Annual cousins holiday gift exchange was hosted at Lava Lounge! Professional and friendly welcome from security who open the door for me and immediately invited me in from the cold to check my ID (21+). The waitress was nice and thorough, assisting me with recommended cocktails by inquiring about my preferred liquor. They do not sell fancy drinks (e.g., Chocolate or Dirty Martinis). I was the first one there from my party so I really enjoyed the personalized service. As the lounge got busy some of the the cousins felt the service was delayed. One mentioning their food was cold so the waitress took it back to the kitchen and immediately brought back a microwaved heated plate. The Southern Shrimp and Grits was definitely my favorite! The cremini mushroom sauce was a show stopper! I also enjoyed the Tequila Sunrise, I upgraded to Casamigos;). It's Broad ripple so parking is always at a minimal and never convenient. It was Sunday so street parking was free. I decided to park 2 blocks away and walk it to get my steps in after unsuccessfully circling the block to find closer parking by the lounge. read more

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Gross to hear from IndyStar that your establishment painted over the memorial mural of someone who was loved and contributed to the community. And didn't even notify ANYONE about it, or gave a head's up. Tactless. No statement to defend yourself either? Because you can't. I'm usually not one to leave any reviews--let alone bad ones--to a resturant based on something not food or service related, but this really rubbed me the wrong way. And it DOES have to do with your business, and who I decide to spend my dollars supporting locally. It certainly won't be you. Not anymore.* *I was never wowed by this hookah bar or it's food when I'd go. It's been over a decade since my last visit and this just gave me more reason to abandon this establishment. read more

Not the best communication between managers and staff when it comes to reservations but nonetheless, the girls and I had a great time! Our server, Day was attentive and took great care of us! The Check-In, 25% off discount is no longer valid so that should be removed but our food was delicious and my friends enjoyed the pineapple mint flavor! They made sure everyone is properly spaced out as well. Will definitely be back! read more

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Had the pleasure to support my musical gifted and talented Familia and enjoy the positive vibe here at The Lava. The manager/ owner was very personable and definitely makes sure that the atmosphere is non toxic and safe. A special thank you to Ms. Brittany for making sure my Strawberry Sprite and my meal was on point, hot, and prepared to my satisfaction. Salute read more

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I am super disappointed in this place. I tried to reserve a table a week in advance and I never could get through on the phones. Not to mention the website they "have" is not even the right website. After being turned away upon arriving, due to not having a reservation, I do not think I will ever return to this place. When we walked in, the waitress basically told us it is invite only. Really interesting how the only people who were invited were one race. This is not a diverse establishment whatsoever. Truly upset by this, especially as a Latina who was simply looking to celebrate with friends. Definitely consider before coming here. read more

We went back to Lava on a quiet Saturday afternoon and it was really nice! Their desserts are delicious and they even turned on the Ohio State game for us! read more

Lava - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Lava used to be my go-spot for years, until the service started getting poor and food quality changed. Because of that, I hadn't come in for a couple of years until a few weeks ago. We were with a large party (15 or so) and everyone was standing up, switching seats, dancing, so I understand it was probably very chaotic for the servers. There were a lot of hookahs going around, food orders, drink orders, etc. When my friend left early he paid for a portion of the bill, $100 or so. At the end of the night, the server added those same items (that had already been paid for) to the new bill and essentially double charged everyone. Everyone paid the bill, not knowing at the time that those items shouldn't have been listed. I don't know if it was intentional or an honest mistake. Saturday nights are fun because of the DJ and I presume that large groups are common, so they need to figure out a better system. read more

Very poor service, for starters we were not greeted at all. The place was pretty empty.Once we were offered a table, the waitress asked how are checks were going to be split.Once we ordered our drinks which were honestly pretty good we were told there would be a drink minimum of $250 for 3-4 people lol for hookah and a limited menu items. The waitress seemed very annoyed and impatient. My boyfriend and I would not likely spend 40$ a piece. I think that's something that should be said at the beginning of the waitress /hostess responsibilities. It just not making a lot of sense to me. The bottle service was shoved our way to assist in bringing down the 250$ minimum. I'm sorry I don't think that's a standard price and the waitress could not keep the lie straight in my opinion. read more

