Cafe Audrey at Fort Ben — Restaurant in Indianapolis

Service from Sam was excellent. As for the food and management -- TERRIBLE. My wife ordered the Veggie Quiche and my selection was the Audrey's Special (2 eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and an english muffin). Quiche is supposed to be light and fluffy, but too many ingredients make the quiche too dense. Audrey's are too dense and crust over baked [top rack baked]. My "Special" came with "fried potatoes" that were never baked first. They were raw potatoes that rested on a griddle or skillet for about 60 seconds. I asked the waitress, Sam, if I could have potatoes that were cooked thoroughly. Instead of taking my plate, she went to the kitchen and brought out another batch of undercooked (not fried) potatoes. By that time, my eggs were cold. The good part of the meal was the bacon and muffin... the only part I ate. I very nicely asked Sam if I could just have the uncooked potatoes and cold eggs taken off the bill. I would pay for my wife's coffee and quiche plus pay for the bacon and muffin I ate. I had water to drink. She left to talk with her supervisor. An older woman, who never identified herself, walked to my table and asked about my request. I said very politely and tactfully the potatoes were raw and my eggs were cold by the time the second revision of the potatoes arrived. She said she would give me a 50% discount on my "Audrey's Special" order only. The supervisor as well as the waitress told me their "cook is new and this is his second day" [I assumed, working at Cafe Audrey's]. I would think a reputable restaurant would have a fully qualified cook/chef working on day one. But, I heard for the third time "it's only his second day." Something I never heard at First Watch or even Waffle House. Then, for the heck of it, I asked why I was charged 50 cents for a plastic cup of iced tap water. The supervisor said, "I have to pay for the water, the ice and the cup. Since the pandemic, we have to recoup our losses someway. Even McDonald's now charges for ice water." I said I don't eat at McDonald's so I don't know. Why charge for tap water? Then repeatedly the older woman asked me, at least five times, "Why not?" Why not charge for water? At that point, I knew I would never set foot in a "cafe" with unqualified cook or a ower/supervisor/customer relations runner up. Horrible customer-facing skillset. Maybe Sam would have been better suited to be running the establishment. My advice... there are many breakfast cafes in the Fort Ben area. You would be better served to seek somewhere other than...

I've eaten at Cafe Audrey a half a dozen times or so through the years, but I rarely find myself near Ft. Ben, so visits are sporadic. I've rated the food, service, and atmosphere 4 starts each, but my overall rating is 3 stars. I'll explain the disconnect.

First, the food. I dined with a friend and we both enjoyed almost everything. My Eggs Benedict was delicious, and the hash browns are legit - perfect crispy edges. My friend had French toast, which he said was good. Our server was great. She was helpful with choices, checked back a couple times after our food arrived, and promptly brought us our check. And I love the atmosphere - old depot style military building with exposed brick and high ceilings. The booths aren't very comfortable, and the benches move (they aren't attached), but it's not a huge drawback.

These next issues may not bother you at all, but they did result in my 3 star review. First - no paper menus, QR code scan only. You have to read it on your smartphone (if you carry one, which I don't). I asked for a paper menu, but they don't provide those even upon request. They do offer a "public" iPad/tablet that you can borrow, but it didn't feel clean, the print is tiny, and nothing beats a paper menu. It doesn't have to be fancy, just easy to read, accurate, and available. Second, the iced tea wasn't good, and it's my go-to. It wasn't clear (the water needed to be filtered at a higher level), and it tasted day-old. Third and finally, they don't take bills over $20 (I was told, "there's a sign."). Fifty and one hundred dollar bills are legal tender and should be accepted everywhere. Period.

Nice place, just not for me. Too many swings and misses. But you should try it. The things that bother me might be...

Overall I enjoyed eating at Cafe Audrey. The service is slow at first but once seated, the service picks up and you are barely waiting.

The food is mostly homemade from scratch but this is where it gets tricky for me. From an unbiased perspective I would say the food is good but for me personally some foods were over cooked, undercooked, or cooked just right. Other than that my only personal grief would be not expecting a savory flavor and getting a sweet flavor instead. I am not much of a sweet tooth but if you prefer sweet over savory this is a great restaurant to eat at.

This review is mainly based off of trying the following items:

Scrambled eggs: overcooked too firm

Sausage patties: Sweet instead of Savory

Bacon: Cooked crispy evenly without being burnt with a slight chewy middle. All in all, I enjoyed it.

Hash brown: Cooked evenly with a crusty outside and a softer inside. Flavor fully balanced between salt and pepper. I recommend adding onion

Biscuit and Gravy: Biscuit is very thick and rich but very delicious and obviously homemade from scratch. The gravy is a little sweet instead of savory and didn’t do it for me.

Sweet Tea: Average, neither great nor bad. I would get it again but it’s not the best tea I had.

Blueberry Muffin: Very tasty, homemade from scratch. The muffin top is very moist and I do prefer a crisp top with a moist inner.

Proportions: Adequate

Price per quality/quantity: Slightly overpriced but given the area it fits the price well.

Would I return here? Yes! Overall the experience was good. I would be interested in trying different foods and giving them another chance to see how the...