Boombozz - Carmel, IN

Wednesday 27, 2013

Boombozz

 

2430 E 146th St

Carmel, IN 46033

(317) 843-2666

Website: www.boombozz.com
Type of Food: Pizza

Price: $5.00 - $33.00

Date Potential: Dates 3 and beyond

Dress: Casual

Appetizers: 4/5 stars

Entrée: 3/5 Stars

Atmosphere: 2/5 stars

Atmosphere

 

Boombozz is your typical “family style” restaurant. Three-fourths of the restaurant is for all-ages dining, as it should be in an establishment whose claim to fame is unique pizzas. However, there is limited bar seating for those who would prefer not to sit in the cramped dining area. I have only eaten in the bar area, but when walking through the main room I was surprised that such a wide open space could feel so cramped full of tables and people.

 

Service

 

I was greeted warmly by our waiter while waiting for my dining companion to arrive, and he informed me of the drink specials for the evening and explained the different beers well. The only real complaint I had was that after informing him I would be waiting until my dining companion arrived to consider ordering more than water, he still came and asked me again about 5 minutes later. Other than this one small blip the service was prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable and everyone seemed to enjoy being there.

 

Food

 

We decided to take advantage of a special (called two for twenty) which included an appetizer, a salad for each of us, and a medium pizza. Our salads were fresh, and something you would hope to be served before a dinner. We had soft pretzels as our appetizer; I would recommend ordering them if you ever choose to visit. The queso they serve with the pretzels is the highlight; our waiter even recommended keeping the sauce to dip our pizza crust into. The pretzels were soft on the inside, lightly crunchy on the outside, and had a good ratio of salt. Last, we ordered the buffalo chicken pizza. We chose the original crust, which had a light crunch on the outside with a bit of fluffiness. While I was disappointed that there were onions on the pizza when I requested none, the waiter caught it and did offer to have a fresh pizza brought out. The toppings were good and the sauce was not overpoweringly spicy as some buffalo sauces can be. Overall, I had a happy belly at the end of this evening.

 

Overview

 

I enjoyed my time at Boombozz, and would return. I would prefer if it were located in a slightly less congested area of the city, but that will not keep me away. I would recommend trying to keep the main dining area as open as the bar area; however, the families dining did not seem to care, and I had the option of dining in the bar area to get a bit more elbow room. Check out Boombozz if you want unique pizza flavors and an eclectic collection of local and Midwestern beers.

 

 

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Twenty Tap - Broad Ripple, IN

Wednesday February 20, 2013

Twenty Tap

 

5408 N. College Ave

Indianapolis, IN 46220

317-602-8840

Website: www.twentytap.com

*new beer list for each day*
Type of Food: Brewery/Pub

Price: $2.00 - $33.00

Date Potential: 3^rd or 4^th Date, Meeting your friends

Dress: Casual

Beer: 4/5 stars

Entrée: 5/5 stars

Atmosphere: 4/5 stars

Atmosphere

Walking up to twenty tap, you might even miss it during the day. The outside does not do justice to the wonders going on inside this wonderful establishment. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. While we chose to go on a Thursday evening, and there was quite a crowd, I did not feel overwhelmed or crowded once in the dining room. I will admit, the bar area was a bit squashed in, but they all seemed like people I could enjoy for 20 minutes.

 

Service

The staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly enjoys their place of employment. From the bartenders who served us our beers while we waited for a table, to the waiter in the dining room, I felt taken care of and knew I was in good hands.

 

Food/Drinks

While we did not eat a lot, what I did sample was delicious. One of my dining companions told me to try the French fries, and while I am not usually impressed by most restaurants fries, I trust her and gave them a try. I ordered them with the Chipotle Aioli and Beer Cheese sauce, and I am glad I did! Both dipping options gave a different flavor to the fries, while still being able to taste the delicious potato. If you are simply looking for a snack while having a couple beers, this is a great option!

 

The drinks were everything you want and more! They have a pint of the day for a reasonable price, however if you are not flexible on type of beer then this is not the option for you. The beer of the day changes as soon as the keg runs out, so there could be 3-6 or more different “beers of the day” that day. They also offer flights of beers; you choose 3 different beers and receive a tasting portion, for just a dollar more than a regular pint. This is a good option if you know a type of beer you like but don’t know brewers, or if you want to be adventures but on a smaller scale.

 

Overview

I cannot get enough of twenty tap! The food and atmosphere are relaxed, but fun, and if you love beer, look no further!

 

 

 

 

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Stacked Pickle - West Carmel

Saturday January 26th

Stacked Pickle

 

4335 West 106th Street

Indianapolis, IN 46032

317.876.0981

Website: www.stackedpickle.com/west-carmel.html
Type of Food: American Pub

Price: $8.00 - $33.00

Date Potential: Too loud for dates 1-3

Dress: Casual

Appetizers: N/A

Entrée: 1/5 stars

Atmosphere: 2/5 stars

Atmosphere

 

If you are looking for somewhere in West Carmel to simply have a beer and watch one of your favorite Indiana teams, then I would recommend the new Stacked Pickle. However, if you are looking for a place to share a meal with your family, talk with friends, or possibly have a date, then I suggest avoiding this loud and congested establishment. While I am happy to see the old 106^th Street Grill pass on to a new phase, unfortunately not much has changed in terms of space. The bar has been opened up into the main dining room, merging the area into one restaurant instead of two, but with so many tables crushed into a small space, you’d better try to enjoy the group sitting next to you.

 

Service

 

We sat at the bar for dinner, as it was a Saturday night and getting a table for three seemed an impossible task. The bartender/waitress was nice but may have lacked training. Most of the staff spent time talking to each other about this and that and other, and non-bar staff members seemed to be hanging around the bar quite a bit to have conversations with the female bartenders. The largest disappointment came when I requested a condiment (buffalo sauce for my buffalo chicken sandwich). Our waitress came back almost 7 minutes later and informed me that the kitchen staff had told her “no!” When she explained that the staff was in “panic mode”, I got the feeling this group was not well trained for the opening of a new location.

 

Food

 

Though I have visited the Stacked Pickle in Carmel and enjoyed my meal there, I am sorry to say that I was disappointed by the food at this location. I ordered a buffalo chicken sandwich, but when it came out the breading was almost falling off the chicken, and I had to request a side of buffalo sauce since there was almost no trace of it on the sandwich. Unfortunately, I was not able to get extra sauce and chose to make do with what I had. I tried removing the bun, hoping less bread would help - it did not.

Both of my dining companions tried the chicken Caesar salad and were disappointed. There was almost no chicken to speak of, and the large portion of croutons that most of us have come to expect on this particular salad was almost non-existent. This was true for both the regular portion and the side portion that came with one of the main dishes.

Lastly, the fish tacos: I can honestly say I did not hear many complaints about this dish. However, there were not many compliments about it either. It seemed to be lacking that “something special” to make it a meal worth ordering over others at this particular establishment.

 

Overview

 

I would like to return to this Stacked Pickle location once they have been open for a couple more months. I am hoping that my experience can be an exception rather than the rule, as it is lovely having a new restaurant in this area. However, I would warn those curious aboutthis location to beware an inexperienced staff and lackluster food until they are able to reach the same quality as other locations in the city.

 

 

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* Please note the image above is not mine, but the propert of Stacked Pickle*