Rick’s Cafe Boatyard

It has been a very long time since I have been here. And I can honestly say after this visit I know why.
When I lived on the west side of Indy with my ex we used to visit this location a lot. Partially because it was something we could all agree on and partially because his sister worked here as a server. Fast forward 6 years and the place looks exactly the same as it did back then.
The flooring looks worn and dirty, the booths are in need of some repairs and updates. Even the lighting is outdated and not with the current times. They have this rope light that I am pretty sure has been there since the place opened and looks dirty from the years of cigarette smoke back when you could smoke inside a restaurant in Indy.
The menu seems a bit more seafood related then I recall. And the service is anything but what it should be. Being mostly seafood the prices are a bit high. And considering the place looks old and dated, and the service is pretty much 1 step away from being nonexistent they should maybe make some changes.
Because we don’t like seafood we went with the pulled pork. It was flavorless and dry. I wasn’t expecting the best ever since that is not what they’re specialty is… but it needs some serious improvements.
I think the next time I’m in the Eagle Creek area I will pass on this and drive a bit further to something worth my time and money.

This is an out-​of-​sight out-​of-​mind place. Every time we go we say — we should come here more often! The service and food are consistently good and the atmosphere is wonderful. They have a lovely outdoor patio with covered and uncovered seating. We sat at the bar and everyone was friendly. They have free valets, which is great because the parking lot fills up fast. They have a beautiful view of the water and boats. I had the mahi mahi sandwich and it was cooked perfectly and served with a nice spicy aioli. The Caesar salad was also delicious and I love that you can get it with anchovies.
–1 star for allowing smoking on the patio. Boo!

Love the location, staff was ok. I was served a warm beer and a watered down rum runner. Prices were high and portions were low. I ordered a calamari and it looked like it was missing half the plate. The waiter told me this was their portion. I get served more calamari for the same price at Bob Evans lol!
Steak was cooked perfect! Garlic mashed were put on the plate too early. Seemed like they were put on the plate under a heat lamp before they even prepared the steak.

Just love this place well with the drive… feels like a nice vacation away from home.
Right on the lake to watch the sail boats great menu selection.
Friendly staff even as busy as they were was always willing to answer questions.

Rick’s is a nice place to hang out and listen to live music. Sunday brunch is always a great choice. The fact that it on the water makes it a nice place for a date/​romantic outing. The patio bar staff are all that!!! It’s even. great for a a family outing on any night

Loveeeed it here! My best friend brought me here while I visited and it was charming! I loved eating outside on the deck near the water and enjoying drinks! The waiter we had which was so cute. but I cannot remember his name! We had drinks and dinner and everything was delicious! Would defiantly recommend coming here again!

The brunch here is just wonderful. You would never know you were even in Indianapolis to begin with.
The décor and feeling of Rick’s made you feel like you were just back from being out from a day on the lake. We were here Sunday morning right at 11:00am and we were seated within minutes. The service was good but the food was wonderful!
My best friend and i evenly cut both of our brunch dishes in half and others let us sample at the table and every thing was so good. The eggs Benedict soufflé was hands down the best breakfast dish I have ever had. ever. It was so light and fluffy and I cant recommend it more.
We cant wait to come back, i stalked other tables around us and looked at all the dishes and everything looked amazing.

Great view and really nice outdoor seating.
We went after the busy lunch crowd on a Monday, with four small kids in tow. The outdoor patio is really nice. The waitress was accommodating to small kids and patient. I had a really nice, well prepared piece of salmon on top of their caesar salad for $ 14. Good menu, lots of fresh fish, but also options for non-​fish eaters.

I would give Rick’s a 5 for ambiance… especially in the summer. Love sitting on the patio overlooking Eagle Creek when sailboats are out. It’s lovely. That said… everything I find and love on the menu is gone the next time. Bring back the goat cheese salad for the love of…

We’ve been here twice, two years apart, for the same celebration/​occasion. Two years ago, I remember the great view and great food.
This time, the service was extremely slow. Our drinks sat empty — twice — for quite some time. The bill took over 20 minutes to appear even though our table was empty. We were overcharged for food we didn’t order, and that also added time to fix. For a party of four, two and a half hours for dinner seems excessive to me.
The Greek salad had too much dressing, the salmon salad had cold, processed fish on top (maybe from a refrigerated sealed packet?) and not grilled, which was the expectation. The Mahi mahi was good.
The appetizers were ok. The dip was good, the shrimp weren’t that great.

