10 Indiana Restaurants Famous for That One Must-Try Dish

I have a confession: I plan road trips around food. Not landmarks, not museums, just the promise of one perfect plate waiting for me at the end of a drive.

Indiana might not always get the spotlight it deserves on the food map, but I am here to tell you that this state is quietly home to some of the most legendary dishes in the Midwest.

From a shrimp cocktail that will make your eyes water in the best way possible to a sugar cream pie that feels like a warm hug, Indiana restaurants have mastered the art of the signature dish.

I have eaten my way through this state, and these ten spots each have one item on the menu that people drive hours to order. Trust me, every single mile is worth it.

St. Elmo Steak House: Shrimp Cocktail

Some dishes earn their reputation quietly over decades. St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis has been serving its legendary shrimp cocktail since 1902, and the secret is not really a secret at all: it is the horseradish.

The cocktail sauce here is so aggressively spiced that first-timers often tear up after the first bite, and regulars consider that reaction a rite of passage.

Located at 127 S Illinois St in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, St. Elmo is one of the oldest continuously operating steakhouses in the entire country. Celebrities, athletes, and presidents have all sat at these tables.

But no matter how famous the guest, almost everyone orders the shrimp cocktail first.

The shrimp themselves are large, cold, and perfectly prepared. They are really just a vehicle for that sauce, which hits the back of your sinuses with a wave of heat that is equal parts painful and addictive.

If you are visiting Indianapolis for a Pacers or Colts game, the restaurant is just a short walk from Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium. Plan to arrive early because the wait can stretch long, especially on weekends.

Order the shrimp cocktail no matter what else you get. You will not regret it, even through the tears.

Nick’s Kitchen: Breaded Pork Tenderloin

If you have never seen an Indiana breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, let me paint you a picture. The pork cutlet is pounded so thin and fried so wide that it hangs several inches past the bun on every side.

It looks almost cartoonish, and it tastes absolutely incredible. Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington has been making arguably the best version of this sandwich since 1908.

At 506 N Jefferson St, this small-town diner is a pilgrimage site for tenderloin lovers across the state. Nick’s has won national recognition and even appeared on food travel shows dedicated to finding America’s greatest regional sandwiches.

The tenderloin is hand-pounded, hand-breaded, and fried to a shatteringly crispy golden crust that gives way to juicy, tender pork inside.

You dress it simply: mustard, pickles, onion, and maybe a little mayo. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated.

The simplicity is exactly the point. Huntington itself is a charming small city worth exploring.

The Forks of the Wabash Historic Park is nearby and makes for a lovely walk before or after your meal. If you are making the trip from Indianapolis, the drive northeast takes just under two hours.

Bring an appetite because the sandwich is genuinely enormous, and the onion rings on the side are not something you want to skip either.

Triple XXX Family Restaurant: Duane Purvis Peanut Butter Burger

Before you say anything, yes, peanut butter on a burger is a real thing, and yes, it is life-changing. The Duane Purvis All American Burger at Triple XXX Family Restaurant in West Lafayette is named after a Purdue football legend, and it has developed a following that borders on obsessive.

The combination of savory beef and creamy peanut butter sounds strange until you take one bite and everything suddenly makes perfect sense.

Triple XXX has been open since 1929, making it one of the oldest drive-in restaurants in the country. It sits at 2 N Salisbury St, just a short walk from the Purdue University campus.

On game days, the line stretches out the door and down the sidewalk, and nobody complains because the wait is always worth it. The burgers are made fresh, the root beer is brewed in-house, and the whole place feels like a living piece of American food history.

The Duane Purvis burger comes with a thick smear of peanut butter applied directly to the warm patty so it melts slightly into the meat. It sounds like a dare, but it eats like a dream.

If you are visiting Purdue, the Purdue Memorial Union and the Lilly Nature Center are both worth seeing nearby. Come hungry, come curious, and come ready to be converted to the church of peanut butter burgers forever.

