Culinary Trails

Pricing is averaged and may be subject to change.
$ = Sandwiches are under $5, entrees under $10
$$ = Sandwiches are under $9, entrees under $18
$$$ = Lunches $10 and up, dinners $18 and up

Lafayette-West Lafayette

O’Bryan’s Nine Irish Brothers Pub          
119 Howard Ave                     765-746-4782
West Lafayette, IN 47906        http://www.nineirishbrothers.com
O’Bryan’s is a modern Irish Pub with the food, music and atmosphere of traditional Ireland. The big Five Irish Sisters Bar and fieldstone walls are conducive to conviviality, and you will find yourself visiting with folks at neighboring tables when you aren't listening to the live music on weekends or taking the free Irish dance lessons on Tuesday nights. Shepard’s pie, fish and chips, Molly Malloy, bangers and mash, Irish pizza and the Irish soda bread (it makes great bread pudding) are specialties, and don't forget the Guinness, Strongbow and Harp on tap, or Jerry's "I don't like coffee" Irish coffee made with hot chocolate. Owner Jerry O'Bryan has 13 siblings; there are nine boys and five girls in his big family! Many of these family members were involved with the building of the restaurant as well as the operation of it today. Open Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-midnight. $$

Bea One Korean Cuisine and Lounge One    
220 Columbia St.                    765-742-6100
Lafayette, IN 47901                http://www.beaone.com
Bea One (Korean for Royal Garden) is a contemporary Pan Asian restaurant located in downtown Lafayette. Owner Mink Lin graduated from Purdue with a degree in industrial engineering before finding her passion as a young restaurateur. Her award winning Bea One roll is an Indiana adaptation: crab, cream cheese and cucumber in a fabulous tempura batter. Try one with flavorful miso wakami soup and the marvelous Asian tapas offerings on the creative menu. Bea One also offers a full cocktail bar, sushi bar and Asian lunch and dinner specialties. On Friday and Saturday nights the restaurant is transformed into a night club called Lounge One and stays open until 3 am. Open Mon.-Fri. 11:30 am-2 pm, Sun.-Thu. 5 pm-10 pm, Fri. & Sat. 5 pm -11 pm. $$

Frozen Custard              
2319 Wallace Avenue              765-447-6090
Lafayette, IN 47905                http://www.originalfrozencustard.com
Kirk Lodde still makes sure the premium frozen custard perfected by his grandfather, Charles Kirkhoff, is the dense, carefully caramelized 10% butterfat product that made its debut at this original location in 1932. The next-generation 1949 blue neon drive-in igloo is the oldest family-owned and operated drive-in restaurant in town, across the street from the Zoo, the water park and Loeb Stadium. An old-fashioned soda fountain menu features favorite drive-in foods: delicious shakes, sundaes and 12 different flavors of custards, Spanish dogs giant fish sandwiches and onion rings. Popo's punch, Wabash Wassail and the Banana-whama are a few of the specialties, along with the famous Dirt Sundae, invented here in 1987. A recent best-seller is a large diet vanilla coke made with Virginia Dare. You can get it at the new (2001) drive through! Open February-November, Mon.- Sat. 11 am-10 pm, Sun. 12 noon-10 pm. $

McCord Candies                 
536 Main Street                      765-742-444
Lafayette, IN 47901                http://www.mccordcandies.com
McCord Candies, with its candy-striped awning, has been a local favorite in downtown Lafayette since 1912. It is one of the oldest operating soda fountains in Indiana and the Midwest. They still offer handmade fountain drinks and sodas as well as old-time favorite lunch items and ice cream in a 1950's motif with Coca-Cola memorabilia. The hand-dipped candies include snappers, peanut butter fudge balls and a wide array of truffles. McCord's famous handmade 9-inch candy canes are a seasonal favorite. Summer hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 am-8 pm, Sat. 10 am-7 pm. Winter: Mon.-Fri. 9 am-5 pm, Sat. 10 am-4 pm. $

Jane’s Gourmet Deli and Catering   
524 N. 4th Street
Lafayette, IN 47901                765-742-5000
Over the last 15 years, Jane Ausman-Mudawar has developed a small strip mall into a gentrified oasis for local foodies. Jane says "There is always an educational element to our food, such as the blood oranges, local herbs and exotic produce, and the local cheeses and wine in the shop at the entryway. A vine-covered pergola and thriving potted ferns have re-claimed part of the parking lot for al fresco dining, and the garden feeling continues inside. The happy staff really has tasted the brie with sun dried-tomato panini, the colorful fresh salads with apricot or raspberry dressing, the tomato-basil chicken burgers and the homestyle soups. They can make sincere recommendations. The extensive beverage menu includes a rosy raspberry tea, Orangina, frozen lattes, Italian sodas and imported beers and wines. Godiva chocolates join exceptional desserts in the display cases, from oatmeal raisin cookies to Lithuanian torte and a Chocolate Confusion cake. Open Mon.-Sat. 10:30 am-2 pm. $$

