So I'll preface this by saying we've had a lot of truly great food during our 5 days in the Indianapolis area. Our last dinner - at Dawsons on Main - was the best! We started with Tony's Favorite Nachos which consist of steak, chicken, chorizo or pulled pork (we chose steak) sautéed onions, peppers, house made queso, pico de gallo, guacamole, and black beans on top of freshly fried tri-colored chips. The flavors were truly amazing and often places skimp on the 'stuff' and give you a million chips - Dawsons has the perfect proportion so if anything, you have 'stuff' after the chips are gone. We loved these nachos and were from Texas so that says a lot. We also tried the Firecracker Shrimp, which are shrimp tossed in house-made honey sriracha sauce. These were unlike anything I've had. They had a crispy crunchy exterior and the sauce was to die for - I would buy the sauce alone if I could! It had heat but not crazy heat and the flavor was superb. Our table had the Beef Stroganoff. I must say I am not a fan of beef stroganoff - but this actually was prepared very well and had a very good flavor which kind of surprised me! We also tried the TriColored Tortellini with Chicken which had chicken, mushrooms, peas, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto cream sauce. The flavors were amazing together and I could have eaten more of this as well! We also had the Blackened Chicken Quesadilla which was a Cheddar jalapeño tortilla filled with sautéed chicken, black beans, roasted corn, house tomato relish, roasted red peppers, spinach, Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese. It was served with sour cream and Dawson's Cajun ranch. Although this was on the appetizer menu, it was easily an entree. It was stuffed with the ingredients and very flavorful and filling. All of the ingredients blended together very well and offered a mouth full of flavor in every bite! Finally, we tried the Bayou Chicken Salad which comes with Blackened chicken on top of iceberg/romaine mix with black beans jalapenos, roasted corn, fresh guacamole, house tomato relish, Cheddar, and Mozzarella cheese. It's served with tri-colored chips and Dawson's Cajun ranch. I left the chips and corn off. This was a generous salad with superb flavors. The dressing was wonderful - a little heat and a lot of flavor. Again, this was very filling as well. There was nothing I could find 'wrong' with Dawsons. The service was friendly and prompt and the food was just extremely good. I wish I could transport this place back to Texas so I could eat there more often! read more

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Service was good. Pot roast was generous, but dry. Caesar salad had no zing. Iasked for a lemon to help it. Bar food, but not the best. read more

I've got to say, I was totally surprised by my experience at Dawsons. I ordered the Ribeye, a crabcake, baked potatoe & French onion soup. The soup arrived and it had a mushroom ragu, I'd never had that' before, it was so creamy & delicious. The main course arrived the ribeye was grilled to perfection and melted in my mouth with a flavor that surprised me and the crab cake highlighted it perfectly. Overall - I will say this, I've been to $400 steakhouses as well as $39 Steakhouses. This is one I feel falls right in with the best! read more

It was kind of weird to me. I arrived they asked if I wanted to sit at bar, I've been working would prefer not. They said sit wherever you want. There was a small table open so I took it as on my own and it was fourth of four tables against wall and other 3 were occupied. Then guy that works there with bushy hair came up and said would you like to sit at bar. I told him no. Then he said we don't like to sit people against wall why don't you go to a booth. I'm by myself and booths sit 6 so I wasn't planning on that. Just weird. Then waiter said what dressing on salad. I said Italian. He said don't order the Italian you might like these better. I wouldn't have noticed as much but first guy was weird wanting to decide where I seat when his test said sit wherever you want. Food was good. read more

Dawsons On Main - House salad - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Front in hostess waitress bus boys ect staff was awesome my waitress the best waitress I've ever had Shay Lee she went beyond and above to care of me this place has the best service and staff I've seen read more

Dawsons On Main - House salad - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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I've been meaning to try out this restaurant for a long time. The stars aligned and I finally made it over. Our group was seated right away on a Tuesday night. They also do offer outdoor seating too. They have a wide variety of items from steak, to sandwiches and seafood. We started with the crab cakes, and I really enjoyed these. For dinner I took my friends suggestion and went with the Tonys famous chicken. This was delicious. It was also a ton of food. I got 3 meals out of it. The flavors all went well together and the shrimp are a nice addition. The green beans were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The baked potato could have been a bit more fluffy, but that is my only feedback. I plan to come back to try additional items next time I'm on this side of town. read more

Dawsons On Main - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Love the location right on speedway main road. Friendly waitress and good food. Will definitely have to come back when the weather is nicer for that outdoor patio seating. read more

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Delightful! Sat outside. Split a Rueben & salad with my DH. Fresh and crisp salad. Reuben very good. Too bad we were not more hungry. Everything that went to other diners looked wonderful. We will have to return here next month when we are in the area! Friendly wait staff and speedy service! read more

