Brothers Bar & Grill
910 Broad Ripple Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
Sports bars are all the same. They all have HD screen TVs, cheap beer, and predictable menus.
Sure, occasionally you’ll find a gem where the atmosphere is fun, the beer selection is respectable, and the food is tremendous.
Of course, most of those are not chains, and unfortunately for me, I was unaware that I was walking into a chain when I visited Brothers Bar & Grill in Broad Ripple Village.
Broad Ripple Village is a nice neighborhood located in Indianapolis, filled with unique shops and restaurants. If I knew Brothers was a chain, I wouldn’t have bothered.
Allow the disappointment to ensue…
Okay, so it really wasn’t that bad. But it wasn’t good, either. I should’ve listened to my instincts when I walked in and saw Miller Lite and Bud Light signs plastered all over the place.
Thankfully, this chain has enough sense to serve some good beers, so I ordered a pint of Upland’s Wheat Ale, a local brewery out of Bloomington, Indiana. This beer was delicious, as always. You’ll come to learn that Wheat Ales are my favorite.
Being that it was busy and I was pretty hungry, I decided to order an appetizer before dinner. Like most sports bars, they had everything you could imagine that comes deep fried: onions, mushrooms, chicken. And, of course, the obligatory pretzel and tortilla chips.
But the menu suddenly got interesting when I saw an appetizer named “Gator Balls”.
First off, I’m in Central Indiana. Where in the world are they going to find the poor alligator to complete this appetizer?
As it would turn out, they are not actually “Gator Balls,” but chicken breasts stuffed with pepper jack cheese and jalapeno peppers and wrapped in bacon.
Well, being that it seemed like the most original item on the menu, I gave it a shot.
Now, let me just say, bacon-wrapped anything is glorious. In fact, bacon can pretty much go with anything. Bacon in chocolate chip cookies? You betcha. I had those at my bachelor party. Bacon in ice cream? Haven’t had it yet, but it’s on my list.
So basically, as soon as I saw these balls, I knew I made a wise choice.
The bacon, chicken, cheese, and peppers dipped in a creamy ranch dressing worked well. Like I said, bacon goes with almost anything. In fact, it was probably the bacon that made this appetizer possible.
Now, onto the main event. Like I said before, sports bars are predictable and their entrees are no different. I tried as hard as I could to find the most unique dish on the menu.
I decided to try the Louisiana Pork Sandwich with pork tenderloin, melted provolone, peppers and a spinach artichoke spread all piled on a hoagie roll. It sounded interesting enough.
Unfortunately, this sandwich was not that exciting. In fact, I found it weird and bland.
It looked delicious, but it did not taste delicious.
So not surprisingly, my overall opinion of this place was sub-par. Sure, it would be a great place to watch a ball game, drink cheap beer, and eat pre-frozen onion rings. But fine dining it is not.
I don’t expect to be visiting Brothers ever again, especially since I can cook my own bacon and buy Upland beer anywhere.
Rating: Wouldn’t Wear A Free Shirt.
