Bar tender tried twice to make a gin & tonic & failed. Who uses club soda for a G& T? We finally said forget it. Worst meal in decades. The nachos were bland, plain, & generic. Ordered a filet; it was tasteless. Plating was not appealing. Very disappointing. Staff was very friendly. Really liked them. They were the only good thing about our 30 minute drive to eat there. Wasted $96. read more

Pretty good food, great servers, served pretty quickly considering they were quite busy. Very broad menu, and pretty varied pricing. Quite affordable and I am sure you can find something to eat that you like. Definitely will go again... read more

Stopped for a quick dinner while traveling, Joe, our waiter, was fun and attentive, easy parking nearby and dinner was tasty with plenty of food. Outside seating available but we opted for the cooler indoor seating. Seemed busy for a Sunday night but service was reasonably quick. Ice cream place nearby, just sayin' read more

The food is not so bad, but the waiter's attitude was terrible. He only pays attention to a large group and did not care about individual customers, though still demanding on his tips. We will never visit this restaurant again. read more

I get there aren't many options on Main Street in Speedway and I also understand this is a small privately owned restaurant but the prices here are, in my opinion, way high. It's Rick's Boatyard without the view! That said the food is good and the staff is friendly. I've never seen a manager in the place but then again I've never needed one! read more

We were looking for a late dinner and found that they were open until 1:00 A.M. we strolled in at 11:15 on a Saturday night to be informed that they were now closed because nobody was there. Won't be back. read more

Great spinach dip, filet mignon, stroganoff,and buffalo chicken tenders. Parking is on the street but there are parking spaces like a parking lot so it is easy. No parallel parking. And it is three hours FREE parking. read more

This place was a pleasant surprise! It was much better than I was anticipating based on reviews here. We came here for dinner, and I had the best pork tenderloin I've had since moving to Indiana! There were good beers on tap, and service was good. This joint has a fun atmosphere, with great beers on tap, solid food, and good service. It makes for a fun place to meet up with friends! read more

Not a good experience at Dawson's on Main last week. I asked for a table or a booth for relaxing dinner after a long day. Unfortunately they wouldn't give me a table or booth in the dining room but a hightop in the bar. The bar was loud and anything but relaxing. The bartender cam by and took my drink order. He then came back and took my meal order. The salad came out right away but that is where it fell apart. After about 45 minutes, the bartender came over and apologized saying the kitchen thought they already sent out the main course. Somebody else came over and apologized as well, then said they would get the meal out earlier but want to make sure it was cooked just right. I order a filet medium rare and it came out medium well. I didn't complain since I was hungry and it was late. The bartender did the right thing and removed the charge from the bill (I paid the sales tax and a 20% tip on what the bill would have been). All in all not a good experience and I probably would not go back. read more

Kind of average lunch spot, nothing unique, good if you are in Speedway and you need to take your mom to lunch.

I need to come here again! This is for a take out order we got. My boyfriend and I always end up ordering the same thing the other one ordered. (not the Yelp way, but it just works out that way LOL) We got their signature onion soup (feeling under the weather), grilled cheese and house salad. Now, when we first opened the boxes, it didn't look like much for $30, BUT it really was A LOT of food after we started to dig in. Their house salad was amazing. Very fresh, tasty, crisp and fulfilling. Their signature onion soup was filled with brewed onions. Very soothing and relaxing. The grilled cheese was the perfect size and perfect amount of crunch and softness. Everything was very satisfying. We didn't say one word to each other the entire time we ate. It was that good!! I hope to make it here again to enjoy the fun trendy atmosphere inside. Highly recommend! read more

Dawsons On Main - Store front - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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The only good bar in Speedway Dawsons is good, but other than the track, there's no reason to travel to Speedway. If you must go, stop by Dawsons. It's the only good bar in town. read more

We recently had their private room for my Dads 80th birthday with 27 people. They did an amazing job. service, food, friendliness all top notch. TY Heather! There was confusion in the beginning as they though it was just a large dinner party of 12-15 but they adjusted and came through like champs! read more

