Binkley's Kitchen & Bar: fun and flavor reborn
Published: Jun 19, 2009
Binkley’s Kitchen & Bar boasts a long history, but a very modern appeal.
The business in north Indianapolis was known from 1929 to 1970 as Binkley’s Drug Store, and after that as Binkley’s Kitchen & Bar. Now, with a new chef and bar manager, Binkley’s is treating patrons to a renaissance of fun and flavor.
The affordable and friendly establishment in the heart of Broad Ripple in near-north Indianapolis offers an assortment of new drinks and dishes served in a comfortable, homey setting. Visitors will find fine wood furniture, a stylish but not ostentatious outdoor patio, a typically busy bar and a large fireplace to help heat the indoor dining room in the winter.
Guests park in the rear of the facility at the corner of College Avenue and Kessler Boulevard and enter from the back, where the hosting table is located. During warm months, the patio is one of the hot places to be seen in Broad Ripple.
Entrees range the traditional American — pizza, pasta, burgers and steaks. But the wide variety of seafood offerings witih a moderate entrée price rmakes Binkley’s one of the best known seafood joints in Indy.
The sesame seared tuna is the best known appetizer, and the homemade vegetable soup is some of the best you will taste anywhere. Salads that average around $10 are chock full of vegetables and specialty vinaigrette dressings top them off nicely. Lunch entrees range from $7 to $9 while primary dinner courses, with the exception of seafood and steaks, run about $13 to $18. Seafood and steak dishes are a couple of bucks more.
Binkley’s 2009 signature dessert, Chocolate Cobbler, is a must. Pizza, pasta and sandwiches (including bison burgers) complete the dinner menu. Virtually everything is available for a look-see on the Binkley’s website, including a virtual tour of the restaurant.
In addition to signature martinis and other standard alcoholic fare, a wide variety of wines served by the glass or bottle — virtually every glass averaging $7.50 or so — is available. The house wine is Sycamore Lane of California, and a new wine flight of four Artesa Collection vintages for only $12 is a highlight of any dinner.
It’s a good idea to call ahead to see whether reservations are needed for weekend dinners. Otherwise, reservations are rarely necessary, unless you want specific seating.
Hours are literally listed as 11 a.m. to "close," meaning the owners don't shut the doors the last customer has departed for the night. Standard closing hour is midnight Sunday through Thursday and 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
- by Jim Brown , Indianapolis Reporter for HelloMetro
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