I’ve been to Rick’s twice in one week. We recently held a corporate meeting in their upstairs banquet space. Our event coordinator, Christine was fantastic! She was was very easy to work with when we booked the venue and the day went off without a hitch. Christine and the staff were very responsive to our needs and had breakfast, lunch and dinner out on time every time. I think everyone at our event agreed the food was delicious and the space was perfect for our needs. We made good use out of the outside deck even though the weather wasn’t as warm as would have liked.
I went back there tonight with 2 others families after a soccer game and had another great experience! There were 12 of us, and I called and made reservations earlier in the day. We were promptly seated outside with a fantastic view of the water. I ordered the Fisherman’s combo with shrimp, scallops, salmon and lobster. I forgot that I’m not huge fan of lobster but it was good. I like this dish because the seafood was grilled and not covered in any salty sauces or butter. Not sure I’d get it again as there were several other items that I also want to try. The kids had the pulled pork and gave it two thumbs up. Overall, we had a great experience and will go back next time we are that side of town.

Rick’s is back to 5 stars for me! I visited mid day yesterday to celebrate my birthday and the food and drinks and patio were all top notch!
We started off with the Rico’s Dip which was loaded with guac, sour cream, veggies, chucks of white meat chicken (which I was able to pick around) and topped with melted cheese and served with fresh tortilla chips.
I had the Cajun Seafood Pasta for lunch and it had a great amount of fresh fish and the veggies were crisp and tasty as well. Not to mention the shaved parm on the top! The sauce was also the right amount of spicy.
My birthday date had the Cuban Chicken and it came out with 3 large pieces of chicken breast and a good amount of saucy black beans and rice with some great looking mango/​pico salsa.
Along with a couple of their drink specials of the day that were very good, our waitress, who was also the bartender, was also very sweet and on top of things. I never had to ask for anything! Thank you Rick’s for stepping it up again!

I can only say good things about our many visits to this wonderful restaurant
The food is always good
The service is great and it is THE PLACE
E that I suggest toy friends, both in town and out of town. We really enjoyed meeting up with great friend there yesterday night. We’ll be back again. Thanks for a delightful dining experience! The live music is a great plus!
I don’t recommend a lot of restaurants, but this one falls easily off my tongue when someone is looking for a good place to eat.

Perfect date spot. Beautiful evening views. I live right around the corner from this place and have visited a handful of times.
The only downfall is that the food takes a while to get to the table, but I’ve only been on busy Fri/​Sat evenings.
The food/​service probably gets 3 stars, but the view bumps it up to 4.
A little on the pricey side, but what can you expect? You’re in the middle of Indiana being served seafood. If you want cheaper/​fresher seafood, move closer to the sea! Try to keep that in perspective.
Live jazz combo on Friday nights!

We went here to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The heated outdoor portion was a great touch and we could still see the water! We mostly came for the view because there are very few places on the water in central Indiana. The food was on the pricier side but was good, not awesome, but solid. I ordered the tempura fried shrimp. The staff was attentive but not incredibly helpful. The outdoor bar area looked like a blast too! Giving four stars for the views-​they can’t be beat and I felt like I was on vacation!

I love this place! I am from the East Coast and miss opportunities to dine on the water! This restaurant is amazing; they have a lot of food options and a great restaurant layout. There is a large deck that has a tiki bar and can accommodate large parties. I have never had a bad dining experience (service and food) at this restaurant.
Definitely a place I would recommend if you have family or friends come to town. Shows a different side of Indianapolis!

My husband and I had an excellent Valentines Day dinner here. It was extremely busy, but the service was excellent!
We started with the pulled pork nachos, which were bbq tossed, cheesy and delicious! We had a $ 20 bottle of Cabernet, but the server indicated they had a wide selection on $ 20 bottle choices. My husband ordered the prime and cheese sandwich, which was beautiful and tasty. I ordered the crab cake salad. It came with a vinaigrette and a spicy aioli, which perfectly complemented each other. The crab cake also had a melt in your mouth flavor. We finished off our meal with the white chocolate grand marnier cheese cake. The white chocolate sauce was amazing!
We had a fantastic time and will certainly be back for more!
Definitely a gem on the west side that shouldn’t be overlooked!

