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    John's Famous Stew

    3.9 (166 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Dive Bars
    Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

    John's Famous Stew Photos

    Business Info

    JOHN'S FAMOUS STEW ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - John's Famous Stew

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    Pork Giant Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich
    Deanna N.

    I did a pick up order from this location. There was a $1.00 Take Out fee. I read it was a must to get a pork tenderloin sandwich from Indiana and saw this place recommended online. When I came to pick up my item I thought I was in the wrong place. It looks like a warehouse no one uses anymore, but once you turn into the parking lot the lot is full. There is free parking and a large parking lot. When I went inside the restaurant was already busy at 11:30AM. I saw everyone with stew dining inside. If I am ever back I'd like to try that. My tenderloin breaded sandwich was huge!! You can easily feed 2-3 people with 1. I couldn't even take a full bite because the sandwich was so big. It was $9.99 and came with a size of fries. Everything was shockingly affordable. The sandwich and fries were great. I also ordered a carrot cake and it was phenomenal. Next time I'd like to eat inside and have it fresh. Service was great! There's a bar to pick up to go order or dine at and additional tables for indoor seating.

    Great place, feels like a home cooked meal and the staff are awesome. Looking forward to running through the menu!

    John Famous Tenderloin Supreme
    Kyle S.

    Just look at the picture. Do I need to say anything? I got a huge tenderloin smothered in spicy beef stew. It's absolutely incredible. I've had the stew and mash, and some other sandwiches, it's all good. This cost I think 13.50. In the winter I go once every other week. Great service. Local hole in the wall vibe. I recommend 2 people split a spicy tenderloin deluxe and a stew and mash. There will probably be leftovers.

    John's Famous Stew
    Jim C.

    It's getting to be Fall, so thought stew sounded good. Headed to the Southwest Side to John's Famous Stew. I haven't been there in years ... so many so that if I told you, I'd date myself. We ordered the Giant Breaded Tenderloin for $9.99. The menu said "this tenderloin is so big it fills up the plate." And boy is that a true statement! It came with fries, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion and mayo ... all on the side. We also ordered John's Famous Stew for $11.99 with added garden vegetables, for an additional $1.59. We requested it medium heat, and it had a kick. If you don't like spicy heat, get the mild. We were told the hot was very hot. The stew was very good. It was hearty and filling. The vegetables (potatoes, butter beans and carrots) had great flavor. As mentioned, the medium heat level was spicy. The beef was fork tender and literally fell apart. Just wish there'd been more meat. The tenderloin sandwich was very good. It was huge and not wafer thin like some other large tenderloins at different establishments. The fries were very good as well. Service was very good. Our server was friendly and attentive. The food was served promptly on a Saturday afternoon at 1pm. Portion sizes are large, well worth the money! If it's cold weather or you're craving stew or chili, I'd recommend a stop at John's Famous Stew. It's well worth the trip to the Southwest Side!

    Best tenderloin sandwich!
    Jennifer S.

    Finally! My husband has been in search of his childhood memory of the giant tenderloin sandwich for years, we finally found it!! He has been disappointed by soggy, flavorless sandwiches during our search. However, John's Famous Stew tenderloin hits all the right notes:) Number one it is HUGE, important but not the only note! It was crisp and flavorful as well. I forgot to mention the price, also a throwback of 12.00! WOW!! The restaurant was off the beaten path and a throwback to the pub/bar vibe. It was a super clean place and very friendly staff! If you too are in search of a memorable tenderloin definitely stop by!

    Giant Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich Stew Gravy
    Jordan P.

    Wow! I had the job of finding a flavorful, great-reviewed breaded pork tenderloin sandwich coming from Chicago and on our way down to Nashville. I thought Indianapolis is known for breaded pork, but it felt so tough finding a place with good, consistent, and recent reviews. Hidden in the shadows of Lucas stadium... John's. My family and I were totally blown away. We got a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, onion rings, and a cup of medium stew. My parents are so picky and LOVED everything, especially the sandwich and the stew! Apparently the stew comes in mild medium and hot, I asked for what was recommended and medium was great, not a ton of spice just flavor! I have to admit... the place looks rough from the outside. Plus, there was no one there! We were shocked by no crowd with how amazing this food was. Called in our order, ready in 15 minutes and seriously, just SO good. We are thinking about coming on our way back up!

    Grilled Cajun chicken sandwich
    Jim J.

    We have eaten at John's famous stew for years. It was always our go to place for lunch. But we haven't been here for about four years. My usual was a tenderloin supreme with hot stew. The wife and I went there yesterday for lunch. We were immediately greeted by very friendly and polite waitress, however, she was the only one working except Cook and they were pretty busy. My wife ordered the grilled Cajun chicken sandwich and I had my normal tenderloin supreme. It took a while, but when the food came out, my wife's Cajun chicken sandwich really didn't look appetizing and she said it was very dry and choked down. my hot stew tenderloin supreme however looked delicious and the stew did not disappoint. The stew really has a good kick to it so if you're not prepared for hot, you should order mild stew. on the other hand the tenderloin Tasted like it was fried in old oil. It was almost un-edible. I ended up leaving half of it behind. It wasn't even good enough to take home. I did enjoy the stew however we have removed John's famous stew from our dining list. I certainly wouldn't recommend this place since it's changed hands. I could only give it two stars. The first star was for the smiley, very polite waitress although our service was very slow. She was very apologetic and the second star is for the delicious stew.

    stew with beans
    Sigrid W.

