When you bawl your eyes out visiting your friend whose time is running out and the place you were going to eat dinner is closed, consider the closing a blessing. My husband and I ended up at Ralph's Great Divide and felt like we were among the best of old friends the moment we walked in. The guy at the table behind us reminded me of friend in the neighborhood, I had a heart-to-heart with our server, Sean, or as David Meek, the wonderful pianist who was playing, said, !!!SEAN!!!, as he made a grand gesture with his arms. And the other table seemed fun. I got a hug from Sean before we'd even ordered, and he gave both of us hugs when we left. The food was absolutely delicious, but I told my husband before it came out that even if the food had been terrible, I wanted to come back soon. If you need a restaurant that hugs you with its service and food and music, go to Ralph's. Oh, and foodwise and drinkwise, I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong. I stole three bites of my husband's potato soup before breaking down and ordering my own. Definitely get that. Their beef skewers were flavorful and tender, and the cocktails don't skimp on the alcohol. Zero complaints about Ralph's. Only praise. We can't wait to come back. read more

The Great Divide - Sean, the best server and therapist around. - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Can't believe it took me this many years to try Ralph's. Service was excellent, our waitress was lovely. We all really liked our food. Salads were shockingly delicious and superior to any other garden salad in other restaurants. I loved that they offered vinegar and oil so I could control the proportions. Would definitely order again. Only dinging off a star because we were freezing cold and kept our coats on during dinner (January). read more

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Wow. What a great experience. If you're looking for good comfort food that won't break the bank, this is your place. You could drive right by it and never know it's there, but once you've gone, you'll never forget it. Ambience was laid back with a bar like atmosphere, with the bonus of live piano playing. Service was fantastic and food even better. Menu has a great variety. My fiancé and I split the whole rack of ribs which comes with 2 sides and is on special every Thursday. Best ribs I've had in the city thus far. Cesar salad and potatoes au gratin did not disappoint either. The pie was light, airy and the perfect ending to the meal. We got all of this food and 3 cocktails for around $35. Speechless. read more

The Great Divide - Full rack of ribs split, Cesar salad, potatoes au gratin - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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This place is so good I've eaten here twice this week. This little unassuming bar serves some of the best food in town. It has the feel of everyone knows everyone. Jennifer is so friendly and always takes great care of me and anyone I bring. The hot pig potato soup is amazing. The malt chocolate cream pie is amazing. I've not had anything that isn't great. read more

I couldn't wait to check this place out. I've heard so many great things. The hot pot pig soup alone is worth a trip here. That soup makes you want to dance, it's so flavorful! Unfortunately I can't say the same for my chicken dish. A friend and I shared the bacon Parmesan chicken and it fell short. It was over cooked and dry. For the price I was really disappointed. I would like to come back and try a streak or the ribs. The desserts were good, but my chocolate cake was also dry. Maybe an off day? read more

I have easily driven by Ralph's a hundred times and never realized it was there. Fortunately, my friend chose it for it her birthday rendezvous. As soon as the five of us walked in the door I was thrown back to Randolph County, Indiana (my hometown) - Ralph's couldn't be more comfortable, laid back and decorated like home. As all of the previous reviews composed by brilliant Yelpers noted, I was sure to have the Hot Pot Pig soup (potato on steroids - bacon, loaded cheese). I was hoping for a little more bacon action. But I suppose I'm always hoping for a little bacon action in general. We also shared the horseradish bacon dip (see the bacon theme at work here?) with potato chips. By this point, I was probably hitting 1500 calories+, so I thought - what the hell? and ordered a Sun King Wee Mac. Next time I'll have to try the highly-acclaimed coconut cream pie. Oh! and how could I forget the cherry on the top? The experience was complete with a charming Ben Folds-esque piano player clad in plaid and thick frames. Yep, we were sold. read more

The Great Divide - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Ralph's Great Divide is a little bit off the beaten path compared to other downtown restaurants, but it's one well worth visiting for a no-nonsense, top of the line meal in a casual bar-like atmosphere with just a touch of additional class. Just make sure you save room for dessert or you'll be kicking yourself at the end! I can't quite recall how long I've been coming to Ralph's, or how I even found it to begin with. It's been many years, but the menu has pretty much stayed the same, and I think I've ordered the same thing every time I've come here. The Bourbon Baked Ham Sandwich is simply amazing. Throw it together with a side of the Hot Pot Pig (Potato soup with bacon) and you've got one hell of a meal. Add in a piece of the homemade coconut cream pie and you'll roll out of the place happier than a tornado in a trailer park. read more

