Indianapolis was slammed with snow and Hoosier football fever in January, but it was a busy month for the city’s food scene as well. Among the shakeups, Mass Ave saw a notable closure and a significant rebrand for two restaurants, Fishers welcomed a big-name chef after the closure of its Test Kitchen concept and yet another Indy-area brewery closed its doors. Here are some of the restaurants that opened and closed in Central Indiana in January, plus a pair that slipped by in December.
Restaurants that opened in January
Indy Wings
3632 Shelby St., (317) 744-0420, theindywings.com, opened Dec. 15
This Americana eatery marks a significant pivot for chef-owner Anil Chauhan, whose Clay Oven restaurant served Indian cuisine on the south side near the University of Indianapolis for more than a decade until it closed in October. Indy Wings occupies the former Clay Oven space, dishing out chicken wings ($12 to $24), tenders and sandwiches ($6 to $14). A slight nod to Clay Oven remains on the menu in the form of samosas as a side.
El Texano Salvadoreño
8909 Pendleton Pike, Lawrence, (317) 840-6469, opened mid-December
Open three meals a day, El Texano Salvadoreño brings a blend of American and Latin American flavors to Lawrence. The breakfast menu ranges from steak and eggs ($12.95) to huevos rancheros ($10.95), while the lunch and dinner menus feature familiar favorites like fajitas ($13.95) and ceviche ($14.95) as well as the signature Salvadoran pupusa ($12.25 for three).
Clutch Kitchen
9713 District N. Drive, Fishers, eatclutch.com, opened Jan. 1
After City of Fishers officials moved to terminate the leases of the remaining tenants at the Fishers Test Kitchen, the restaurant space inside the Sun King Brewery reopened as Clutch Kitchen. Longtime Indianapolis-area resident and former “MasterChef” champion Kelsey Murphy has brought over a handful of gameday favorites from her recent tenure at Colts home games, including Cuban sandwiches ($15), wings ($14 to $18) and nachos ($11). Murphy plans to expand the menu as the former Test Kitchen space renovates through the first half of 2026.
Recess Social
902 E. 17th St., (317) 671-8934, opened Jan. 2
Riding the high of the matcha moment, this Near Northside café specializes in the distinct powdered green tea that dates back centuries in Japan. In addition to matcha beverages, Recess offers traditional lattes and sweets from nearby Three Dolls and Co.
Vel Asian Restaurant
8908 St. Peter St., (317) 300-1057, velasiancuisine.com, opened Jan. 9
Japan, Thailand, China, Myanmar and Vietnam are all represented at this south-side pan-Asian spot, with dishes like ramen ($16 to $18), tom yum (sweet and sour shrimp soup, $7), fried rice and noodles ($12 to $14), sabuti (a Chin corn soup, $10) and pho ($14). Also, you can get chicken wings ($11) and potato wedges ($7) as an appetizer.
Viet Kitchen and Hibachi
600 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 493-1884, oishiindy.com, opened mid-January
Shortly after its four-year anniversary on Mass Ave, sushi and ramen spot Oishi pivoted to a Vietnamese and Japanese concept called Viet Kitchen and Hibachi. The rebranded restaurant’s offerings include bánh mì ($12) and pho ($17 to $21) as well as various seared meat, rice and vegetable offerings ($16 to $21). You’ll also find a handful of other pan-Asian dishes such as Korean short rib ($26), teriyaki chicken ($19) and papaya salad ($15).
Gables Bagels Zionsville
270 S. Main St., Zionsville, (317) 727-5048, gablesbagels.com, opened Jan. 20
Indiana University graduates of the last 15 years will recognize this New York-style bagel shop, which got its start inside BuffaLouie’s in Bloomington in 2008. Gables’ new outpost brings the business’ assortment of schmears, sandwiches and deli fare to Zionsville seven days per week.
Restaurants that closed in January
Big Woods at Keystone Fashion Mall
8702 Keystone Crossing, closed Jan. 4
This Nashville-based brewery opened an outpost in the Keystone Fashion Mall in 2022, bringing gastropub fare and Quaff ON! brews to the popular shopping center’s food court. Late last year, the company’s Hard Truth bar in the middle of the food court closed and was replaced by Amorino Gelato. Shortly thereafter the small Big Woods restaurant followed suit. Big Woods still operates six locations in Indiana, including one each in Noblesville and Speedway.
Mesh
725 Massachusetts Ave., closed Jan. 4
Before BRU Burger, Union 50, Livery or Modita, Mesh arrived on Mass Ave in 2010 with a high-end contemporary take on classic American food. Mesh ended its 15-year run in the former Scholars Inn Restaurant and Lounge space due to a lease expiration, though in November a CRG spokesperson noted the split with the building’s owner was amicable.
Garfield Brewery
2310 Shelby St., closed Jan. 31
Owners Ted Herrera, Kyle Herrera, Gary Kinnett and Larry Agresta, who opened this taproom in 2018, took to social media in early January to announce the brewery’s impending closure and invited customers to help drain their remaining beer supply. The post cited, among other things, old age for the closure. “We have survived many business disruptions like Covid and fire, but the one thing that finally got us was old age (and probably too much product sampling, which may have caused us to lose our svelte physique),” the post read.
Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Restaurant news: Mass Ave mainstay closes, Fishers lands big-name chef
Reporting by Bradley Hohulin, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
