My husband might’ve had about 33 different complaints about Bubba’s 33, a sports bar-type restaurant we recently tried on the south side of Indy, but I’m not nearly as tough a critic.
Sure, the decor is a bit kitschy. While I enjoyed looking around at all the sports jerseys and team flags, the wall-to-wall flat-screen TVs showing music videos and a variety of sporting events, and the many other eye-catching sights, my husband remarked — before we’d even seen a menu — that the aesthetic made him skeptical about the food’s quality.
We were seated almost immediately, though there was a pretty healthy-sized crowd for a weeknight, and we found menus waiting on the table. Bubba’s 33 is a chain owned by Texas Roadhouse, and it’s clear from the Bubba’s menu that the sports bar is trying to forge a unique path separate from its parent company. The menu focuses on three things: pizza, burgers and beer. There are a few salads and some bar staples, like nachos and wings, plus a few heartier options, like steaks and fish.
After browsing the menu and deciding I wanted a burger, I had trouble choosing among three of the options: the Aloha Burger, with Hawaiian glaze, Canadian bacon, grilled pineapple, pico de gallo, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion; the Spicy Habanero Burger, with Habanero Heat sauce, charred jalapeno and onion blend, roasted garlic mayo, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato; and the South of the Border Burger, with white queso, made-from-scratch spicy chorizo sausage, lettuce, tomato and onion. I ultimately opted for the Aloha Burger, hold the Canadian bacon, with a side of fries.
My husband joked that he was living a “nightmare” after he couldn’t find a barbecue burger on the menu. We later realized Bubba’s offers “Bubba sauce,” which our server explained is barbecue sauce doctored with some spices, and my husband’s nightmare was over. He opted for the Bacon Burger, which comes with Bubba sauce, American cheese, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion. The Bacon Burger also includes the restaurant’s “signature 33% bacon grind patty.”
My burger was huge, and I had to cut it in half to even figure out how to pick it up. While the burger didn’t blow my mind, it was everything I expected it to be. Plus, I can now officially say I’m a fan of grilled pineapple on a burger. The fries were good, too; they came seasoned with salt and pepper and were cooked to my liking.
My husband continued his unhappy streak, saying that his Bacon Burger had too much lettuce (and the lettuce was too wet?) and not enough Bubba sauce. He’d also ordered a side of coleslaw, which he said was also disappointing. I’m not a coleslaw fan anyway, so I couldn’t verify this claim.
So while we might not be back, it’s probably just that Bubba’s is not for us. But it’s good for what it is — a sports bar that specializes in burgers and pizza.
Bubba’s 33
Fishers
9770 North by Northeast Blvd.
Fishers, IN 46037
(317) 915-7427
Indianapolis
7799 S. U.S. 31
Indianapolis, IN 46227
(317) 883-4833
