Really fantastic spot with a hip, relaxed vibe and great food! Absolutely worth the ten minutes drive from the interstate. I had the Toasted Italian sandwich and loved it. The soft pretzels/beer cheese and chips/salsa were hits with everyone in our party. Didn't get a chance try the drinks--but I'll be back for that! While you're there, be sure to take a few minutes to walk or drive the local Art Walk. Lots of really incredible public murals to enjoy. Our visit to eMbers made my day! read more

This is a unique restaurant with a unique menu. It has a beautiful large covered patio that is heated so you can still enjoy eating on cool October evenings. My husband had the wood fired pork chop topped with house made bourbon barbecue. It looked scrumptious and tasted scrumptious. I had the figgy delight from the wood fired. Oven. May sound a little strange, but omg, out of this world. We enjoyed the eclectic decor. We ate in what i would describe as the 1950's greenhouse with 50's and 60's 45's covering one wall. Our server was very gracious, especially since we had a lot of questions. If you are ever in the Rensselaer, you must stop at Embers. Great beer and whiskey selection. read more

eMbers Station - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rensselaer, Indiana

Great food, ambiance and service. Good variety of healthy food. Fast service and professional staff. read more

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Great wood fired pizza! Highly recommend. I ordered the Italian Job. Also you should order the breadsticks! Great food and great service. The outside patio is comfortable and nice. We are from out of state and I'm glad we found this place! read more

eMbers Station - The Italian Job - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rensselaer, Indiana

Special place for my girlfriend and I. We went on our first date here and the service was phenomenal. We meet in the middle at this restaurant and it never ceases to amaze us. Shoutout Jenelle read more

A downtown gem! Love the ambience (good music and modern rustic decor). They even have a vinyl listening station with a solid record collection. The wood fired pizza is fresh and legit. The toasted Reuben sandwich is delicious. Small but tasty selection of local beers on tap. Friendly servers top off a great dining experience. read more

Great staff and atmosphere. good homemade food fresh. Will be comming back.seasonal menue changing. Hard to decide with unique flavor profiles. read more

eMbers Station - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rensselaer, Indiana

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Warning: if you are traveling with anyone under 21, you will not be allowed "inside" this restaurant. I wish we knew this ahead of time as we wouldn't have come. Therefore, i am starting my review with that statement in an effort to save time/effort for the next family. While on a road trip to Chicago, we were looking for a sit down restaurant to stop with our family. Our son (age 17) was in the mood for pizza, we were looking to start off our trip with some great food, and were desperately looking for options in this rural area of highway. I called ahead to make sure they had inside dining (as sometimes is not the case since covid), she said yes. I asked if reservations were needed, she said no. I was so excited to try this place due to the excellent reviews and being hungry for dinner! :). Its located a few miles off the highway, adorable small town you drive through! Lovely! One of my stars is for the quaint rural Americana area! We found the restaurant, walked in and were awaiting being seated inside (it was a very warm evening!). The hostess quickly informed us that since our son was under age, we would have to sit outside. Bummer! It was an extremely warm night, and we wanted to cool off with a great inside dinner! We should have walked out then, but I coaxed them to stay. Bad choice on my part unfortunately. :( We got a table outside (no fans running) and ordered the pretzel appetizer. We assumed the would be pretzel shaped (like knotted pretzels) , but they are not, the are small pretzel "sticks". The cheese dip was the best part of our visit! However, the ratio of cheese to pretzels is way off! We had to order 2-3 more pretzels as we had lots of the yummy dip. As we waited for dinner there was a small antique car show which was nice to visit. The bugs and heat started to get annoying as we waited at our table for our dinner. I ordered the bbq, which the waitress said was cooking in a crock pot all day. Nothing special with the bbq. It tasted like one of the Jack Daniels pre made bbq dinners. I left half of it there. My sons pizza (wood fired i assume) was completely black on the bottom (more than usual) . I would have definitely returned it, he was starving so he ate it. I think my husband had a salad? After dinner, My son had to use the restroom before us getting back on the road, My husband went with him to find it, only to be turned away Again saying you can't come inside to use the restroom! Are you kidding?? He had to go around the building outside to a different restroom. This is ridiculous! I used their precious bathroom inside, its unisex, small and pitiful! I have never been in a situation like this before. This should be listed as a 21 and over bar, not a family friendly restaurant. When we paid the check, the cashier asked us how it was, i said "just ok". She never responded. Not impressed with their food, staff, ambiance, rules or "vibes" at this business. read more

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Great service! Probably one of the best service I have received my life! All the front house staff are so patient and so courteous! We sat outside coz our kid was with us, I peeked inside out of curiosity and it was such a nice relaxing vibe! Love both inside and outside as kids can run around outside :) Extensive drink menu and food was decent . This makes a great stop when you are on a road-trip! read more

Great food. Had the wood fire pizza and was so good. Service was great, and the atmosphere is really nice and welcoming.