Although a westsider growing up near Speedway and a Speedway resident for a couple of years as an adult, I hadn't seen the downtown Speedway area in approximately 15 years. I was blown away with the renovation. To top off our visit, we opted to try Dawson's on Main for lunch. Let me start by stating that I prefer independent restaurants to chains, so I jumped at the chance to sample Dawson's. We had a choice of inside or outside, and today would have been a perfect day to sit outside, especially since we noticed a couple of race cars (or the same race car twice) make their way down Main. The clientele was a mixture of people enjoying summer leisure time and professionals in suits. The Speedway area had gotten pretty sketchy 15 years ago, but this little area, at least, felt safe and was quite beautiful. The menu provided for an assortment of appetizers, salads, and sandwiches with a few entrees listed. We all opted for sandwiches -- my daughter ordering the tenderloin, my mother ordering the chicken cordon bleu wrap, and me ordering the Dawson's black & bleu. My daughter also ordered their French onion soup. Since my husband runs a restaurant, I'm a food snob and hoped everything would taste as wonderful as the menu descriptions. I was not disappointed. My daughter's tenderloin was huge and accompanied by a wonderful special sauce. She also raved about the French onion soup, which she said rivaled what her chef father makes. My mother's chicken cordon bleu wrap was fantastic, and my black & blue sandwich which consisted of shaved prime rib, carmelized onions, and special sauce on a wonderfully-fresh bun was incredible. This sandwich was a bit spicy for me, but the fact that I kept eating even when the sides of my mouth stung a little should tell you something. I was stuffed after the first half but just kept on eating until I finished every savory bite. Our meal for three people, including drinks and extra soup, came to about $13 per person. It was well worth it and so much more satisfying than spending the same amount or more at Applebee's up the street. Well done, Dawson's on the Main. We will be back. read more

My yelper in crime Scot C. has been raving about this place for years, as it is a frequent go-to spot for his company lunches. So on a recent weekday lunch date, we decided to head out to Speedway. Park was easy, there is plenty of street parking available. We were seated promptly, and our server was with us quickly. The menu had a lot of great looking lunch options are good prices. I'd heard great things about their wraps, so I gave the steak fiesta wrap a try and it was reeeeeeally good. So good that even though I was really full after half of it, I kept going and finished it off! I would recommend this to anyone, especially with a side of guac. The service was fast, friendly and our server was so attentive that I never had an empty glass even during lunch rush. Plus we were in and out in plenty of time to get back downtown for work! All in all: you can bet I'll be coming back to sample more of their lunchtime specials! read more

Highly Recommended by family members!!! i'm so glad they invited us there, first of all Madison was a great server & my onion soup was to Die For!!! i loved the sauce that accompanied my Salmon Oscar, so nice, my date's steak was tender & delicious, everything all the way around was wonderful!! the cole slaw had little bits of cucumber in it, kicked it up a notch bathroom very clean & trendy. Full Bar Casual, a great place read more

The food and service at Dawson's is consistently good. It is our standard "go to" place. The tenderloin sandwich is spectacular! It's bigger than the bun and the special sauce is delish. The salads are always fresh and crisp. The chicken fingers are fresh, hand breaded and plentiful on the plate. I love the meat losf and pot roast, great comfort foods. Fish and chips are a frequent purchase, too. If you need gluten free, they will grill the fish. Can't say much about dessert because we are always too full to order. read more

This is my 3rd time dining here. It has always been really good and I'm really impressed with the prices. I had a horseradish crusted steak and it was cooked perfectly. The horseradish crust was really flavorful. The bartender makes great drinks. They usually have really good drink specials as well. We had a party of 6 on a Saturday night and only had to wait about 20 minutes for a table, which is great since every place else was completely swamped. I will continue going back to Dawsons when I'm in Speedway for the great food and rustic atmosphere. Also, half price martini night is awesome if yu're there during the week! They have a large assortment of martini drinks and they are all delicious. Or just get it extra dirty with 2 olives ;) read more

