw, Indiana.  Reservations are accepted on the weekends, and are highly recommended.  You can find them online at http://www.barbeehotel.com

The Green Street Pub, Brownsburg, Indiana

The Green Street pub in Brownsburg has been recommended to me several times, and I’ve been meaning to try it for quite some time.  This weekend was the first time we’ve been in the area with free time to do a review, so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

We were in Brownsburg for the 1^st annual Brownsburg Hamfest (a gathering of ham radio operators), and I asked the locals their opinion of the restaurant, and the recommendations were high indeed.

The Green Street pub is located in a strip mall amid a grocery store, Mexican restaurant, and some other shops.  The first thing I noticed upon entering was that it was MUCH larger than your typical strip mall restaurant.  Pleasantly decorated, the hostess was friendly and personable and showed us promptly to our seat.

Unfortunately, getting to our seat was not as pleasant as it should be.  When you first walk in to Green Street, the bar is off to your right.  There were some ball games going on, and there was a lot of smoking going on in the bar.  And, it was drifting out into the area one has to walk through to get to the family section.

I’m not going to get into the whole smoking/non smoking debate, I’ll simply say that I don’t understand the logic of having your non smoking customers walk through a cloud of smoke to get to the non smoking section.  That makes NO sense to me.  But, hey, what do I know.  I’m only a customer who decides where to spend my money.

Once getting to our table, the non smoking area is wonderfully decorated, and there are two very large fish tanks that provide a nice distraction for the kids.  There were several families having lunch when we were there, and the kids were very much enjoying watching the fish.

The lunch menu was nice, but, it wasn’t as large as I anticipated.  A few sandwiches, a few salads, and that was about it.  I’m not sure about their dinner menu, but the lunch menu was a bit disappointing in variety.

I was there on a mission, to try the breaded tenderloin.  It’s offered in 3 varieties….grilled, lightly breaded, or beer battered.  I chose the beer battered.

The sandwich is large, but not overwhelming.  It’s obviously hand breaded, and the breading was…average.  Actually, it was rather bland.  As much as I was looking forward to this sandwich, I couldn’t get over the fact of how average the breading was.

The meat was the same.  It was a little dry, and not as tender as some.  Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a “bad” sandwich…it just wasn’t especially good, either.  It was served promptly and dressed exactly as I requested, so the service was well above average.

For her meal, Holly chose French onion soup and a garden salad.  A bonus at Green Street:  they serve poppy seed dressing, which Holly chose.  As far as her meal goes, it was average.  She said it wasn’t bad; it just didn’t stand out in her mind as a stellar meal.

I’m rating the Green Street Pub breaded tenderloin a 2.5 out of 5.  It’s average.  And, if I were to return, I’d order something else off of the menu.

The Green Street Pub is located at 911 Green Street in Brownsburg, Indiana.  I was unable to locate a website for them, but they do have a Facebook page.  The bar is 21 and over only, the restaurant is all ages.

Carver’s Family Restaurant, Richmond, Indiana

Holly l and I found ourselves in Richmond, Indiana this past weekend for a music gig.  As I had never had a tenderloin in Richmond….we set out on a quest to find a locally owned restaurant.
As we were on a timetable, we didn’t have as much time to explore town as I would’ve liked to have, but we did find Carver’s Family Restaurant, and decided to give them a try.

Upon entering, it’s a large place, and kind of reminds me of a Denny’s in it’s layout.  Although we arrived at prime lunchtime for the Sunday after church crowd, we were seated quickly and our capable server answered a few menu questions for us.

The menu is quite complete, with a vast breakfast selection, lots of sandwiches, plate lunches, and a variety of Greek food, also.

There is a breaded tenderloin on the menu, and I asked the waitress if it was really a breaded tenderloin, or a pork fritter.  She replied…”It’s a fritter”. It might have been my imagination, but I do believe she said it with regret and wiped a single tear from her eye.

OK, maybe I’m stretching it a bit. However, Carver’s won my business right there.  By being honest with me, they turned what could have been a bad experience and an unhappy customer right around.

SO…I ordered the steakburger patty melt, and it was very, very good indeed.  The meat had a wonderful flavor, the onions were grilled to perfection, and the toast was perfect. With it, I had onion rings…not outstanding, but VERY good, and french onion soup, which was pretty average.  All in all, it was a very good meal.

Holly had a build your own omelette.  Carver’s makes their omelettes with 6(!) eggs, so Holly chose hers half-sized, made with EggBeaters, and raved about how good it was….very light and fluffy.

I would consider the price to be moderate for the amount and quality of food we received, and although I was disappointed that they offer a fritter instead of a tenderloin…the positive experience we received…and the honesty from our server, means we’ll be back!

Carver’s is located at 2270 Chester Blvd in Richmond, Indiana.  I was unable to locate a web site for them.

Casler’s Kitchen and Bar, Fishers, Indiana

Casler’s Kitchen and Bar is one of those places that I had vaguely heard about, but I’m not sure from whom…and I really wasn’t sure where it was located.

We had some errands to run, and were looking for some place for supper, and drove right by it..and decided to turn in.

Part sports bar, part family restaurant, Casler’s has the potential to try to do too many things at once, ultimately failing at all of them…but kudos to Casler’s…they do it and they do it well.
It’s a very comfortable atmosphere, and whether you’re a sports fan, live music fan, or want a nice dinner with your family, you’ll feel welcome here.

I honestly wasn’t sure if they had a breaded tenderloin or not…..but they advertise a hand cut tenderloin on their menu, offering it either breaded or grilled.  I chose the breaded…of course.🙂

It’s a nice sized sandwich, pounded just a little thinner than I prefer, but not paper thin.  The meat, while not outstanding in flavor, is certainly above average.
The breading is really good…the texture is a little different than what I’m used to, but I liked it quite a lot.  I’m not sure exactly what’s IN the breading, but it works and works well.

They brought the sandwich dressed just as I requested, however….they skimped on the onion.  Two little rings.  When we say we want onions, we want onions!🙂

The sandwich is served on an egg bun that is really, really good!  It’s a different taste/texture than the standard bun, and with this sandwich, it worked very, very well.

I’m giving Casler’s breaded tenderloin a 4 out of 5 bites.  It’s not perfect, but it’s well above average and I’ll certainly order it again when I’m there.
As a nice change of pace, they offer tater tots as a side…and, oh my, they were VERY good!

Holly had the steak dinner special…a sirloin steak, grilled veggies, and mashed potatoes for $8.99.  She pronounced that dinner “Fantastic”.

Casler’s is located at 11501 Geist Pavilion Drive in Fishers, Indiana.  You can find them online at http://www.caslers.com