red lion grog house

no thanks.. chicken tikki masala is no more "english fare" than a burger (arguably less, as i'm fairly sure burgers lie closer to english in origin than anything masala).

and if the namesake of your establishment includes an overt reference to alcohol, i can't help but see the irony in not having a liquor license. i can't fault the owners for opening regardless of the availability of a liquor license, i just think it's ironic...that's all. irony, folks. settle down.

"maybe next time you should opt to speak with the owner of a new business about the "ambiance", and deco, before coming to your own conclusion."
--oh, i'm sorry, i thought the point of having a restaurant review was to have your own conclusion.

what is wrong with you people? my criticism was not ill spirited, it was just that: my opinion. the fact people feel the need to point out a specific review (ie. mine) as being "too harsh" or "inaccurate" defeats the entire purpose of this website.

this website provides a service to people--if everyone just sang the same hum-drum chorus about how fantastic every restaurant is, what's the point?

i didn't write a bad review for the sake of writing a bad review; i wrote a bad review because i didn't like the restaurant. this is not your grandmother's house, and if you "can't say something nice," you can still say something.


-----17 apr, 2010-----

not impressed. past reviews have been way too generous. i'm all for supporting local business, but the rlgh was particularly underwhelming and will not receive my business again.
1.) decor was severely lacking. for aplacethat presents itself as an english-style pub, you'd expect more, well, actual english flair. the only thing "english" about theplaceis the pub sign. no decoration, no aesthetics that make you feel like you're in a "pub"...just 6 big flat screen tvs, all completely distracting, along the bar...otherwise completely bare walls. i'm not sure if they were just in a hurry to open theplaceor if the current ambiance is the goal…either way it's less than pleasant.
2.) seating arrangement was less than ideal. all tables are arranged along one wall with a large bench, with add'l seats at the bar, and a few tables in front by the window.
3.) food was adequate: my burger--like described in other reviews--was good...though the "english style baked beans" that i ordered in lieu of fries were, quite simply, bush's baked beans. weak.
additionally, my wife ordered the soup 'n salad, the soup being good (tomato basil) but the salad consisting of a few shreds of mixed greens, veggies, and a whopping slab of bad-tasting thick-sliced ham reminiscent of left-over easter dinner ham. very weak.
4.) beer selection is minimal.

if you want a pub with more authentic flair, you're better served going to chatham or mcnivens or the brbp.

a new favorite!. my husband and i stepped in red lion once before, before they had their liquor license, and promised that we would return. well, we did and we couldn't have been happier with our experience.

the beer special included a upland dragonfly for $3 a pop - a great price and very tasty. i love me some bangers and mash, but quite frankly, i have been disappointed with some of the other versions around town. i asked a few questions first, and then gave it a shot. it was the best bangers and mash i ever ordered from a restaurant. it's a simple dish really, so what can i say other than that the sausage, potatoes and gravy were really good. the husband got another traditional dish, fish and chips, and there were no complaints in that department. i can assure that the fries were great because i took a number of them off his plate.

we both thought our server was awesome, and my only complaint is that she and i could not, for the life of us, figure out where we knew each other from. oh well, i guess she is just a friendly face on the streets of indianapolis. service was fantastic, our food came out quick, and our drinks were never empty. the price for two meals and four beers came out to $35, so it was a great deal too...

there was also some trivia going on that night. we only made it in time for the "guess that tune" round, but wound up in 3rdplaceafter a personal defeat in the secondplacetie breaker. it was still a lot of fun.

we can't wait to go back, and i would recommend this restaurant to anyone.

wasn't trying to be harsh.. woah, woah. settle down with the caps! i was just suggesting an idea, that's all, man. and, yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. i guess it's just that i like to speak to owners of new establishments to get info, background, etc. to help me understand theplacea little more (restaurant, or not). and i was suggesting maybe you try that. sorry for trying to give an idea to help with the conclusion. truly am.


