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    Burger Theory

    3.6 (128 reviews)
    ModerateBurgers
    Closed 6:00 am - 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM - 1:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Burger Theory Photos

    BURGER THEORY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Burger Theory

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    American Classic lettuce wrap!
    Paul H.

    Very convenient in the Holiday Inn where we were staying. Burgers warm and beer cold. Too few onion rings for a $4 up charge.

    Brownie Sundae Sweet Jar
    Richard Walton C.

    My nephew and his wife told my sister and I about this place over the Thanksgiving holidays. They said the food was really good. It has been on my To Try Next list that long. I was able to get my sister to go out for lunch with me today. She is self employed and works hard, therefore rarely available to go out for lunch. Plus today was nasty weather wise but we went anyway. The restaurant is located inside the Holiday Inn on the ground floor. From the main entrance, proceed past the front desk and it is located on the left side. We arrived after 11:30 am and had the place to ourselves until dessert time. But I blame the weather for that. It was positively brutal outside today. This restaurant has a huge bar area along one side with separate tables next to a semi transparent wall. Opposite this area are huge counter high tables for groups and next is a recessed area more intimate with booths. Much more seating is in the rear of the restaurant. Instead of a signature burger from the menu, I ordered a "Build Your Own Burger" where all the different ingredients along with the amount of calories is listed conveniently on the menu. I ordered the Pretzel Bun with Beef in a Single Size. Six different kinds of cheese are available to order as well as various veggies and sauces. The burger was excellent! The best burger I've had in some time. I ordered fries with mine and they were okay. My sister ordered the Crispy Fish Sandwich and Onion Rings. She got two extremely thick portions of fish on her sandwich. I was jealous and will be ordering that the next time I visit. She ate the entire sandwich. I sampled a few onion rings and they were delicious. For dessert they serve their four selections in little single serving jars. She ordered the Apple Crumb and I selected the Brownie Sundae. I sampled hers. We both agreed it would have been better heated up. Mine was excellent and I demolished it! Parking is plentiful and restrooms are very clean and spacious.

    Menu
    Tamika J.

    I was visiting Indiana for a conference and heard Burger Theory was pretty good. I was the pics on Yelp and thought the burgers were unique and looked amazing. I went with my boyfriend for lunch and the restaurant was completely empty. I was somewhat concerned and we went in and had a seat. The restaurant is in a the Holiday Inn, but I did not let that deter me. We ordered the buffalo wings and they came out hot, but tasted like they just come out of the bag. The celery and ranch was great. Overall, it had a hotel food. No less no more. If you are staying in the hotel or surrounding hotels with no transportation. It's an option.

    people sitting at the bar in a restaurant
    Rachel S.

    I had a work lunch here and really enjoyed my experience. They have a variety of signature burgers and a build-your-own burger option, as well as both vegetarian and gluten free options. Since I was here last, they expanded their menu to include non-burger options like tacos and wraps. Our server was kind and attentive, filling our water many times and answering all our questions. I feel that their cheaper lunch prices are more of an appropriate price point for the food. Overall a good option for lunch on the southwest side of Indy!

    Emi M.

    I'm updating my review after two years. First thing first, a lot of Yelpers are complaining that the service is very slow, food takes too long. If you are reading this review, do yourself a favor and order ahead over the phone, they do it for you! I usually call them and order about 30 minutes before I arrive there and by the time I arrive they have it ready for me. This is the best way to enjoy their food without getting frustrated about the speed. I don't know when this happened but they made a major change to the menu and pricing. 2 years ago burgers were around $5-6 and sides were separate for $3. Now, burgers come with a side of fries and the price was around $12-13. It's inflation, I guess, although the % increase seems a lot higher than other restaurants.

    Dining area
    Sarah D.

    I came in with a party of 6 at around 8pm on a Saturday and it was a very busy night for the one server on the floor. It seemed like she was quite overwhelmed and did warn us the service was going to be a bit slow, however since we were staying at the hotel, it wasn't the biggest deal for us. Aside from the slower than usual service, our server was very nice, apologetic and made it up to us with a couple of over deliveries in our drink pours so that was nice. I ordered the Sriracha sirloin cooked medium and it was quite tender and the vegetables still had a bit of a nice crunch bite to them. The potatoes that came with the dish was flavorful although I didn't finish it. All in all, if you're not in a rush and like a good bar style vibe and menu, this is a good spot!

    Joseph G.