Arni’s at Market Square    
2200 Elmwood Ave.                765-447-1108
Lafayette, IN 47904                http://www.meetyouatarnis.com
Arni’s has been a Lafayette tradition for more than 40 years and serves pizza, salads, sandwiches, soups and pasta. This Arni’s at Market Square was the first, opened in 1965, and they have branched out to 18 locations statewide, the Elmwood location is still operated by Brad Cohen, Arni's son. The fascinating children's room features vintage toy and game collections, and The Loading Dock, a 21 and over bar, has a warehouse theme with scales, packing cases and a real semi truck for ambience. The big front room may be spare by comparison, but it buzzes with locals enjoying Arni's Famous Jr. Salad with signature homemade salad dressings, fabulous thin crust pizzas (try the pepperoni) pastas, hot sandwiches, soups, munchies and big rich desserts including caramel apple granny and cheesecake. Open Mon.-Thurs. 11 am-11 pm, Fri.-Sat. 11 am-midnight, Sun. 11 am -9 pm. $

Triple XXX Family Restaurant           
2 N. Salisbury Street               765-743-5373
West Lafayette, IN 47906        http://www.triplexxxfamilyrestaurant.com
Triple XXX is thought to be the oldest drive-in in Indiana and is located "on the Hill" near Purdue’s Campus. This Purdue favorite started life as a root beer stand serving the famous Triple XXX Root Beer in 1929, and part of the original structure is still in use today. Beloved menu items include buttermilk biscuits and gravy made with local sausage, the 100% sirloin chopped steak sandwiches, the hand-cut pork LeRoy Tenderloin, spicy curly fries and the flaky-crusted fruit and cream pies baked on the premises. Retro counter seating gives customers a ring-side view of the prep area and grills. Full breakfast menu, kids menu, ice cream and dinner platters also are available. Open 24 hours, Monday through Saturday. $

Bruno’s Big O’s Sports Room
212 Brown Street                    765-743-1668
West Lafayette, IN 47906         http://www.brunodough.com
For more than 50 years the Itin family has offered its customers multi-national cuisine in West Lafayette. Bruno Itin's native Swiss recipes for cheese fondue, veal gschnetzels and weinerschnitzel along with classic Italian and American dishes are served in comfortable chalet style dining rooms or in the Purdue-inspired Big O Sports Room. The hot yeasty Bruno's Dough Balls are a knockout appetizer and their famous hand-tossed pizzas always have a lot of cheese and a great crust. Dessert pizzas feature apple butter, or peanut butter with chocolate chips. Lasagna and catfish are popular menu items, along with Clem's knackwurst or bratwurst wrapped in puff pastry ad served with sauerkraut or dumplings, pastas, sandwiches, salads and a wide selection of appetizers. An extensive children's menu is also offered. Bruno's has opened several additional sites in the Midwest, but the West Lafayette location on the levee is still lovingly owned and operated by the Itin offspring, Orlando, Junior and Tina. Open Sun.-Thu. 4 pm-10 pm, Fri.-Sat. 4 pm-11 pm. $$

Lafayette Brewing Company  
622 Main Street                      765-742-2591
Lafayette, IN 47901                http://www.lafayettebrewingco.com
The Lafayette Brewing Co. is a popular local microbrewery with a wide selection of fresh brewed ales and lager made on the premises. Located in the Historic Ross, Carnahan, Kaplan building under the wide green awning since 1993, this artisan brewpub offers live entertainment, tastings, and brewing demos. Owners Greg & Nancy Emig also offer a varied menu of salads, wraps, beer battered fish and chips, onion rings, black angus burgers and Indiana bison burgers, fish tacos, homemade Scotch eggs and Bavarian beer nuggets. The pleasantly bitter golden Tippecanoe Common Ale is a favorite, as is the hefty Black Oatmeal Stout along with five other flagship beers and the brewmaster's seasonal specialties. Greg takes his brewing seriously with no preservatives, filtration or pasteurization incorporated into his seriously fun brews. Open Mon.-Thurs. 11 am-midnight, Fri.-Sat. 11 am-1 am. $$

The Hour Time Restaurant          
4343 State Road 26, East of I-65
(inside the Best Western)          765-448-4669
Lafayette, IN 47905                 http://www.hourtimerestaurant.com
You can see the 180's English railroad clock tower of the Hour Time from I-65 at exit 172. Owner Roy Meeks designed the restaurant around the clock in 1979. This comfortable fine dining restaurant offers a wide variety of classic cuisine, including signature prime rib, steaks, ribs and an extensive seafood selection: Cocquille St. Jacque, walleye, shrimp and crab. A reasonably priced light fare menu includes raspberry duck salad and black and bleu steak salad. The full-service bar has a club atmosphere with a small dance floor in the back. Lunch and breakfast are classic as well, with notable eggs benedict and florentine served with perfect grilled tomatoes topped with crusty cheese. The atmosphere is very relaxing and fresh with European antiques, waterfalls and a large live ficus tree in the soaring glass atrium. Open daily 6 am-10 am, 11 am-2 pm and 5 pm-10 pm, or until 11 pm on Fri. and Sat. $$$