Dawsons On Main - Side salad - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I stopped for lunch after a long drive from Detroit to Indianapolis (only 300 miles) next to this fine establishment near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and home of the Indy 500 on Main Street in Speedway, IN. I showed up without a reservation and was greeted upon arrival and seated at one of the tables in the dining room. My server, Kelsi D. , was very friendly, prompt, and kind. I ordered my Indianapolis "go to" pork tenderloin sandwich which is a portion appropriate for someone who has a 500 mile drive ahead and was absolutely delicious yet once again! The sandwich comes with lettuce, pickle chips, and a sauce on the side that was very tasty (maybe horseradish/thousand island dressing?), and a side of French fries. Several of the staff wore t-shirts with saying, "a drinking town with a racing problem". Always a fun stop and seasonally has patio and outdoor seating available. Make sure you're hungry and you will not be disappointed with the staple described above. read more

Dawsons On Main - Breaded pork tenderloin - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Everything here was executed at a top level, the food, the service, the overall vibes. This was a pork tenderloin sandwich I was told by many people to get, it absolutely did not disappoint. Just a fun and delicious experience. read more

Dawsons On Main - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Ordered angus cheese burger with provolone cheese, lettuce , tomato and pickles. It was cooked to perfection. Very delicious read more

Dawsons On Main - Chew - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

What a nice location to dine in after a long ride at B&O. On a good weather, they have outdoor seating and there is a bike parking across the street. Service was attentive. Ours was lunch menu. Started with calamari streak. It's not the same as actual calamari and the batter was just ok. Main courses were ribeye steak with side of rice and double cheeseburger without the bun (subbed with lettuce) with side of fries. The rib eye was not bad, decent flavoring and love the crispy edge. The burger meat was also decent. Fries didn't have much flavor. Overall, the ambience and service make up for just an ok food, and it was filling. Dinner menu might be better. If you're used to flavorful food, you might get disappointed. read more

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Dropped on for lunch with a family member from out of town who wanted a tenderloin. We both got the breaded tenderloin sandwich with fries. Thought it was very good. Service was very attentive and good was ready quickly. Parking in the lot beside the building was easy enough. Price to value ratio was good. Would recommend. read more

Dawsons On Main - Hand Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich with fries - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Dawsons is a retro diner on Main in Speedway just minutes from the track. The vibe is 70s with big comfy booths and swishy glass lighting. The music over head is pop from this under appreciated era. We were greeted and seated for a late lunch on a rainy day of sight seeing. Pleasant staff and clean tables and seats. So far so good. As for the food. Calamari: big thick, juicy and tender breaded "steak fries". Perfectly cooked and the remoulade was just spicy enough. I got the crab cakes for my main with a bowl of the house soup. The crab cakes are delicious and rich. The house soup is a cross between mushroom and French onion soups complete with melted cheese. A winter warmer! My husband had the tenderloin with jalapeño potato cakes. The cakes were great (he wasn't a big fan). The sandwich looked excellent and was well dressed. The kids had burgers and the meatloaf sandwich. Both looked great and were more than they could finish, which was fine. Cold beer all around. Dawsons is a delicious winner all the way around! read more

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Not only the food here was amazing, but so was the service!! The servers were very welcoming and so communicative and so was the manager. We will definitely be back here the next time we are in town! read more

Great food. Fair prices. Solid service Can always tell a great place that's crowded. Definitely a repeat when I am back in Indianapolis.

I came here with my mom and boyfriend on the most beautiful afternoon to enjoy their patio. I am remiss that the weather is only good for patios here for a few months, but it looks like they have weather flaps to extend the season a bit. The staff are friendly and the service moves at an average pace for a nice afternoon lunch rush. We ordered... California BLT Blackjack chicken sandwich Grilled chicken club sandwich All of the sandwiches seem similar in nature here where we all had bacon, and the first two had avocado (or, at least the BLT did). Everything came out wonderfully and the fries are fantastic with the chipotle aioli. I really appreciate places like these and I look forward to my next visit! read more

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This was the best grilled cheese I have ever had. Crisp buttery sour dough with a crunch and ooey cheese inside with bold flavor. The chili was excellent as well. Fast lunch on a busy Friday. The waitress was super helpful, I forgot my wallet and she let me know they had Apple Pay so I didn't have to drive back to office. Excellent experience all the way around! read more

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Hello from Gatlinburg TN Smoky Mountains Park I visited friends in Hope Indiana a few months ago and I heard how amazing the Pork chop sandwich was and I wasn't expecting how big and amazing it was! Loved it! I do Vlogs on YouTube TikTok IG Facebook The Gatlinburg Hussey and I told everyone about it! read more