Shapiro’s Delicatessen: Corned Beef Sandwich

Shapiro’s Delicatessen has been feeding Indianapolis since 1905, and the corned beef sandwich here is the kind of thing that ruins all other corned beef sandwiches for you permanently. The meat is slow-cooked, hand-sliced, and piled high on fresh rye bread with a generous swipe of mustard.

It is straightforward, honest, and absolutely magnificent.

Located at 808 S Meridian St, Shapiro’s operates cafeteria-style, which means you grab a tray, slide it along the counter, and point at what you want. The corned beef is always the move, but the pastrami and the matzo ball soup are also worth serious consideration.

The dessert case near the end of the line is dangerously tempting, so pace yourself accordingly.

What makes Shapiro’s special beyond the food is the atmosphere. It is the kind of place where grandparents bring grandchildren and where regulars have been eating the same order for thirty years.

The community feel is real and warm. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a short drive away for racing fans, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, located at 4000 Michigan Rd, is a beautiful afternoon stop nearby.

Shapiro’s is open for breakfast and lunch, so plan your visit accordingly. The corned beef alone is reason enough to make the trip to Indianapolis, even if that is the only thing on your itinerary.

Mrs. Wick’s Bakery and Cafe: Sugar Cream Pie

Sugar cream pie is Indiana’s official state pie, and if you want to understand why, you need to visit Mrs. Wick’s Bakery and Cafe in Winchester. This pie has no eggs, no fuss, and no pretension.

It is just cream, sugar, butter, and a little flour baked into something that feels like pure Midwestern comfort in every single bite.

Mrs. Wick’s has been baking this pie at 100 Cherry St since the 1940s, and the recipe has barely changed. The filling is silky smooth with a slight wobble when it comes out of the oven, and the top gets a dusting of cinnamon that adds a gentle warmth to the sweetness.

People drive from several states away specifically for a slice, and many leave with whole pies packed carefully in the car for the ride home.

Winchester is a quiet small town in eastern Indiana, and the bakery is genuinely the main attraction. The Randolph County Courthouse nearby is a beautiful piece of local architecture worth a glance.

If you are making a day of it, the Cardinal Greenway trail system runs through the area and offers a pleasant walk to work up an appetite before your pie. Mrs. Wick’s also sells whole pies to go, which I strongly recommend because one slice is never going to be enough once you taste how good this pie really is.

Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island: Coney Dogs

Fort Wayne has a Coney dog obsession that runs deep, and the epicenter of that obsession is Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island at 131 W Main St. Open since 1914, this downtown diner serves a specific style of Coney dog that locals are fiercely loyal to. The dogs are small, the buns are steamed soft, and the chili sauce is a savory, meaty topping that is nothing like the chili you might be picturing.

You order them by the pair because one is never enough. The standard order comes with mustard and diced white onions on top of the chili, and the whole thing is eaten in about three bites.

The speed of the experience is part of the charm. The staff moves fast, the counter stays busy, and the place hums with a kind of cheerful, no-nonsense energy that feels uniquely Midwestern.

The restaurant is tiny, the decor is vintage, and the prices are genuinely old-school reasonable. Fort Wayne itself has plenty to explore around the area.

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art at 311 E Main St is just a short walk away, and Headwaters Junction Park along the St. Marys River is a nice outdoor spot nearby. But honestly, the Coney dogs are the whole point of the visit.

Order four, eat them fast, and consider ordering two more. That is the Fort Wayne way.

The Log Inn: Family-Style Fried Chicken

The Log Inn near Haubstadt in southwestern Indiana claims to be the oldest operating restaurant in the state, with roots going back to the 1820s. The building itself is a historic log structure that feels like stepping into a different century.

But what keeps people coming back generation after generation is the family-style fried chicken dinner that has been the heart of the menu for as long as anyone can remember.

At 12491 County Rd 1250 S, the Log Inn sits out in the country, away from any major highway, which means you have to want to find it. And people absolutely do want to find it.

The fried chicken arrives at the table on platters, skin-on and golden, alongside heaping bowls of mashed potatoes, green beans, and fresh bread. Everything is passed around the table family-style, which creates a shared meal experience that feels increasingly rare in modern dining.