Main Street Cheese and Wine Cellar        
1005 Main Street                     765-742-4793
Lafayette, IN 47901                 http://www.mainstreetcheese.com
"A Nice Family Shop" is the Main Street's motto, with the menu on a cow-shaped blackboard and shelves and deli cases filled with Indiana food products to take home or enjoy on site. Ivan Brumbaugh features Trader's Point dairy products, Fair Oaks cheeses and homemade soups in his deli-style shop in historic uptown Lafayette. Fresh salads and grilled gourmet sandwiches on Great Harvest Breads are the daily fare, and Fair Oaks ice creams have recently been added as a dessert option. More than 100 varieties of wine are available from near and far. Open Mon. - Sat. 10 am-6 pm.

Baja Peninsula                       
1904 US 52 W.                       765-463-4327
West Lafayette, IN 47906            
Zoila and Salvador Magallanes have imported the warm golden light of Northern Mexico to their distinctive restaurant in West Lafayette. Look for the green striped awning on the continental-style eatery along the highway where Salvador, a classically trained chef, offers fresh Southern California Cuisine as well as typical American dishes. Start dinner with a homemade soup and a green salad spiked with spiced walnuts and champagne dressing. Choose seafood ravioli with lobster sauce, rack of lamb or sea bass in papillote as a main course, and try the flan with orange sections for dessert. Breakfast is available until 2:30 pm, and all day Sunday, and may include steak omelets, homemade corned beef hash, huevos rancheros and lemon ricotta pancakes. Zoila will wish you "buen provecho" or, bon appetite. Open Tues.-Fri. 10:30 am-2:30 pm & 5-9 pm. Sat. 7 am-2:30 pm & 5 pm-9 pm. Sunday 7 am-3 pm. Reservations accepted. $$

Terre Haute

Clabber Girl                    
900 Wabash Ave.                    812-232-9446
Terre Haute, IN 47808             http://www.clabbergirlbakeshop.com

At the Clabber Girl Museum, Bake Shop and General Store you'll experience the history of one of the oldest brands in America and discover the art of home baking. The beautifully restored museum is adjacent to the building where Clabber Girl Baking Powder was developed and manufactured by Hulman & Co. Past the delivery wagon, product displays and antique kitchen appliances is the newest attraction at Clabber Girl - the state of the art demonstration kitchen with stadium seating and counters for note taking and samples. Resident Chef Eddie Wilson of Indianapolis Speedway fame offers 45-minute cooking demonstrations at 11 am and 1 pm on Saturdays and cooking classes on weekday evenings by reservations. The Bake Shop features custom-roasted Rex coffee in the full coffee bar, and biscuits, muffins, cookies and brownies made with Clabber Girl products. For lunch you can enjoy homemade gourmet sandwiches, soups and salads. In Antonia's Country Store, shoppers will find an array of products made in Indiana, as well as many items of interest to the home cook. Selections include hard-to-find gourmet items, Doughmaker's bakeware, several regional cookbooks and reprints of cookbooks from the Hulman archives. Clabber Girl has been chosen by IFA as one of Indiana's premier culinary trail sites. Closed Sundays.

Fair Oaks

Fair Oaks Farms                   
856 N. 600 East                      219-394-2025
Fair Oaks, IN 47943                http://www.fofarms.com
Fair Oaks Farms takes visitors through the dairy process "from grass to glass" and beyond to cheese and ice cream. The farm is the collaboration of nine dairy farmers whose 3,000 cows form the center of an educational agritourism experience which includes an Adventure Center, the interactive exhibits and a Cow Palace theater, a 45 minute bus tour and the Milking Parlor. The final stop is the Fair Oaks Café, where you can order a grilled cheese sandwich made from your choice of 3 varieties of the farm's own cheese for $4.95. Soups, sandwiches, salads and burritos are also served, along with Starbucks coffee. Freshly made ice creams, milkshakes and sundaes are served in the ice cream parlor. The adjacent store sells pints of the ice cream and the fine array of Fair Oaks cheeses. Randy Krahenbuhl, a certified Master Cheesemaker, oversees the production of 22 cheese varieties, including havarti, sweet Swiss, Muenster and international award-winning gouda and Emmenthaler. Café and store (the Cheese Plant) hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Adventure Center tours are $10/adults, $7/children & seniors, open Mon.-Sat.9 am-5 pm Sun. 10 am-5 pm. $$

