Bluebeard — Restaurant in Indianapolis

Great offerings for afternoon cocktails and snack menu. Good unfussy service and atmosphere

We often have a big breakfast and then wish to have lunch around 3 PM and a late late dinner. Not all restaurants are open in the afternoon, and when they are, sometimes there is a limited menu. And although Bluebeard offered a limited menu, it was still a wonderful meal with plenty to enjoy (we ordered from their snack menu).

Exquisite outdoor atmosphere (think outdoor chandeliers hanging from trees) laid-back (but attentive) service, and wonderful cocktails rounded out the afternoon.

Let’s start with the cocktails. I am a huge mescaline fan, and, in fact, I love tequila in general and they had a couple of drinks on the menu that looked to be intriguing. Normally I like something bright and citrusy, and a little boozy, and a little spicy but not sweet. I was debating between the Galapagos and another drink, and the server (who was quite knowledgeable about the drinks) recommended the Galapagos. It was perfect. I have some drinks that I make at home, even though they are complex, and I would love to add this recipe to my repertoire. That’s how outstanding this cocktail was. It was my perfect sort of cocktail, spicy and citrusy, and really well-balanced. Food: We split a charcuterie plate, and my husband had a Caesar salad, and I had herring toast. I love pickled herring, and this was such a wonderful presentation.

The server was great. She was a mix of laid-back and efficient while still knowing the menu. I know it was a limited snacktime venue, so there were not a lot of items for her to be familiar with, but still, she really felt like she knew the restaurant well! And…I really hate it when the server tries to explain the menu like we’ve never been to a restaurant before or acts cutesy and asks, “how are we all doing with our first bites?" or says, “I’ll be taking care of you." I just find it a bit intrusive and annoying and almost the type of thing you would hear at a fern chain bar. Our server did none of those things.

I want the server to really know the menu, and to introduce themselves and offer suggestions (only if we ask), and then check on our order once everything has arrived at the table, because by then, I usually need a refill of something, or I would like a glass of wine or some extra remoulade or a side bread etc etc. The server was definitely visible when we needed her but not hovering and not cutesy. She did not insult me trying to explain what charcuterie was. She did not try to offer her own food suggestions or say "this is really popular." or "people like the herring." I don't care what is popular. Really, she was the perfect mix of attention. I can’t tell you how refreshing that was. Bottom line: Great food. Amazing cocktails....

Stephanie - Party of 5 Where do I begin? First time visiting Indianapolis and we wanted to have a nice dinner at a nice place. Searched through google to see what was recommended and BlueBeard it was. We called ahead to make a reservation, only to be told that walk-ins were fine. We showed up at 6:45pm with a party of five and were told the wait would be about 45 minutes—not ideal, but manageable. However, we ended up waiting well over an hour and were finally seated around 8:15pm.

When we were taken to our table, it was only set for four people. The hostess tried to squeeze a fifth seat onto an already tight setup. We asked if we could move to a larger, visibly unoccupied table nearby, only to be told it was reserved for a party of six—even though it had been empty since we arrived. Eventually, after some back and forth, we were seated there. By that time, we were already frustrated.

Lauren G was our server. She was friendly at first and got our drinks quickly. We ordered four entrees and a side. (Side note: it’s pretty disappointing that you can’t add a protein like chicken to any dish—particularly pasta. That lack of flexibility doesn’t make sense.)

Food came out in a reasonable time—except for one plate, which was completely missing. When we mentioned it to Lauren a few minutes later, she said the kitchen was working on it. In reality, it was clear she had simply forgotten to put the order in. The rest of the table had finished their meals before the final plate arrived. No apology, no effort to make it right, no acknowledgement of the inconvenience.

To top it all off, the food was underwhelming—nothing stood out, and it certainly didn’t live up to the hype. When the bill came, I noticed an automatic 5% “kitchen gratuity” added. So I’m paying extra to the kitchen for food they forgot to make?

This entire experience was disappointing: long wait, poor communication, bad table setup, missing food, indifferent service, and mediocre dishes. Definitely not worth the time,...

We had high hopes for this place, but unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations.

We were told the wait would be around 45 minutes, but it ended up being an hour and a half. During that time, we had to approach the host twice to make sure we hadn’t been forgotten. Strangely, there were several open tables visible the entire time, which made the wait even more frustrating.

When we were finally called, the host tried to seat us—a party of five—at a table meant for four. I pointed this out and suggested a nearby table that clearly had space for five or six people and had been sitting empty for at least 45 minutes. The host refused, saying it was meant for another party party. Ironically, after some momentsh, they ended up seating us at that exact table anyway.

Once seated, our server was fine—not great, not terrible. One odd thing: their signature dishes are homemade pastas, but none come with any protein. When we asked to add protein, we were told they simply don’t offer that option.

To top it off, our meals didn’t arrive together. Four of us were served first, and the last dish didn’t come out until the rest of us were already finished eating. Despite all the inconvenience, we weren’t offered anything to make up for the poor experience.

To add to the frustration, we later noticed a 5% kitchen gratuity had been automatically added to the bill without being mentioned to us at any point. On top of that, we were still expected to tip our server separately. This kind of charge should absolutely be disclosed upfront.

The food itself wasn’t bad—flavors were decent—but it didn’t justify the price or the wait. For example, a halibut dish on a bed of vegetables cost $43 and tasted just okay.

Overall, the experience was disappointing. With that level of service, lack of transparency, and poor coordination, it’s not somewhere I’d return...