This Indiana Pizzeria Is So Good, Dave Portnoy Called It “By Far The Best Pizza In Indianapolis”

There are two kinds of pizza confidence. Ordering extra napkins.

And refusing to. This Indiana pizzeria makes the first strategy look much smarter.

The slices are large, foldable, and built with the sort of crisp, charred crust that creates crumbs before the first bite is finished. Garlic knots arrive glossy with butter.

Slow-fermented dough gives the pies their structure. Fresh tomatoes keep the sauce bright.

Then came the famous Dave Portnoy review, which only made the existing buzz louder. But the most interesting part is what happens when the review disappears from memory and the pizza is still sitting there.

That is when the real test starts. One bite, one fold, one very difficult attempt at keeping the shirt clean.

A Crust So Good It Could Pass for Fancy Bread

Pick up a slice, give it a gentle fold, and listen for that faint crackle. That little sound tells the whole story at Brooklyn Char, where the crust gets treated with the same care a baker gives a fresh loaf.

Owner Benjamin Butterworth sees pizza dough as a kind of bread, and that idea shapes everything in the kitchen. The dough starts with a blend of 00 flour and King Arthur flour.

After a warm rise, it rests in the cold for a full 24 hours, which gives the yeast time to build deeper flavor and a lighter, airier chew.

Then comes the oven. Pies bake in a gas oven set to around 600 degrees, a steady heat that lets the crust brown without burning to a crisp.

The result is a pattern of small dark spots that pizza pros call leoparding.

Those spots are not mistakes. They add a toasty, slightly smoky flavor that fits the name on the sign perfectly, and they are a big reason people keep talking about the undercarriage here.

Fans of a softer, doughier pie can simply ask for a lighter bake when ordering, since the kitchen is happy to adjust. Anyone who loves a sturdy slice that holds its toppings without drooping, though, will want it just the way it comes.

Leftovers also reheat nicely in an air fryer the next day, which is a small bonus worth knowing.

A Pizza Road Trip Through New York Shaped Every Pie

Some people picked up sourdough during the pandemic. Benjamin Butterworth picked up pizza, and the hobby never let go.

That passion grew into Brooklyn Char, but not before some serious homework. In March 2023, Butterworth traveled to New York City to study the pies at legendary spots like Lucali, Best Pizza, and Scarr’s Pizza.

Each of those places is famous for doing things its own way, and the trip helped sharpen his vision of what a true New York pie should taste like.

Plenty of pizzerias borrow the word Brooklyn for the vibe. Here, the name comes backed by real research, long nights testing dough, and a clear goal of bringing an honest East Coast slice to Hamilton County.

The shop sits in the Noble West Shoppes at 14765 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 900, Noblesville, IN 46062, a handy spot right where Noblesville, Carmel, and Westfield meet. Locals from all three cities can reach it without much of a drive.

Keep an eye out for the owner himself. He is often in the kitchen stretching dough and sliding pies into the oven, and visitors sometimes catch him chatting while he works.

Knowing the backstory makes each bite a little more fun. It turns a quick dinner run into a taste of a pizza pilgrimage, no plane ticket required.

The Sauce and Cheese Play Nice Together

Balance is the quiet hero on every Brooklyn Char pie. Nothing shouts over anything else, and that is exactly the point.

The sauce starts with San Marzano tomatoes, a variety grown in Italy and loved by pizza makers for its sweet, low-acid flavor. Here, the sauce tastes bright and fresh rather than heavy or overly seasoned.

It lets the tomato speak for itself.

Cheese gets the same thoughtful treatment. Instead of using only one type of mozzarella, the kitchen blends whole milk mozzarella with skim mozzarella.

The mix melts smoothly and adds a gentle tang that keeps each slice from feeling greasy.

Fun fact for the curious eater. Whole milk mozzarella brings creaminess and those stretchy cheese pulls, while skim mozzarella browns more easily and adds a little bite.

Together, they cover each other’s weak spots like a well-matched team.

All of this adds up to a pizza that feels light and refreshing, not the kind that leaves diners sleepy on the couch afterward. Many people find they can eat an extra slice without regret.

Tough problem to have.

For a first visit, a plain cheese pie is the smartest way to taste the sauce and cheese on their own. Once that base makes sense, adding toppings becomes a fun experiment instead of a guessing game.

Anyone who prefers extra cheese or a lighter touch can mention it at the counter when ordering.

Pepperoni Cups, Local Sausage, and a Little Sting

Tiny crispy cups filled with savory drippings are a sign of excellent pepperoni. At Brooklyn Char, the kitchen uses Ezzo pepperoni from Ohio, a brand known for curling up and browning at the edges in the oven.