Okay, Lava. I will say that for the last three years I've been giving you a very bad rap. But my visit 3 weeks ago changes my mind. I won't get into why you got a bad rep for me in the first place. My girlfriend from Detroit was in town and had a simple request: "Please take me to a place with the music and strong drinks". I added the hookah part as I knew I wanted to relax and she needed to two. I initially thought about Lava. I hoped that getting in would not be a problem on a Friday night. We decided to go around 7:00pm and it definitely was not an issue to get past the bouncer )who has electronic license scanner by the way) and then get seated at a booth. We had really good strong drinks and shots. The server was beyond nice and very attentive. And I must say the hookah here was strong and on point all night long. More so than I've ever experienced at the Egyptian Room! Of course the room didn't really start to fill up and get a very party vibe until around 9:00 p.m. but this gave us time to talk and enjoy each other. Then around 9:00 pm we got to great music, mainly R&B and trap. We left around 11:00pm ish feeling good and having a good time. I definitely will try again using the same method of coming a little earlier to claim a spot and I'm staying majority of the night. I probably would have avoid this place on Saturdays as I've always seen a line outside the door to get in. It also depends on what kind of hookah feel you're looking for. Lava is the party spot with a party feel and loud music. If you're looking for something mellow but a little bit of the same type of music, Egyptian Room is up the street. Lava, I appreciate you and I look forward to doing business with you in the future. read more

We went to Lava because they had a 20% coupon for checking into their location. The owner argued with us that it was a scam and an old employee hacked the Yelp page and the coupon was not valid. In my opinion if he is the owner he should know how to remove the coupon. Aside from that the hookah was decent and food was ok. Music was good though and our waitress took care of us. read more

I came to try to get a drink, I was with a group of ppl they were in ripple hrs before us n we left them and came back 2/5 ... just left the fair wasn't drunk n was definitely legal and had ID the door man was rude and 100% unfair. Only been in here once and that Jsut was the worst experience ever had previous tickets , wouldn't even look at my iD . It was the fact he let everyone else in didn't check bags of anyone that came to the door after us and lied and said they was at capacity on a wensday which was a lie .' I understand trying to single out the drunk people to avoid unnecessary situations but to be judgemental is terrible service! I'm very upset 10/10 will not return . Peace and Blessings ( bald door man ) read more

First trying hookah!!!! And I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this place. Hookah was a new experience and I most likely would try it again! However, because I am not a smoker... I could care less about smoking, I would come to hang out enjoy some food and drinks and observe the others smoke! Service was pretty good, not the quicker, but I'm easy to please! Our server recommended the playboy flavor... Eeeeh, I wasn't too thrilled with it. It didn't have a flavor I could distinguish nor was it memorable. Maybe well try a fruit flavor next time. They also provide each person with their own mouth piece for the hookah, that way you don't have to share saliva! The piece just pops into the pipe piece and is removed each time it's handed to someone else.. Then that person inserts their own piece! Overall great experience! I would totally recommend this place!! Fun social get together kind of place!!! read more

Lava - Trying out playboy! - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Is anybody else hot??? One-word review: Wow. Lava turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. I was hesitant to go in since I'm not a smoker and try to avoid tobacco products as much as possible. While this is definitely a smoke-filled atmosphere, it's neither unpleasant nor unbearable. The cigarette smokers are still relegated to the out-of-doors, so rest easy in that regard. I didn't get to sample any of the food, but my friend's looked delicious as did our neighbor's. The space is large and welcoming with oh-so-sexy vibe. This world work great for date night or for a good sized group outing. I even ran into someone who I'm hoping to return there with ;-) I'll definitely be returning to Lava. P.S.: Try the hot tea with mint; you won't be sorry! (P.P.S.: I'll let you know how date night goes.) read more

This lounge was exceptionally unexceptional. We were going to go to another lounge near by but the decor and appearance outside made us check this place out. My party was ID'd at the bar and then told to find any seat we would like. after grabbing a booth and awkardly sitting and chatting for about 15 mins the waitress came by and asked if we had decided yet w.o getting any menus. They had a nice and extensive drink menu but their Hash selection was iffy at best on a terribly laid out "menu" Pros- nice environment, Person who plays music has a great phone playlist. Cons - eh service, no interesting/outstanding flavors available. PS. evidently the promo on yelp no longer works. read more