    Burger joint located inside of a holiday inn express hotel near the Indianapolis airport. I enjoyed our cost here as the burgers were very tasty and the fries had good flavor. The place was clean and the service was good. The kids are for free so that's also a huge plus. It was the best food establishment I ate at located near our hotel by the airport. Much more then just a hotel restaurant. Worth checking out for sure.

    Patrick P.

    Stayed in the area for work and this was among the very few choices for food in the area. This was located in a nearby hotel. Atmosphere was pretty good for a hotel restaurant. Burger was pretty good, the fries were however extremely salty and the queso was kind of clumpy like it had been sitting in a pot cooking all day and not stirred. Service was great, I would give it another shot if in the area again but wouldn't go out of the way to eat here.

    Roxanne B.

    Not bad! A little pricey, but very good! The staff was very friendly for a Friday not, was not busy at all. The 1/3 burger was a little small but when u add fries loaded with cheese and bacon for only $1.50 with a side of ranch it was just enough food. My husband had the stuffed burger, he asked for medium, it was well, but still tasted delicious. The onion rings were big and the breading didn't fall off,) Over all, I would go back. I feel though the price should go from a $12 to more like $8 burger. Other than that, food was good. Staff was friendly and attentive, and they had lots of craft beers on tap as well as a full bar!

    Garden Burger and fries.
    Les D.

    Located in the Holiday Inn Express, Burger Theory is a gourmet burger joint. Food was fine, but not worth a special trip to try it. Not much more than burgers on the menu. Service a little slow, but acceptable. Big drawback is the atmosphere. The space is cold, hard, sterile, generic. Just not an inviting, comfortable space. Like a big closet with some tables and chairs sorted in it. Perhaps some hanging plants to add some color and contrast. Other than some fancy cheese on the burgers, I'm not seeing gourmet much above fast food.

    Queso burger missing guac and pico

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    1 month ago

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    8 months ago

    Waited for 20 minutes and never was served. Ended up leaving with an empty stomach due to this.

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    7 months ago

    I was skeptical but the sirloin was amazing!!! The siracha glaze was sooo good! Sierra was an amazing server!!!

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    4 years ago

    Excellent quality to be found at the collocated Holiday Inn. I had the double burger with Colby jack cheese. Try the garlic Mayo. It's good

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    3 years ago

    Great food and amazing service. Always nice ambiance to do business. I love coming again and again.

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    BRU Burger Bar - Indianapolis - Honey-Chipotle BBQ

    BRU Burger Bar - Indianapolis

    4.2(2k reviews)
    10.8 miMass Ave, Mile Square
    $$

    Went her Sat evening before a show at the Murat Theatre. It's a half block walk. Time was short, it…read morewas a 40 minute wait for a 2 top. Luckily there were 2 open bar seats. We sat, ordered beverages and the burgers. We got in and out in 40 ish minutes. If I had more time, sitting on the patio would have been nice. I noticed a lot of carryout orders being picked up, so I knew it must be good. We are not local to Indy so finding a quick good meal was important. They had a decent local beer tap list, so I was happy to try a new to me brew. We got one Tillamook Cheddar Burger with fries, and a Patty melt with onion rings. It must have been one huge onion! Both burgers were cooked to our request, both sides were delicious. The service was efficient. I would come back if the opportunity arises.(The show at the Murat was also great).

    Bru Burger Bar, you seem to becoming one of our Indy 500 traditions. You have an extensive cocktail…read moreand beer menu, many burgers to choose from along with a variety of sides. Our server quickly greeted us and took our beverage orders...they carry only Pepsi soft drink products. She quickly returned beverages on tray, then took our orders. I opted for the Patty Melt along with a side of onion rings. The entrees arrived in the blink of an eye. My Patty melt and onion rings arrived fresh and hot. They even tasted great too! The hamburger patty was thick and juicy and cooked the way I'd prepare it myself. Portions were more than ample. After finishing my "feast" it was time for dessert, a Root Beer float, served in a tall larger glass with an ample portion of ice cream. I would suggest ordering it for two...it's that big. All enjoyed their burgers and we're looking forward to returning next year. * I purposely didn't review the other meals served, as they will be doing their own Yelp reviews.