-----03 may, 2010-----

great, don't know what joe was talking about. first of all, who goes into an english pub and orders a burger?!? that is beyond me. i would think if one wants to experience english fare, they would order english fare. that is just me, though....? in any case, we have been there 4 times, and have not been disappointed. we have had the chicken tikka masala (which was delicious), the fish and chips were wonderful. the curry was perfect. love how the chips are cooked. even the chips and curry sauce (spicy) were wonderful! one night the special was a beef brisket dinner. we tried that, even, and were amazed at the tenderness, and amazing taste. fried pickle chips are grand, even the sauce they are served with. i have yet to try the scotch eggs, shepherd's pie, and blanket bangers. i have heard, however, that the burgers are great. i do want to try the chicken picotta. have heard great reviews on that one, as well. as far as the rlgh starting out without beer..... many places go through that. deal with it. all in all the rlgh is a great addition to fountain square, and i see them staying for quite some time. way to go, rlgh!!! so, my other review was deleted. it was just an afterthought about the "ambiance" and deco in rlgh. maybe it's not decorated because they are just starting out! joe, did you ever take the time to speak with one of the owners there?? i'm sure if you had taken the time to do that, they would have been more than happy to talk about their new beginnings. maybe next time you should opt to speak with the owner of a new business about the "ambiance", and deco, before coming to your own conclusion. just an idea.

food was really good and service was good. atmosphere was eh, is thisplaceclean? music was kind of obnoxious. building bathrooms were outrageously nasty. we had to go down to pure restaurant to use their restrooms.

pretty tasty. thisplacehas a good variety of beer and food. they rotate their beers out pretty regular. i had the meatloaf sandwich. awesome! portion sizes are big and the sandwich i had was very filing. if you're looking for something a little different i'd recommend giving thisplacea try.

bestplaceon the square. love this place- staff are always friendly, great late night atmosphere and good value. favorites are the fish and chips, waltimate burger and scotch eggs. definitely a "close" environment due to the shape of the building but it adds to the occasion. not sure how the bad experiences came about but as regulars for years, we've never had one with either the food, staff or prices.

solid dining for a solid location. experimented here for my birthday. nice atmosphere, sarah was my waitress, who is kinda yelp famous. she was friendly enough, timely and unintrusive, basically all you could ask for from your waitress.

we tried, the scotch eggs, bangers n mash, fish n chips, shepherd's pie, and tikka masala.

from worst to first:

the tikka masala was pretty run-of-the-mill. didn't really offer anything, but its indian food at a bar. what can you expect?

the shepherd's pie was decent enough, but nothing special. ground beef with potatoes on it. very hearty like you'd expect.

the scotch eggs were something i'd never had before. they were interesting and not what i expected. crunchy but definitely solid with some salt on em.

the fish n chips were 50/50. the fish was excellent, not too much breading, but the breading was delicious. the chips were burnt and lacked any flavor. i noticed them swimming in ketchup when they were cleaned up later. though the tots are supposedly good. so maybe substitute those next time.

the bangers n mash was superb! came out lukewarm, but once it was heated up-- pow! the winning dish and what i'll be getting if i happen into thisplaceagain. the sausage was lean and flavorful, no gristle.

the beer menu seemed quite extensive with beers from across the pond, not all super well-known. though, we opted for bottled beer, i forgot to try the copper mugs.

another great meal. wings and burgers all around. anyplacethat grinds their own meat for their burgers is ok by me. you can taste the difference!

portobello and swiss. this sandwich is seriously one of the best, if not the best, sandwiches i have ever had, including meat and non-meat sandwiches alike. warning, the mushroom will be hot. temperature-wise that is. do not bite until cooled. i did and my mouth was full of blisters, but it was well worth it. it's also a little messy. other than that, theplacehas a great feeling to it, good drinks, friendly staff. i'll be back.

great spot in one of indy's only original places!. ate with my wife on a sunday a little after noon.placewas about 3/4ths full, not bad considering fountain square is a fri/sat type of place.