Stopped in here on St. Patty's day. The ambiance in this place is ON POINT! Comfy chairs, huge ottomans and great decor bring the class factor up a notch for a B-Rip establishment. Hookah is a fair price, and a great selection is available. Just make sure you've already got your buzz going, because LAVA doesn't get its liquor license until mid-April. Me and my friends will definitely be back once it can serve a few cold ones! All in all: the look and feel of this place makes it worth a visit, liquor license or not! read more

Lava - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Had I written this review six months ago it would have been the easiest five-star review to give...however things have recently changed with this establishment and not in a good way. I have been visiting Lava for over the past 4 years on a consistent basis. Many times twice in one week. I knew the employees by name and would always recommend Lava to anyone who was interested in a great hangout in Broad Ripple. I would come during the day when the place was empty just to get work done and enjoy some good hookah. Lastly, for the past three years I have chosen Lava as the first stop to celebrate my birthday. However, I recently visited on a Saturday evening with a friend and was greeted at the door by a "body guard" with a poor attitude and $5 cover charge...I know, I know, it's only $5. Having a cover charge is not an issue as long as what I experience after I pay you that cover charge is fully worth it. Lava is a hookah lounge not a club so what is the cover charge for? Do not get me wrong, I love the atmosphere and that I can seat-dance with the best of the them but seeing this new cover charge was definitely jarring. On top of the cover they are charging to use the hose! Yes, the hose to smoke the hookah, at the hookah lounge. To top it all off the hookah was weak and underwhelming, the menus were torn and sticky and the overall establishment is starting to look worn down. The most frustrating part of all of this is that I love this place and have seen them provide a much better customer experience. I am not sure what has changed in the past six months or so but I would strongly encourage them to reevaluate their vision and get back on to track to being one the best stops in Broad Ripple. read more

Lava - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Theres a lot of controversial opinions right now on whether or not Hookah is really bad for you. At LAVA, they pay no attention to those nagging studies. Come in, show your ID, check in on Yelp (to get a discount), order your Hookah, and smoke for hours. This isn't like smoking Hookah at home, so don't be turned away by the price tag. They pack the bowl full of quality sheesha and will bring you fresh coals about every 20 minutes. The combo of those two services will literally allow you to smoke one hookah (or share with multiple people) for at least an hour. On the weekends they have decent beer specials, but they do only serve beer and wine. I can't speak for the food, but I hear the hummus is specatcular, which seems logical given that its a mediteranian establishment. If you haven't been, give it a try. Even if you don't like hookah, its a new, fun environment. read more

Lava - Chicken shawarma wrap - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Will never go here by choice again! We went on a Saturday night, which was packed. We were told it would be about a 30 minute wait for our party of 3. We decided to stay and wait in line. Upon reaching the front of the line after AN HOUR, only for the security guard to be EXTREMELY rude to us. He made a huge deal about us being behind this line that NO ONE had been behind the entire time we were waiting in line. So we decided to just leave after him talking to us like that. A friend that already had admittance came after us once we were already outside and said he had a little area at the bar and was going to be sat and we could wait there with him, so we decided to go back in. As the guy was telling the security guard we were with him, the guard said we were not just allowed to stand with him at this spot at the bar. In all honesty it was embarrassing to be talked to like that in front of a large group, not just once, but TWICE. We decided to leave all together after that. When we first walked in the music was pretty good, but then after awhile they completely changed the style of music for quite some time, so that was a little disappointing. I would like to think this would not happen again if I decided to visit again, but honestly not wanting to go through the same thing with the security guard, and honestly don't want to give my money to a business that would allow their workers to treat their paying customers like that. read more

Fights inside that spill into the streets... not ideal. They don't seem to be organized enough to safely host parties.