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    Kuma's Corner - Neurosis burger

    Kuma's Corner

    4.2(824 reviews)
    10.6 miFountain Square
    $$

    An institution, and for sure a destination for anyone who appreciates metal. Service here is…read moreactually really good, my first time here was like oh this person is amazing but then I went again and different person, same vibes. Vegan friendly which is great for a burger place. You can come here and pig out while bringing someone who doesn't enjoy the slaughter - a big plus for extended family outings. A couple of other pros are there is a whole freaking parking lot which is unusual but awesome. The full bar has plenty of options including great craft beer. Last but not least the cheese curds are the best in Indy that I'm aware of. I've had a couple of their burgers so far and I don't think you can go wrong with them. The Motörhead is basically a Greek style burger which I found to be exceptional. Burgers are cooked to how you like it so execution is also phenomenal. The Neurosis is your Swiss and mushroom style burger, also great. While it's tempting to go off of the name when ordering I would try to make sure the palette matches your tastes - there's way too many options. Big portions so plan to carry around a to go box after.

    Kuma's is a super cool concept- huge, gourmet burgers named after rock songs and legends. They also…read morehave some unique non-burger items on their menu as well as a full bar. It fits right in with the Fountain Square neighborhood! This burger had a lot going on. Chicken, waffles, bacon and a sweet syrup making it taste like something you'd want to eat for breakfast. Everything worked, except the actual burger. And since that was supposed to be the star here, I knocked it a little for not meeting burger expectations. Unfortunately the burger was not seasoned at all. You can probably tell just by looking at it that it was also pretty dry. All the other elements were holding this together and the burger itself got lost because of the lack of seasoning and flavor. No complaints with service or presentation! Just needs improvement on the actual burger, at least with this one anyway.

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    Kuma's Corner
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    Caesar salad

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    Baby's

    Baby's

    4.0(581 reviews)
    11.8 miHerron Morton Place
    $$

    The food was good and the kitchen allowed for customization for my gluten free needs. The patio was…read morealso nice. The issue was that we waited over 45 minutes to even get an update on our food - the update was that it would be another 15. The staff was apologetic but I would have loved a warning that we would wait over an hour total to get our two sandwiches that we paid about $50 for all in. If you have any type of schedule I would maybe reconsider.

    We visited Baby's for my baby niece's 9th birthday. Our group was large, so a large round table in…read morethe corner of the dining room, as well as 4-top next to, was chosen. You order your food at the counter and are given a # for your table for the food to be delivered to you. In my opinion, the speed of service was inconsistent. My dine-in order took quite a while to come out, but the to-go order placed at least 15 minutes afterwards was delivered within a few minutes of the dine-in order. The menu is simple, but still offers a nice variety of options. I ordered the Swissy That Walk burger sans mushrooms. I also ordered the Baked Potato Fries with jalapenos added to be shared with another member of our party. The burger was DE-licious! The fries could have benefited from a more generous helping of the toppings. They have a bar with the options to make your shakes boozy. They also offer Delta 8 and Delta 9 THC cocktails. An addition to the regular fountain beverages, they also offer a couple of mocktails and NA beer, I believe. The restaurant itself is very cute. It reminds me of a 1950's soda fountain re-imagined. I would return for the burgers, but most likely to-go.

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    Baby's
    Baby's
    Baby's - BAM burger!

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    317 Burger - American Burger (no LTO) add Big Mac sauce

    317 Burger

    4.1(552 reviews)
    16.2 miBroad Ripple
    $$

    So I saw an article about how the Strawberry Hill burger was really good and I had to find out for…read moremyself. I was not disappointed. Peanut butter and strawberry compote on a burger doesn't sound like it would taste good but everything complimented the burger perfectly. The patty alone was cooked perfectly and juicy. The peanut butter was actually pretty subtle and not overpowering and the strawberries definitely give it a sweet and savory type of flavor. Definitely had to add on the truffle Parmesan fries which were good too, they had the perfect crunch and seasoning level even after a 15 minute car ride home. The customer service was honestly mediocre, not rude but they didn't really greet you. Regardless, I'm looking forward to coming back to try more of their unique burgers!

    Not sure we'll be coming back... We ordered a beer and burger each with a side of brussels. The…read moreburgers were perfectly cooked medium to our liking and were very very good. Fries were okay. Brussels were over sauced but well cooked. Our beers were basically room temp unfortunately. Not sure if there was something wrong with their kegs as it was a really hot day. Vibes were not there. It has potential but it was basically dead in there, maybe 5-6 other tables seated. As for the service, unfortunately it was not good. They had one person bartending, serving, and managing the whole place (~6-8 tables while we were there) Naturally, it took a while for them to take our orders, for our food to come, and for the check to come/be paid. They were also kind of scatter brained and mixed up a part of our order, we just went with it as we didn't want to wait longer. One couple sat down at the bar, waited around for several minutes and left the restaurant before anyone stopped to get them drinks. Just not worth coming back to again when there's so many other places to go. Maybe would order a burger for pickup/to-go as it was quite good.

