Elbow Room

I really like Elbow Room and I’m surprised that more people don’t like it as well.
The location is great– it’s right on the corner of Penn and North. I’m not sure about parking because I’m lucky enough to be within walking distance.
The inside feels like a dive bar mixed with an old family restaurant. There are several areas in the place; the bar, a dining area, an upstairs (haven’t checked that out yet), and a small patio. We’ve only sat at the bar or in the patio and have only received service right from the bar. The bartenders are super. One of the bartenders we’ve had knew very little about the craft beer they had on tap (they usually have a couple of lines) but was generous and gave us samples. We have yet to try the food but it looks pretty tasty.
Overall I really like the feel of Elbow Room. It feels like a good bar to hang out at and make your «usual.»

Great tenderloin, onion rings, and service. Highly recommended. Unilocal will not let me post this review until I have more words to say. However, with good food and service there’s nothing else to say. Eat Here!

This is the most bland, middle of the road dining ever I have ever had in my life. The service was kind of disappointing.
We came for lunch, so maybe that was the mistake we made?
We were seated a little slowly and got our drinks a little slowly in an almost empty restaurant. Also throughout the meal the waiter pretty much just took the order, left, brought the food, left. I don’t think he ever said his name or really more than two words to us, but was not outright unfriendly or anything. I ordered a drink that never came, but my boyfriend tried a new beer that he really liked.
My boyfriend had chicken strips. They were pretty bland, not especially crunchy but also not soggy. I dont really understand why they are famous for them, if this is how they always are.
I got a cobb salad. It was okay, but again pretty bland. I didnt have very high expectations for a sald but the greens were kind of mushy. I requested some onions to go with the salad but was not given any.
I wish I could describe the food better but honestly, it was just… bland. Not bad really, but not at all what I would have expected considering the way people rave about the place! I was really let down. I might have come on a bad day, or maybe just ordered the wrong thing, but I cant say that I recommend dining here after my experience!

In general, we’ve had prompt, friendly service here with only one mediocre experience. My husband swears their fish and chips are some of the best in town. I’m in love with their nachos. They use a white cheese sauce as well as melted shredded cheese. I know that sounds redundant but it’s actually amazing!

Oh, boys. You guys are all so super great! First off, every particle of food I have tried was AMAZING. I HIGHLY recommend the chicken melt. A huge chicken breast smothered in spinach and artichoke dip and tomatoes. It’s just absolutely amazing. The fish & chips were also SOOOOO good. The batter tasted so fresh and that’s coming from Lake Erie natives.
The club pita sandwiches are the biggest I’ve ever seen and just amazing. Credit needs to be given to this great establishment.
As if the food isn’t the best, drinks are made up to par. They do not skimp on the alcohol and it’s the perfect combination.
Lastly, the staff. So polite. So helpful. Best staff you’ll meet in downtown Indianapolis. They are just great humans. Hands down to them.

My favorite local pub! The staff here is friendly and always remembers my name and my preferred libation. Just wish they carried more local beer!

This is a great place to relax on your lunch break from work, or even just a dinner with family or friends. It is very calm and all around just a nice place to dine. I was very impressed by the food, given the place is not very up to date on the décor. I do have to say, the service could have been improved. I went with one of my friends, and we waited at the hostess stand for about 3 minutes. Then when the hostess saw us, she greeted us but continued to talk to someone in the bar. There were 3 different servers who came to our table to take our order, give us our food, and refills. Other than that, they were all very polite and never forgot about our refills, which is sometimes frustrating because some waiters do not always pay close attention to that. For my appetizer, I ordered the French Onion soup (which I highly recommend), it was cooked exactly how it should be, and flavored just right. For my meal, I had the Pork Tenderloin along with a baked potato. It was amazing! On the menu it mentions that it is voted one of the best tenderloin’s in Indiana, and I would have to agree! As far as the décor goes, it was very simple. You can tell that it is an older property, but honestly it fits the atmosphere of the restaurant perfectly. They have TV’s which are convenient for customers who like to catch up on the news and sports. The restrooms are also kept very clean. Elbow Room seems to be the exact place I would go if I wanted to have a casual lunch/​dinner with an old friend. Overall, my first experience here was excellent, and I will definitely be coming back for another visit soon.

