Twenty Tap

As the number of breweries in Indianapolis has ballooned over the past few years, pubs like Twenty Tap have (thankfully) sprung up so beer aficionados can sample many local and regional brands in one place.

For my money, Twenty Tap is a cut above the rest. First off, the name is a misnomer; the restaurant actually offers 38 local and regional beers on tap. Way to undersell yourself, Twenty Tap! With such an embarrassment of riches, it can be hard to know where to start drinking. Perhaps that's why Twenty Tap offers a beer of the day for just $3.50. (On Tuesdays, all beers are $3.50, so you've got to find your own starting point on those days.) Or, if you feel like maximizing your sampling opportunity, you can always order a flight of three beers instead.

On my recent lunch visit, the daily beer special was New Holland Mad Hatter (a Michigan brewery). An IPA didn't sound appealing to me on that day, though, so I chose a Belgium blonde from Indy's own Bier Brewery instead, which hit the spot.

So, Twenty Tap's selection of beer is good! But how's the food?

Well, it's good, too! The menu isn't particularly flashy (consisting of pub favorites such as burgers, sandwiches, salads, and so on), but what they do, they do well. For example, they offer a variety of gourmet burgers with creative names like "Wrath," "French Breakfast," and "Bonfire"—all made from locally raised Fischer Farms' beef.

For my meal, I decided to keep it simple and go with their "Classic" burger, which comes dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheddar cheese. For my side, I chose fries. My friend (a regular at the place) selected the pressed Cuban sandwich (ham, pulled pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, mayo, and pickles) also with a side of fries. Twenty Tap makes a variety of aiolis for dipping, so my dining partner suggested we try a couple of those as well; I chose blue cheese and she got chipotle.

Neither of us were disappointed with our meals. My burger was great, cooked medium and not overly salty (which I find to be a problem at many burger places). The fries were crispy and well seasoned, and the blue-cheese aioli really pushed them over the top into scrumptiousville.

As my friend scarfed down the last of her Cuban, she mentioned that Twenty Tap is also a surprisingly good place to take kids (she has two). She said the restaurant has a full kids' menu and provides crayons and coloring sheets to keep the little ones occupied. Plus, she added, if her kids get a little rowdy when she's there, she doesn't particularly care because she's been drinking. Now that's responsible parenting!