We tried Dawson's this past New Years EVE, and were a little disappointed to find only a limited menu to order from, and the prices on that menu jacked up by at least 25% per item. That being said we very much enjoyed what we did get. I highly recommend the loaded potato cakes, and the smoked blue cheese dressing was to die for! Dawson's is a great addition to the Speedway neighborhood and the west side in general, but I feel they need to tweek a few things to get that 5th star. 1. They need a signature bread. A hearty loaf of 7 grain would be an awesome compliment to their steaks, in stead of the puny little frozen rolls that accompany them now. 2.They need to get rid of the formica table tops! Bring in some wooden tables or better yet, copper topped tables would go a long way to warming up and giving character to a young establishment. 3 A signature dessert wouldn't hurt either. All in all everyone in our party enjoyed their food, and are looking forward to visiting this local shop again, and again. read more

Great local restaurant we live in speedway so it's close by great steak tips always get the same thing because it's what I like!

Dawson's was a great place to stop for lunch with my colleagues. There was a fairly long wait for indoor seating, but we were immediately seated when we asked for a table outside. Our waiter was quick and attentive even though he was juggling a few different parties. The menu is extensive and offers quite a variety of foods. I had the turkey club with waffle fries. The turkey club was a large portion served on sourdough bread and absolutely delicious! The waffle fries were well seasoned and fresh. I post a picture with the majority of my reviews, but I had devoured almost everything on my plate before I even thought of it at Dawson's On Main. I can see why this was the first place that was recommended in the area when we asked someone for a suggestion for someone to have lunch in the area! read more

Okay, for anyone who hasn't grown up in Indiana, and who maybe isn't aware, the epitome, no the pinnacle, of Indiana cuisine (if I can use that term loosely) is the breaded pork tenderloin. A panned pork tenderloin that is breaded and deep fried, then served on a bun with a ritualistic assortment of fixings (in my family, it was always mayonnaise, ketchup, raw onions, lettuce, dill pickles, and Lawry's season salt). So when I'm back home again in Indiana, as we were recently for the Super Bowl, I am always in search of a great and authentic rendition of this comfort food classic. I have to say, Dawson's on Main hit out of the park on this one! Lovely tenderloin, not too greasy, not too heavy a breading, and a thick enough piece of pork that it remained juicy with a good bite to it (that's one of the secrets - pound too thin as some places do and the pork disappears into the breading). All the right fixings except for the Lawry's (I'll forgive them that side of mustard looking stuff, at least they didn't put it ON my tenderloin). Paired with a cold beer on tap, and I was in heaven! A bit about Dawson's - it's a bar. That's it. But hey, you're eating comfort food, right? It is located on Main Street in Speedway on the west side. But as bars go, especially Speedway bars, it was exceedingly clean, looked to have been recently renovated, the staff were all extremely friendly, and there were no drunken brawls (okay, it was noon on a Monday). read more

It was my birthday so myself and my family came here because I remember it being good. I am gluten free so it's great they identify everything on the menu that's gluten free. But I wasn't in the mood for any of it (mainly steak and salad options only) so I ordered a burger without a bun. The burger was more than well done. So it was not good. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food. With the exception of my brother that said the beef stroganoff tasted just like their beef stew over noodles. The server was unable to tell us accurately the difference between the happy hour porkchop and regular porkchop dinner. I was disappointed. I remember it being better. read more

If you're looking for some true Midwestern food, head to Dawson's. They have a great menu with all your Hoosier favorites. Sometimes the service can be less than average, but the atmosphere is cozy and it's within walking distance of the Speedway. Parking is easy to find, if it's not race weekend. They have a ton of desserts also, so don't forget to leave room for some. read more

The nursing home bus pulling up at 5:00PM every weekday is all you need to know. My dad really enjoyed it. Hes only in his 60's. Food is over seasoned. All around not a good meal if your looking for something fancier than a local Applebees read more

Just had the manager come up to our table and tell us there is a time limit on their tables and even though we haven't received our ordered food yet their internet double books their tables and we need to hurry and eat when food arrives. I have never had anyone let alone a manager be so rude. Our bill was several hundred dollars. read more