Other toppings stay close to home whenever possible. Sausage comes from Fischer Farms in Indiana, while bacon and salumi come from Smoking Goose, a well-known Indianapolis meat maker.

Buying local keeps flavors fresh and supports nearby businesses too.

Restraint matters here. Toppings go on with a careful hand so the crust never gets buried or soggy, and every ingredient still gets a moment to shine.

The Bee Sting is a crowd favorite for good reason. Calabrese soppressata brings a mild spicy kick, hot honey adds a sweet drizzle, and fresh basil finishes things with a pop of green.

Sweet, spicy, and savory all land in the same bite.

Vegetable lovers are not left out. The mushroom and onion pie gets plenty of praise, with the vegetables giving off a rich, earthy aroma that pairs beautifully with the toasty crust.

Adventurous eaters can also look for playful specialty pies with fun names like the Sweet Pig and the Charmander. Mixing and matching halves is a smart move for groups who cannot agree.

Half pepperoni and half sausage, anyone?

Some fans even ask for a drizzle of hot honey on a classic pepperoni pie.

Save Room for the Garlic Knots, Seriously

Pizza may be the headliner, but the garlic knots have a fan club of their own. Even diners who have mixed feelings about a pie often rave about these little twists of dough.

The knots arrive warm and soft, brushed with a compound butter packed with garlic flavor. Compound butter simply means butter mixed with extra ingredients like garlic and herbs, and it soaks into every fold.

Expect buttery fingers, so grab extra napkins.

Dipping sauces are available on the side, and trying a few is half the fun. Order a mix and let the table vote on a favorite.

Then there are the stuffed sticks. Filled with melted mozzarella, these golden breadsticks deliver a gooey cheese pull with every bite.

They make a great starter while waiting for a pie to cool just enough to eat.

Both sides use the same carefully fermented dough as the pizza. That means the knots and sticks are not afterthoughts, they are a delicious preview of what the kitchen does best.

A smart plan for families is to add one order of each. Kids tend to love the cheesy sticks, while grown-ups often find themselves sneaking just one more knot from the box on the drive home.

It happens.

Keep in mind that sides also depend on the day’s dough supply. Ordering them along with the pizza, rather than hoping to add them later, is the safest way to guarantee a taste.

Plan Ahead, Because the Dough Runs Out

Here is the one rule every first-timer should learn. Order early.

Brooklyn Char runs a scratch-made kitchen, and the dough is prepared two days in advance. That means only a set amount exists each day, and once it is gone, the ovens stop for the night.

On busy evenings, pies can sell out well before dinnertime.

Hours run from 3 to 9 PM Wednesday through Friday, noon to 9 PM on Saturday, and noon to 8 PM on Sunday. The shop is closed Monday and Tuesday.

Weekend lead times can stretch to a few hours, so patience pays off. Think of it as a built-in reason to plan a fun afternoon nearby before pickup.

The dining room is small, with only a handful of seats inside and a few more outdoors when the weather cooperates. Most guests grab their boxes and head home, so the place works best as a carry-out stop.

Groups hoping to sit down together should order ahead rather than just showing up.

Payment is easiest with a debit or credit card, since the shop does not keep a cash drawer for staff safety. A quick card in the pocket saves any awkward moment at the register.

Vintage Candy, Creamy Milkshakes, and a Menu That Knows Itself

A trip to Brooklyn Char can end with a sweet little blast from the past. Near the counter, vintage candies and old-school sodas bring back memories of corner stores and summer afternoons.

Milkshakes are another treat worth adding. They are made with dairy from Crystal Springs Creamery, a local Indiana creamery, so each shake tastes rich and fresh.

Ice cream is on hand too for anyone who prefers a spoon over a straw.

What the menu leaves out is just as interesting. There are no salads, no wings, and no giant list of random extras.

The kitchen chooses to focus on pizza and a few standout sides, and that focus shows up in the quality.

Something new is also in the works. The team is developing a New Jersey-style tomato pie, a regional classic with a generous layer of tomato on top and just a light dusting of cheese.

These pies bake in electric ovens, giving them a different texture from the charred New York slices.

Fans of pizza history will enjoy this one, since tomato pie has deep roots in the Trenton area of New Jersey and has been loved there for generations.

Put it all together and a visit feels complete. Grab a pie, pick a shake, toss a candy bar in the bag, and enjoy a little piece of the East Coast right in the heart of Hamilton County.