Porter Books & Bread

Lovely owners, nice vibe, good coffee. The whole fort area is very inviting, worth visiting and supporting.

So happy I decided to drive around Lawton Loop and saw their tiny open sign. A quick check of Unilocal confirmed that I had stumbled on a perfect little coffee shop gem. This is perhaps the best place close to the Ivy Tech campus to get coffee and lunch. I’ve been coming here on Saturday mornings, and it’s been the perfect amount of chill yet productive.
Their vegetarian sandwich is good, and I’m especially fond of the thinly-​sliced radishes on it. I had an everything bagel this morning (with cream cheese, duh), and it was so. good. If you like a super-​seedy bagel that isn’t overwhelmingly onion-​y, you’ll love theirs.
The coffee is good, the food is outstanding, the employees are the nicest. And, if you’re lucky, you can sit and enjoy the aroma of fresh-​baked bread wafting up from downstairs while you write a paper next to the bright windows. The only thing I would change would be the addition of a coffee refill bar upstairs, but I get that they’ve gotta monitor the refill situation. And I suppose walking up and down the stairs is good for me!
Way to go, Porter B&B. You’re my new favourite coffee stop.

My office is in the building right next door and I finally came in and ordered lunch. I really wish I knew about this place sooner! Amazing food doesn’t quite do it.
I just ate the best grilled cheese sandwich on the planet I think. I actually got lunch here yesterday too and had a tarragon chicken salad wrap. Ill definitely order them both again.
Aside from the food, this is a great looking place inside and very comfortable and inviting. All the staff is great as well! Haven’t had the chance to come in and sit down to eat, but definitely will.
Welcome to the neighborhood!

Nice place in an old building at Ft. Ben. Off the beaten trail but nice job of restoration. I had the full Vonnagut. Way too large. The half would have been enough. It was very tasty and quality meats. I loved the chips that come with it. My only complaint is I think it is rather «bush» to serve Coke in a can with no cup of ice. They should get a fountain.
Great find on Ft. Ben

Just happened upon this place. Found three guys running an honest sandwich shop with homemade bread and fresh local ingredients. Great service, great ambiance and fabulous food!

Outstanding food, atmosphere, and service! If I lived in Indianapolis, I’d live at Porter Books & Bread.

Excellent food and charming historic location. So happy to see this little café in the Fort Ben neighborhood!

Great little café! I was excited to see one of the vacant buildings on the loop under renovations and had to try it out once they opened. The menu is not big, but everything was great. They have sandwiches, bagels, breads and a few salad options. The sandwiches are all named after literary figures, which tickled my inner book worm. I had one of the vegetarian sandwiches which was served on their focaccia bread and it was delicious. Bonus points for giving my husband a free cookie when they overheard it was his birthday. The décor is great. Loved the book pages decoupaged everywhere and the old windows turned into tables. My only complaint is that when I ordered a water to drink, they gave me bottled when I really just wanted tap water. I hope they add outdoor tables at some point. Since this is on my regular dog walking route, it would be great if I could stop with my pup too.

Everything here is wonderful, You can tell that the sandwiches are made with only the highest ingredients. They don’t skimp on anything it’s refreshing to finally see something this nice go into the area!
Pro Tip: The Cookies are amazing…

Decided to stop in for the first time after seeing that they were open on Labor Day! They’ve made some great updates to this space, housed in one of the old red brick buildings along Lawton Loop. I’m very excited that a place like this has opened up on the north side (and outside of Fishers/​Carmel/​Westfield…). They’ve sourced some ingredients from indie Indy darlings such as Smoking Goose, Tulip Tree Creamery, and Miles Square, among others. The sandwiches are very fresh and made with high quality ingredients, and the portions are generous. My half-​order of the Vonnegut (ham, turkey, swiss, slaw, pickles, + mayo on focaccia) was large enough to be a whole sandwich — I can’t imagine what a whole order would look like! I also had a taste of my boyfriend’s Twain sandwich (grilled pimento cheese with house-​pickled serrano peppers) and it was the perfect level of spiciness.
Delicious sandwich + Miles Square cold brew on a hot Labor day = satisfied customer.
There’s definitely a literature theme to the café (if you hadn’t already noticed based on the sandwich names), and there are several bookshelves around the space with used books for sale — everything from classics to young adult novels.
The counter is downstairs from the main seating area and requires walking down a spiral staircase, which could pose a challenge to customers with mobility issues.
I’ll definitely be back, probably many times! So glad to have this option close to home.