Indy's Family Restaurant

The Reuben was pretty small. The meat had a heavy flavor and was unusually chunky--it seemed shaved or shredded. The bread was very thin. The taste of the sandwich was pretty good, though. It would have been nicer to have been a little thicker. The server we had was superb; her amusing sense of humor and attentive service (always available but never intrusive) is truly an asset to the restaurant. The lemonade was refreshing and just sour enough. This seems like a great place to take the family and to enjoy a meal together. I'd probably still get the Reuben if I went back.

I found the meat to have an odd texture and mine didn't seem incredibly "tasty." There was a dearth of sauerkraut...the key here is, if I can't taste the kraut, you need to bring more out! The dressing was quite sweet, and the bread didn't seem overly "rye." This was not a bad sandwich. It was overall quite pleasant, but it just didn't have the controlled argument of ingredients that I prize in a Reuben. It was like the sauerkraut had called a truce with the beef and the thousand island was singing that it would like to buy the world a Coke. The overall outstanding element was the service. Our waitress was fast, polite, and happy to join in the usual Reuben Tuesday mayhem. I would definitely go to Indy's again--but I might not order the Reuben.

The first thing I noticed about Indy's Family Restaurant is the architecture. Its exterior garden area and circular window onto a waiting area looked the same as the Fortune House Chinese restaurant near Michigan and 86th (a good restaurant, but it doesn't serve Reubens). Loretah said it looked like it used to belong to a chain of restaurants called JoJo's. Regardless, the place has a nice family atmosphere: it's in good condition, clean, and well lit. I think our waitress was amused when Andrea ordered a Reuben without kraut: as each of us ordered our Reuben, we were asked "Is that with or without sauerkraut?" Later, when one of my fries fell from my plate as she handed me my order, she apologized and brought out a single replacement fry on its own plate. I was amused. She had no difficulty in breaking out the checks to each diner. She brought the checks to us before we were done eating so we didn't have to sit and wait uncomfortably after we were done. Actually, the service was almost _too_ efficient: our meal was done and it was time to leave before I was quite ready. About the fries: good, but not great. They didn't have a lot of flavor, but adding salt helped. On the plus side, they were obviously cut (with the skin still on) rather than pressed. I ordered a water to drink, and it came out with a lemon wedge, but didn't taste quite right. Then I saw Chris' lemonade; it was wonderfully cloudy, and the sour face he made at the first sip confirmed my suspicions: it was the real stuff, not from a powder. I had a glass added to my order and it was good. The sandwich was good, with a nice blend of flavors. It was a good thing they knew the line-the-bread-with-cheese trick, because it was juicy, and the bread, though nice and crisp, was only about the thickness of regular sliced bread. The inside of the sandwich was gooey enough (in a good way) that I had trouble getting it apart to spread the dressing inside; later on I gave up and just dipped it in the dressing cup instead. The texture of the beef was interesting. It seemed sort of shredded, but not as completely as at Mr. Roberts. I wouldn't say it improved or detracted from the sandwich, it was just different. The flavor was mild but good. I was pretty full by the time I was done. I munched a couple of noncommittal bites of my pickle spear, and though it was respectably crisp, it didn't hold my interest (as pickles often don't). However, at the checkout counter (you pay there instead of paying your server) I decided I had to make room for a macadamia nut cookie, and I was glad I did. It was quite tasty, and you might just be able to make it out in my hand in the photo above. In short, Indy's seems like a good place to get a quick lunch Reuben, or enjoy one with the family; or even, as Chris did, do both at the same time. Next time, I'm trying the pie.

The sandwich was pretty good. The corned beef had an interesting texture. The meal was adequate, but I was still hungry enough that I had to get a cookie on my way out. The service was excellent. The fact that Carl got his extra french fry should allow some extra credit in that grade, but A+ is as high as it goes. A trip to Indy's should be on the schedule of any Reuben fan.

Place looks like a rundown Denny's (inside and out). The food is however rather good. The one strange thing about this Reuben was the kraut. It seemed rather sweet rather than tangy. However it was very good. Price was right, actually very good considering how close it is to the airport.

Nice amount of cheese. Kraut was not overly piled but the meat had a strange texture. The fries were mediocre. Airport prices with airline portions.

I thought the sandwich was rather thin. The meat was not all that tasty either--perhaps because it was so thin.

Corned beef seemed a little unusual, but it still tasted okay. The sauerkraut was little bland as well as light and the thousand island dressing (on the side) was a little sweeter than usual. Personally I would have preferred a little stronger corned beef/sauerkraut flavor. Service was excellent, and the restaurant was already prepared for our arrival and the order was rapidly processed for the entire group.