Loved finding this place. The service and atmosphere is fantastic. I love the pride flag on the door. Everything that came out of the oven was amazing, including even a cauliflower crust pizza! read more

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We came here for dinner, having never been here before. We had an excellent time! The bartender and waitress were fun and engaging. Excellent cocktails and bourbon selection. The food was fantastic, including the burgers and pizzas. The dessert was a highlight! S'mores skillet that you scoop out and put on graham crackers. So good we were giddy! Would definitely come here again if ever in the area. read more

eMbers Station - S'mores skillet dessert - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rensselaer, Indiana

Just say yes! My son and I decided to stop in as we were passing through town and needed lunch. This little place is beyond cute, the staff is so wonderful and the food is fantastic! My little guy has special needs, so eating out can be a challenge. That was absolutely not the case here. The staff made sure we had everything we needed and more. Everything about our experience was truly inclusive. I highly recommend the bruschetta and raspberry cheesecake! read more

eMbers Station - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rensselaer, Indiana

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We come north every year to pick blueberries. Last year we found this place for lunch after a morning of picking. And we enjoyed it so much that we had to return. Outside seating which was great after being in the berry fields! I got the peach pizza-delicious! And Pilsner beer; one of my friends had the house salad; fresh greens; again delicious. And one friend had the chicken panini with a Bloody Mary all decked out with tomato mozzarella cheese ball and cucumber. Service was great and she was very knowledgeable. See you again!! read more

Holy ambiance! I love everything about the esthetic of this restaurant. The tunage is stellar, I feel like a 20 year old again just walking in (in the best way) meaning the vibe is just so cool, truly. Also, the beer cheese and pretzels is insane. Typically cheese is muted when melted, this has such a pop of flavor once it hits your lips. Topped it off with a s'mores skillet which is never a bad decision. Also, the people are so nice! They ran out of my husbands beer while pouring it, gave us the half glass then a free full beer of his choice. Stellar folks. You know what that means- they will continue to be successful. Top notch! read more

The food is awesome, the environment is spectacular, and the people are amazing!! Stay awhile and enjoy the wonderful drink selection!

eMbers Station is a great little gem tucked away in Rensselaer, Indiana! We found this place because it's about halfway between us and the in-laws. The restaurant is a converted auto garage and they kept a lot of the little details which makes it super unique. The food is good. However, the star of eMbers is the drink menu, service, and ambiance. The staff were absolutely fantastic. The pretzel boats were the star of the menu. They come loaded with sauce, cheese and pepperoni and too much queso for dipping, which is a crazy thing to say. I've never returned extra queso but I physically ran out of pretzel to dip (I did spoon a little directly into my mouth to be fully transparent). The pizzas and nachos were good. Highly recommend if driving through the area and need a stop for a quick bite and drink! read more

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When I first heard about the Rensselaer Art Walk (#renartwlk), I saw an article about a bar/restaurant/event center that had opened in the last couple years whose owners were trying to make a difference in revitalizing downtown Rensselaer. When I finally arrived after a bunch of stops along the way, I was greeted by this husband and wife team and welcomed. Because it was mid afternoon, I was able to chat with them about their business and involvement in bringing a cool event center and meeting place to the downtown. First, let me say that I ordered the Spicy Italian Beef which comes with a dipping sauce that brings a bit of heat and lots of flavor to the sandwich. The sauce container is a little small for dipping, but I was able to drizzle a bit over the sandwich before each bite to keep it from getting soggy. Nice ratio of meat/ingredients to bun. And the melted cheeses make for a great sandwich. I upgraded from the standard kettle fries to some grilled veggies (spiced Brussels Sprouts). The site has a large patio with a huge mural (see review for "Take Flight") and room for performances and corn hole. You know, things to do while enjoying a beverage and when you feel like a party. Inside, the bar and restaurant are entered via the patio. It's a little dark inside where you can see the glow of the wood fire oven and another mural inside of large gears. There is also a sun room with lots of live plants if you feel like staying indoors but seeing the patio. Next to the bar is an event center that the couple renovated first and it looks great! It has its own bar at the back of the space and rows of tables for guests. The ceiling is made with stamped tin. Very cool looking. Overall, I enjoyed my food and my visit learning about the art walk before actually going out to see the murals. Note that the location of this restaurant is great if you want to wander over to see the river and nearby parks that form the west end of downtown. Seems like a winner to me! Review #3030 read more