I loved this place. We went in the winter and it was not very busy. Our waiter Cameron was excellent and brought us samples of soups and wines, since it was our first visit. I ordered the trout with a crab cake, and my husband got the catfish. We also got the calamari appetizer. Everything was amazing! We could see the water and there was someone playing jazz. Overall amazing ambiance.

I’m generally a great fan of Ricks Boatyard, and am still very impressed with the food that I had. The dining area was very pretty and they were set for our large party. The place was clean, organized, and the music was fantastic. Unfortunately the service staff was very slow with drink refills and checking on us. Our meals were perfect, there wasn’t a concern with anyone at the table, and everyone had something different. Pastas, seafood, steaks, sandwiches, every single item presentation, preparation, and taste was fantastic. We will definitely be back.

Food was great and the smooth jazz even better. Fresh humongous blue point oysters, smoke pulled pork bar-​b-​que just excellante’, Indiana style fried pork tenderloin that you have to fly in to enjoy, Caesar salad w/​chk — go w/​house dressing, crab cakes salad– ain’t to shabby-​do it, and fried jumbo shrimp-​plenty for two.

Just OK. Nothing special, nothing terrible. Food is probably a bit overpriced for the quality, but I guess you’re paying for the location on a lake. They screwed up my order — giving me the appetizer portion of shrimp instead of the dinner portion. Why would you assume someone is ordering the appetizer when you’re taking orders from a large group of people for dinner? 2.5 stars rounded up because there’s nothing else in the vicinity.

I had one of the better cuts of filet mignon that I have ever had at Rick’s Café Boatyard and it was in a surf ‘n turf combo with a lobster tail. I also had a cup of the clam chowder, which was excellent. This place is constantly busy for a reason. It never disappoints.

A great seafood restaurant overlooking Eagle Creek. It’s great to sit outside during the summer & fall months and watch the ongoing. Inside is just as nice. Great dinning atmosphere. The food is wonderful! Freshest seafood in Indianapolis.

It has been a good 15 years since I had been here. We came for Thanksgiving and the décor had not changed at all. Our server was fantastic. He was right on top of everything. They did have a thanksgiving menu but nobody ordered off of it. I had the Cajun catfish which was good but the sauce they serve with it was not good. They could go just a bit lighter with the spices. They do give you a ton of food. My daughter had the filet which was good wonderfully. My other daughter had the lobster tail which she said was good (a bit small).
I had the apple cobbler or crisp for dessert and it was horrible. I would never recommend it to anyone. Everyone else had the mudd pie or mile high chocolate cake and was happy with their selection.
This restaurant is really the location. It is beautiful from the outside porch or a window seat. They need to do a serious update on the inside.

Rick’s is one of my favorite places on the west side to go on a nice day to sit out on the patio, with a fantastic view overlooking the resevoir. This restaurant reminds me of the sort of place you’d find in a small vacation town on the gulf side of Florida. The food is good but I mostly enjoy the atmosphere and live music. In terms of menu, they have surf and turf options. Being a vegetarian, the greek salad and the baked goat cheese appetizer are my favorite things to get. My spouse and a good friend of mine both recommend the prime rib that they serve on the weekends.

I’ve been sitting on this one for awhile now… how much do I give to ambiance and a lakeside view? Does it trump over an average meal?
Rick’s is the only place in Indy where you have a pseudo-​feeling that you’re dining in a lake town. It’s a pretty awesome sight to take in, and I wish the food reflected that. I settled on the Spicy Plum Glazed Jumbo Shrimp, which was served with coconut rice. It was pleasant-​tasting, but there wasn’t anything in particular that had the foodie in me spazzing out. Perhaps the plum sauce needs an extra kick.
Also, with all of the ingredients and variety of dishes, I’m curious as to where Rick’s gets their stuff from. I know they claim it’s fresh, but I’m the type of consumer that wants to know where my food is coming from.
I’m undecided if I would come back or bring friends here. With all of the terrific options in Indianapolis, a view simply does not trump over flavor.