What a great little find! I'm not entirely sure what kind of place they're going for, but it works. Delicious, high-quality food, friendly service, in an atmosphere that's upscale but comfortable, and very far from pretentious. What I liked most about Dawson's was that they had so many entrées that seemed to call out to you. Everything looked good. We had the meat balls for an appetizer (very good), and I tried the Chicken Parmesan (also excellent). I'll definitely be back -- probably to try one of their steaks. They have a Salmon Oscar on the menu, and give you the option to serve any of their already-good-sounding steaks "oscar" style as well. Mmmmm. All in all -- Dawson's is a great gem over in Speedway -- with really easy street parking too. I can't wait to go back. read more

Cute little restaurant on Main Street, Speedway. It's been a great addition to the neighborhood for years and I'm always pleased with the quality of the food. The service is typical of what you'd expect from a small-town diner, and the drinks are a bit overpriced for what you get. The food selection is great! Lots to choose from and moderately priced. For lunch I recommend the French Onion with Bruschetta, if you're dining with a friend. The ambiance is cool, with pretty lighting fixtures and decorative glass sculptures on the walls. Get a booth if you can! Even though the Main Street Redevelopment construction has completely shut down the road, there is still parking on the residential streets off Main Street (only accessible through the neighborhood west of Main Street). My recommendation for a quiet dinner. read more

Dawson's is a great find in Speedway! The atmosphere is casual but cozy, kind of pub-like. We each had a cup of soup, and I had the meatloaf sandwich- delicious! The pot roast sandwich stole the show, though. Super tender meat on toasted bread. This place is nothing fancy, but the drink specials are great and the food is yummy. If you live in Speedway and haven't tried it, you're missing out! read more

Dawsons On Main - Chicken Tortilla Soup...yum! - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I really hate to give this place 3 stars, because I really enjoyed the food. But the service was bad. Really bad. And I'm not sure if the server was just green or not very good at her job, but I've never waited 1hr for soup to arrive. And we asked her for things several times before she would actually get the to us. Never did a manager stop by and check on us, despite the fact that we were all sitting with very upset faces. Now, if we can move past the service. The food was good. read more

I recently moved to Speedway and heard all the rage about Dawson's. My boyfriend and I went in around 2pm on a weekday, so it was slow. We sat at the bar and the bartender was very boring and not talkative, despite how electric I've heard the bartenders there to be. He never asked us how our food was, and took awhile to even get another beer. The beer selection was OK. We got the breadsticks or pretzels with cheese app and that was good. The tenderloin had been recommended, so my boyfriend got that and I got the burger. The tenderloin was terrible! So, so flat and flaky breading that was gross. It was the first time I have ever seen him not finish a tenderloin. My burger was small and tasted like a frozen patty from Walmart. Despite the rave of Speedway, I was incredibly unpleased and have no intention of going back. I much rather go to Big Woods with a much better beer selection and much better food. read more

Chose this restaurant as it was close to the track. In my party of 5, no one was overly impressed with their main dish. We all did however LOVE the fries and onion rings. I had the tater tots and they are life. Best ever! My friend and I split the Blackened Chicken Fajita wrap and the Black and Bleu Sandwich. The wrap didn't have much flavor and I'm guessing they overcompensated with the bland rice as a filler. The black and bleu sandwich was very dry, add in the bleu cheese crumbles, which made it even more dry tasting. I ordered an extra dirty martini which was delicious though. I can tell you one thing that would definitely make me want to go back... our waiter Joe! He was awesome! So funny and personable. We LOVED him! Dawson's has a real asset with him on the staff. read more

Dawson's is one of Speedways best kept secret. Located on Main Street, Dawson's is surrounded by other small businesses in a newly remodeled speedway. I suggest the chicken salad sandwich, and potato soup for lunch. I also suggest their pot roast sandwich, chicken club sandwich and taco salad. The gongaza burger(probably spelling it wrong) is great with their onion rings. Great for business meetings, after work happy hour and definitely a no brainer during racing season. read more

Great lunch. Service was friendly and quick. Came in with 4 adults and 4 kids. All the adults had a round of tenderloin sandwiches and they were excellent. My 7 year old enjoyed the part I couldn't eat from being too full. Great little location with character close to the speedway. read more

