Where to Eat in Carmel: The Best Restaurants and Bars

April 14, 2018 Claudia Navarrete

Carmel /ˈkɑːrməl/ is a suburban city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States, located immediately north of Indianapolis. It has been one of the fastest-growing communities in the country. In 2012, Carmel was selected as the "Best Place to Live in the United States" by CNN Money magazine, and received the same designation by Niche.com in 2017. The population was 79,191 as of the 2010 and was estimated to be 91,065 in 2016 by the US Census Bureau, making it the fifth-largest city in Indiana.
Things to do in Carmel

1. A2Z Cafe

4705 E 96th St, Corner of 96th Street and Gray Rd, Carmel, IN 46240-1486 Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Free Off-Street Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Discover, Television, Accepts Credit Cards American, Cafe, Soups, Diner, Hawaiian, Vegetarian Friendly Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch SGD 7 - SGD 29 +1 317-569-9349
Excellent
75%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 116 reviews

A2Z Cafe

American 'from-scratch' Comfort Food with a twist; including Hawaiian dishes and house-made desserts! Breakfast and lunch daily until 2pm. Dinner Th/Fr/Sat, 5-8pm. A true Mom & Pop, locally owned and operated. Free Wi-Fi. Free parking. Outdoor seating. Friendly staff. Open 7 days/week.

Reviewed By Dan G - Indianapolis, IN. USA

Two of our friends had been here before and had gathered another six of us for our first visit. The evening began with a warm welcome and got better as we viewed the surprisingly large menu. Shrimp scampi, pork chops, salmon, schnitzel and other items were all very good. One of the owners had prepared a delicious layer cake and a cherry pie that looked and tasted great. It was just one of those cozy nights with good food and friends. If I had to list anything that could be improved it would be for the kitchen to do a more even job of getting all the dinners out together. Two or three of the entrees arrived, and then there was an awkward space that seemed fairly long until the other 5 were delivered. But the warmth and graciousness of the staff more than made up for it, and we'll surely be back. PS - be sure to admire the owner's original artwork surrounding the dining room.

2. Mudbugs Cajun Cafe

20 W Main St, Carmel, IN 46032-1764 Delivery, Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Street Parking, Free Off-Street Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Parking Available, Accepts Credit Cards Cajun & Creole Lunch, Dinner SGD 10 - SGD 20 +1 317-843-8380
Excellent
61%
Good
34%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 223 reviews

Mudbugs Cajun Cafe

Reviewed By GiGiWest23 - Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Just happened to Drive by Mudbugs in Carmel and decided to give it a try. It was wonderful. There are several Cajun places around I think I like the style of service- prices and quality of food here better than any of the others. The place is Clean and decorated well - had just he right amount of New Orleans Purple and beads theme going on to make it fun. Order at the counter but the food is brought to the table. There was a nice selection of sandwiches- stews- Gumbos and side dishes that i liked. We were able to get a outstanding Catfish Po'boy to split and a Combo of 3 side dishes that were flavorful without being over spicy. We selected jambalaya - a shrimp dish and chicken and rice. Total 21.69 for PLENTY of food. Very glad we stopped by.

3. Bub's Burgers & Ice Cream

210 W Main St, Carmel, IN 46032-1760 Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol American Lunch, Dinner, Late Night SGD 26 +1 317-706-2827
Excellent
57%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 545 reviews

Bub's Burgers & Ice Cream

Reviewed By 600Suzie18 - Plymouth, Indiana

Our grandkids first choice always is Bubs. Good diner food and something for everyone. Preference is always the original Bubs in Carmel. Hot dogs and burgers for the kids and love grilled fish sandwich. Fun vibe and servers are very accommodating. Ice cream after is a bonus!

4. Bazbeaux Pizza

111 W Main St, Fl 1, Carmel, IN 46032-1910 Delivery, Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol Pizza, Italian, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner SGD 9 - SGD 26 +1 317-848-4488
Excellent
62%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
4%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 218 reviews

Bazbeaux Pizza

Reviewed By DisneyDad21 - Oswego, Illinois

Very nice spot in downtown Carmel. Nice variety of pizzas, salads. Thin crust pizza, crust literally tasted like a saltine cracker (not putting it down, it was good). Unique ingredients and specialty pizzas. Salads looked good too, but didn't try. Can be a little expensive for a group of everyone gets individual pizzas. Each pizza was $10-$12. Nice place overall.