Chicken kababs fucking slap. Nothing like grabbing a few millers and ripping hookah. 10/10

It's was our last ditch effort to have some fun for my friends birthday AND WE HIT THE JACKPOT!!! We were greeted as soon as we walked in. We attempted to find our own table but it was packed. The server found one for us and made sure it was cleaned. The wait staff & manager suggested the best hookah. Our food order was taken quickly & the food arrived hot & ready to eat! The atmosphere was wild and crazy. We had so much fun dancing and watching others dance. I'd definitely go back! read more

Lava - Fried mushrooms & bbq chicken wings - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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I have been a frequent visitor of this place. Visited the place yesterday(Saturday night) and felt the standard of their hookah has depreciated a little. Good food though. Ordered their hummus with pita bread, extremely satisfying to the palette. Loved their falafel platter as well. Their vegetarian options are good enough for a hookah bar. This place has music for every kind of listener but is earsplitting. The music starts to feel like a defeaning sound after a while. They have good ambience, good lively crowd and good enough service here. read more

I came here on a Thursday hoping it would be a cool spot to get some studying done. It wasn't! They have big tvs and were playing some random tv show really loud instead of chill music like I was expecting. The food was super average compared to, like, anywhere else. They charge for the disposable hose on the hookah which is 1) wasteful, 2) less enjoyable to smoke from, and 3) a separate charge. Might have to try another time but this time was unfortunate. Except the server, she was really sweet and attentive. read more

Went on a quite afternoon after brunching with my girls. We just wanted a little snack and some hummus and fries. The food was delicious exactly what I wanted. Definitely will return. read more

Lava - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I haven't been to Lava in a while and that's primarily because I never felt the need to come back. Last night, I went to Lava as part two to my friend's birthday bash. The wait was about 10 mins so not terrible at all. It was Friday night, so it's busy. The service isn't great- very here and there. It was hard for us to put our order in. We also had to ask for more coals instead of them coming around to swap them out. The hookah is overpriced and didn't hit well. I loved the flavor options tho. The saving grace was the music. They played some good songs and everyone was up dancing. That part was really fun! It's not a DJ but it's someone on their phone, choosing songs. They take requests! Honestly, I've had better and only came for my friend. I wouldn't come back on my own. read more

Terrible service. I came to this restaurant a couple of years ago and things were much nicer. They now charge a cover at the door (even when there is no party going on) AND they add an automatic 18% gratuity to your bill. This, of course, leaves no incentive to provide you with good treatment and friendly service. Our food was not warm, and was pretty average as far as taste. I believe the quality of service changed once they saw the demographic of their clientele change. As other places have done in Broad Ripple, the more Black people start to patronize an establishment, the worse the treatment becomes and the more rules appear. We would have tipped over 18% for an inviting atmosphere and welcoming staff. Steer clear. read more

Took my family there for father's day. We wanted to order appetizers and they didn't have four of them. Placed our order and when they brought our food out it was 3 out of 4. So I asked the server that how long will take them to bring my husband's food and she said 10 minutes. Really? usually you bring all the food out together. So I waited until they bring his food, guess what, they messed up his kabob and after 15 minutes they brought another kind of kabob for him. My salad had no dressing even though that I said what kind I wanted. We won't go there anymore. It's so sad that they couldn't get a simple order correct. If you serve kabobs and can't make it right then just take it out of your menu. A Middle Eastern place can't get kabob right? read more

The food was good, but the service was slow and lacking. The lentil soup and wings are good. The hookah was good but they were slow to replace the coals. There is a lot of potential in this place but there was significant room for improvement. read more

The worse thing is to order food in this place at weekends! The size of the meal shrank in a wired way! The Coke was almost like drinking water, it has no taste! This was unpleasant dinner excpierance. read more

Lava - The worse thing is to order food in this place at weekends! The size of the meal shrank in a wired way!Coke was like drinking water! - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

We came to Lava for the first time for a friends birthday on a Saturday night. I've never heard of this place, don't regularly smoke, and was not a fan of waiting outside for 30 minutes to get in....BUT so glad I did. The ambiance, music, and multi-cultural atmosphere was so energetic and such great vibes. The flavors of the hookah we're tasty and the servers were super friendly. If you like to people watch this is your place! read more

Cairo Cafe was my spot for hookah until it completely went downhill. After going around and around finally LAVA opened up. I believe its owned or at least its managed by a lot of the Egyptian Cafe guys. Service is not its strongest suit, but for sure the hookah quality is way better than all the other hookah cafes in town. The fact that its right in the middle of Broad Ripple make it a great alternative to a night of drinking. Hookah : 5/5 (their signature flavor Lava Lava is the way to go!, in the pineapple bowl!) Location: 5/5 Service: 2/5 read more

