Exploring The Bottleworks District in Indianapolis with the Family

Located at the North Mass Ave corridor, The Bottleworks District in Indianapolis has been completely reimagined and definitely an area to visit. Built on the site of the former Coca-Cola bottling factory, the 12-acre District includes the city’s first food hall, independent boutiques, and of course Bottleworks Hotel. So why should you visit the Bottleworks District? Is it good for kids? Read on and find out!

Where to Stay in the Bottleworks District

If you’re local or not a stay at Bottleworks Hotel is perfect for a getaway. The boutique hotel luxurious, modern yet stays true to its rich history as the former Coca-Cola admin building. The kept many of the art deco elements from that time and it totally wows. We all loved our spacious rooms and the little details.. You can’t go wrong with a stay at Bottleworks Hotel. Read all about our stay here.

The Garage Food Hall at Bottleworks District

Cool mural found in The Garage parking lot

Getting hungry? Head to the The Garage Food Hall! Located on 38,000 square feet, The Garage is the city’s first food hall bringing a variety of culinary styles to the heart of Indianapolis. And if you’re wondering, they named it The Garage because the food hall occupies two of the bottling plant’s original garage buildings. And if you look close enough, you can see remnants of their rich history.

Our visit to the The Garage on a Friday night was as I expected: very busy, loud, and a little nerve wrecking if you’re COVID-conscious. No worries though. We took our food to-go and headed across the street to our hotel.

What to Eat at The Garage Food Hall

Since we stayed at Bottleworks Hotel, food was just a few steps away and we totally took advantage of this fact. In fact, we ate here for lunch and twice for dinner. So we basically ate everything. Literally.With more than 20 food and beverage vendors, you can definitely find something you’re craving or have picky eaters (hello, kids). The hard part is choosing where to eat! If you’re like our family, I suggest trying a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Here’s where we ate to help you out.

J’s Lobster & Fish Market – As someone who always craves lobster rolls, this was exactly what we wanted. The lobster rolls are a decent size and stuffed with lobster. The roll itself was buttered and yummy. We could choose between chips and fries and both really good. The fries are super addicting though!
Abbioco Pizzeria – My daughter’s request was pizza. Since it was dinner time, slices weren’t an option so we had to choose a full personal-sized pizza. We chose half Margherita with garlic sauce and regular cheese sauce with marinara. Really tasty!
Gaucho’s Fire – Whenever possible, we always try food from different countries. How excited was It to find Brazilian-style street food at Gaucho’s Fire! My husband inhaled his steak sandwich, and it filled to the brim with steak. The loaded chicken fries were pretty dang tasty. The pastel reminded me of a large empanada and it was so good. Whatever you do, don’t miss the airy cheesy bread.

Azucar Morena – Like I mentioned before, if I have a chance to try international foods we’ll definitely do that. Happy to have found Azucar Morena which specializes in foods from Venezuela. I was recently introduced to arepas and wanted to try it again, but I have to admit the arepas weren’t my favorite. 🙁
La Chinita Poblana – We ordered at this taqueria a few times. The tacos may look small, but they are really quite filling.

Clancy’s Hamburgers – You can’t go wrong with burgers (and hot dogs if needed) at the family-owned burger joint in Noblesville.
Poke Guru – We love our sushi and poke bowls are pretty much the same thing. Good portions, fresh fish.

Lick’s Ice Cream – When you need a dessert, you cannot go wrong with the variety of unique flavor combinations at Lick’s Ice Cream.
Certain Feelings Coffee Co. – If you need a pick me up, Certain Feelings has a few coffee options to fill your need. I loved my iced lavender coffee.

Kids favorites at The Garage

Here are some of the kids-approved favorites at The Garage Food Hall.

J’s Lobster & Fish Market – Because both kids and adults love lobster rolls. And like I said, their fries are addicting!
Lick’s Ice Cream – Ice cream? Need I say more?
La Chinita Poblana – Kids meal: Pork quesadilla with rice and agua fresca. They LOVED the watermelon agua fresca!
Gaucho’s – Airy cheesy bread. Mmmmm.
Clancy’s – You can never go wrong with burgers and hot dogs with kids.

Other vendors at The Garage

Not only do they have a wide variety of food, but they also have a few shops. If you’re looking for unique gifts or souvenirs Pumkinfish will be sure to have it. Get a haircut while you wait for food at Brick & Mortar Barber Shop. I personally loved the outdoor apparel at Becker Supply Co. with items giving props to the Midwest. Plus, if you buy something they plant a tree! Cool, right?

What else can you do at Bottleworks District?

Pamper yourself at The Woodhouse Day Spa or energize with YogaSix. Had we more time we would have loved to watch a movie at Living Room Theaters or try duck pin bowling at Pins Mechanical. Tip: It’s adults only after 8 p.m. and unfortunately that timing didn’t work with us.

Nitty Gritty

Website: https://www.bottleworksdistrict.com/
Address: 850 Mass Ave., Indianapolis, IN
Parking: Metered street parking is available along Mass Ave or there is a parking lot by The Garage Food Hall.