The Northside Social

Came in without expectation and was actually satisfied with their food. Ordered mostly seafood (calamari, crab cake, red snapper), their sauce on the food was good. I didn’t expect it was fine dining price but to compare, I prefer Oceanaire when it comes to seafood for us. Service was good and attentive.

I ordered the Mediterranean Pasta because my girl pal had one. When my meal was delivered it was lacking quite a few components. It was very dry and there was no bread with it either. The kitchen basically threw it together. I sent it back and they corrected the issues… it was my first visit and first impressions are everything.

Very disappointed. Ordered brisket. It was tough pot roast with brown gravy from a package. Way too much sodium.
Service was ok but not great.

For some reason, I wasn’t expecting much from Social. Maybe I’ve become Unilocal jaded, and saw the yellow 3 ½ stars and thought «meh.» But, I was definitely wrong. First, and foremost, the food. The Black & Bleu Fondue app was just awesome. Tender sirloin pieces, croutons and freakishly good roasted tomatoes with a hot Bleu cheese dipping sauce. It was a unanimous hit at our table. My sister and I shared the Mahi Mahi with risotto & fried artichokes. Risotto was a touch salty, but we didn’t even mind. Once mixed with a bite of the Mahi– perfect balance. For dessert, we shared the deconstructed banana pie: custard over a walnut/​pecan crust, a dollop of whipped cream and caramelized banana. Yum. The strawberry basil martinis were scrumptious though potentially slightly dangerous because you couldn’t even taste alcohol.
Otherwise:
–kind & attentive service
–classy ambiance with dim, candle lighting
–a little loud as the place was full, though this did not impact our particular experience
Can’t wait to go back and try the mac ‘n cheese everyone is raving about!

My pork flat iron was excellent. Good place to visit with good food. I highly recommend

Recently visited Northside Social for my bachelorette party. The location, and the ability to park in a lot, make this destination desirable in Broad Ripple.
Once inside, the ambience is nice. It’s not loud or cramped, but I can say that the booth side of our table wasn’t the most comfortable. They do have plush pillows, but that doesn’t leave much room between you and the table.
The food was quite good. I had a Caesar salad to start, which was delicious. My entrée was the beer brisket, which was smothered in a Guinness stout gravy. The meat may have been a little on the dry side, but it was very tender. The green beans and mashed potatoes were on point. For $ 21, this entrée is very filling and tasty.
For dessert, I had the bread pudding, which was incredible.

A standard date night spot for my husband and I. Local, high end fare with exceptional presence. The is the place to take the boss, in-​laws or anyone you want to impress. Northside social has seasonal features that always please. Menu staple– Gourmet Mac and cheese, Jalapeño cornbread. Order them. Just do it. You’ll be glad.
Make a reservation as this place is always busy. If you have to wait, grab a cocktail at the bar, their bartenders are class acts.

Recommend.
Able to immediately be seated around 6:30 on a Friday, but it quickly filled up around 7:00pm. I had the Mahi Mahi and loved it. I could have eaten two — only because it was delicious, not because it wasn’t enough food. Don’t pass this one up.
My boyfriend ordered the parmesan chicken and said he enjoyed it. I tried a bite — very good.
We split an a la carte plate of mac and cheese. From previous Unilocal reviews, I didn’t want to miss this. While delicious, i’m glad I didn’t order it as a meal. It may have been too much for me. The actual mac meal is $ 17 while our side was $ 8, so I recommend you do what we did. It’s worth it.
The atmosphere was casual. Tennis played on two TV’s, which I think is a bit silly. Why do we need TV’s everywhere? Overall, I liked the interior design. Very clean, formal, but simple. Candles on every table, some pillows were added to the booths. Large windows, but not much of a view.
Service was very polite and helpful. I usually have a few questions, so I appreciated the recommendations.
Final thoughts: try it out! Get the Mahi Mahi.

Spicy Korean pork with rice dumplings. Holy s@&z
Best meal I have eaten in some time.
Pleasing environment with huge windows that make the outside seem to be indoors with you.

Restaurant is nice and food is very good. We have been here several times before. My husband liked his chicken dinner and our friends liked their seafood dinners. I decided to try something different and had the vegetarian dish. I have to say my vegetarian Wellington dish was cold and had to be sent back to be reheated which was disappointing. It was then just ok.
The noise level was very high and actually hurt. It seems that the acoustics could be fixed to make a more desirable comfortable noise level. We do enjoy the food but because of the noise, we will not return.

Although we have only eaten here in Easter, I really enjoyed the restaurants atmosphere. The servers were friendly and prompt. The peeps on the Easter Day plates were a thoughtful playful touch. I look forward to trying them again soon!