The setting is perfect — especially on a fall day with the autumn leaves reflecting on the water. Opt for outdoor seating if the weather is right.
So, why two stars? (please note that I rarely give two stars and it pains me to write this)
Our brunch was a-​okay: I opted for a real face stuffing via the eggs, fresh fruit, biscuits and gravy and bacon paired with a $ 6 Bloody Mary. All were decent and to be honest we were there for the views and not a mind-​blowing epicurean experience.
Shit hit the fan when we pulled out a gift card. 1.) you must use the entire gift card in one shebang and Rick’s will not leave the remainder on your card for a future visit (needless to say, our brunch was only $ 60 and the gift card was $ 100 meaning we wasted $ 40). We thought of ordering more food to use up the remainder but at that point we didn’t want to stick around for another half hour. 2.) tax is not included on gift cards? Tacky. I’ve never seen this before. They recommended that we pay cash and visit again to use the gift card…
Dagnabbit, all was rosey until the gift card made an appearance.

Rick’s Boatyard café is hands down one of the best restaurants I’ve been to. Most of the dining is outdoors. We got seated at a table directly over the lake as the sun set — could not have asked for better ambience! The large patio was noisy-​ish from people talking but I didn’t feel like I was yelling or anything. There was a pleasant, instrumental live jazz band playing in a corner opposite us.
The food was to die for. We had chicken cordon bleu appetizers, a Maryland crab cake sandwich, and a 10 oz sirloin. The attention to detail was stunning. The crab cakes and appetizer came with the most delicious unique mustard sauce. Garnishes were beautiful and everything tasted like it was made right before it showed up at our table — including house chips, slaw, and mashed potatoes. Even the pickles tasted like they were produced by the chef!
We ordered the electric blue lemonade mixed drink, as it was a special the night we visited. It was tasty, strong, and was served beautifully!
Ricks is definitely a «special date» place, as it’s on the pricey side — averaging $ 25-​$ 30 a plate at dinner, not including drinks or salads. However, the entrée portions are large (you won’t leave hungry) and it is well worth the money spent!
We will be coming back for many date nights in the future. Ricks is my new favorite scenic foodie hotspot here in Indianapolis!

I have been to Rick’s twice and both times had very mediocre experiences. Common theme: they don’t really seem like they want you to be there. They seem bored and annoyed. I heard some servers bad mouthing customers near my table as well.
The food is okay, but the view is amazing. They have some local brews. It definitely doesn’t feel like you are in central Indiana.

Perfect atmosphere! I love sitting outside on the deck enjoying a lovely meal. I haven’t been to Rick’s in such a long time and we recently went to dinner this past Saturday. The weather was perfect and despite the crowd, we landed a perfect table on the deck. Daniel was our waiter and he was awesome. Even though he was very busy, he was also very attentive to us and made sure we had everything we needed.
The only complaint was parking. Even though Rick’s has a massive parking lot, there was no where to park. We ended up parking across the street at the airport and walking. Ended up being a wedding and a reunion all on the same night.

I’m going with a solid 3.5 for now. I gotta tell ya, based on the reviews I was a lil nervous about our experience.
It’s been 20 years since I’ve been here. The décor hasn’t changed much. They’ve done a few upgrades here and there, but this place is pretty dirty in the corners. I chalk that up to being old and spacious.
We cruised in on a Tuesday night to find the parking lot packed! The bar was hopping. The outdoor dining area was full of families. We’re pretty strict indoor diners and the inside was pretty empty at 6:30.
They took our name and we stood for about 10 minutes, which was really odd. They finally called our name and sat us at the coziest lil umbrella covered round booth.
Service was pretty slow. Our lil girl was stretched thin, but our drinks were kept full and our food arrived hot. We weren’t in a hurry.
The calamari was the best we’ve ever had! Not rubbery or previously frozen. Tender, large, meaty slices of calamari were covered in a crisp tempura breading.
Stuffed mushrooms are good, but I’m not sure I’d get them again without trying other things.
Fried catfish had a light, crisp breaking and was perfectly tender and flaky.
Scallops were cooked impeccably and the warm bacon vinaigrette was delish!
Sides were okay, but nothing spectacular.
I think we’ll be back. This did not suck.

One of the best experiences I have had in a long time.
Ricks is the real deal. From the minute you are greeted by the valet you are treated like the most important person there. Service, menu selection, quality, quantity, and presentation all were superb. A vast wine and beer selections were top notch. I recommend dining on the deck, the view of Eagle Creek and the sailboats on the water at sunset, just beautiful !

I’m teetering between a three and a four star rating, but the atmosphere and location put it over the edge for me.
Go here if you need to feel like you’re escaping Indiana but don’t have the time or funds to actually escape!
Went here over Memorial Day weekend and sat outside on the deck overlooking Eagle Creek. Watching sailboats and pontoons made me feel like I was in Florida and I loved it!
Biggest complaint was service. we were rushed along. I know, I should have just told the waitress to slow down, but I could tell they were busy and I felt bad. Next time though! I will not let her pressure me to order my entrée before I’ve even received the appetizer!
The food and drink menu was broad and full of variety. I did try to order the shrimp steamer and the server said they were out — how is a seafood restaurant out of shrimp?! But… alas, I went for the blackened catfish which was also yummy. They also always have $ 20 bottles of wine which was a nice accompaniment to our dinner.
I’ll definitely go back. Join their e-​club and you get a special treat for signing up as well as your birthday and anniversary. Free dessert anyone?

We absolutely loved Rick’s!!! I was surprised at the low reviews.
First of all the ambience and view, amazing! Loved the soft jazz music during dinner, the view of the water, and that somewhat country feel. It was so cozy and romantic.
When uncertain of which beer to choose, the waiter brought samples of 4 to help with the decision! Same went for when I wanted to try the sauce that is served with the ravioli, and the whipped up a bit and brought it out. 10 stars for going beyond most establishments!
The food was good, fresh, and great flavor. If we are ever back in the area we would stop in again!
Thank you for the pleasant experience!

Hey Hey Heyyyyyyyy Rick, you gotta mighty fine place here.
Let me start by saying that if you haven’t tried this hidden gem, you are only cheating yourself… it is a little piece of dockside sittin right here in Indy!
Back when my grumpy little ginger was trying to win my love he brought me here for drinks on the deck… and I was hooked! Not only is it the super chill, beachside vibes that give this place character, but the food is pretty superb to boot!
My most recent Rick’s endeavor was for a work meeting. We reserved the basement meeting room, and Christine had it all set up and ready for us as soon as the man in charge… aka boss arrived at 7:30 am. Hello, superlady. She was really sweet to work with and GREAT at getting back with us for our many questions/​changes. We didn’t opt into the breakfast, but at $ 9 a person it is a great deal and I’m sure if its even half as good as everything else, it’ll be well worth it ;)
For lunch I went with the Cajun Mahi Mahi with Sun Dried rice. YUM-​O. Just delish. But EVERYONE at our table loved their meals, from tuna melts to bbq pizza’s, there were clean plates all around.
Any time of year, the view is absolutely stunning, and I can’t wait to go back again soon!

Should I wish to reminisce my life in SoCal, I come here for the «view» of the water. It’s tucked right next to a small airport. The outside is patio is perfect for the warm summer days. They have a rather large menu and there are lots of choices for everyone.
I could have given this place if not for the sub-​par service. The valet and the host weren’t exactly «welcoming». Their clam chowder recipe needs to be some revamping. Other than that, I think it’s a nice place to sit down, relax, sip some wine and dream that you’re in some island.

Rick’s Café Boatyard has a lot of good things going for them. First off it sits right on a lake, so you have a beautiful view while dine if you choose to eat on the deck. Another positive is that my entire office over 50 people ate there and we had no issues with service, getting food quickly and from what I understand the reservation process was smooth.
Food was good, I had crab filet entrée, a crab cake draped on top of a steak filet. Crab cake was well prepared, nicely seasoned with great flavor. Steak was very tender, my knife cut through it like it was butter. Shrimp etoufee had a nice tangy kick as did the tomato flavored rice. While the food wasn’t amazing it was more than satisfying.
As I previously stated service was good, waitress was friendly and efficient, one issue is that our table was the only table that did not get any bread and by the time the bread was delivered no one wanted it as our meals were about to come out.
Some negative things about Rick’s too, it is a bit cheesy and the prices are a little bit much in my opinion. For these prices, you shouldn’t be selling cheesy t-​shirts in the lobby area.
Quick note, the sign doesn’t say it but the valet service is free.