Frank & Mary’s Tavern

My family has been dining at Frank & Mary’s since the early 70’s. Cripes, my mom worked as a waitress here well before I was born. Though many of us have moved away from Indiana, it still remains a popular destination on those rare occasions we are back in Indianapolis. A thirty-​five minute drive west from Indianapolis will put you smack in the middle of small ‘burg Pittsboro, Indiana where there’s not much except a few car dealerships, a Subway, and convenience store.
The biggest draw here is the fried catfish dinner… and the various NASCAR beer mirrors and memorabilia, I suppose (if that is your thing). I grew up visiting this place once every few months and always looked forward to the drive and meal (though admittedly it often seemed an eternity to get here growing up).
Most of the items are your typical grilled/​fried fare. Good domestic beer selection (and even a few imports), and a great place for a quiet lunch with family and old friends. I remember dinner being a bit more crowded and noisy, but in recent years I have visited only during the lunch hours.
My brothers, father and I seem to get the same thing every time — catfish dinner, baked potato, 2 cold side salads, warm bread, and cherry coke. On our last visit, I was saddened to learn the tradition of this place may not get carried on by the same family — hope it’s around a while longer so I can someday take my nonexistent kids here for a small-​town, deep fried, family dining experience. It may not be the most high quality place in the world, but the service is excellent and the history is evident.

Eek is right! My husband and I, on a quest to try something different drove from Brownsburg to Pittsboro (not very far) to try Frank & Mary’s. I know the building is old but DANG — it smells funny! It was literally empty when we got there and smelled really old and musty and moldy. The food was disgusting — just don’t have another word for it. I got crab cakes that were obviously frozen. They came out overcooked and flavorless. My husband got a salmon sandwich and it was also horrible. I will never go back.

frank & mary’s is exactly how you imagine it, the quintessential indiana bar/​restaurant. the bar itself is pretty small, maybe 8 stools. lower eating tables populate the rest of the room and there is a side room for family dining, which you have to walk through to get to the restrooms. i can’t rave about the food, however it’s not bad… again, exactly what you’d expect (fried). not much else is pittsboro, so always worth a drop in.

We have been driving out to Pittsboro from Indy for this place on numerous times, however it’s been over 3 years since out last visit. In the past the place was always packed and the food great. Well we went out on a Saturday and the place was… well not very crowded. The food overall was good, however my dad is a HUGE catfish fan and loved their catfish until this visit. He felt it was overcooked and didn’t have the same good taste as in the past. The other meals and such were very good, the service was top notch. We will visit again, but not sure if my dad will have the catfish.

If only I didn’t live so far… for years ate CATFISH here with my family. Comes in a basket… tiny notched whole fish with the best batter ever! And the homemade slaw and kidney bean salad. Never found catfish like this before… you really must try it!

My family has been coming here for 4 generations and the food is always fantastic, the service is wonderful and most of all, it’s one of the last secrets held in the foodie world.
The primary draw is, of course, the catfish. Yes, the pork tenderloin sandwich melts in your moth but that’s akin to having a hamburger at a Chinese restaurant. Get the catfish platters — they come out pre-​sliced and a perfect golden color. The catfish is easily accessed by a fork inserted under the slice and gently lifted up to your salivating mouth. Repeat until utterly full.
As you leave, know that the décor and friendly Hoosier atmosphere has not changed in over 50+ years. Take a moment to savor it – there’s not a lot left these days!

Absolutely, grease is the word there! I haven’t been in years, but I remember being underwhelmed even as a very naïve teenager.
It’s one of those places the old folks make you go because of the fried catfish. The food was pretty terrible, but hey, it’s Pittsboro and it’s a (the only) place to eat. You can avoid the «big city» of Brownsburg if you dine here.

Welcome Race Fans…
This is probably the only restaurant in the town which is the ‘home of Jeff Gordon”. They serve a lot of fried foods, fried shrimp, fried catfish.
My boyfriend likes the place but he grew up here so that is understandable. It is an interesting place to people watch and get some good grease!
Happy Dining!