Dining Out: Shapiro's Delicatessen (Downtown Indianapolis, IN)

This spot on the south side of downtown Indianapolis has historically been a Jewish mainstay.

 

Exterior: 4/5

You can definitely tell this used to be a drugstore.

Shapiro's is downtown, but not Monument-Circle-Downtown. It's super close to Lucas Oil Stadium, and far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the touristy stuff that you can actually park there. (Unless there's an event at the Stadium, in which case you're going to have to pay to park.) The main facade of the restaurant is only really accessible from the road, but the visual impact from the parking lot tells you exactly what's in store: A no-frills eatery that knows what's good.

Ambience: 4/5

We got there a little after noon and this was the length of the line. When we finished our meal it was even longer.

Simple and homey

There's an understated uniformity to the vibe in the restaurant. You walk in and immediately see the takeout counter that sells Shapiro's bread, baked goods, and other house-made products. To the right is the seating area, and lining the back wall is the cafeteria line where you get your sides and dessert and order your entree. The clientele seemed like a decent mix of first-timers like us just taking it all in and comfortable regulars who weren't in any rush to leave. I enjoyed that folks seemed to feel really at home here.

Variety: 4/5

But oh, the DESSERTS.

Loved the deviled egg presentation

My partner is always happy to find Doc Brown's sodas at reasonable prices

This is a Jewish deli, and you're going to get Jewish deli food here. (The restaurant bills itself as "kosher-style," which means they'll mix meat and cheese if you want them to.) But there's such an amazing breadth of what they'll do in that deli niche that the entree menu still takes up the entire wall behind the cafeteria line. I wasn't sure what I was going to get until the person behind the counter asked me, and then I panicked and got a pastrami on rye which is probably the most kneejerk thing I could have ordered. There's lots and lots of sandwiches, but there's also some meaty entrees and a lox platter. You could also probably dine on sides and dessert if you wanted because there's tons of options there too and they all looked legit good.

Quality: 4/5

My husband's matzoh ball soup is better

But LOOK at all the MEAT on that REUBEN!

Coconut cream pie - my favorite, and they did it well

I was looking at the menu while we stood in line and wondering why they offered all their sandwiches with half-sized portions of meat. It turned out that's because the sandwiches are packed with delicate deli slices to the greatest extent allowed by the laws of physics. They're huge. I had a hard time taking a bite out of the center of my pastrami. And the meat is really well-crafted, so eating a lot of it is quite enjoyable. The desserts were spectacular, too. The only dish I wasn't thrilled with was the matzoh ball soup, but that's just because it was salty. My partner, who loves salty stuff, thought it was great. (And where else in town are you going to get matzoh ball soup outside of Passover to begin with?) 

Kid-Friendly: 5/5

My 1YO thought that pushing our tray down the line was an absolute blast

My 5YO had a tummyache during our visit, so his expression here is not a reflection of the quality of his all-beef corndog

This was a great spot for kids. There's enough variety here that they can find something they want, and thanks to the individually-wrapped sides nobody is going to notice if your kid makes a meal out of just a bowl of coleslaw or just a piece of pie. Their kid meals consist of an entree and a side (like applesauce), but the side is optional. I took a bite of my 5YO's corn dog and wasn't blown away, but I've been learning that food that blows me away is not popular among the hard-to-please child set. There was enough quiet hubbub in here that the kids could be weird without anybody noticing. 

Would Eat Again?: Green Light

Shapiro's is a great place to hang out with family, eat meaty-meaty sandwiches, sample Ashkenazi staples, or any combination of the above. Even if we don't eat there every time we're in Indy we'll be sure to stop by the takeout counter to pick up a little flavor to take home. The history of the place is really neat and so is the experience.