    They're baaack, same great stew and options. Delicious year around. Savory thick, with big chunks of vegetables as well as meat. I opted for the medium heat level over mashed potatoes. Awesome. The bread they serve may be nothing spectacular, but it is perfect for sopping up the stew broth. The only downside was the cherry cobbler. My friend purchased one to go and it was incredibly small for the price and I was told it wasn't that tasty either. On the other hand I keep hearing how great their blackberry cobbler is... so I'm a little torn on that issue. Despite the size of this restaurant you get the hole in the wall feel here. Service is friendly and quite efficient. Private lot alongside the building for ease of parking.

    Receipt
    Rory G.

    John's Famous Stew (1146 Kentucky Ave., Indianapolis, IN) Stopped in for lunch today and had their breaded pork tenderloin (with mustard and jalapeños), fries, and goulash stew. The stew was good. I ordered a cup of goulash medium heat, but didn't really taste the spice in it. It tasted good on a cold day, though! The tenderloin was huge. I cut it in half, and folded half into a double-decker sandwich. It was still way larger than the bun. It is pretty thin, but tasted ok. It wasn't greasy or salty or anything like that. I took the other half home. The fries were just average. Overall, I'd say their breaded pork tenderloin is good, but I'd rather go back for their famous stew. I later noticed the BPT is listed as $9.99, but they charged me $11.99.

    Front cover of menu with brief history of John's Famous Stews.
    Ben T.

    I've reviewed John's Famous Stew before. We just took a nephew to try it out before he goes to Basic Training. He gobbled down his order. Others in our group of five had trouble getting thru half of their stew. To go boxes had to happen. John's definitely gives ample portions and is well worth the drive, time, and effort. Their server was very friendly and was very efficient. The venue is old, but rugged and has character. I like it because it's usually pretty quiet and not a cliche type of restaurant; not a chain. How anyone could rate this lower than a five is beyond me. TRY IT....!!

    RJ And J W.

    Had lunch today at John's. I got the beef Manhattan. Husband got the tenderloin with stew on top. Both meals were excellent. Served hot. Manhattan was literally piled high and covered the plate. Gravy was traditional and delicious. The tenderloin had a delicious breading. It was nice and crispy, and the stew was outstanding. The server was excellent. He immediately greeted us, and we waited no more than seven minutes for our food. He had such a great attitude and was super friendly. We've been going there for over 20 years and the service and quality of food has not changed. Absolutely delicious. It's always a treat to come here.

    Goulash stew!! Medium hot!
    Ken W.

    Great good old fashioned service. Enough for 2 meals. Nostalgic setting. Daily specials.

    Beef Manhattan
    Andrea Y.

    My dad frequented John's back in the 70s & 80s. Stopped in for a quick Saturday afternoon lunch and I got swept back to my childhood. The place has not changed! We enjoyed John's Hot Stew and a beef Manhattan. Two stick to your ribs, FLAVORFUL choices. Walked out for $24- 2 entrees and an appetizer. I won't wait 35 years until my next visit. Cravable!

    The Story of the Stew on front of menu. Long history of great stew.

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    The food is affordable and the servers are friendly. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a mom and pop kindve place.

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    1 year ago

    Food Is Great and the Staff are Awesome ! I felt like a regular as soon as I walked in.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - John's Famous Stew

    Are they open during the covid 19 hours?

    According to their website, they are open for carry out right now.

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    Workingman's Friend

    Workingman's Friend

    4.3
    (431 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Bring cash because they are cash only! This is a fabulous old Indiana dinner just west of downtown…read morewith a 1950's vibe. Vintage glass block walls, original Formica topped counters and menu boards over the bar carried me back in time. The place is authentic. The staff greeted us when we entered and reminded us they are cash only! The red vinyl chairs beckoned us to sit anywhere. We sat at the bar. Shelly, our server was friendly and attentive. I had the Fish Sandwich Special ($14) that came with fries and slaw. The breaded fish was hot! I loved the finely shredded lettuce and thin sliced onion and tomato. The sandwich was hard to eat because it was so big. The coleslaw was creamy and sweet. The fries were good. My husband had the Pork Tenderloin ($9) with fries. He put the tenderloin up on his "top five" list, which is quite an honor. The tenderloin was massive, moist with a perfectly seasoned breading. The brioche style roll was a nice touch. The small restrooms are vintage 1950, but clean. The parking lot is a bit uneven. The place fills up quickly, so get there early. And bring cash!

    I get why they do what they do but honestly it's super lame. Cash only, 2 kinds of beer on top bud…read moreand bud lite, and NO ONE UNDER 21. I'm from out of town so this was a one time stop even though I'm in Indy often. Fries average, service average, smash burger decent but is not sauced well so pretty dry. Ambience old and dusty but prices about right for what you get.

    Photos
    March 2026 prices.
    March 2026 prices.
    Onion Rings, Double Smash.
    Onion Rings, Double Smash.
    Bar area

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    Bar area

    John's Famous Stew - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

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