Ruth's is a must visit if you're in the area. We discovered it shortly before moving away and always seem to shift our plans when nearby to stop in! They are open for breakfast and lunch - note they close at 3pm so no late lunches - and they fill up fast at rush hours. The staff is friendly and the interior decor is distractingly fun! The clever signs all around the walls are for sale and the decorated chairs are a great talking piece. The food has always been delicious - no exceptions. The BrieLT and the Missile are personal favorites. I tend to want my sandwiches a little more...wet? Moist? Don't know how else to describe that....point is I ask for a little extra may on the side and I am set. Prices are reasonable and their coffee is delicious. Just go. You will be glad you did. read more

I didn't like the people who work here they rude and very slow L service they new manager

Food is amazing. Staff is wonderful. Atmosphere is so awesome. Our favorite place to eat breakfast or brunch.

I loved this place! Super cute and kitschy decor with a menu to match. I want to go back a few times and try some different things because on the day I went, I got the boringest thing I could find because my stomach was feeling uneasy. It was actually a really well done egg sandwich with pepperjack, bacon and tomato. My husband got the scramble of the day and it was delicious. The place was hopping, we were there at about 10a on a Sunday. Service was sweet and well paced. Coffee was good & the cup didn't get empty. Ruth's Keystone Cafe for the win! read more

I don't brunch often, but when I do, I brunch at Ruth's. --Because at Ruth's I get really good coffee in big cups. And they bring a cup to you if you have to wait (which is often, because this place is SO good -- ALSO, they are expanding into the spot next to them, so 3 cheers that we won't have to wait as long in the near future!) --Lefse that can't be found anywhere else that I know. --The best darn scrambles and eggs Benedict I've ever seen. Most recently, I enjoyed a scramble with spinach, pesto, goat cheese and mushrooms and my hubs enjoyed the crab cake Benedict. To quote him, "This is the best, most crabby crab cake I've ever had. It's almost all crab!' --Funky decor, on point servers, and a gracious owner. Ruth's is great for breakfast, brunch or lunch...I've not found anything on the menu I don't enjoy. read more

I am a sucker for all things Scandinavian. So, when I found out about this place serving lefse and Norwegian potato cakes, I was very enthused to get here as soon as possible. Between my pair of visits to Ruth's, I am saddened to say that my heart is broken. Indy still does not have anything Scandinavian, at least not worth eating. I am still praying, ironically, for a bloody IKEA! The service here is friendly, the space is jam packed full of cute kitsch. Many of the chairs are painted in themes such as the Beatles, the Colts, shamrocks, etc. Even the ceiling tiles are decorated. Cutesy and sarcastic "e-card" style sayings are posted everywhere on the walls. The service here is also very, very slow. I am never in a hurry when I am trying out an actual restaurant, as opposed to quick-service. This place, each time, brought me to the point of anxious, impatient glancing about to see if the next plates on the way out of the kitchen resembled anything close to what we ordered. As for those Norwegian staples, the lefse had been cooked tragically wrong. First time, just dense, salty and oily. Second, dried and tough shell with not a hint of butter. My wife, who loathes sending food back and prefers to just suck it up and eat it, sent her food back. The Traitor (Poached egg atop potato cakes) had a near-perfect texture. This potatoes, if a bit mushy to the point of losing form, had a great mouthfeel. No flavor, though. None at all. Add some seasoning to these cakes!! The eggs were perfectly cooked (though, also not really any flavor) read more

Summary: An absolute breakfast gem of the north side. I'm a huge fan of Patachou which is across the street, but Ruth's is always my first choice. Quirky decor, wonderful staff, amazing food...it feels like breakfast at home if mom made things like "Cheesecake Pancakes" and "Scandinavian Lefse". Food: It's hard to try something new because everything you try will become a favorite. My personal list-toppers: Cheesecake Pancakes (get a half order...it's so rich that you can split a half order with 4 people), Biscuits and Gravy (my favorite in the city, bar none), and the Chicken Salad Sandwich (fat pieces of chicken, grapes, and cashews...how chicken salad should be). Drink: Lots of tea choices and great coffee. No frills. Atmosphere: Quirky. Like...every serving plate, coffee mug, table, and chair are different. The Beatles table might be my favorite. When you're there, don't forget to read the hundreds of hilarious signs on the wall (you can buy them, too!) and look up at the homemade lighting. I love the drum-and-hi-hat-turned-chandelier. Very attentive staff. There will be a wait on the weekends, but you can call ahead if you're 5-10 minutes away. Free coffee while you wait. I would not be surprised if they relocate to a larger restaurant soon. People love it and they get tons of traffic. They've already expanded once, so it could happen again soon! read more

