There's not really another bar like The Goat in Carmel. This is probably the most Broad Ripple-y bar I've been to in this city. (If you know, you know.) For that reason, The Goat got in trouble by the city a while back, and was shut down for a time. But then it reopened, and now it seems to be minding its Ps and Qs, for the most part. You will know you're at The Goat when you see a big American flag flapping in the breeze outside of the restaurant. You'll also know you're at The Goat when you spot the Donald Trump beer tap handle at the bar. OK! They must really like the movie "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" here. There really is a place for everyone, and I somehow found myself in this place. But you know what? I got nothing but love (or like, really) for The Goat. My experience was great. The service was excellent. The beer, wine and spirits list was outstanding. The music they were playing was nice (heck yeah to whoever chose to play mid-90s Incubus, Bush and Marcy Playground.) I'm the type of person who goes to a dive-ish bar and orders wine, and the kind people at The Goat didn't even blink, and poured me a nice, generous glass. Fine, two glasses. If you're the kind of person who drinks bourbon, your heart will start beating faster when you step into The Goat. They have an amazing bourbon list. On Wednesdays, they do $12 pours of select bottles, some of which are $100+ per bottle. So, you can try out some top-shelf bourbon at a decent price. Mark your calendar for Wednesdays at The Goat, if you're into bourbon. My visit was just for drinks with a small party, and we didn't try any of the food. But we got a variety of drinks among us, including red wine, beer, straight bourbon and blueberry cider. They have a lot of different types of alcohol to please an adult palate. Speaking of adults, this place is 21+ only! read more

We visited The Goat for the first time Tuesday evening and had a terrible experience. It took forever for anyone to take our drink order. And when they finally did, she made us pay before she ever served a drink. Not only that, it took nearly 30 minutes to complete our drink order. The worst part is that the bartender forgot one of our drinks and we were told she only charged us for two drinks instead of three which was a flat out lie. Especially since we had a long drawn out conversation about her inability to change the alcohol type in one of our drinks because it's premixed, you'd think she would remember. Sadly, no. We should have left then but were there for a watch party. So we ended up reordering and paying again for the missing drink. We moved to a different area of the bar and still experienced subpar service. Nearly every staff member in this place had the look on their faces like everyone was an inconvenience to them. Not one smile. Very limited interaction. And overall, extremely poor customer service. I would not recommend! Cherry on top: when you pay, they have the unmitigated gall to have the tip increments go from 22-30%. Not a one person who "served" us worked to deserve a tip of that magnitude. And I'm saying this as a very generous tipper! Never again....which I'm sure they don't mind since it's clear they don't care. read more

My bartender was quite nice and my salad was huge. Was hoping for a better beer selection but the place has a good vibe!

I absolutely LOVE their burger that has goat cheese & jalapeños on it!!!! We drove through an intense rain storm to get it I kid you not. And the best part is that they carry GF Hamburger buns!!!!!! read more

We sat in the tavern, which was decorated floor to ceiling in the most nostalgic Christmas decor. it honestly felt like stepping into a holiday movie. The espresso martini was actually really good (especially for a tavern), which pleasantly surprised me. Definitely one of the better ones I've had. We also ordered food and I got the Chicken Lil sandwich, which was really, really good. Perfect comfort food for a cozy night out. I'd highly recommend stopping by, especially during the holidays. Cute, cozy, quaint, and full of charm with great decor. This is such a fun spot to grab drinks and food when you're looking for festive vibes. read more

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2 server/bartender/busers in the whole place!!! It was packed! And the management thinks two people can do everything!?!? Ridiculous! It was terrible service with major attitude. We asked one question about the special and our server was rude! But no wonder, she had to take care of the entire room! We were left for an hour with empty cups, no food order taken and we had to hunt just to pay our bill. After hunting for 10 minutes, it was tempting to just leave... but we finally got the only other server to locate and cash out our bill. I will never be back. read more

We stopped to pregame for our date night with some dumplings and a drink. We sat on the patio before it got chilly out and it was so nice outside. The patio was packed, but our server still made time for us and made us feel special. read more

The Goat - Pubs Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

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I love coming here, the patio is beautiful and the inside area is fantastic on the cooler days. It's a great place to watch sports or catch up with friends in Carmel. We always have fantastic service and the food is pretty great too! read more

Great beer selection and appetizers! Love the Christmas decor and ambiance with the lighting. Got the southwest eggrolls and a smash burger...and they were both delicious. Service was quick and friendly. My new go to place! read more

The Goat - Drink menu - Pubs Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

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Love the environment here. You've got two feels: 1. Old school/simple bar with a 4 season patio 2. Upscale new addition that's great for watching a game It's about the only place in the heart of Carmel that I would consider a "sports bar" (the bar downstairs at Woody's might fall in this category). I'm told the late night scene is excellent for the 21-35 crowd. I'm typically there between 3 PM - 6 PM. My experience with the service has always been good. Be sure to follow their social media accounts if you're a whiskey connoisseur. They have some killer monthly specials. read more

We sat on the patio on a warm-ish early spring day. There are a lot of people out that day enjoying the weather and the tavern was busy. We were able to be seated right away in the outdoor patio. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. We just ordered some appetizers, the Tots and the Southwest spring rolls. Both were delicious. We noticed some people brought their dogs in with them. Seemed like a popular place for locals. read more

The Goat - Southwest eggrolls - Pubs Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

The Goat is a very nice bar/restaurant in the heart of downtown Carmel. Our Indy Wine group came here to say goodbye to one of our members who was moving to Ft. Wayne. We met at the other venue called ScapeGoat which is a private room with a full bar and event space connected to The Goat. This was a very nice space with a nice bar and TV's all over the venue. It was very comfortable and I felt very relaxed. It turned out Thursday was $5 Danny Boy beer night,so I took advantage of it and had a couple beers, the Cinderella Man and Fist of Fury. The Cinderella Man is a grapefruit IPA and Fist of Fury is a hazy IPA. Both were refreshing and tasted excellent! The bartenders were very professional and offered good recommendations on the beer and cocktails. The Goat is a great place to hang out with friends over a beer and cocktails. The food looked very good as well. I did not order anything, but I did see the nachos and they looked terrific. All in all, I enjoyed the Goat and would definitely come back here again to hang out and socialize with friends. It is a great venue in the heart of Carmel. read more

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The Goat Tavern has had a checkered past in its brief history in Carmel on the Monon. Between all the political wrangling and bad early reviews, I didn't come here with great expectations. There were two noteworthy things to mention: "No Beer" ?!?!?!?: On the day we came (a Sunday afternoon), their entire beer delivery & keg system was down and non-functional. Because of this, they also had no bottled beer remaining, having apparently exhausted their canned and bottled brew selection the day before. A tavern or pub with no beer is the same as going to a water park that ran out of water. We considered getting up and leaving as soon as we heard this, wondering why they would even be open under those conditions, but we decided to stay for mixed drinks. The food was great: I don't usually get excited about bar food, but holy cow. My Patty Melt cheeseburger was nothing short of amazing. I don't want to get too emotional here, but in a area that's literally inundated with burger joints (and I've sampled them all), this may be the best I've had. It even rose to the level of being a crave-worth item, or something that I'll go out of my way to have again and again. Even my wife's boneless chicken wings were out-of-control juicy and flavorful. My conclusion: This place obviously still has some operational growing to do, and the loud, 'scream metal' playlist that was blaring over the speakers isn't exactly my style. But damn: The food is off-the-hook great. Service was also outstanding. read more

The Goat - Spicy margarita - Pubs Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

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I really think it's stupid how at the end of your overpriced meal you get a tablet stuck in your face that starts the tip at 25 percent, click down for 22, and have to type in for 20.... Both times I have gone here the server/bartender was so monotone and rushed. Of course they are... because you have to make yourself look like a jerk in front of them just to tip 20 percent. This incentivizes lazy service.. exactly like I have received. This is coming from a country club bartender that actually has to work for my money. read more

Lots of TVs in here to watch games. Has Coke products which is a plus. Good music and vibe read more

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Great food, great service and everything you want from a neighborhood bar! The vibe is always top notch!

The GOAT is by far my favorite bar to visit in Carmel. Their staff are some of the kindest, attentive people around. I always feel welcomed when I stop by. The food is great! I'm a fan of their smash burgers, but everything I've ever tried has been solid. I had the potstickers today and will definitely be ordering them again. Whether I'm stopping in for lunch, grabbing a beer during Happy Hour, or meeting up with friends, the vibe at The GOAT is top notch. read more

The Goat - Crispy Potstickers - Pubs Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Finally made it to THE Goat and it lived up to the hype! I grabbed a table on the patio and soaked up the sunshine...perfect for a Sunday Funday of people watching, sipping creative cocktails, and sharing a spread of appetizers. Every bite was on point, and the drinks hit the spot. Special shout-out to our server, who balanced attentive service with a fun vibe and kept everything flowing without a hitch. Great food, great drinks, great energy. I'm already planning my next visit. Cheers to THE Goat! read more

Stopped in while taking a break from walking our dog on the Monon. Dog friendly patio is nice. The beer was cold and the pretzel bead sticks were tasty. Loved sitting outside watching all the activity on the trail. Service was fast and good and everyone was nice that we talked too. Can't believe it took us so long to stop in. read more

Fun lil dive bar atmosphere. Service and beer were good. Got the chips and queso which was really good. Just a nice chill evening read more

The Goat - Pubs Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

We went for an early lunch. Service was great! Our strawberry lemonade mule was amazing, but the food was meh! I would go back for the ambiance and drinks! Super cute spot! read more

Service was horrible. We asked for a menu and the server was rude and passed us to someone else. The 2nd server was dismissive and was only nice once we asked for the bill. Do not recommend!!!! read more

I had a very frustrating experience here. I'm in my early 20s and was visiting from out of state, so I understand being asked to check my ID under a black light. However, after saying they just needed to black light it, the staff took my ID to the back without explaining they were doing so. A few minutes later, they returned and said they would need to call the police because they believed my ID was fake. Knowing my ID is real and needing it back since I was traveling, I said that was fine. While waiting, we asked if we could at least get water and food, but they refused to serve us food and didn't bring water for about 15 minutes. This happened on a Sunday, and the bar was not busy, yet the situation became a noticeable scene for the rest of the bar. Because the staff was so focused on my ID, other guests who came in around the same time as us also were not being served. The staff was rude and dismissive throughout the process. They were very insistent that my ID was fake, and one bartender even told us he "liked his job and wanted to keep it," which made it feel like I had done something wrong. It honestly felt like the situation escalated because I didn't "look my age," not because there was an actual issue with my ID. After waiting close to an hour, they finally returned my ID with little explanation, saying it "wasn't scanning properly," without explaining why. I also received my ID back with noticeable scratches on both the front and back that were not there before. Despite repeatedly mentioning the police, I never actually interacted with law enforcement at any point. They offered free drinks at the end, but the entire process was stressful, confusing, and handled very poorly. I understand bars needing to protect their liquor license, but the lack of communication, professionalism, and basic kindness made this a terrible experience. I wouldn't return or recommend The GOAT. read more

every experience i have had here is terrible. service? awful, extremely rude bartenders / servers along with extremely long wait times & no follow up. food? overpriced & cold. drinks? over priced and good luck having a server or bartender come around to see if you would like another. atmosphere? a mix of extremely drunk frat boys being overserved and wealthy older men scouting for younger women. i have heard & seen racist behavior from staff and guest. had one friend charged $57 on her card for one beer and one cocktail and no one got back to her or refunded her money when she called about this. ending up having to dispute with her bank. being in my 20s in carmel and not many late night bars to go to, sometimes groups of my friends will end up here - and every time i've went it's been reluctantly. i end up being validated in that afterwards every-time. will never return again. i have seen & heard many people form the same opinions after going. don't give your money to places that don't deserve it! i could have written many terrible reviews over the past 2 years but never made it worth my time, but after learning about their racist actions recently i figured it was time. the only way you will enjoy this place is if you are looking to experience the worse frat house on a college campus with a fat price tag - no wonder they have been shut down before and have had problems with liquor licenses for over-serving / serving underage. read more

3.7 - One of my fav places for a night out. It's a fun young crowd, though their drinks cost more than they're worth. I went here for dinner with friends and was pleasantly surprised. I'm a sucker for salads with fruit and chicken, though the grilled chicken wasn't anything special. read more

The Goat - Hummus Appetizer - Pubs Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

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Our server was very nice and made great suggestions. The food was delicious. The location and area is amazing. Super fun to people watch. Lots of fun cocktails and shots and a limited beer menu. They were out of a couple things I wanted to try, though. read more

The Goat - How fancy is this?!?? - Pubs Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Cute little place, nice outdoor patio with great people watching in Carmel on the Monon. Friendly servers, great drinks, good food and I thought prices were reasonable, especially for the area. read more

If Tinder were a bar... adventurous yet still kind of trendy where the atmosphere's too loud, half the patrons are just there to be seen, and everyone's sipping overpriced cocktails or IPAs while pretending to be chill. You'd get hit on by someone in a faded graphic tee who immediately tells you they're "not looking for anything serious," and then tries to follow you on Instagram. The vibe is chaotic, the crowd is inconsistent, and just when you think you've spotted someone normal to help with your order (i.e. a server), they ghost you on the way to the bathroom. To be fair, two stars for return on the F&B and service, but five stars for the entertainment of it all. read more

Loved this place! Service was quick and prices were very good for the area. Had a lot of people my age (college) which made it fun. The space is smaller so it gets packed but it is definitely a good time if you are with some friends. Good music too! Did not try the food. read more

The Goat - Pubs Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

This review is specifically for the their Bouncer. Which makes The Goat not an inclusive place for people of color & other minorities. The incident happened the night of 11/16 and again the night of 11/22. It is always the same bouncer. He just looks at me and says "she cannot come in" On the night of 11/22. He checked my ID and let me in & turned around and asked me to leave. It's like a weird "power and control" thing for him. Mind you I'm even close to being drunk or over served at all. He didn't treat any of the others that way. I have eye-witnesses who can corroborate. Their Bouncer is definitely not making The Goat an inclusive place. Stay away!!! read more

The food and drinks were good, but I have to take a star and a half for the wrong website link on Apple Maps. And another star for the correct website, not mentioning it's 21 and up only. I was very disappointed about this, as one member of our family isn't 21 and we wanted to eat there together. And half a star for unclear signage about being 21 and up only, the way they have it when we went is the door at the end of the walkpath says 21 and up only then the door on the side doesn't which leads to confusion as we believed that only part of it was 21 only. read more

Decent atmosphere but the beer selection is poor, unless you only drink IPA's. If you want something other than an IPA you're out of luck.

Had the most humiliating and disrespectful experience with a bartender here this past weekend. Visiting from out of town, I was in carmel for the Indy 500. A friend and I walked into this place and approached the bar for a drink. We were prompted for our ids, and had no problem presenting them to the little man behind the bar. He inspected them, and left the counter to ask a coworker behind the bar for a second opinion. We had no problem with this, as we were both aware our ids were from out of town. However when he returned with them he threw them at us, and told us "GET OUT." I looked at him and asked if he was serious because we were both 25 years old. He told us to "get the fuck out. You're not getting served here with an id like that." Honestly just embarrassing for him. read more

