If you've ever driven down Pendleton Pike and done a double-take when you passed by what looks like another Caplinger's location, it is actually a Caplinger's location. Officially known as "Caplinger's Fresh Catch Seafood Kitchen," this spot semi-resembles its sister locations - the original spot on Shadeland Avenue and the Whitestown location.
In case it's not obvious from the name, Caplinger's specializes in seafood - dinners, sandwiches, etc. Unlike the sister locations, Caplinger's is not a sit-down joint. They offer carry-out or delivery. I placed my order this evening via GrubHub, a rather dastardly way of having dinner given the upping of the price but a nice option for someone recovering from surgery and wanting a decent meal.
Also unlike the other locations, this location obviously doesn't have any retail options. Essentially, as has been pointed out, it's rather like a food truck but in this case it's in a set location. You pull into the parking lot and order at the window. You wait for your food. They do have a loudspeaker, so you can wait in your car if desired. As they prepare the food fresh, the wait can be 20 minutes or so.
For some odd reason, mostly because I have a friend who blogs about tenderloin, I opted to go away from their seafood options and order their hand-breaded tenderloin. It comes with the usual toppings, though they were delivered on the side. They also have a variety of side options - I chose an order of waffle fries. The entire meal came in at just over $12 for the base meal, but by the time you add in delivery and tip you definitely go higher.
While I'm rating the meal a 4-star, I'll add a slight disclaimer that I doubt I would actually order it again. The Caplinger's specialty is seafood and this meal wasn't really good enough to make me deviate again. It was fun to try, but just a touch disappointing. The sandwich is huge - it's on the thinner side, but not too thin. It definitely has a meaty taste to it with some strong seasoning. I would almost say a bit too strong.
I'd almost gone for their hush puppies, which I'd tried at the Shadeland location, but opted for the fries. Again, I'd probably go for hash browns next time. The waffle fries weren't much more than warm by the time they arrived, though the serving size was plentiful.
If I could, I'd probably go 3.5. However, I'm going up primarily because service is always solid at Caplinger's and this is a side item outside their specialty. It's a solid value for the price. It is noted that they have sandwiches, dinners, sides, desserts, and drinks. I did not see drinks on the GrubHub menu, though I doubt that I'd have ordered a drink anyway. The only two sandwiches that are not fish/seafood related - chicken and tenderloin. Among the dinners, the only things not fish/seafood are chicken. They do also have frog legs and alligator tail. Since I just had my leg amputated, I didn't have the heart to eat frog legs.
I'm kind of being serious.
Anyway, I'm going with a 4-star rating while acknowledging that upon a future visit I'll likely stick to their seafood menu specialties. If you're in the area and looking for something to take home, it's a terrific option but definitely not a destination spot. I should note that there's a wheelchair ramp that goes up to the order window - it's a touch steep, but its presence is appreciated. read more