Indy has its fair share of chain restaurants, however it is joining the movement and offering restaurants that are serving fresher food with flavor combinations you wouldn’t expect. But the only problem I continue to have is that many of these restaurants are either somewhere downtown or in Broad Ripple…until now.
Now don’t get me wrong. I enjoy traveling outside of my Northwestside neighborhood for dinner, but just not all the time. So when I saw the signage of Bagger Dave’s near I-465 and Michigan Road I immediately wanted to see what it was all about.
On a rainy Friday night, my husband and I hopped in the car, took a short drive and arrived at Bagger Dave’s only to find it filled with people of all age ranges and demographics. I immediately loved the energy and the décor.
We waited a short period of time and were escorted to a table in the bar area toward the back of the establishment. Our server Sean came over shortly after we sat down and began explaining the menu.
Due to the excitement and food selections we were reading for the first time, we had no clue what we would order. So we decided to take it slow and first order something to drink. Don’t expect your server to say, “We have Coke products” because they don’t. Bagger Dave’s offers their own craft soda, meaning it’s handcrafted locally in small batches especially for the restaurant. I chose the Black Cherry Cream and my husband chose the Orange Cream. They both were delicious, however later on in the meal, he ordered the Grape soda and that by far was my favorite.
To introduce our pallets to Bagger Dave’s food, we ordered appetizers. I’m using the word appetizer lightly because this food was large \enough and good enough to be a meal. I ordered the Sloppy Dave’s Fries, fresh-cut potato fries smothered in chili and cheese; and Andre ordered the Santa Fe Sloppy Nachos, tortilla chips flavored with lime, sea salt, and Cajun spices piled high with chili, their Santa Fe Chipotle Sauce, cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, and jalapeños.
The chili had sweet notes to it that paired well with the fries and the Santa Fe Chipotle Sauce gave Andre’s nachos an interesting kick.
While eating our appetizers and sipping on our sodas, we continued to mull over the menu trying to decide what entree to order. I happily settled on The Blues Burger that featured fresh bleu cheese, Cajun spices, lettuce, tomato, two fresh ground beef patties all on a toasted sesame bun.
Andre chose to take advantage of Bagger Dave’s “Create Your Own Legend” and opted for a turkey burger with the fixins’ of his choice. You can also build your own fries too.
Both burgers were absolutely delicious! They were a respectable burger size meaning it wasn’t too large or too small. I also liked the fact that although I tried a beef burger, Bagger Dave’s offers turkey and veggie burgers. These burgers are an equal part of the menu, not an afterthought. They put some thought into how certain flavors would pair well with the turkey and bean patty.
We finished our meal with dessert. It was difficult to choose a dessert too because there are so many delectable items on the menu. I chose the root beer float but at the last minute decided on a hand crafted banana shake. Andre chose the Sinfully Sweet Brownie Sundae, which I don’t recall tasting. It must have been too good to share! Our meal came out to be about $40.
I think after one bite into our appetizers, my husband and I decided that the burger restaurant would be frequented often.
The service was excellent, the food was heavenly and the vibrant energy just makes you want to stay and chat with your dining companion forever. But the best part is that we didn’t have to go very far to get a good, freshly made hamburger. Bagger Dave’s, see you next week.
For more information, call (317) 870-3531 or visit Baggerdaves.com.