I swear I've reviewed this place before. Guess not. For the sake of you reading this. I've been coming to LAVA for the last 2 years or so and rated this place a 4/5. The reason it is now a 2 is because of the decline in quality, and value. For the longest time, my girlfriend and I have made this our go-to place for late night munchies after a night in Broadripple. We would order the Appetizer Platter and the Gyro Platter. They would come with heaping amounts of delicious things for relatively low price of around $12 each. Now, we noticed the prices are $15 and $16 and you get less than half of what you normally got. So disappointing to remember this place as amazing only to get a paltry amount of food for high prices. I'd say this place is trying to make itself pricier than Canal Bistro but without the ambiance or quality of Canal Bistro. I really hope management or the owners read this and understand that the value is no longer there if the price continues to be the same. Either increase the portion amounts back to the generous servings, or drop the price lower than what they were 2 years ago. I've lost my motivation to come here late night. read more

This used to be one of my favorite places to go throughout the week. The last five or six times I've gone have been really underwhelming. They replaced the hoses on the hookah with thin, plastic hoses. Every hookah flavor I've had the last few times have tasted the same: bland. The last three times I ordered my favorite meal, a Chicken Shawarma wrap, it has been dry. I continued to visit because, as an old favorite place of mine, I hoped each of these visits was just an off night. I think I'm done giving chances now. read more

We came here after having dinner. Nice ambience, definitely busy on a weekend. We had to wait but that was okay! Nice comfy chairs! Table was a little small, but that was okay. Though there is smoking in this establishment (duh) its not unpleasant. Also, anyone still needing their cigarette fix still has to go outside. Beverages are good! Food looked good, but I didn't have the opportunity to try as we had just left 10-01. Upon watching others, I also saw that hookahs also have the option of putting a fruit on top. Pineapple, apple, orange... I believe they were all options. read more

I see why their are no check in regulars here. I arrived late to a party of 13. I asked about a server, they said they had been waiting about 20 minutes and no one had made it to table. I go up to the bar and I'm told they can't make drinks, it's gotta be ordered from a server. 10 minutes later he shows back up. I order, he comes back 10 minutes later again:... and of course wrong drink. This place sucks. It gets two stars for awesome decor. read more

Got to smoke hookah and got a decent burger and turkish coffee with baklava for 30 bucks Not a bad deal Next time will try the gyro I would give it more stars but I would expect nackla double apple to be available at a hookah bar Otherwise the atmosphere and the staff is good. You won't be blown away but it's something different to consider. read more

My first experience at Lava - POOR! My one gyro and fries took 50 minutes. She also said that she couldn't serve a glass of water after 7pm and that we needed to pay for bottled water then immediately gave her other customers (Lava regulars) glasses of water. Hmm.... Regarding our food, she said it wasn't her fault, the ticket never printed. I'm assuming she needed a reminder to check on it as well. Then while I was still half way through eating my meal, she asked us how long we were going to be there because she had regulars that needed the table. read more

This is my go to spot for hookah! I love the atmosphere and always experience top notch customer service! Their food is also amazing. read more

Lava - Rollin wit da homies Memorial Day weekend! - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The food was delicious. The service was great. Went there on a Monday night, was a slow night for them, not sure why it would take them over 35 minutes to prepare 2 meals. If you're not starving and have time to wait for your food, then I would recommend going there. read more

Lava - Plate Shawarma - Hookah Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Came in. Hostess was rude. Waitress was not very knowledgeable about all the flavors and felt rushed to order. Once ordered, the wait was short but we did not receive what we ordered. When we brought this up to the server, he dropped it off and left without even acknowledging that we informed him that we had ordered a pineapple bowl that was not with our order. When smoking the hookah, the hookah was weak. Felt like they barely packed the bowl, and could barely taste the flavor. And it tasted extremely cheap for the price they wanted. Additionally, we ordered water, was informed they only do bottle water. However, the water never came to the table. Lastly the environment was loud and felt more like a dance club rather then a chill place to smoke hookah and socialize. Stayed for 10 minutes and left. Would not recommend anyone to go to Lava. Price does not equal what service you'd expect for that price. read more