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    317 Burger - Live band is grooving

    Live band is grooving

    317 Burger - Roasted Turkey on sourdough with sweet potatoes fries

    Roasted Turkey on sourdough with sweet potatoes fries

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    The District Tap Downtown - Dirty-style wings

    The District Tap Downtown

    4.1(355 reviews)
    10.2 miWholesale District, Mile Square
    $$

    One of my favorite memories from The District Tap actually started with a shirt…read more We were sitting on the patio overlooking Georgia Street on a Fever game day when a couple walked by wearing one of the coolest Caitlin Clark shirts we'd ever seen. We complimented it, asked where they found it, and before we knew it, we were chatting with a wonderful couple who had traveled all the way from overseas just to watch Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever play that night. Moments like that are one of the reasons I love Indianapolis on game days. The patio was the perfect place to soak it all in. Fever fans filled the sidewalks, kids proudly carried homemade signs, and there was an excitement in the air that only comes from a city rallying behind its team. We could have people-watched for hours. Our waitress was exactly what every server should strive to be. Friendly, relaxed, and genuinely fun to talk to, she somehow mastered the art of appearing right before we found ourselves looking around for her. We never felt rushed, but we also never waited for anything. The food held up its end of the bargain too. The fried mozzarella disappeared embarrassingly fast and earned a solid 9.3 on my unofficial stretch meter. Crispy on the outside, perfectly gooey inside, with a marinara sauce that was every bit as good as the cheese itself. The chef salad was fresh, generously loaded with toppings, and easily big enough for a meal. I honestly couldn't tell you what beer I ordered... Because what I remember most is the experience. Sharing appetizers on a sunny patio, meeting fellow basketball fans from halfway around the world, and watching Indianapolis come alive before tipoff. It reminded me that sports have a funny way of turning complete strangers into friends. We'll absolutely be back the next time we're headed to Gainbridge.

    We stopped by The District Tap for a couple of drinks, not dinner, and unfortunately the service…read moreleft a bad impression. Our server was friendly and responsive to one member of our group (male) but repeatedly didn't acknowledge another (female). This wasn't a one-time thing, it happened several times over the course of our visit, and it came across as dismissive. As for the drinks: beer prices were nice and cheap, but the margarita was on the expensive side and not really worth it. The place seems geared toward bigger dinner crowds, which may be why a two-person drinks-only table didn't get much attention, but being essentially ignored isn't a great look either way. We wouldn't return. 2/5.

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    The District Tap Downtown - Nice bar and grill with a huge bar

    Nice bar and grill with a huge bar

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    Fat Dan's Deli

    Fat Dan's Deli

    4.1(316 reviews)
    10.9 miMass Ave, Renaissance Place, Mile Square
    $$

    Stopped in with my family and had a good experience. Our server was friendly. I thought about…read moregetting a beer so our server gave me a sample of the Upland Brewing's Petal to the kettle sour, it was good but I decided to go with a cocktail instead. I went with a Malibu and ginger ale, and it was served in this cute glass, I loved it! We were all so hungry, so we started out with a large order of fries, and they are a standout. They disappeared fast, came served on paper, and were crispy, hot, and delicious. We ordered the 2 10-piece wings (the biggest order available), including one batch cooked extra crispy. The wings were good, and I especially enjoyed the Fat Dan's hot BBQ sauce over the regular BBQ. I really liked the extra crispy wings. My boys also wanted burgers. One ordered the Wake N Bake Burger and the other got the Fat Dan's Burger. Both looked tasty, and neither of them complained. The ambiance strikes a nice balance between sports bar and family friendly restaurant. There is seating both inside and outside, and when the weather is nice, they open the large doors to create an open-air feel. That's where we sat, and I enjoyed it. Service was quick and efficient, which was much appreciated since my family arrived hungry. This is a solid spot for burgers, wings, and fries.

    Fat Dan's Deli is where it's at! The food and service is top tier. We sat outside with our dog…read moreafter a long walk. We weren't the only ones treated with great service, our dog was treated like a Queen with her own water bowl and treats for her with our food.

    Photos
    Fat Dan's Deli - Bar area

    Bar area

    Fat Dan's Deli - Candy by the host area

    Candy by the host area

    Fat Dan's Deli - Find it near Mass Ave, outside seating available

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    Find it near Mass Ave, outside seating available

    Burger Theory - burgers - Updated September 2026

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