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Charming is a word that came to mind once I walked down the street to pick up my dinner at eMbers Station. The bistro is small in stature, with a patio placed in the front of the lot. The real gem within this place is its menu, which is packed full of mouth watering apps, sandwiches, burgers (meat and meatless), personal pizzas, and more! The spicy Italian beef hit the spot, and I have to give some recognition to the nacho plate they have as well. Too great to pass up on. Also, if you're looking for some drinks to pair with your meal, they also have a lot of local craft beers for purchase as well in 4-6 packs. Not to mention, fifths of liquors too! Never have I seen a takeout menu where you have the ability to purchase that too. All your weekend shopping can be done at eMbers! The food that is served here is their shining grace, and it is shown with pride under some ridiculous order names. (Dude, Your Sister is Hot? Who came up with that for a Buffalo chicken sandwich?) From a guy who touched down from a huge foodie city, I can't help but admire a restaurant as witty and high quality as eMbers Station. Would love to come back to try more dishes. Indoor dining here also looks like a treat, since they often have live music performances. I think it's a great place to eat for any occasion. A friendly dinner, a date, family gathering, you name it, this is one of those feel good places to grab a bite and relax. read more

I don't even know how to summarize how horrible the service was. Bad isn't enough. I counted no less than 11 people, at least 4 in the dining room/bar. 15 minutes before anyone of them acknowledged us. Maybe shift change at 515/530 on a Friday? Not sure, but if I thought I could go somewhere else I would have. 15 more minutes before they fumbled through who was taking care of us and we got a menu and an order in. When we'd flag the server down she'd bring one of the two of us a drink, leaving all the dishes. At one point we start stacking them on an empty chair. Every other person would walk by and not grab an empty glass. For a restaurant that has a single open oven everything going through, the attentive service tableside with the wait from order to plated is critical. Your server handily blew it. Hey eMbers just because you one of two places in town doesn't mean crappy service is the patrons problem. The food was good atmosphere pretty cool, but I left feeling like I could have used my $80 as kindling and gotten McDs. read more

Had the pizza - delicious! The service was top-notch and we sat outdoors on the covered porch. Just enough lighting, and the music was not too loud. read more

This place is in credible it is worth the drive! They cook everything out of a fire pit inside the wall. The staff is awesome, They have a wide drink selection, Quality food, unique dishes, & a Beautiful atmosphere read more

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Came in in July of 2021 and had a much better food experience. Got a veggie burger and roasted vegetable which were both great. The burger patty was too big and threw off the taste (I cut it lengthwise and took home the other half which made it perfect), but was otherwise very good. Service was friendly but very slow- our food took awhile and came out after other orders and we had to flag down our server several times to get attention. But I understand it's not easy to find staff currently and she could have just been short staffed that night. Outside dining was very nice, too and much more pleasant than sitting inside. Dang Midwesterners need to turn down the A/C! :-) read more

This was a hidden gem we found in Rensselaer Indiana. Well worth searching it out. The food was excellent. The service was great and the staff was very friendly. Everything came on in the Woodfire oven. And the bartender made a specialty cocktail that was delicious. read more

Talk about a great contemporary setting! Embers serves a truly unique menu and offers inside and heated outside dining. The beer selection is extensive and the customer service was fair for such a busy evening crowd. If you haven't visited Embers Station at least once, you don't know what your missing. I recommend the "Dude, your sister's hot!" flatbread pizza. And the S'mores dessert is out of this world. You won't be disappointed. read more

Very nice atmosphere. I love the outdoor areas. The meat and cheese appetizer was very good. I had the Margarita flat bread. It was good but I think the balsamic was a little overwhelming. I really wanting a brick oven pizza but did not see it on the menu. My daughter had the veggie burger that she really enjoyed and my husband had a salad with chicken that he polished off, which was unusual so it must have been good. read more

Enjoyed another amazing evening at eMbers Station! Festive, delicious and awesome service! Try the winter Brie, you won't be disappointed. Looking forward to spending New Years Eve here! read more

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Food, service and atmosphere were all great. The salad was very nice but the salmon on top was exceptional. Not a family place apparently as no one under 21 is allowed (state law) but for two of us it was well worth the 3 or 4 mile detour off the interstate, especially if you're staying nearby. After dinner take a walk around town and check out the murals. read more

Rocking wood fired oven pizza. Jazzy wood fired oven wings with home made sauce. Hey they got the experiwingmental ghostpepper based sauce that had wonderous flavour, i.e. it wasn't just hot. Played real vinyl albums for us on their record player, sweet! We shall return. read more

Embers is THE place to be in Rensselaer. Talk about an authentic and extraordinary whiskey bar! With all their food being cooked using a wood burning oven next to an open flame, you can't get much better than this. Truly, a pure diamond in the "corn-for-miles-land" rough. If Ryan's working the bar, you're in even more luck, his drinks can't be beat! read more