Went there for the first time today. It's a quaint little place. The crowd was a mixture of 20-somethings and women in their 50s and 60s who seem as if they have been regulars for years. This restaurant is a lady's paradise with trendy options for breakfast and lunch and a nice atmosphere for conversation. Almost all of the menu options are under $10. I ordered cheesecake pancakes with homemade strawberry butter ($9). They were fantastic! The meal has two giant pancakes and the cheescake is placed between each pancake. The cheesecake pancakes were so rich that I could only finish half of the plate. I would give Ruth's a 5, but as Jerry Seinfeld would say, they suffered from hipster service. My server was nice, but she was much more interested in talking with the staff than waiting on me. Ruth's was not busy because I ate at an off-peak time, but the server was still slow even though hardly any customers were there. To sum up.... Food: outstanding Service: not outstanding read more

There are a few things that can happen in a dining facility that can get on my last nerve and grind on it for my entire dining experience. One of these things is when I can see in plain sight the service staff messing around and not really doing anything productive. Now, I'm not so jaded as to believe that this doesn't go on, but keep it somewhere I can't see it. Why do I mention this? Because today at Ruth's my server, the other server and the kitchen guys were all chilling out in the dining room, having lunch and reading magazines. So Ruth's got a few bad marks from me on a number of levels. For one, my iced tea was a little undiluted and tasted like dirt, which is a cardinal sin to me. Next my salad was $8.50 and looked like a side salad. Another thing was the menu tells the tale of Ruth and her dedication to hospitality and good times, but neither was really to be found. Not to mention that the menu talks about the importance of the Lefse (a sort of Norwegian dessert) that is important to the story of Ruth and her family and her culture, and they were out. Now, in my humble opinion, if you are going to talk a lot about certain aspects of your restaurant, you should nail them...every time. That means, never running out of signature items and not neglecting your core values. Ok so maybe I'm being a little harsh, Ruth's is a little hole in the wall sort of place that most people probably don't know exists. I ordered the Cobb salad, and suffice to say; at least the lettuce was crisp. Other than that they seemed to have found a plethora of taste free ingredients, including the most mild and flavorless bleu cheese I have ever tasted. The saving grace came with my dessert, despite the disappointment of there being no Lefse. They have some pretty amazing brownies. A slight hint of German chocolate and a quite ample serving that left me feeling pretty full since the salad really didn't do the trick. I get the feeling that Ruth's real specialty is breakfast, so I'll go check that out soon and report back, but as for lunch...I'm out. read more

What's not to like about this place: food well thought out, from appearance to quality of ingredients, amazing options and friendly service. On this visit we each had quiche, one vegetable with green olives / tomato / asparagus / feta cheese and one meat with bacon / tomato / spinach / brie. Vegetable FTW. Beef brisket hash was seasoned well, full of savory flavor. We were recommended by a local to try the strawberry shortcake but with the food portion sizes, it'll be to-go! read more

Ruth's is a small cafe that sits across from the fashion mall. I had no idea that it existed, but it came up when I was checking for breakfast/brunch places on my yelp app on saturday morning. It seemed to have really good reviews and so I rushed my wife to get out of the house to eat because I was so hungry. When we arrived, there was a bit of a wait, not too long however, approximately 10 minutes. There were a lot of people standing and sitting waiting, so I would say that that was a pretty good turnover rate, especially for brunch on a weekend. I ordered the special skillet for the day, which was loaded with potatoes, mushrooms, ham, eggs, and swiss cheese. NOMNOMNOM. Probably some of the best breakfast potatoes I have had, good square chunks of roasted red potatoes that were moist and buttered, and seasoned nicely. There were also good chunks of ham and slices of mushrooms. The ham added that nice saltiness to the buttery skillet. My scrambled eggs were also cooked perfectly, they were not dry and fried, but creamy. Oh and the chopped onions were almost caramelized, with the swiss cheese was melted on top and throughout, it almost reminded me of the flavor of french onion soup. The richness of the dish made me full when I only made halfway through it, and I took it home with me. My wife had the veggie quiche, she had wanted the meat quiche, but for that day they were using bleu cheese, and we aren't particular fans of bleu cheese. She stated that she really liked her quiche so I take that as a good sign. I would've given Ruth's at least 4 stars but there were some issues. It took forever for our waiter to take our order, our coffee was never once refilled throughout the meal, neither was the water. Further, the coffee was pretty terrible, but not quite Folgers. It also took forever for us to get our bill? This was kind of weird when I remembered that the wait for a table wasn't that long. read more

I cannot say enough great things about this fantastic eatery! From the cute decor to the amazing service, we were blown away! We were seated fairly quickly for a Sunday at noon. Our waitress was outstanding and helped us decide between all the great options. Portions are large so I actually took half of mine home! They had GF bread with the most divine jam. Will definitely be back soon! read more

Ruth's Cafe - One of the best cafes in Indy! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Honest disclosure: This wasn't our first choice for breakfast. But, due to being stahving and not wanting to wait, we jumped at the chance for a table at Ruth's. The tables are so close together that I overhead some deliciously awesome conversations. Love that! The proximity also made it somewhat natural for the solo man at the next table to occasionally make conversation with us. I am not a huge breakfast/brunch fan, mainly because eggs gross me out. The smell, the texture ... just blech. But, I was happy to see that potato pancakes were on the menu. With leeks! And REAL sour cream! Not low-fat! Not fat-free! REAL sour cream! The atmosphere is charming and the service was attentive. Prices were decent -- for my potato pancakes, a tall stack of cheesecake pancakes and two cups of coffee, the tab was $23 before tip. Living downtown, I don't know that I would make a special trip up to 86th St for breakfast but the next time we are running weekend errands, sure thing. read more

Ruth's is a new favorite of mine. The last couple times I've even have been great. I had one of their eggs Benedict's sans hollandaise sauce (for some reason I can't get on board with hollandaise), and they made it with scrambled eggs especially for me. The next time I had a great omelet. There are several things on the menu that I still want to try. It's a good brunch place with many different options read more

We stumbled on this place a few months ago and we just love it! The variety of dishes on the menu is great, the pancakes are to die for, omelets are delicious. The decor is ecclectic and quirky, The staff is friendly. And they allow dogs on their outdoor seating area. Winning! Don't forget the large appetite! Food: 5/5 - Food makes up for the lack of service that has happened every few visits Service: 3/5 Venue: 5/5 read more

Love Ruth's! The decor is so fun. On our last visit, Kyle was our server and he was nothing short of amazing. Even though he was very busy, he was so polite and very tentative to us! read more

I really do love this place. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. First off, the décor is awesome! All kinds of little treasures are scattered through this place. The chairs are unique and totally interesting. Even the salt shakers are weird. The food...oh, the food. Everything I've ever had here has been fantastic, however, there has been some stand outs. I absolutely adore the Brie.L.T with the house made Tomato Basil soup. I also love the Norwegian Potato Cakes which are kind of a mash of potato, zucchini and yellow squash fried up into patties (compete with sour cream for dipping). The daily scrabble is also a safe bet, as all kinds of tasty things are thrown in. I'm also a huge tea drinker and they have a great selection of leaf and herbal teas. Can you tell I love this place? If you're looking for a cozy, interesting place to catch breakfast/lunch and want food that will blow your mind, please go here. It's not complicated, it's just good. read more

Stylish, delicious and in perfect distance of home. Ah, yes. I made my first visit to Ruth's this morning with a couple of friends and I was delighted! The interior was what first caught my eye. The tables were covered in every shape/color/design imaginable. Definitely not your typical "brunch place." I had the A la Crossing benedict and by golly - I would definitely recommend it to you benedict fans. Random tidbit of info: For some reason part of the restaurant today was BLAZING hot. I mean - really hot. I'm not sure if this is a regular occurrence or if today was randomly warm. It was a little distracting, though. Like I originally wanted coffee but then realized that I'd be sweating bullets if I had too much "hot" going on. read more

Dang, another place I frequent that I have not reviewed. Goes to show you that Indianapolis definitely has their share of great places. Ruth's Cafe is no stranger to the great places list. Everything here tastes like it was made with care and love. From the Giant Cheesecake pancakes, to the Smoked Brisket Hash, it all tastes great. The atmosphere here is also fun, and in the warm weather you can sit outside. If you are awake in time for breakfast, or brunch on the weekends, make a stop here for a great time and good eats! read more

Ruth's is a fun little cafe located in a strip mall. When you go into the cafe you can immediately feel the fun atmosphere. All of the chairs are painted differently, there are cute/fun/funny sayings on the walls. Some of the staff were even wearing some really cute half aprons that looked like something I would make for myself to wear. The cafe was very busy at 10AM on a Sunday. We said that we would take first available (inside/outside) and we were seated at an outside table in about 15 minutes. We had some questions about the menu because some items change daily, and we had not noticed the specials posted inside, and they weren't posted outside. So, we had to ask the waiter to allow us to think about our order. It took him a long time to come back. I ended up ordering the vegetable quiche of the day and my wife ordered the skillet of the day. We also both had coffee. I think the number one rule of breakfast service is that if your customer has coffee, you better fill that mug. I didn't get a refill until the waiter came with the check. I was sitting for quite a while with no coffee, that was really irritating. I thought my quiche was okay, it was artichoke hearts and asparagus and the asparagus was very overpowering (good thing I like asparagus). The quiche crust was hard though, I left the outer crust on the plate. It also just took a long time from being seated, to getting our first cup of coffee, to ordering, to getting our food, to getting the check... I really thought it was because we were sitting outside. I have no idea how they handle their outside tables, but I would think that they should have someone dedicated to doing just outside service. Also, by the time we left, the wait had gotten much longer, if they were on top of what was going on, the table turn over would have been much faster. Ultimately, the food was just okay. The coffee was just okay. The service was just okay. I don't think I will go back, but if I do, I will insist on sitting inside, and I will hope that at least the service will be improved. read more

We had breakfast-lunch here yesterday. Entree prices are in the $9 range. We were there around 10:45 and it wasn't crowded at all. They recently expanded into the next storefront so the are two dining rooms. They also have some tables outside. My son had a build your own omelet. It came with toast and their home made jam and a fruit cup. He said it was really good and plenty of food. I had a Brie L T. It was huge and had thick cut bacon that tasted like the bacon I get at the Carmel farmers market. It came with potato chips or a side salad. I chose the salad. The sandwich was so big I took the salad home for later. I definitely would come back, its a good place for lunch after shopping at the Fashion Mall. A good alternative to the food court!! read more

I had no idea this was Norwegian inspired until I sat down...and what a pleasant surprise it was! I ended up with the Traitor (eggs Benedict on top of Norwegian potato cakes rather than English muffins) which has been featured in Indianapolis Monthly. Seriously, for good reason. It was really yummy. Slightly in need of some salt and pepper but the eggs were cooked to perfection. So much runny yolk!! The service was bright and cheery and I got a kick out of all the cute signs on the wall and the adorable mismatched but still coordinated coffee cups. A totally quaint place with great food, hands down. read more

I am such a huge fan of breakfast and my goal is to find the best breakfast/brunch spot in all of Indy. If Ruth's cafe doesn't end up being the best it is a shoo-in for the cutest and best for an easy brunch date. The decorations and food presentation makes the experience. My girlfriend swears by the salmon eggs Benedict and refuses to try any similar eggs Benedict due to the fact that it is not from Ruth's. The only downside is that there is almost always a wait on the weekend as the interior is quite small but the wait is worth it for the patient customers. Also I think the price for the portion could be better just from seeing other breakfast joints' price for the quality+quantity. read more

See all

Too many choices!!!! It's a really cute cafe with very unique breakfast/lunch combinations. I had a brie applewood bacon tomato lettuce sandwich. A lot of tea varieties! Patio seating for this summer. However, the inside is kind of whimsical -- a lot of interesting items to look at on the wall. Try it out. read more

Cute place inside. Lots of little sayings to look at. Love checking out the different chairs and tables. Breakfast was okay. The waiter didn't write the order down which is great if you remember what we ordered. Our guy did not. Needed a couple tweaks and had to wait for the correct meal to be brought out. Not overly impressed with the coffee as well. read more

Came here for lunch the other day and was pleasantly suprised. Menu has a nice selection/variety and I'm always happy when a place serves breakfast all day! My omelet was fantastic! Nice and fluffy, toppings were great and there were lots of them. Sourdough toast was yummy with the berry jam as well. My lunch buddy got the tomato basil soup and was a little disappointed. It just didn't have much oomph...was a little flat. The rest of the meal was good but the soup was just blah. Service was okay but a little slow, especially when waiting for our check. I will definitely give the place another try though. read more

If you're looking for a breakfast or lunch that's a little different than what you're used to, Ruth's is the place to try. Unique egg scrambles and quiches are a welcomed change from the hot cakes and mega-omelets most breakfast places "specialize" in. Everything is made fresh and it's obvious. If trying something new isn't your thing, you can still get the traditional egg, bacon and toast meal or a stack of pancakes. Oh, and the coffee is top-notch. For lunch, Ruth's excels at sandwiches. The smoked salmon and spinach melt are both excellent. The atmosphere is pleasant and conducive to conversation - not overly loud or distracting. I don't recommend coming with a party of more than four, however. The dinning area is small and crowds easily. Prices are a little high compared to your standard breakfast and lunch but not bad considering the unique choices. Still, it's not a place I can afford to go to often. Recommended: Breakfast - egg scramble with asparagus, red pepper and ham; Lunch - Smoked Salmon sandwich read more

My friend and I work right around the corner and sometimes crave breakfast so we decided why not try this place for some togo food that we can pick up quickly and take back to our office. The first time we went, the food was amazing. If I had done my review on that first visit I would have given them five stars! So of course we wanted to go back 2nd time was also good, not as good (but thats usual, the excitment had worn off) but still good. The third time we had bragged so much that we got four other people to order with us to bring back to the office. This time, things were not so good. One of the five people who ordered enjoyed their meal. She recieved their pancakes which were light and fluffy and by all means delicious. However my friend and I who had been enjoying so far had ordered the buiscuits and gravy and when we returned to the office we opened up to find buisciuts that were hard as rocks. I litterly hit them against the counter and they made noise. This was weird to us becuase previously the buiscuits had been light and fluffy and delicious. It is what made us want Ruths so much in the first place. I did call back and a very nice server Joe answered and apologized profously saying he would take care of us on our next visit. He was very friendly and apologetic.. something you dont get much nowadays. However When we went back a few days later again our buiscuits were hard as rocks. At that point I wanted to give up but my friend thought we should give them one more chance. She called back up and talked to Joe who again was an angel and so appologetic about the situation and promised us a better meal on our next time. We waited a week. We just picked up our food this morning. I checked one of the buscuits before I left and it felt fine and much better. Joe explained that he had found out after our last call that they had ran out of their regular buisciuts and had bought store bought and that must be the difference. I went back and gave my friend her meal and started in on mine and low and behold her buscuit (The one I had not checked) was hard again... I dont understand. At this point Ive given up. CONSISTANCY IS KEY. I give them a two just for the sheer fact joe was so nice. Im really dissapointed. I thought I had found a new favorite... but I will not be back.... read more

Haaaaave you met Ruth? I apologize to you, Ruth's Keystone Café, I overlooked you for years because... a breakfast/lunch place I've never heard of in a strip mall... how good could that be? VERY GOOD, in fact. Ruth's food is just amazing, every time. I go into a food coma after every Sunday brunch here. I haven't branched out as much as I would like food wise, simply because the scramble of the day has always piqued my interest - delicious combos like asparagus, carmalized onions, spinach and feta, or you can create your own. Add the toast and fruit and you have a wonderful, no longer overlooked breakfast experience. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the egg related dishes on the menu. I've never given into the temptation that is the cheesecake pancakes, it's been close a couple times though. Ruth's is a cute place, there will probably be a wait on the weekends. I love the sayings all over the walls... BE NICE OR GO HOME and the unique coffee mugs and salt shakers remind you of mom's kitchen. read more

Such an adorable cafe!! Family brought us here while visiting. Waitress was super helpful to ask the cook to adjust my order due to dietary needs. Potato vs rice and no tortilla at all. Prices were higher than I would habe liked, but I didn't pay the bill read more

Ruth's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Went here for breakfast today. Ordered eggs some toast and beef brisket hash browns (a better description would be home fries). The food was mediocre at best. Toast was half black and burnt, brisket was bland and seemed precooked and was squishy feeling, not fall apart brisket like anything called brisket should be. Service was lack luster with coffee refills taking a long time or not even noticing that my cup was empty and sitting at the edge of the table to make it easier for the server to notice..... the waiters doing what they always do when it is not absolutely packed and busy. Stand around and talk about whatever comes to mind, usually forgetting that they are at work and can talk after you check on all your customers. Overall I paid too much for breakfast and won't be going back. I might try it for lunch sometime as that menu looks great and the reviews are great too. Go somewhere else to pay $12 a person for breakfast. 2 stars are given I stead of 1 as I liked the layout and design of the dining room. read more

Great food, nice people, just a little slow on service. We went for lunch waited 20mins for table then waited to order, then waited longer for the food to come out. The waiter didn't bring the hot cinnamon roll before the food like she recommend. Once the food came out it wasn't with the meal. I had to ask for it. Then waited for that. The kids pancake was a little tough but still good. I got the biscuits an gravy with two eggs on top. It was like heave. The wife got an omelet looked good she said it was. Around and hour and half total for lunch. For two adults and one child(3). read more

I had the special quiche of the day with a side of fresh fruit. Definitely delicious. A very unique, homey feeling restaurant with tons of personality. It was packed full. The staff was all great - even if it wasn't your server, someone stopped to ask how everything was. I will come back here again. read more

Ruth's Cafe - Quiche of the day with fruit! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

A real gem of a place very eclectic decor with a good vibe. Great pancakes and service will be back again.

A bit disappointing. The taste of the food was terrific but for the money, the portion sizes are quite small. The kitchen is small so we waited a long time to get our food after we ordered. The dining rooms are small and the tables are very close so the noise level makes it hard to have a conversation. read more

Showing up at Ruth's Keystone with a RAGING hangover, I was not in the mood for Eggs Benedict or the highly suggested Salmon and cream cheese omelet. I needed real sustenance, soak up all the poison and take a nap kind of sustenance. So I opted for some sausage, scrambled eggs, and biscuits and gravy. Easy food that help would along my recovery. How wrong I was. The eggs were still a bit slimy, the sausage tough and overcooked. The gravy was thin and lacked pepper and meat. The biscuits were good, the only real saving grace for the whole meal. Then the bill arrived.... I knew I was ordering ala carte, but please $16 for 2 eggs, 2 biscuit, 2 sausage, gravy and a coffee. Id rather find a Dennys, eat a Moons over my Hammy and save a few bucks. read more

I love this place! My family and I come here all of the time for breakfast and it's amazing. They have the best jam and they let you buy some to take home. Never disappointing. read more

Went today and at with my son. Food was wonderful but when I went to the bathroom there was a cockroach on the floor. I grabbed my things and ran out and wont be back. read more

Great place for breakfast or lunch. Excellent corned beef hash and potato cakes. Friendly excellent service.

Even when it's cold out, Ruth's is a warm inviting oasis of breakfast goodies. I love the menu and the attitude - it feels like you are both welcomed home and among the most amazingly friendly strangers at the same time. Corned beef hash that didn't come from a can, has big chunks of what looks and tastes like corned beef, because it's corned beef, not some lookalike substitute. Stop in, grab some good cookie' and don't be shy about asking to have it done the way you want it, they are adept at pleasing my wife, who has a long list of "could you ask them to ...." and they always manage to get it perfect for her. read more