checkered flag tavern

food for the soul. i've been going to this bar for a few years. the new owners are doing a great job! but the real story is about the artist in the kitchen!!! i've i watch diners drive-ins and dives since it started and preyed to fine a place as great as see on the show here in indy. little did i know it would come to my favorite bar the flag!!!! it's a must try. best food in the state for the money in my opinion

great friendly, knowledgeable staff.  the food is perfect!  if you are on the west side of indianapolis, this is the spot!! the brisket burger! fried mushrooms! walleye fridays!  so amazing, check these guys out you won't regret it.

just stopped in for the first time after reading great reviews on the food. special was grilled cheese and brisket chili for $6.50. got to say it was great. chili had great flavor and was probably as big as two bowls from steak n shake. the grilled cheese was delicious and prob had 3-4 slices of american cheese on it. also came w some pickle slices and a piece of super sweet and moist corn bread. i assured the waitress i didnt lick my bowl because it was pretty much ready for yhe next person after i used the corn bread as a sponge for the little bit of chili remaining. i will definitely be back and look forward to trying something different.

what a great transformation!. haven't been here since 2011 (reference 2011 pics) and wow! they did a great job remodeling this place! very clean, fresh, and open looking compared to before! we started with the "hotzzarella jalapeño cheese stix" and they are good and just as hot as the name leads you to believe! we each ordered an item and split them. the "big pig" was just as it sounds. a big sandwich with pulled pork, thick cut bacon, and smoked ham. fairly impossible for us to eat, but all the meats were great tasting as we ate them with a fork. the accompanying bbq sauce is pretty good too! the "cheeseburger w/bacon" was very good. charbroiled tasted with some of the good bacon they offer. the service was spot on too! we will be back. pics included. enjoy!


-----04 nov, 2011-----

old time establishment with new dressing and menu!. back in my older days this place was considered a lesser than desired type bar to visit. aaaahhh many years ago. it's fallen under newer ownership and they've spruced the place up. wife and i recently tried this place to measure it up.

we seated ourselves at a booth. the bartender was our server and did a superb job of ensuring our food and drink orders were fulfilled.

the "loaded fries" were pretty good. while i didn't partake with an entree, my wife had the "cheeseburger with bacon accompanied with slaw" and raved it was very good!

not to take away from the tasty burger, but as a note, some may know that slaw can in vary in taste throughout the year based on season and location. a very common complaint i have due to my many years of travel. however, this place has nailed the slaw factor at least this snapshot in time. ;)

we will be back to try other items. this establishment hangs their hat on the bbq, but we hadn't tried it yet. look forward to this on our next visit!

what a turnaround!. this bar was once a place i avoided at night because i didn't want to get stabbed - to a place i love to eat at whenever i get a chance. the owner has turned this place around not only in the decor and food but also its image and (slowly) the clientele. the burgers are great but i especially love the off-menu specials they feature every week. the shrimp and grits special was amazing as well as the weekly walleye special on fridays. they have more taps with great craft brew, so basically, my kind of place. with a phasing of new customers investing in this place, i see no limit in potential with this place.

great food!. i've yet to have a bad meal here. i really enjoy their bbq, steaks, and chef specials. yes they have a real chef in the kitchen! they also have a good selection of bourbon and beers.

well ladies and gentlemen, this is a bar. a bar that dates back to the 1940’s. a bar that was redone about a year ago. a spacious bar with pool tables, about a dozen beers on tap and a grand out-door seating area with a fire pit. it also is a bar with some of the best tavern food i have had. they offer blackened catfish and frog leg appetizers, as well as real deal smoked pork sandwiches. we ordered some breaded mushrooms to start. fresh breaded ‘shrums are always a bonus and they offered theirs for $5.50, with a horseradish sauce. nothing prepared us for the monsters we were given. we received 5 mushrooms that were in excess of 3 inches in diameter. each one was impeccably breaded in a thin breading reminiscent of a cornmeal breading usually reserved for catfish. the horse-radish dip that came with the mushrooms matched well; as did the one buck pints of pabst blue ribbon. as for our “entre” pat and i were both conflicted. pat for the “big ass bacon burger” and the “big pig”. me for t

o my goodness. big steaks, great food in general. when you see the photos in the menu the food looks the same when it comes on your plate. definitely will recommend this place to a friend.

went there on a whim, the sign said "bbq"...it was the most delicious pulled pork sandwich i've eaten in a very long time! the staff there were also very nice, and it's super clean...hats of to the chef, and the owner is super cool! i highly recommend dining there!

delicious. seriously fantastic food, great price, and friendly servers. will be back each time i visit indy.

spicy catfish, smoked wings, tender pork, toasted buns, crispy fries, cheap, cheap, cheap. i hear there’s walleye on fridays and a uniquely delicious special every week? what else do i need to say?

after eating at the place a few years back, i tried it again last year. major improvements have been made to the menu/ownership.

i ate at this place the other day, they had a 14 oz steak with 2 sides for only $14! i asked for it to be cooked medium and it was actually medium. very impressed with this establishment. can't wait to go back again.

awesome!. a co worker and i went here after reading the reviews on this site. the best pulled pork i've ever had. we also had the fried mushrooms, which, were as big as my fist. i will be back for more.

it is sort of a "dive bar" but we had an excellent dinner. the owner/bartender, stacey (male) really knows how to smoke some meat! pulled pork was excellent and so were the smoked wings. service was excellent and friendly! if i had to criticize , i would want carolina style sauce or maybe just some heat in a sauce. stacey said his regulars like his sweeter bbq sauce. really good place!