First, let's review what I ordered. Spicy Italian Beef with chips. Ok, I am from Chicago and I love a good beef sandwich. This one is good and I would consider getting it again. The reason I am being a little ambiguous is that it was not the sandwich I was expecting. If you are going in looking for a classic Italian Beef, you won't get it. I was and was surprised. The menu states it is spicy and the sandwich was. It honestly tasted like the beef was cooked in pepperonchini peppers. While it was good, it was a bit over the top for me right then. It was very good though. And now that I know what it is like, I will most likely have it again. If you have problems with hot, stay away. Margarita Pizza. One word, WOW! A lot of work went into something so simple. They crust is hand worked. The sauce is obviously made in house and the basil, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes are on part with what I would expect dirt this pizza. Although, I would prefer vine ripened tomatoes, it might be hard given the time of year and location. The pizza is baked in the wood fired oven and baked to perfection. I was warned that some chatting could occur and frankly, I was expecting it. While the pizza looked and tasted perfect, I was hoping for a little imperfection because I kinda like the charring. It adds flavor. I am going to ask for the next pie to bed cooked just a bit longer and see what happens. I know what the place was before the restaurant calme in. I got tires, oil and some work done to my car in the bay where I was sitting. The industrial atmosphere works. I see room for improvement outside on the patio, but I am sure that will happen in time. Let me end by saying 2 things about eMbers Station. 1- it is a much needed asset to Rensselaer. It and a few other businesses bring the city from a county seat with a Walmart to a place where I would go for a nice evening with friends. 2 - I can go just about anywhere for a good meal. I will be back and I think I can safely say I plan on becoming a regular. 5 Stars. They are now theirs to lose and if I see them slipping, I will be updating my review. I don't see Yelp as a place to beat a establishment up. It is a way of celebrating great work and encouraging people to do better. I am looking forward to exploring the rest of the pizza offerings. read more

eMbers Station - Spicy Italian Beef with chips. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rensselaer, Indiana

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Fantastic food and drinks. Veggie burgers? Yes please! Music selection? Outstanding. I could sit outside all day if I had the time. The service is second to none. Just go here, you will love it. read more

This was a great drive through headed home and had an awesome healthy pear salad. Looks like an awesome bar with a ton of options. The top of the menu was spot on a brick oven pizza fully loaded with a great amount of cheese. They did it right! The decorations are industrial and very cool! Clean and nice establishment, far with my order. An all around A+ read more

If this place was in Chicago it would be jammed packed every night. If I lived in Rensselaer I'd be here once a week. The food (American fare) is delicious. The service is efficient. Atmosphere is outstanding along with an inviting patio during the warmer months. The owners are very warm and welcoming to any and all individuals who cross their threshold. Oh, and live music sometimes? Awesome. read more

eMbers Station - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rensselaer, Indiana

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Very attentive staff. Loads of great helpful information regarding beer & spirits.... Cool atmosphere... A need to stop when in town. As a huge pizza lover just fell short. But I am hard to please in pizza category. Wish them well read more

Driving north from Kentucky and stopped for lunch. Fantastic food but even better place for great drinks! Whiskey, tequila, rums and vodkas! State champion bartender. Wonderful outside seating...perfect for our dog! Get the stuffed pretzels...delicious. read more

This place is adorable! Definitely not what you'd expect to find in Rensselaer. Excellent service! The menu is creative and different. I had the Brussel sprout salad- it was very good! My son had cheese pizza and loved it. If I lived near here- I'd be a regular. They have a full bar with a fun drink menu. If you're around here... stop in. The outdoor seating is the best! Plus... they take care of a stray cat. read more

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Nice set up good outdoor sitting. Ordered the pizza and the wings. Pizza was average at best. The sausage was the processed little sausage pieces little sausage pieces they should go to real Italian sausage. The dough was not very flavourful and and could have been cooked cooked a little bit longer. I wouldn't order the pizza again I'm asking they made changes. The wings look to be underdone And did not have very much flavor. The wing sauces were satisfactory. If they could elevate their recipes and make more flavor full food this could be a good place. read more

Pleasant staff and delicious food. My wife and I shared an appetizer and a pizza and it was plenty for us. Beer cheese was fantastic and the pretzels were also wonderful. The atmosphere is nice and relaxed. Music isn't too loud. Everything was great. I highly recommend this place. We will be back. read more

We only stopped here for a few drinks. Great place. Very authentic. I had a Manhattan and it was extremely tasty. The service was perfect. The ambiance was great, very laid back and "chill." I hope I can get back here again soon. read more