the friendly tavern

winter decided to ease up on us a bit and let the temperature soar to 40 degrees. so in celebration we decided to head north to hamilton county , specifically zionsville. a small town known for high property values, smart little shops and the friendly tavern. now who can resist a joint with friendly in its name? this place has been around for more than 35 years. we know this because our bartender has worked there for 35 years. now that is staying power for both the place and the person. she has gone through 4 owners during that time. i dare say people would think they came into the wrong place were she not there. the menu features typical tavern fare, is reasonably priced and pat approved. http://kosherhamandcheese.wordpress.com/?p=2535&preview=true i noticed that their chili had won an award in the past. so, since the past is where most old dudes are comfortable, it seemed as though i should give it a try. i am glad i did. it was one of the best mid west style cups of chili i have eat

very friendly. i usually visit the friendly tavern once every couple of weeks and the food is always fantastic! i've had the opportunity to introduce this fine eatery to my out of town parents and brother and they are hooked as well. keep up the great work and will see you soon!!

stopped by for some appetizers. horeradish cheese & crackers were great as always. tried the nachos. plentiful portion and good tasting. sample the onion rings, but a little thick cut for my personal preference. pics included. enjoy. 20150926

--- jan 26, 2014
loved the horseradish cheese & crackers. sampled the breaded tenderloin and bacon cheeseburger. both were excellent on a cold winter day! 20140126

great spot, diverse menu, friendly staff

best burger in town!. i remember this place from several years ago. i was doing some work in town and stopped in for lunch. recently i stopped in and found that the nice lady that ran the bar was still there! this place has a great burger and frys! good service and very friendly. all out burger with buffalo chips!

this could be my new favorite restaurant! the smoked prime rib sandwich was awesome!

addition to my earlier review. while this place does not suffer from the club music that blares in many bars, they have no music or ambient sound at all. you have to hear all of the conversations and eating noise around you. they could add some music in this place.


-----19 jan, 2013-----

the food is good. it is always crowded and a great low key atmosphere. it could use a few more tvs

what a great find!. a friend and i went here for a late dinner wednesday. we arrived a bit after 8:00 and it was busy, but as we soon found out... most of those people came for the dinner rush and were wrapping up their meals... most had departed before we even got our food.

they have a nice simple menu that isn't so full of items that can't do any well.

i opted for the chopped steak and it was excellent. it seemed to be a really good value for the meal in that i got a giant side salad, a baked potato and the chopped steak with onions and mushrooms plus a soda for $13 and change. my friend had the reuben and it was good as well. not sure if the business dies down after 8:00 like that after rush hour on friday and saturday too... my husband and i might go tonight after he gets off work to test out that theory.

the food was so good, it overshadowed the lackluster service.

not bad..clientele seems to be mostly middle aged like..50s-ish which is nothing but anywho...relaxed atmosphere..food was good..i ordered cojack burger dressed well done..with buffalo chips..the burger was decent..tasted like one u would put on the grill...the bacon that was added was kinda chewy..like it was too thick and hard..so i had to put a piece back..the pickles were a thick cut sweet pickle..which together was nice..the buffalo chips reminded me of arbys curly fries..they could have been spicier..but...not bad...my bf ordered the double decker grill cheese..which he said wasn't anything to write home about...the extra bread he could do without..it didn't add anything...we ordered pie..blueberry and also a piece of peanutbutter cheesecake...both were good..looked hand made..the blueberry was sweet with an almost brownsugar or that pecan pie filling stuff...taste...the cheesecake was very peanutbutter-y..with pb morsels in it..over all worth a visit esp for the outside atmosphere..

burgertastic! cheeseburger cooked perfectly with a golden toasty bun. i like to think of myself as a burger know it all. definately in my top 3! bravo fine zionsville folks! not frozen, hand pattied yumminess

this place is a landmark, the average age is probably 67, but there's nothing better than grabbing a beer with my dad after a game of golf. the (amazing) wings are enough for two, and the tenderloin is the best i've ever had. i love this place!

delicious. we saw the friendly tavern listed in the indy food guide we received for working the super bowl.
we decided to try it one night after we were finished.....and haven't missed a weekend since.
the service is supurb and the owners are super friendly!
5 star to us!! :-)

visited a couple of weekday lunches. service fairly quick, standard pub food and atmosphere. only downside is local parking can be a pain.

the friendly has very good tavern food for very reasonable prices. its usually very busy so drink service can be pretty slow. however, if you are like me and in your 20's, or even look young, you kinda get dirty looks by the locals, and dont expect to have more than 2-3 beers before they give you the check and expect you to leave. good food spot, bad drinking spot.