I don’t know why we hadn’t visited the Northside Social before. It’s classy and smart and tucked away in the heart of Broad Ripple. They had a great variety of dishes (meat, seafood). Service was lovely and the cocktails were decent. I recommend for a date night or when you want to impress.
Food: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Location: ⁴⁄₅

Having driven by the Northside Social hundreds of times since its opening some years ago, my mind had conjured many images of men in pastel shirts and blazers, paired with women dressed in Kentucky Derby regalia. I pictured them as pretentious: not «foodie» pretentious, but the martini-​sipping, teeny-​tiny portion of bland steak-​and-​potatoes pretentious. The Northside Social didn’t appeal to me. There’s a reason that a «J» exists in my INTJ Meyers-​Briggs personality. It stands for «judging.» Being judgmental is a sin.
On my brother’s Brazilian girlfriend’s last night in the United States, she requested to eat something truly American: macaroni and cheese. We searched high and low for the best macaroni and cheese that Indianapolis had to offer. Since the Northside Social is known to have an excellent rendition of macaroni and cheese, I decided to put judgment aside in order to be a gentlemanly host.
As I walked into the Northside Social, I saw no one in pastels, and no one was dressed for an afternoon at the country club. I had inspected the menu prior to dining, but I was very impressed by all it had to offer. I was further impressed by the friendliness and speed of the waitstaff. I was liking this restaurant before I’d even taken my first bite. After I took my first bite, I was sold. We started with the cornbread appetizer, which was dessert-​like. I then devoured a delicious (and perfectly prepared) Greek salad. Being in a health conscious mood, I opted for the Spicy Spanish Triggerfish. This was the best seafood dish I have had in a very long while. My compliments to the chef, because it was even spicy enough for my discerning, bland-​food-​hating pallet. Being a true gentleman, I only sampled the macaroni and cheese when it was offered to me. That’s probably a good thing, as I was tempted to hijack the entire plate. I mean, it was «that» good – melt in your mouth good.
Despite the highfalutin name, the Northside Social defied all of my expectations. It is a culinary gem, and a five-​star restaurant experience. I will return, and I suggest you follow suit.

I’ve been a patron since they first opened, and Northside Social is a consistent dinner winner.
I was compelled to finally write a review after my girlfriend held her wedding rehearsal dinner there last week. First off, they were one of the only restaurants in Indy willing to open for a private party on New Year’s Day. The staff could have been grumpy buggers about working in a holiday, but instead they were delightful, exceeded expectations. Water always refilled without asking, timely removal of plates, paying special attention to the bride and offering educated drink suggestions are just a few little details I noticed.
I have yet to have an entrée that I didn’t think was absolutely delicious. I’ve been for many dinners and even special buffet events for holidays like Mother’s Day. My favorite entrée is by far the potato-​crusted basa. It’s so savory with a great texture. When I really feel like diet cheating and testing my lactose-​intolerance limits I order the gourmet mac and cheese. Holy moly is it a treat! Pig was meant for mac, and they add not only bacon but also prosciutto to this fantastic side offering!
The bar offers a niceselection of local beer, big box beer, vino and signature cocktails. The PearSecco is my go-​to beverage of choice with it’s refreshing melody of sparkling wine, pear vodka and splash of lemon simple syrup. It’s a very ‘summery’ drink, but I love it year-​round. I think the cocktail menu is very encompassing of all taste profiles with bourbon, rum vodka and liqueur options.
In addition to loving the food, I love the décor. Think sleek, white, dark wood, exposed duct work, great bar to bevy up to and low candle light. They have a few TV’s at the bar if you absolutely feel the need to distract yourself from your yummy food or drink.
I also highly recommend checking our their sister restaurant next door, the Northside Kitchenette, for lunch and brunch!

Good: ambiance, service
Bad: not cheap yet food salad, chicken were rather forgettable

The Brisket is good, as is the cornbread. It’s not my favorite spot, but if I was invited to go again, I would.

Nice meal. Kristen was our very pleasant server. Calamari steak fries w/​aioli were hot, tender and delicious. I had the Spanish fish dish – healthy and very good flavor. Husband had Thai shrimp pasta dish, also very good. Prices a little on the high side, but meal
was well prepared and service was good. Restaurant is kind of loud, probably due to open ceiling. Lighting dim, so reading menu a bit challenging, but low light did afford some dining privacy…

Food was amazing.
Service was amazing.
Atmosphere was amazing.
(Cornbread was the most amazing)
I highly trimmed whether it’s a date, work dinner or trying something new.
It’s not a jeans and t-​shirt place, but, a little more dressy (sweater & jeans, polo and slacks). A little pricier (entrees between $ 21-​$ 28) BUT it’s well worth it.
I got the coconut crusted mahi and it was delicious. Highly recommend their corn bread as well — you will NOT be disappointed!

This hidden gem in Broad Ripple had just the right amount of everything. Great food, an attentive wait staff (thanks Jen!), and a beautiful atmosphere almost made me forget that I was in Indy.
We visited late, and sadly, only got to enjoy the late night menu, but I saw several tasty treats that I’m looking forward to sampling when I return. The canyon flatbread was delicious, filling, and enough to share between two people.
If you’re in the Broad Ripple area, and looking for a classy retreat that’s off the beaten path, this former biker bar may be just the right fit for you.

I was a bit torn on this play. The ambience was great. The chairs, lighting, and exposed ceiling has that modern touch to it. They have a good selection of cocktail drinks, decent selection of wine and a small selection of champagne. The food though was just so-​so. What I really like was their corn bread. My hubby had their famous brisket and he said it was just ok.
They didn’t have the deconstructed banana pie. Our server said that we were the 3^rd party to ask for the dessert that night. We had their coconut cake and it was just ok.
Overall, they get a 3 from me. It’s an ideal place for cocktails, bar area is inviting and that’s pretty much it. The server said they will change their menu soon and hopefully they can include the banana dessert.