We came here for dinner one weekend night. It wasn't too busy and we were sat immediately. Our server was very friendly and was able to provide suggestions. The atmosphere is typical bar/restaurant. Bar on one side, more of a restaurant feel on the other. There is also patio seating but we sat inside since it was so hot. The food was just okay. It seemed like the green beans were canned, the fish was dry, but the mashed potatoes and the roll were good. My partner had a pasta dish, the serving size was very big, but it was good. The cocktails were delicious. I'd like to come back and try something else on the menu and sit outside. read more

Dawsons On Main - Atlantic Salmon, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Popped in for a quick dinner. The server was quick to check in as he was busy. Came back soon and got a drink order. We tried the bang bang shrimp. Delicious. That's a big portion too. I also had the chicken sriracha sandwich. Very good. Took half home for lunch the next day. The dining room decor could use some updates but unnecessary of service and food is that solid. read more

Dawsons On Main - Apple Harvest Salad - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Fun place with a racing atmosphere. Chicken velvet soup was amazing! Croissant was huge and plenty to share. Potato soup tasted more like a stew with carrots and celery. read more

Dawsons On Main - Chicken velvet soup with chicken salad croissant - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I have been wanting to try this place for a long time but it's hard to park at peak times so today I dropped in at 4 pm and beat the crowds. I sat in the dining room almost by myself on a late Thursday afternoon. Only one other table was occupied but by the time I left, there were four other tables occupied. The bar area seemed a little more crowded but I didn't venture inside that area. I ordered the Chicken Club Wrap with Potato Salad from the lunch menu (dinner menu starts at 5). Both items were excellent. My server was worried they made the wrap with too little Ranch Dressing but it tasted perfect to me. The potato salad tastes just like your grandmother used to make. I saved half of the wrap for later so I could have dessert. For dessert I ordered the Carrot Cake which was served with two small scoops of cold whipped cream. It was delicious as well. Service was outstanding throughout my visit. The restroom was clean. Parking was available on the street within the same block as the restaurant. read more

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On the whole, we liked this place. Very local place, and large enough for bigger groups. Good bar type food, but one of us had the chicken salad, and came down with food poisoning, so I suggest getting the cooked items. Also, this place is busy and might not have enough servers to get to you quickly. read more

Came in with 20+ people after a funeral on a Wednesday late afternoon, and service was spot on. Server was friendly and attentive, and quick with refills on drinks. Food was great and came out in a timely manner. Definitely 5 stars. read more

A staple of Main Street in Speedway. A little of everything, from great salads to hearty sandwiches, to a quality steak and a dessert nightcap. Love this place. read more

Amazing and well priced. Brisket sandwich was daily special and it was amazing! Tenderloin was tender not too thin and great breading. Sauce that comes with tenderloin is really good. read more

Dawsons On Main - Tenderloin - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Call in to order a carry out of fish and chips! This is some of the best fish on the west side of Indianapolis! The filets are huge! They are not greasy. The white fish is so flaky and tasty. There's honestly enough food for two people to share. When you go in to pick up your order, go to the bar area. This restaurant is clean and a great place to meet up with friends. They have minimal outdoor seating if that is your vibe. The service is always good. read more

Being in Speedway when there is not a race makes it easy to get a seat here. Nice local place, walking distance from the racetrack. Food was very good and fresh. Hubby had the fish and chips - very generous portion, he said was delicious. I had the Bayou salad and it was great! Service was very friendly and quick. read more

Entirely unimpressed. Came in here on a Saturday night around 8:00. The place was dead. Even our server, Andrew, remarked how slow of an evening it was. Ordered a ribeye with black and blue topping (cooked medium), a side of fries, and a "premium side" of sautéed mushrooms. The meal, plus one beer, ran me about $55 before tip. The ribeye was thin and gristly and dripping in grease. It was definitely cooked well done with zero pink. The black and blue topping wasn't blackening and crumbled blue cheese, but sliced onion under some other type of melted cheese. The fries were cold and limp, and the "premium" mushrooms were clearly from a can. As we were settling our check, I opted to use the men's room and it was gross. There were gnats swarming and the soap dispenser was empty. Gross food and gross establishment. read more

Just tried this place for the first time and it was awesome! The waiter was very friendly and nice to us even though we came in just a little over an hour before closing. The food really impressed us, the spinach artichoke dip was super good and the steaks were just right! It's a chill little vibe with a bar side and a restaurant side, super reasonably priced, and really good overall! read more