Came here on a Friday night for birthday drinks with my friends and it was exactly what I wanted that night… kinda divey, dim lighting, and quiet. I noticed that our waitress was less than thrilled to be there. It was pretty dead that night until around the time we were leaving close to 10pm and a huge group of 25 came in without a reservation and the staff was even more steamed. But, for the time that we were there, we enjoyed it. I did wish that they had a better draft selection, but the appetizers were very tasty and they even brought out a candle to put in their brownie dessert for my birthday :)
:FYI:
–They do have a Happy Hour menu offered Monday-​Friday but you can only order from it if you’re sitting at the bar. Kinda lame, but it makes sense. As long as you buy a drink, all selections on that Happy Hour Menu are $ 5/​ea
–They also host trivia nights every Thursday
If you’re looking for a low-​key place close to downtown to have some drinks with friends, Elbow Room is a good choice.

In the cosmic spectrum of things, this is probably more of a three star establishment. However, if you’re like me, you sometimes get a hankering for the greasy-​coated comfort only pub food can offer. For such cravings, the Elbow Room will most certainly leave you satisfied. From the cozy, photogenic interior to the colorful service (the staff is exceptionally casual with customers), the Elbow Room is a joint that any lover of pub-​grub should try… at least once.
Recommended: Try the Breaded Tenderloin or Gigantic Nachos.

This place is great. The chicken tenders, buffalo wings, and pub sticks are worth the drive alone. They also have pool upstairs. They have a small happy hour menu for 4 – 6 Monday-​Friday. I’ve never had a bad menu item here, so don’t be afraid to order something I did not mention.

We attended a birthday party for a friend. Hadn’t been here before, it’s your typical bar type atmosphere not divey but yet not upscale trendy. Great place for pub food. The upstairs area can be reserved for private parties. The room itself feels small with all the tables and didn’t flow easily, but it had spectacular views of the city! The appetizers were great, the staff was wonderful and very engaged in the crowd. I’d like to stop in for dinner and review further.

This is an awesome bar! Great food and great service! The nachos are delicious! They also have a nice selection of beers and cocktails. The prices are reasonable as well. Definitely will be back!

The food is delicious, you would think «Hmm this is a bar it might not be too good», but it is. My friends and I have made it a tradition to always get shots here on the 4^th of July =)

I have visited this place since it was Thee place to go downtown. It has seen much better days as the food is back to mediocre and the service is terrible. If you are not a todays regular sitting at the bar the bartender ignores you only to hang out at the end with his peeps. Like pulling teeth from a Lion, you have to go out of your way to get service. He even gave me a bad look after you tear away from regulars. Better options downtown and I will now after decades, stay away for good.

There’s not much to say here.
Typical dive pub environment and average pub food. Some local craft beer mixed with your commons like Bud and Miller. I got a burger and fries, both of which could’ve been matched on my stove at home.
I’m not against this place at all and it might be a cool hangout for late nights with close friends, but it’s one of those places that are so common you don’t feel the need to go back. Maybe I’m biased [against] because I come from a southern Indiana town with 5 bars exactly like this.

I walked in and complained about the smell… like off-​gassing carpets & mildew & who knows what else.
The burger I had was decent, claims to be the best in town and all that. Maybe it is but I can’t say for sure until I’ve gone out and tried a burger at every single other place in Indy… brb.

Trivia night is Thursday night and our group had a fun time! There were 5 categories with 10 questions each and overall the event took about 2 – 2.5 hrs. They could have used more help behind the bar upstairs to accommodate the crowd, but the service was friendly. I ordered the buffalo chicken wrap with French fries and it was ok-​definitely not the best in town.

Most of the food is delicious. The staff is about as friendly as any you’ll find in the city. Oh heck, they are the friendliest. Rotating beers on tap keeps it interesting. My place for watching the Colts away games and after home games.

Delicious. Everything. Order a Midwestern mule. Siracha chicken tenders were delicious and the house burger is also recommended.

I’m glad this place has stuck around even as so much around it has changed. The retro «Since 1933» sign conveys the baseline pub vibe of the place, but it’s really adapted and grown, offering everything from trivia nights to event space to the really rad Pub and Paints! Think Wine and Canvas, but with beer.
The first time I went, I ordered a fancy veggie burger that I was really excited about. Unfortunately, it came out missing about half of the toppings, which I only realized after a few bites. The waiter not only got me the burger I actually ordered, but let me keep the first one, and didn’t charge me a dime. I felt a little badly about this, but he insisted that no one should ever get the wrong order. Mistakes always happen, but it’s great when the staff communicate such a level of appreciation — definitely builds regular loyalty. Plus, the burger was delicious.