The portions are enormous and the atmosphere is warm and unhurried. There is no rushing you out the door here.

Angel Mounds State Historic Site, located at 8215 Pollack Ave in Evansville, is about thirty minutes away and makes for a fascinating cultural stop on the same day trip. The Log Inn does not take reservations on weekends, so arrive early or expect to wait on the front porch, which is honestly a pleasant enough experience on a nice evening.

Schnitzelbank Restaurant: Wiener Schnitzel

Jasper, Indiana, has a strong German heritage, and nowhere is that heritage more deliciously on display than at Schnitzelbank Restaurant. The Wiener Schnitzel here is the real deal: a thin, hand-pounded cutlet breaded in a fine coating and fried to a crispy, even golden brown.

It arrives on the plate wide and flat, with a lemon wedge on the side and a quiet confidence that says it needs no embellishment.

Schnitzelbank has been operating at 393 3rd Ave since 1961, and it has become a cultural institution in Dubois County. The restaurant itself is modeled after a traditional German tavern, with wooden beams, antler mounts, and the kind of hearty, no-nonsense menu that reflects the community it serves.

The spaetzle and red cabbage that come alongside the schnitzel are made with the same care and tradition as the main dish.

Jasper is a genuinely charming town worth spending time in. The Dubois County Museum at 2704 Newton St offers a deep look into the area’s German-American history, and the Jasper Riverwalk along the Patoka River is a beautiful spot for an evening stroll after dinner.

If you appreciate Old World culinary traditions served without any modern reinvention, Schnitzelbank is exactly the kind of restaurant that restores your faith that some things are simply perfect as they are. Come hungry and come with an appreciation for simplicity done right.

Blue Gate Restaurant: Amish Fried Chicken

There is something deeply satisfying about a meal that was made entirely from scratch by people who have been cooking this way their whole lives. The Blue Gate Restaurant in Shipshewana sits at the heart of Indiana’s Amish country, and the Amish fried chicken served here is a masterclass in keeping things simple and doing them beautifully.

The chicken is thick-cut, seasoned well, and fried to a crust that shatters on the first bite.

At 195 N Van Buren St, the Blue Gate is part of a larger complex that includes a bakery, a gift shop, and even a theater that hosts live performances. But the restaurant is the anchor.

The dining room is large and bright, the service is warm and efficient, and the food arrives in generous portions that reflect genuine Amish hospitality. The sides, including homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, and fresh bread, are just as good as the chicken itself.

Shipshewana is one of the best destinations in the Midwest for a relaxed, unhurried day trip. The Shipshewana Flea Market, one of the largest in the country, runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during warm months and is a wonderful way to spend the morning before lunch.

The Menno-Hof Amish and Mennonite Interpretive Center nearby adds real cultural depth to the visit. The Blue Gate fills up quickly, especially on weekends, so arriving early is always a smart move when you are this hungry.

Bonge’s Tavern: Perkinsville Pork

Bonge’s Tavern is the kind of place that inspires devotion. People camp out in lawn chairs in the parking lot before it opens on weekend nights, waiting for a table in a converted old building in the middle of rural Indiana.

The address is 9830 W 280 N in Perkinsville, a hamlet so small that the restaurant is essentially the whole town. And the dish that draws the faithful is the Perkinsville Pork.

The Perkinsville Pork is a thick, bone-in pork chop grilled over an open flame until the outside is deeply caramelized and the inside stays perfectly juicy. It is served simply, with sides that complement rather than compete, and every element on the plate feels intentional.

Chef Tony Hanslits has built a reputation here that stretches far beyond Madison County, and the food absolutely justifies the hype.

Getting a table at Bonge’s requires patience and planning. The restaurant does not take reservations, operates on limited nights, and the line can start forming hours before service begins.

Serious diners treat the wait as part of the experience, bringing folding chairs and good conversation to pass the time. Mounds State Park at 4306 Mounds Rd in Anderson is nearby and worth visiting during the day before your evening at Bonge’s.

If you love food that is cooked with real skill and real soul in an unlikely setting, Bonge’s Tavern is one of Indiana’s most rewarding dining experiences.