Stopped for lunch on this Saturday afternoon and we're seated in the bar area. Excellent service from our Bartender / Waiter who kept our beverages topped off and ended up accepting and delivering a complicated order. Food quality was high. My fajita wrap was served in a tomato basil wrap and included well seasoned chicken combination, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! My co-workers commented on the serving sizes and we definitely needed to go containers. Thanks for a great lunch dining experience. read more

Dawson's is a popular staple on Main Street, Speedway with a dimly lit, comfortable interior, and now a seasonal enclosed patio since it has gotten colder. Making a reservation is not a bad idea as it can get extremely packed from 4:00 to around 8:30. The patio seating on the north side of the building is Dog Friendly, but the larger patio facing Main St. is not dog friendly. We met some friends for dinner and we had a lovely time. The server did an excellent job, stayed on top of our drinks, and orders were delivered hot and brought out together. Our entrees were fantastic, and I was happy I came. Two of our group had a half-order of BBQ Ribs that looked amazing, and they confirmed the ribs were delicious. One of our four had the 2 smoked bone-in pork chops with bacon pepper jam topping. She said they were as good as they looked. All of the sides were 1st rate and would order again. I had the generous serving of Blackened Chicken Pasta and a side of the smashed sweet potatoes. The light and yummy sweet potatoes reminded me that Thanksgiving will be here soon. The pasta was loaded with fresh mixed peppers, button mushrooms, and Andouille sausage, then tossed in Cajun Alfredo cream. It was exceptionally rich and worth ever calorie. My husband had the Moby Dick Fish sandwich and fries. He loves this fish, but tonight, the seasoning in the batter was lacking. That has never happened before, but he was disappointed. Regardless, this will not keep us away. 3 out of 4 of us were extremely happy with our dinners. Main Street has improved and grown in the past three years with 8 restaurants now between 10th and 16th Street, all with patio seating. There is a liquor store, a home decor shop, a barber shop, an ice cream shop, 2 coffee shops, a wine shop, a brewery, two race teams head quarters, and Dallara all on Main Street. Concerts, holiday festivals, and, of course, race themed events give you many reasons to visit Main Street. Come visit. read more

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Food was okay but the reuben was lacking meat and kraut for the over $15 price with its $1 extra for a small cup portion of slaw that was a bit bigger than a Costco sample cup. Service was okay and I think he added the %18 already in the tab bc ee were a large group but nowadays they dont you and just hand you the portable machine that asks for a 18 to 30% tip. So I felt obligated to tip another $5 for the small meal. I heard servers only make $2 hr base so I guess he made an easy $60 to $80hr on our tables with min effort since he had food runners. Not fun to work a Sunday lunch tho. My first an maybe last visit tho. Kinda crowded and stuffy. read more

My wife and I did a pick up order and it was great! The food was super tasty and they even wrapped the chicken (for the BLT salad) in foil to keep it warm for when we got home! Service was quick, less than 20 minutes from when I called the food was ready! We will definitely be back again soon! read more

I had the prime rib. It was way over cooked but the place was crazy busy and 1 waiter in the bar area . I didn't send it back. I should have. Other than that the 3 others in my party had really good food. read more

I've been going to Dawsons for over 15 years now, Tucked into Main Street you'll find this small town bar/restaurant right when you walk in. It has outdoor seating, a cozy restaurant section and a bar with seasonal garage door that is open. Ron is the best bartender I've maybe ever encountered so you're very fortunate if you're there a night he is. They have a wonderfully diverse menu options from salads to steaks to pastas or some quick bites. The signature French onion soup is to die for. Never had any French onion soup that good. I tried the Cajun beef tips and crab cakes and didn't love them but others I was with did. They have a great beer wine and cocktail list and have Half off martinis on Thursdays! read more

Dawsons On Main - Cajun beef tips - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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We have been to Dawsons on Main multiple times! We've had a private anniversary dinner, dinner with friends, and date night dinners. Every time the service is top notch! The food has always been awesome. Just recently we went for one of the Sat/Sun special. The food, the service and atmosphere is the best!!! read more

Dawsons On Main - This is the Prime Rib with potato cakes and asparagus. It was like butter! He couldn't finish it!! - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Great food and cold beer. I went back the next day to try something else on the menu and they were both delicious

I went back to Dawsons for the first time this year- and they did not disappoint! Sunday evening, around 5pm. It was early for dinner so I was able to find a parking spot easily and got a seat immediately. Service was fast. I enjoy the variety of their menu, but today I wanted a handheld food and ordered a grilled chicken club sandwich. Food came to my table in five minutes (!). Very smooth and successful dining experience! I wish the place was a bit more lit, but I like the vibe there. read more

Dawsons On Main - Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich with onion rings - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana