For those who enjoy unique and tasty variations of American cuisine, Yats serves up just what the doctor ordered.
The restaurant, which specializes in Louisiana style Cajun and Creole food, has become an Indianapolis institution with locations in Broad Ripple, Fishers, Downtown and Greenwood.
Diners of Yats can choose from several classic bayou dishes, including chicken Creole, jambalaya, white chili, red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, and succotash. I tried one of the best entrees on the menu – the gumbo. Yats’ version of the dish includes authentic roux, beef, shrimp, chicken, andouille sausage, crawfish, okra, and bay leaves, and it is very good. In fact, the flavor is pretty much good with all of the entrees across the board.
And the board changes every day. There will be eight or nine options featured on the restaurant’s chalkboard (which serves as the menu) on any given day. For those that like uniformity, staples like the gumbo, white chili and crawfish etouffee are almost always available; but for those that feel like trying something new, the other five or six options are always different. Owner and head cook Joe Vuskovich chooses from over 40 different entrees, so you never know what dishes to expect when you walk in the door.
Food is served in generous portion sizes, always on top of rice and with the signature French bread that has become a local favorite.
“The place is awesome,” says patron Drew Harkleroad. “The bread takes it over the top- it’s the fist clincher!”
Pricing is also generous. A normal entrée costs $5.75 and, if it is too tough to decide what to eat, a half-and-half option with two entrees is available for a dollar more. For a group, Yats offers a quart of food, with the rice and bread on the side, for $17. The quart is enough for three or four people.
There is something for everyone at Yats. For the non-carnivorous, there are always a few vegetarian entrees offered. A variety of fancy sodas and fountain drinks are available to wash down the food, and desserts are offered for those that have a sweet tooth. Yats sells cheesecakes fresh from the Cheesecake Factory, and a special treat is their signature homemade peanut butter cream pie.
Entrees are not as spicy as some that might be found on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, but a condiment bar with several types of hot sauce and other flavored sauces is available to add a little heat. Additionally, guests have the option of adding any combination of sour cream, onions and cheese for some variety in their meal.
Perhaps best of all, Yats is a place that you can go even if you are in a rush. It only takes a few minutes from the time you place your order to the time the food is delivered to your table, and that’s on a busy day. If it is relatively slow, the food may be ready before you even pay the cashier, making Yats an ideal destination for lunch on the “geaux.”
