Workingman's Friend -- Revisit

Hubby and I have been lamenting about the lack of quality thin burgers in town since the Barking Dog closed, and decided it was time to go back to Workingman’s Friend and check their version out again.This was especially true after the "smash burger" incident at Open Society. It’s a bit of a hike for us, but we were starting to get desperate. Last time I had been, I was a little disappointed, but these thoughts have been replaced with happiness after this visit—maybe last time was just an off day.

This place has the charming atmosphere of a very old, slightly divey bar in an older Indy neighborhood—the near west side. I do wonder when this part of town will be targeted for redevelopment like the near east side has been. Anyhow, there were people there, but it wasn’t super busy. We quickly ordered our cheeseburgers (me a single ($5), hubby a double ($6.50)) and our onion rings ($3.50). I foolishly noticed fried zucchini ($4.50) advertised on a sign and ordered it as well. That was my only mistake. These are clearly coming out of a foodservice bag and are not tasty—they are breaded and then fried. We each tried one and that was it.

Our burgers on the other hand, they were delicious. I got the perfect accompaniments on mine—cheese, lettuce, mayo, onions and pickles (they put the pickles on the side). Then I added some ketchup and mustard. So the burgers here are super thin. They have lacy edges but are still somewhat tender in the middle. They shred their lettuce (the only way it should be on a burger) and they put it on the bottom bun with the mayo. Exactly where it should be. Hubby enjoyed his double as well—he liked that there is a thin piece of bread in between the patties because it keeps the sandwich together, so it doesn’t just fall apart. These burgers really fill a void in Indy. (Please tell me where else to get good thin burgers in town if you know of any).

The onion rings are also solid. They are battered and are so much better than the zucchini. A burger and onion rings are the perfect combo. Oh and an ice-cold schooner of beer (literally, their glasses are coated in ice). It may become more frequent in our rotation. And we saw one of our U.S. Senators there, Joe Donnelly, which was pretty cool. He came and said hello and took a picture with hubby. (He had a single if you’re curious).

Sadly, we can’t take the kids because it is 21 and over only, and remember, they only take cash.

Workingman’s Friend

234 N. Belmont Ave.

Indy 46222

317/636-2067
https://www.restaurantji.com/in/indianapolis/working-mans-friend-/

Workingman's Friend

This post is sort of a bummer and will probably bring me grief from people, but I feel like something has happened at Workingman’s Friend and the burgers just aren’t what they used to be. The last couple times I left not feeling the same burger satisfaction I used to get. 

The place is the same (only now with less smoke since my first visits)—your friendly dive bar filled with what else—working men (and a few women, but very few). Our waitress was the friendliest one I have ever had there and was super efficient. But the food, I just feel like the food has fallen off.

I had my usual single burger and onion rings. I don’t know, the burger just didn’t have a ton of flavor and was cooked so much it was almost crunchy all the way through. It’s a thin-style burger and I like some crispy edges, but this was a little over the top. There was also lettuce, tomato and mayo but it just wasn’t doing it for me. It didn’t have the tender plus juicy thing that I remember from the first times I was there. I wonder if they are cooking them differently or using different meat or something.

I also remembered really liking the onion rings there, but again, for some reason, they seemed more standard this time. They are the battered type, but taste like they are probably just a standard foodservice onion ring to me.

I was with my friend @wibia, who ordered a double and commented the same thing—that it just didn’t seem as good as he remembered.

So that’s it. It still looks the same and feels the same (well, honestly the waitress was way friendlier than some I have had in the past), but the food just doesn’t seem the same. Either that, or my taste has changed.

What say you Indy? Agree with me or disagree?

P.S. It’s cash only.

Workingman’s Friend

234 N. Belmont Ave.

Indy 46222

317/636-2067

Workingman's Friend

One of the first places that was recommended to me when I first moved here 3 years ago was Workingman’s Friend. Described as a dive bar with really good burgers, I knew we had to get over there one of these days. Again, I thought for the longest time it was going to be really far away, but it turns out it is really just west of the zoo, which is a place I seem to frequent a lot with my kids (not that you could take your kids to this place—it is a bar, and you have to be 21 to walk through the door).

True, from the outside it looks pretty divey, but the inside was much brighter and more airy than I would have thought. Old school for sure, and there were people smoking in there for sure (mostly the staff actually) but more of a diner style looking place on the inside (with a big bar). I’m sure at night, it is a bit different, but when I was there, it was about half full of businessmen (only a couple of women including me) and that was pretty much it. The servers were super friendly and accommodating and service was quite speedy.

So they have various bar type items on the menu, but I have always heard about the burgers because they are the thin burgers with the crispy edges (which are the only kind I would normally order). I don’t like those ginormous burgers that you can’t fit into your mouth, so I rarely order a burger out, with an occasional exception at Steak ‘n Shake with the kids.

Anyhow, I ordered a single with cheese and pickles (I love pickles) and a side of fries. We had also heard that the onion rings were really good so hubby ordered those and we agreed to share (gotta try the French fries also though just to give you, dear readers, as much info as possible!). The burger was as described—slightly thicker than the Steak ‘n Shake variety, but still quite thin and with crispy edges all around. The onion rings are of the beer battered type, and were really good and crispy. The fries were the frozen type, medium size and a waste when you can get those onion rings. Next time I am getting my own order of rings, and I am eating them all (not saying they might not have been previously frozen, but so tasty, I didn’t care one way or another). (By the way, sorry about the photos, camera was dead and had to use the phone).




Hubby had a double and wished he had gotten a single because they also added a third piece of bread in between making the sandwich borderline too big (and bready). He agreed on the assessment of the rings, and we both know exactly what we will get the next time. And there will be a next time.

Other items I saw at tables did not look as good (although I did overhear another patron rave to the waitress about the chili). The tenderloin sandwich looked like everything I don’t like in a tenderloin. Super thin, breaded and dry. No, if you are going here, you need to go with the burger. Seriously. And the rings. Oh, and if you were asking hubby, the goblet of beer.

Workingman’s Friend
234 N. Belmont Ave
Indy 46222
317-636-2067