Review: The Goat - 10 out of 10 Thanks to Melanie Behind the Bar There are great bars--and then there's The Goat, a place that earns a solid 10 out of 10 not just for its atmosphere, food, or drinks, but because of one incredible reason: Melanie. Melanie isn't just a bartender--she's the soul of this place. From the moment you sit down, she makes you feel like a regular, even if it's your first visit. She remembers names, favorite drinks, and somehow always knows exactly what to suggest before you even ask. Her cocktails are spot-on, whether you're a whiskey neat type or after something adventurous and new. What truly sets her apart is her unmatched dedication. Melanie doesn't just work here--she lives for this. She's the first one making sure every detail is just right, the one who stays calm when it's packed, and the reason so many people walk through the door night after night. Her energy, professionalism, and genuine care make her the most valuable employee any business could hope for. If The Goat is known for being a local favorite, it's because of Melanie. She brings the vibe, the consistency, and the heart that makes this place unforgettable. Whether you're dropping by for a quick drink or settling in for the evening, trust me--Melanie makes it worth your time. Hands down, a 10 out of 10 experience. read more

I was so excited when this spot finally reopened after being closed for quite some time. It's perfectly located right on the monon. The inside is small but there's a nice outdoor patio too! read more

been here 3 times now and Laten is the only server who has given us quick and friendly service. food is absolutely delicious but the service is normally absolutely horrible, this time was different only because of him. owners seemed to make the environment up tight as they sat behind me during dinner and drinks and servers were constantly eyeing them read more

The Managment here needs a wake up call with regards to true hospitality. Starting with the arrogant / rude bartenders. The property is excellent and the food is OK but when combined with the rude service it leaves a lot to be desired. Wake up management !! read more

I heard this place was popular. I'm visiting and wanted to give it a shot. Food was good however service was terrible. Sat at the bar and bartender wasn't courteous at all. I wasn't greeted and was asked by someone else if I wanted a drink. I didn't even get a napkin when I was eating!? As a joke I asked what happened to mid west hospitality and got a " it never existed" response.. still tipped of course.. and he did not thank me for coming or visiting, very disappointed in service. read more

This was one of the absolute worst experiences I've ever had at any bar. I have never been spoken to by a bartender or manager the way "JP" John Paul (the GM) spoke to me today. I'm visiting my family in Indiana from Chicago for a funeral. My siblings, sister in law and friend were out to get a drink. I came by later and everyone was already served. After sitting 15+ minutes with the server not coming up to our table I decided to go to the bar and order my drink. My ID has a crease in it because I sat on it about two months ago. I've been accepted to every single bar I've been to, both in Illinois and now Indiana, I have FLOWN with this ID (less than two weeks ago being served throughout Tennessee on a work trip) and drive with this ID. It is not expired and I'm 27. All of my information is still VERY clearly legible and can prove who I am. When I asked to speak with the manager, JP, he said, "I can't accept it" and walked away. I then asked him to come back and showed him my credit card and debit card and also pulled up an Instagram post from 2019 of my 21st birthday. I also said "I can show you my work badge, what else can I do? Im with my family" he then said "are you not f***ing listening to me" and then proceeded to cuss me out. I was just trying to prove that I'm over 21, am with my family and was willing to literally show anything they needed to verify me. I'd also like to add this would've been my first drink of the night and I was completely sober. His behavior is unacceptable. The bartender at our table shared that the GM is probably worried because they are on their last liquor license and now looking at the 3.7 rating this bar has, it makes sense. For a manager / man to yell at a customer (specifically to a woman) for simply trying to show that they aren't underage at a bar is beyond ridiculous and his behavior is inexcusable. Having worked in the service industry, and also a bartender in Illinois (I tried showing him my payroll from the bar) I would've been fired for treating a customer that way. 0/10 for service and treatment. I'm disgusted. read more

Staff were unfriendly and had very poor service. I used to love this place but it has went downhill. Don't waste your time, go elsewhere.