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

Had an AMAZING dinner... First start out with a Blackened Chicken quesadillas and it has my taste buds craving for another bite and another bite.... My entree was the Apple Pecan Salad with Bleu Cheese and Grilled Chicken Yumminess!!! I recommend this place to any visitors checking out Indy. read more

Dawsons On Main - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

First time here. Excellent local neighborhood place. Mustard crusted chicken was very good; just a bit different than the standard chain stuff. This would have been 4 stars except that one of our orders came out wrong. read more

When out-of-towners think of Indianapolis, the Motor Speedway is the landmark most often associated with the city. There's one problem with that: the Motor Speedway is actually in Speedway, Indiana. To the visitor, Speedway is nothing more than a neighborhood or district - like Broad Ripple, Irvington, or Fountain Square. It isn't; Speedway is, by definition, an enclave. It is a town with a separate feel and culture, and racing is its hometown sport. Main Street, sitting in the shadow of the track (that's what locals call it), is similar to other main drags in small town America. It hosts mom-and-pop shops, a barbershop, an antique store, a barbecue joint, and perhaps a few racing teams' headquarters. Dawson's on Main is there, too, and it's the place where people go to enjoy a great meal. Dawson's on Main is a Heartland eatery in true form. It's a homey place that's dimly lit, but it's not ostentatious in any way. While they feature many Hoosier favorites (like a breaded tenderloin), much of the cuisine hails from other regions of the country - and even the world. Whether you're in the mood for Chicken Parmesan, a Cajun pasta dish, Beef Stroganoff, a juicy steak, or some succulent seafood, you'll find it at Dawson's. I started my meal with French Onion Soup; I'm a sucker for it. Unfortunately, Dawson's on Main's rendition was painfully mediocre. French Onion Soup should never be "meh!" On a brighter note, the Seafood Trio was wonderful. Since Indiana is a landlocked state, eating seafood here is a gamble. Luckily, Dawson's on Main has its seafood flown in daily to ensure the very best quality - and it shows. While the crab cake with chipotle aioli was my favorite part, the jumbo sea scallops and the tilapia sure hit the spot. I didn't get a chance to try the Fish and Chips or the Black and Bleu Top Sirloin because they were too good to share. They must have been because no one seemed to care that I wanted to review the items! The staff at Dawson's on Main and the general attitude of the restaurant is consistent with the type of people found lurking the streets of Speedway: hard-working, salt-of-the-earth folks. Hoosiers. I appreciate that. Getting a reservation online was a breeze, and everything service-related was done with perfection. Dawson's on Main: You might not be in Indy, but you make Marion County proud. People coming from near-and-far will enjoy your great dining experience. Bravo! read more

This place is really cool. Old time feel. Went for lunch. Very enjoyable experience. Service and food very good. This was my second time here. The portions are very good sized, couldn't finish it all! Will go again soon! read more

I will say that the service is outstanding! Everyone was so friendly and very accommodating. Food and drinks came out quickly so I never had to wait long for anything. The half priced martinis were a great deal and worth it. It was delicious. The reason I only gave 3 stars however is because I felt that the food was fairly mediocre. I wasn't impressed by anything. The sauce for the meatballs was too tart but the meat was good, the salad dressing was too overwhelmingly creamy for a Caesar, and the steak was sub par. Even at medium rare it was still tough. If you want good drinks, come here. If you want delicious food, this isn't your place. read more

Dawsons On Main - Half priced martini night! - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

We were in Indy for the qualifications and an event with the museum for the weekend and were pleasantly surprised by Dawson's on Main. It's always great to find local restaurants and not only was the food & service outstanding the portions were generous as well. Plenty of options for us to stay on our diets and plenty of temptations if we didn't want to as well. My wife had Tony's Special Chicken and I had the ribeye with steamed broccoli. She loved the chicken and the kick in the sauce and the broccoli was cooked perfectly. The Ribeye was not a skimpy cut as the chains tend to offer and it was very flavorful. The mini wedge salad was as large as any salad you could ask for and loaded with flavors. The beverages were generous as well and price appropriately. I'd highly recommend Dawson's and save the drive to 38th Street or downtown Indy when visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. read more