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    DATS

    3.7 (141 reviews)
    InexpensiveCajun/Creole
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order DATS Takeout or Delivery

    DATS Photos

    DATS ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - DATS

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    Gumbo
    Ann L.

    I was a little worried based on some of the reviews, but decided to give it a try because the friend I was having lunch with wanted to try it. We arrived at 12:30 on a Sunday and the place was empty...more worried....I ordered the gumbo and was pleasantly surprised by the flavorful sausage and tender chicken in a nicely seasoned thick soup served over rice. The buttery toasted bread seemed the same as that served at the Indianapolis chain that bears a similar name. The quality of my gumbo was also similar to that Indianapolis chain. I don't know if maybe Dats went through a rough patch a couple of years ago and that they've now stabilized things? Service was fast, and the mardi gras decor was fun.

    Tiramisu
    Sean V.

    One word, delicious. Service was excellent. It's in a grocery shop/slash pick up order environment but has seating and tables on the next to it. It actually works surprisingly. The food wasn't spicy but flavored. Definitely recommend. Dessert was delicious

    Gumbo & Thai peanut etouffe - $7.75
    Tiffany S.

    The only thing DATS has going for it is price. You can basically eat two meals for $6 - $7. However, it's like eating empty calories and does not do Cajun/Creole food justice. I ordered the gumbo and thai peanut etouffee. The gumbo was kind of just a brown slop - hardly had the developed flavors of a true gumbo. There was also nothing in it but meat really. Sure, that's the most bang for your buck, but I expect a gumbo to be chock full of okra, peppers, etc. The thai peanut etouffee was okay - it was all kind of just really salty. An entree also comes with some garlic bread, which was probably the tasty part of the meal. Oh, you can sample - just ask.

    Chili-Cheese Etoufee with Crawfish Dinner Jambalaya
    Matt A.

    I've been to Dats multiple times and have always loved it. There locations all give off the same cozy vibe and I've never had a negative experience with any of their workers. The food is consistent and you know exactly how it's gonna taste every time. The bread they give you on the side balances the rich and spicy curries/gumbos. The chili cheese etoufee w/ crawfish is a classic and definitely their best in my opinion. Definitely in my top 5 Bloomington eats.

    Jambalaya
    Taylor U.

    Awful. My food tasted like it was re-heated Spanish rice with hot dogs. I got the jambalaya entree. The only good thing was the self serve sauces. If you ever been to YATS, you will be immensely disappointed.

    Chili cheese étouffée with crawfish. So much rice... would have loved more étouffée
    Nat Y.

    It breaks my heart to give a 2 because this was a go-to back when I was in school. And YATS! in Indianapolis is one of my favorites... weren't these at one point the same... But the food was bland, the ratio of rice to étouffée was off (not enough étouffée) and it took awhile to get our food. My hope is that this visit was an anomaly. Unfortunately I don't get back to campus enough to risk it given all the other amazing restaurants in Btown.

    1/2 buffalo 1/2 bourbon

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Food was good enough. A not as good knockoff of Yats. Very messy but it's expected. Probably not best to eat in the car.

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Not much to look at, but this place doesn't mess around with the spice. Prices are reasonable and the food was good, if not spectacular.

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    3 years ago

    Great food and prices. The staff was fast and helpful. We enjoyed the atmosphere. Order at the counter, eat at a table.

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food and service! Very friendly! Excited to be back to try their gyros. Price is very reasonable!

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Always fast, always tastes good buuunch of food for the price just avoid the bourbon street chi em. Looks like cat food lol

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    7 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Service was great. Our order took minutes to pack up and the food tasted amazing! 10/10 would recommend!

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    12 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - DATS

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    O'Charley's Restaurant & Bar

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    I was surprised this location was still open after many others closed including the one closest to…read moreme in Camby. This location is larger than the one I've been to. It was 1:15 pm on a Tuesday so the dining rooms and bar were sparsely populated. I ordered the Fried Chicken Breast Sandwich with no mayo and added lettuce and tomato. I substituted the Rice Pilaf for their fries. The food was okay. The two sliced tomatoes could have been bigger and another leaf of lettuce would have been nice but I didn't leave hungry. The chicken was a big portion sticking way out of the bun. The rice was pretty good. My server was very attentive and brought out my check early like I asked so I could get going. I visited the restroom and it was really clean considering the lunch hour had just transpired. The floor was dry everywhere. The paper towel dispenser was stocked. Parking was no issue since there were plenty of spaces by the front door.