Greencastle

Almost Home                 
17 West Franklin                     765-653-5788
Greencastle, IN 46135              http://www.almosthometearoom.com
Owner Gail Smith won a scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America with her recipe for strawberry pizza - now Almost Home's signature dessert. Other featured menu items include chicken broccoli casserole available on Wednesdays as the special, the famous broccoli cheese soup and the Hilltop Orchid Martini from the new bar. Fresh fruit is an option instead of French fries with the many sandwiches on the lunch menu, including a notable turkey asparagus melt and a grilled pork burger. Fresh seasonal vegetables are a specialty of the more extensive dinner menu, and breakfast and Sunday brunch have delicious Southern accents. The friendly staff visit with regulars and newcomers in this beautifully renovated 1800's storefront restaurant on the town square. Open Mon.-Sat. 8 am-9 pm, Sun. 10 am-2 pm. $$

Vincennes

Pea-Fections Culinary Connection    
321-323 Main St.                    821-886-5146
Vincennes, IN 47591
Johnson & Wales chefs Becky Pea and Bill Stenger got married and moved back home to open a culinary cornucopia in downtown Vincennes. Soups, salads, and sandwiches are made fresh from scratch, and are great with the Italian sodas and specialty coffees, but the stand-outs are the desserts. Portraits of Uncle Roy's Bread Pudding, Chocolate Bar A La Mode and fabulous cakes and cheesecakes compliment the cozy dining rooms in a restored 1800's commercial building on the town square. Pastry Chef Stenger's creations are glamorous on the walls, but even better on the table. Visit the cake decorating shop upstairs, and don't forget to take some cashew raisin chicken salad or puffed corn home for later. Open Mon.-Fri. 10 am-5 pm, Sat. 10 am-3 pm. Reservations accepted for 6 or more.

Apple Hill Orchard                       
6235 N. Ford Rd.                     (Highway 41 North)
Bruceville, IN                         812-324-9010
Karen and Brad Black built this airy log Apple Lodge commanding a 360 degree view from the porch in 1999 to market the fruit and produce from Joe Black's hilltop orchard. Watch cider-making and fruit sorting while partaking of a cider slushie or just-out-of-the -oven donut, bread or pastry from the open kitchen.
Fresh seasonal fruit served over ice cream, zuchinni bread, pies and drinks can be enjoyed, cider is available by the glass and gallon, and jams and jellies can be taken home to savor. Apple Hill Orchard is open to the public July 5-December 23, 9 am-6 pm Mon.-Thurs. and 9 am-6 pm Fri. & Sat. $

Charlie's Carmel Corn & Candy Shop
427 N. 2nd Street                    812-882-8008
Vincennes, IN 47591               http://charliescaramelcorn.com
A nicely restored little white house on 2nd Street houses a Vincennes landmark. Since 1955, award-winning candies and caramel corn have been made and sold here. Family photos share wall space with the signature red tins of Charlie's Caramel Corn, and the wide variety of turtles are the #1 selling chocolate item. We especially liked the chocolate-covered orange peel. Caramel corn starts at $1.75, and chocolates are $12.95/ lb.
Open seven days a week, 10 am-6 pm summers, and 10 am-7 pm in the winter.

Zander's Ice Cream            
315 Main St.                           812-886-0380
Vincennes, IN 47591                   
Vincenne's hometown ice cream stands have been consolidated into a downtown ice cream shop serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a "bring the outdoors in" atmosphere. Just two doors down from Pea-Fections, the new version of Zanders still offers their famous cake batter ice cream, along with 23 other seasonal flavors made on the premises. Owners Mike Weber and Tim Shidler have perfected more than 120 ice cream and gelato recipes, and often combine their premium ice creams with coffee or soda to make customized drinks such as the popular "steamed cake batter drink" served hot, of course. Open Mon.-Fri. 8 am-10 pm, Sat. 9 am-10 pm, Sun. 11 am-10 pm. $

Bill Bobe's Pizzeria             
1651 N. 6th Street.                  821-882-2992
Vincennes, IN 47591
Since 1954, the Bobe family has served classic pizza and stromboli with local ingredients in a green-trimmed brick building on the corner of 6th and Meyer Streets. Pam Bobe promises your pizza is not made until you order it, and the wait is so worthwhile. Bobe's sticks to what it does very well; pizza, breadsticks and stromboli, so the menu's only additions are a small salad bar (try the local salad dressing) and soft drinks, but you can add vanilla or cherry flavoring to a Coke for 15 cents and there are free refills on the freshly brewed sweet tea and coffee. Bobe's is open for lunch Mon. - Fri. from 11 am to 2 pm, and for dinner seven days a week from 4 to 10 pm. $
There is usually a wait for a table, but carry-out & delivery are available.

back to top