wife and i started with the scotch eggs and fried pickle chips . can't vouch for their other pub food (shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, etc), but they've got fried food down to a science! pickle chips were perfect, pickley flavor shown through the fried flavor and the fresh dill dipping sauce was delicious! first time having the scotch eggs in my life, absolutely delicious as well. eggs perfectly cooked, outer coating of sausage and filler very flavorful.

for our entrees, we had the buffalo chicken sandwich and the fish and chips, both of us had fries as the side. sandwich was huge, hand breaded, and fried to perfection. wife is addicted to buffalo flavored anything, and she absolutely loved it. fish and chips were the best i've ever had... two massive fillets of cod or haddock, hand battered, along with what looked like homemade cole slaw, and homemade fries. everything was cooked about as perfect as you could get it. both of us couldn't finish our meals, but we left incredibly happy. :)

also had a sun king wee mac and a triton railsplitter ipa... both delicious, locally brewed beers that topped off a great lunch at a great spot. didn't eat a thing the rest of the day!

excellent! we arrived on a busy sunday around 2pm but the two wonderful girls working handled it like pros. all kinds of people, great atmosphere, perfect good and drinks. the kind ofplaceyou want up return to and become a regular. i had the crab scottish eggs and a roasted pepper burger cook a perfect medium-rare. tried a grog , which was good but different but the servers/bartenders made it perfect. my bill was $31 and i left $40

thisplaceis amazing. i have been there probably 7 times or so, and i have never been dissatisfied. they exceed my expectations every time. the food is outstanding. i have never tried anything from here that i dislike. it is a friendly atmosphere, and the servers are on it. like 10,000 thumbs up.

average at best. went with a friend of mine. had the big ben burger, and was hardly impressed. service was good enough, and theplacehad that feel l like. burger was not seasoned and not memorable in the slightest. i believe that the fried items are really good, and i will try some of those before i give it a dislike, but the first impression was middle of the road.

meh.... my wife and i are burger hounds, and try to go a newplaceevery week or two to sample the fare. she sometimes tries other menu items, i stick to the burgers. i liked the location, appearance and atmosphere of thisplacebut the service was slow, it took about 40 minutes to receive our meals (we both had burgers) and this at 8 in the evening on a thursday. being kind of a burger connoisseur, i will simply say that the food here wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good either. i had the big ben burger; the chili had good flavor but the beef wasn't savory enough to hold its own against the chili, so the whole thing just tasted like really meaty chili. i am pretty fond of wheat buns but red lion doesn't offer one. the onion rings on the burger were the best part, but they aren't offered as a menu choice (still wondering about that one). my wife had the mushroom and swiss; she said it was ok, with nothing much more to say. the coleslaw was pretty good; good texture, creamy but not too thick, not too much of any one ingredient but i like mine a little sweeter. the burgers aren't hand patted, they are pressed (whether in the kitchen or out of a box, i do not know) and i think it had a lot to do with the flavor of the burger. i will say it's a decent burger for the price, but for a couple bucks more you could go someplace that really knows how to cook one. the beer list was great, but i don't drink a whole lot so i did not indulge. all in all, probably not aplacei will go back to but i am not terribly disappointed either; mostly just unimpressed.

an interesting stop. i don't get into indy much when i come to visit, so we thought we would check thisplaceout for something different. i'm glad we did!

the french onion soup was really good! fish and chips were good though the fish was a little on the oily side. nobody could keep their paws off my hand cut fries though! my dad got the shepherd's pie... first off, it was cottage pie. it had ground beef, not lamb. with that being said it was really good! this is the first pie i've had that they actually used fresh herbs on the top with the cheese before throwing it into the salamander. i think that sent it over the edge for all of us!

the waitress was friendly enough (not overly great enough to remember though - there were a few times she mentioned that she didn't understand why they were doing things a certain way). my biggest issue is that their website shows their daily drink specials. we went on wednesday, so we all ordered cider since it should have been $4. needless to say the manager / owner didn't bother to come out to tell us himself that those prices are subject to change. the waitress said that she wished they would changed that since it's pretty out of date.

i'd probably try thisplaceagain if they were to update their website on a more regular basis.