    Gayle and I arrived at IND in the early evening after a day long journey from Reno (via Seattle) on…read moreAlaska Air. After picking up our Budget rental car, we headed down for Bloomington, which took us about an hour. We were then hungry for dinner, and there wasn't much past chain restaurants near our Hotel. So as a sort of stab in the dark, we picked O'Charley's. With that name, I was expecting some version of the old Bennigan's, but in reality O'Charley's felt more like a Denny's with a nice separate bar area attached. In any event, there was a nice family restaurant vibe and comfortable seating. Our dinner was a 3 star experience for my and closer to 4 for Gayle. The chicken in my quesadilla was a bit rubbery and although I cleaned my plate, it was just OK. Gayle's Black-N-Blue salad was considerably better. We were also here for some adult beverages of which my local craft beer and her Bombay Sapphire Martini suited her just fine. I'll bump the review up to 4 with the tie breaker being the friendly, responsive, and enjoyable service that our waiter provided.

    Phat Daddy's BBQ - The cleanest brisket ever, no fat, no moist...super dry

    Phat Daddy's BBQ

    (32 reviews)

    I cannot say enough good things about this place. So let's start from the very beginning. We went…read moreinside and we noticed the scripture on the wall. As this was definitely a faith inspired business. There were many awards from the community on the walls as well, and it was a very nice vibe overall. From there we were promptly greeted. They asked if we'd been here before, we said it was our first time. From there they explained what today's specials were. If we wanted to, we could take a menu and find our own seats and decide what we wanted and then could come back up and order. We chose to sit down at a booth and a gentleman in a Phat Daddy's t shirt happen to be sitting in front of us. Today's special wad $1.50 wings. The gentleman that was sitting in the booth recommended the honey sriracha wings. So we took his advice and after speaking with him, we ordered. We got the wings, We got the fat daddy's combo, which came with four meats and three sides. We had ribs, pulled pork, grilled chicken, and brisket. For our sides, he explained that he had both spicy and regular baked beans. We chose spicy because we thought we could handle the heat, big mistake lol, even though they were delicious, they were very spicy as he said. He was kind enough to bring us his regular baked beans to try which were delicious as well. We also got cornbread and if I had to make any type of negative comment, it would be that the cornbread was a little dry and dense, but still had a very good flavor, and then we had the mac and cheese, which was superb. He asked us what we had for drinks.We told him what we got, and he said, well, there's Kool Aid around the corner. I said say less. He gave me a free sample to try and it was delicious. There is an art to making kool aid, and this gentleman definitely had it. I said, how much I enjoyed it. So he actually gave me a free cup on top of what we already had to drink.We also ordered the taco trio, which came with pulled pork brisket and the chicken. Then we also ordered a side of fried okra. So we sat down and we waited for our food to come. First was the fried okra. Now, I'll be honest, I was not a fan of okra growing up but my wife loves it. So I said, let's give it a try. Another home run. The fried okra was crunchy, fresh and right out of the fryer. It had great flavor and it did not disappoint. A few minutes after that, all of our food came out. The portion size for all of this food is insane. You could definitely order one meal and share it with two people. I immediately went for the wings because I am a wing connoisseur, so I wanted to try em. Hands down these had to be the best wings I've ever had. They were perfectly crunchy. The sauce was amazing and the meat inside was juicy. I then dug into the sides, and this is where I found out just how spicy the baked beans were that I mentioned earlier. The mac and cheese was spot on, and again like I said, if I had to mention one negative, it would be just that the cornbread was a little dry, but once you dipped them in the baked beans, you totally forgot about that. Now onto the meat. The ribs were gigantic and tasted like they just came off the grill. A charcoal grill for that matter, which the owner confirmed later on when we spoke to him. The sliced chicken breast was very good and very moist, but my two favorites had to have been the pulled pork and the brisket. When you got a bite of the brisket with the bark, it was amazing.The flavor was over the top, and I could not have asked for a better bite. All in all everything from top to bottom was amazing. But I think what really put it over the top was just how sweet, kind and friendly these people are. Again, I cannot say enough about this establishment. The food and the people who run it. We will definitely be back more and more. I know these folks are gonna be catering a few of our parties this year. If you're out towards the ellotsville/bloomington area, I suggest you try Phat Daddy's barbecue.You will not be disappointed.

    I had a most tender brisket jerky ever!! Wait... I ordered…read moreslice brisket BBQ. Yeah... the meat is super tough, a kitchen shear, chain saw or blender would help to chop down the thing (not sure if that is brisket). Also good dental plan is prerequisite for visiting this place. Salt and pepper is premium there, so none of it was used in season the log before smoke. Smoking wood might have been scared so the log should be in smoke for about 22hrs, was pulled out at 2. No smoke flavor, yet desert Sahara dry. They deserve A for effort to keep the door open, but F- for execution. Coming from Texas, my expectations was lowered, but this place took it to many many levels down. Need less to say, would never going back there. At least the potato chip is done well by Lay's

    DATS - cajun - Updated May 2026

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