5. Matt the Millers Tavern Carmel

11 W City Center Dr, Carmel, IN 46032-3086 Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Valet Parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi American, Bar, Pub, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Late Night SGD 20 - SGD 39 +1 317-805-1860
Excellent
46%
Good
40%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 399 reviews

Matt the Millers Tavern Carmel

Reviewed By Bummedwiththebeach - Indianapolis, Indiana

Hadn’t been here before but a good family friend said we were going here for Easter so we made a reservation and ran with it. Very nice establishment, very clean and orderly. We were greeted and seated very quickly even though they were quite busy....MoreThank you for sharing your experience with us. I am glad that you enjoyed your visit with us, and we truly appreciate your recommendation. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Cheers! Jennifer Dring Communications Manager CLB Restaurants [email protected]

6. Charleston's Restaurant

14636 N Meridian St, Carmel, IN 46032-1391 Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar American, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Late Night SGD 13 - SGD 20 +1 317-846-5965
Excellent
46%
Good
42%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
3%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 191 reviews

Charleston's Restaurant

Reviewed By DMJA21 - Fishers, Indiana

If you’re tagging along with a group of carnivores, there are a few vegetarian items (primarily fish or soup & salad) on the menu to choose from, but not much. Plus you have the ubiquitous smell of red meat cooking to contend with. So if you’re vegetarian and have any say in where to eat, go someplace else.

7. Kona Grill - Carmel

14395 Clay Terrace Blvd, Carmel, IN 46032-3613 Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Television, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover American, Sushi, Contemporary, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options, Vegan Options Drinks, Lunch, Dinner, Late Night SGD 20 - SGD 39 +1 317-566-1400
Excellent
50%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
13%
Poor
3%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 211 reviews

Kona Grill - Carmel

Kona Grill was built on Exceptional Experiences and meals that create memories. Our global menu features contemporary American favorites, award-winning sushi, and specialty cocktails — all made from scratch using only the freshest ingredients. While the places that inspire our cuisine may be far away, a welcoming place that offers inspiring food, ultimate hospitality, and diverse choices is right around the corner.

Reviewed By L R - Carmel, Indiana

This is our family's "go to" restaurant, because it is consistently clean, friendly, with great food. The sushi is amazing, as well as the salmon. The bar area has a fireplace with festive atmosphere. The dining room is quiet with low lighting for a great...MoreThanks for the great review. We are glad you enjoy dining at our establishment. See you next time! Thanks, Christian J. Kilgard Assistant General Manager Kona Grill

8. Divvy

71 W City Center Dr, Carmel, IN 46032-3086 Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar American, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options, Vegan Options Dinner, Lunch, Late Night +1 317-706-0000
Excellent
58%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
5%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 141 reviews

Divvy

Reviewed By rphilly - Indianapolis, Indiana

This was our first visit to Divvy. The food was good, but overpriced. The desserts were the best part and they were all fabulous. Unfortunately, our service was terrible. Even our drinks took forever. It was a very long wait for our food and our server did not really check back with us or give us any reason for the delay. For the cost, I would expect better service.

9. Ristorante Roma

620 S Rangeline Rd, Carmel, IN 46032-2124 Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Takeout, Parking Available Italian, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options Dinner +1 317-848-4600
Excellent
57%
Good
35%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 85 reviews

Ristorante Roma

Reviewed By follylover - Chicago, Il.

We had driven around southern Illinois and Indiana for a week and this is the first decent restaurant we ate at. A little hard to find in a non-descript strip mall, but very convenient to the Center for Performing Arts. Once you are inside, it is quiet and cozy. Servers are friendly. We had a house salad and a caesar. I appreciated that neither salad was overly dressed. Warm bread. Rich, tender oxtail was served with vegetables and a potato cake. The fettucine in white clam sauce was an almost: great homemade noodles, delicious sauce (but DH thought it needed more garlic), but the clams were tough. Small selection, but reasonably priced wine. Good coffee. The cannoli was filled with a hazelnut cheese. I would have preferred the classic instead. All-in-all a nice place that we would go to again, if we are in the area.

10. City Barbeque

1356 S Rangeline Rd, Carmel, IN 46032-2932 Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Reservations American, Barbecue, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner +1 317-660-8369
Excellent
55%
Good
36%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 113 reviews

City Barbeque

The idea for City Barbeque was born as an invitation to all the people in the city to enjoy great barbeque- America's food. Our award-winning barbeque is made with only the highest quality meats and served with our signature sauces on the side. Huge smokers are loaded daily to guarantee the very best hickory smoked, juicy, tender meat anywhere. So if an authentic barbeque experience is what you're after, look no further. Small groups of folks like us still believe in honoring quality, generations of tradition and true service. Whether you call it barbecue, Bar-B-Que, BBQ, or barbeque - we've got what you are looking for!

Reviewed By TheBugGuy - Muirkirk, Canada

Really enjoyed the Brisket at City Barbeque. And the variety of sides was uniqute and tasty as well. Great atmosphere, will be back.

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