Books & Brews — Restaurant in Indianapolis

This place is great. My daughter and I went there for lunch. The outside is easy to find. Inside, we immediately began browsing the thousands of books to read and for sale, as well as the hundreds of games to play. There is also a variety of items for sale ranging from t-shirts, to cups and mugs, to random novelties. The kiddo picked 3 games: sorry, exploding kittens, and battleship, although we only had time for half of battleship. I have to note the first card game she selected was a variation of cards against humanity, except with a different name...... mom: 1, spawn:0. That was all just in the first room... In the other two rooms there is tables and books in one and a bar in the other. It has a super laid back atmosphere that I really enjoy. The bar serves different fruit flavored sodas that you can get virgin or cider style. They also had a decent looking beer menu. To eat for lunch, I ordered a grilled cheese and fruit cup. I received the chips instead, but they were good, plus I got a pickle, and the grilled cheese was delicious. Between the fact that the bartender was super nice and helpful, and even gave me a free meal coupon for next time (I believe this to be common practice for new customers) I have to keep 5 stars. C'mon Google, why can't we do half ratings! To wrap it up nicely, I had a blue rasberry virgin soda to drink. The little one finished every bite of her cheese pizza and drop of her cherry soda. I also bought her two books, and since kids ate free today I only spent $25. We will...

Made a trip down from Lafayette to explore Indy a little and found this place on a quick Google search for "Indianapolis breweries." I knew we had to stop by.

Walking in, I had an initial gut reaction of 'Oh, god. Are we in the right place?' when the front room was full of a bunch of kids gathered around a TV, giving off the vibe that we were walking into a family activities center. (Nothing against family activity centers.)

What Books & Brews really gets right is providing that special sort of transition, where you walk into the back and it almost feels like you've stepped into a secret club you're not supposed to know about. It feels almost like the world's best club for introverts--though the crowd was really friendly and warm, don't get me wrong.

The two most significant areas for improvement: 1) book selection and 2) lighting. I know that the books are secondary for Books & Brews, but this could be a really magical (sorry, can't help it--all the Harry Potter references on their menu) destination if they beefed up their selection a bit (particularly in the fiction area). The lighting is a relatively minor note, but it made an otherwise really cool place feel a little sterile.

I'm excited to check this place out again sometime in the future! Great staff, great concept, good beer. Can't wait to see it developed a...

Book & Brews is truly a unique place. I usually slip in there in the afternoons (it opens at 2pm) to write... It's somewhat hidden off of 96th Street... And, upon entering, remarkably unpretentious. The front of the store has books, games, shirts, and a whole lot of merchandise that gamers and the like would drool over.

When you walk to the back, you'll enter the bar area with a larger entertainment space off to the side. Is 2pm too early to start drinking? Not if you're part of the 'Mug Club'... Your one time lifetime membership fee gets you smashing deals on craft beer served to you in a handmade 22oz mug. (Oh... You get a mug for joining too.)

The beers are great... If you're looking for Miller Lite... You won't find it here. They have a selection of craft brews from other breweries as well as a selection that they brew in-house. [Hey guys... Bring back that lavender-infused beer... That was great!] They also have a simple but delicious food menu... My usual go-to is the grilled cheese.

I like the place... Because in a weird way... It's like a quiet speakeasy... I can go there... Plug in... And write while sipping on a...