iaria's italian restaurant

they even called my house the day before to confirm my reservation, a nice little touch.

i had the lasagna and was sooo disappointed. chef boyardee made better. hmm, it may have been chef boyardee. can't believe they're still in business! yuck

can't wait to go back. good food, fabulous service, and a cool atmosphere. stepping into iaria's is like walking into a time machine. everything is original and unique, and that's represented in their food as well. these are classic italian dishes, served just as they would have been when the restaurant first opened. their staff is friendly and welcoming also. we went on a busy saturday night, a time when it would have been easy for service to be lagging, but our server was fantastic and never missed a beat. i ordered chicken parmesan, which was great, but i can't wait to try more on the menu.

the grouper piccata is great. you have to get the capers. the antipasto salad is really good. their tomato sauce is different from others but is still really good. service is excellent. this is old school american italian food. it has not changed for eighty years and it shouldn't.

iaria’s has been around since 1933. so don’t expect fusion or cuisine minceur when you go. what you will get is old school italian dishes from very old school recipes. the establishment is composed of a dining room and a bar room that has several tables and booths. they use plenty of glass blocks in their decor. i think the blocks are great. they were out of favor for a while but they are making a comeback,from what i hear. iaria’s had them before they were cool.

great vibe when you walk in: feel like the 60's. staff very accommodating . try blue cheese with salad , had chicken parmesan - great portion and coating but i thought somewhat dry. eggplant hit the spot - will revisit for sure.

it was huge portions but mediocre. bolognese was too sweet for me. the waiter went out to smoke before bringing my wine... the smell of cigarette was soooo repulsive!!! pizza looked good. i came back by accident. pizza wasn't good

the place to go for an authentic italian dining experience!  the staff is accommodating and super-friendly.  the wine and beer list is extensive and contains the perfect matching.  the veal dishes are superb -- as was the antipasto salad.  my eggplant parm was a little too-done, for my liking (the breading)... but the pasta and marinara sauce made up for it.  to finish off the experience, the canolis, especially the amaretto-gelato filled ones, were wonderful.  the prices were a little expensive -- but the quality and experience completely made up for it.

iaria's has been a family favorite for years, and for good reason!  this is about as authentic as italian american can get in the city.  the prices are good for the portion size and the quality of food as well.  weekends can be a nightmare to get a seat, but it's well worth the wait.  the spaghetti (with meatballs) and lasagna are a must for anyone trying the restaurant for the first time.  other favorites: the fresh mozzarella, bruschetta, minestrone soup, tenderloin sandwich (a hoosier favorite), and the chicken parmesan.  honestly, everything about this place is just delicious.  the staff is extremely welcoming and very helpful in choosing dishes.  overall, this family style restaurant never disappoints!

a swing and a miss...by far.. we really wanted to like this place because it seemed quaint and heritage proud. that expectation was quickly dashed. short story-this restaurant would be an ideal candidate for a kitchen/business restructuring reality tv show. call kitchen nightmares!

the food seemed to be made with cheap, mass produced ingredients -iceberg lettuce, bottled "italian" dressing, seasonless ground beef, the list goes on.

the appitizer of tomato mozerella salad was the only thing they achieved despite its lack of balsamic vinegar (a staple of the dish).

the staff seated themselves on the dining floor amongst patrons as a group eating, rolling silverware, chatting, and the bus boys were even massaging the waitresses. classy.

one dish was removed from our bill, after many extensive explanations as to how it was just plain inedible. the sauces on the dishes at our table were described as either bland, oosing with oil, or you are chewing pepper and spices. after the manager walked away, we were bewildered at his manner and came up with the same question-do you think he was high on drugs?

a true shame and embarrassment to the first generation.

service & staff issues. very good food, reasonably priced. after many visits the inconsistent service (wait to be served, short staffed at times) is frustrating. we still go back for the food (really great pizza, italian sausage, salads) but the back room and staff issues could certainly be improved.

absolutely disgusting. ordered the fried ravioli, cheese garlic bread,chicken piccata, cheese tortellini, and eggplant parm.... every bit of it was horrible! garlic bread was soggy and stale, the chicken piccata breading was soggy. the eggplant was cold and tasted bitter and dirty. i literally had to spit it out in my napkin. everything tasted frozen bought. i come from a huge italian family and this is not authentic or homemade. just plain gross.

authentic italian !. by far, the best italian food i have tasted in indianapolis. i went for lunch and ordered the spinach ravioli - wonderful! i will definitely be back for dinner. our waitress was very friendly and had such a great attitude!! i also enjoyed the inside decor, looks totally italian!! i will definitely recommend this restaurant.

waited an hour for overcooked pasta. this restaurant is a huge disappointment. for being labeled as one of the best italian restaurants in indy, it fails to deliver on every level. the decor is reminiscent of an old diner. the "famous sauce" was overpowered with nutmeg which was all you could taste. after waiting an hour our food finally arrived dry and overcooked. no respectable italian restaurant would serve overcooked pasta to the point where it falls apart in your mouth. beyond that, the veal parmesan was dry and flavorless with more breading than meat. i would recommend this restaurant to no one. go to olive garden for a better meal.

valentine's day special. my wife and i celebrated valentine's day at iaria's. this was our second visit to this establishment and we were once again dazzled by the tasty marvels from the kitchen. today we decided to order the valentine's special for two for $40. that was a wonderful choice as it allowed us to split a sampler containing 3 entrees.

the special featured a choice of 1 salad/appetizer, 3 entrees and 1 desert. for our choices we went with the caesar salad, chicken marsala, lasagna, cheese tortellini and chocolate cake. the portion was generous for the two of us. everything tasted wonderful. the chicken marsala was particularly good. tender chicken fillets topped with a mushroom marsala sauce. my wife's comment about the lasagna is that it is the only restaurant version where she thinks that it is as good or better than she can fix for us at home. it is moist but not soupy. i also found the cheese torellini topped with a tomato cream sauce great as well. the cake was a great finale. it was rich chocolate with a hint of raspberry.

all and all a wonderful experience to celebrate 20 years of valentine's days together. we will certainly be back to enjoy the cuisine here again.