This is the kind of spot that I actually hesitate to post a positive review about because part of the experience is to look at the outside and not really know what you're walking into...then inside you find super friendly staff and great food. Full entrees come with two sides and it's hard to pick because all the sides are awesome. The desert is also absolutely killer. This place is an absolute gem! read more

I like this place. A lot. I've been twice, but I can tell you I'm just a fan of the atmosphere and the food. That horseradish bacon dip they serve with Ruffles is like a trip down memory lane. My parents have friends over to play cards. Ice is clinking in highball glasses. Swear words fill the air. Chubby lil Jen is on the floor next to her dad's feet, with a box of crayons, legs kicked up into the air, crossed at the ankles. This dip is on the bar in an amber colored glass chip and dip set. The dip bowl hangs on the edge via brass legs. It's tres chic. That's what the dip tastes like. Hot Pot Pig. Get that, too. Steaks are good. Cooked perfectly. Dessert is included with dinner entrees. Homemade dessert, people! Good luck finding that anywhere. A pie crust where you can see the fingertips of the person indented in the crust. Oh, yea, the prices are right on. So much, in fact, that I don't wanna talk about that too much because I don't want them to know that I would have paid more. read more

Ralph's is open for lunch! Who knew?!? Took my son here today to introduce him to T and A and the coconut cream pie. Ralph's did not disappoint. The blue cheese dressing was delish with the side salad along with the sandwich and the cup of hot pot aug. We had to reserve our piece of pie at the top of our order just in case it sold out. We will be back! read more

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Ralph, you really need to claim your listing. People on Yelp really love you, and you need to see this love! I am one of those people! I started out with the hot pot pig, which came highly recommended on Yelp. Yummy!!! Soooooo much cheese, folks. Every now and then, I'd get one heck of a hot pepper from the pepper jack cheese, but it was really pretty mild overall. I wish your portion size was bigger, but it was still pretty filling. I didn't want to eat too much as they make everything there, including their desserts. For dessert, I opted for the chocolate cake. It was good. Not the greatest thing in the world, but you could tell that they made it there and it was fresh. I had a bite of a couple of things my husband had. One of them was the vegetable soup. WOW! I don't typically like veggie soup, but this was loaded with flavor and good stuff. There were even mushrooms in there (mmmmmmm). I caught my husband eating the broccoli in there (which he hates). That is how good the broth and flavor was. The other thing I tried of his was the coconut cream pie. I am not a coconut fan....BUT this was the creamiest coconut cream pie I've ever been forced to try. hehe Needless to say, there was no pie left on his plate. Our service was good. She kept our drinks full (fresh-brewed iced tea, not fountain crap) and our empty plates cleared away. If you're hungry for some homemade cookin' in a not-so-fancy place, I highly recommend Ralph's! read more

The Great Divide - Hot pot pig - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Yes! Yes! Yes!!! This place took the cake on my weekend excursion in Indianapolis. It was going to be my last dinner with my husband for some time, so I asked what is something that he wanted that he knows he won't be getting for a long time. Prime rib was on his mind, so I looked up prime rib and received so many options but none of them were calling out to me, so I went through the next 20 on my Yelp list and Ralph's Great Divide stuck out, and everyone's reviews were glowing about this place. Along with my husband's Prime Rib dinner, I ordered a Baseball Steak (Sirloin) with a loaded baked potato and grilled veggies. The Prime Rib Dinner also came with a salad, potato soup (They have this weird name for it, I can't remember) with the hot pig. Everything was amazing and our meat was cooked to perfection. The potato soup with the hot pig was just cheesy potato heaven, just simply delicious. Then after all of this our meals come with dessert, holy mole. You can chose from their homemade cream pies, cobblers, or their cakes. My husband opted for the Oreo cream pie and I went for the coconut. Just absolutely wonderful, and friggen amazing. Just yes, you must come here for the dessert. Overall this place was awesome, service was great and the food was amazing. You will certainly get your monies worth here at Ralph's Great Divide. read more

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best coconut cream pie ever. this pie changed my life. will try other items next time run do not walk to this out of the way amazing spot read more

Hot. Pot. Aug. Honestly, that's the only thing I have to say. Visit. Order it. Eat it. You will crave it. Return for it. Tell all your friends about it. Holy moly. Best soup ever. read more

One word: dessert. Ralph's has it all. Charm, great food, entertainment, and DESSERT. I frequent this place too much to divulge.. sometimes it's for the daily special, most times it's for the cobbler. Friendly staff makes this place even better. Come as you are because it's not fancy, but totally worth it. 10/10 would recommend. 11/10 with rice. read more

The Great Divide - Warm peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I've been here three or four times now and every time is as good as good as the one before. The ham is so tender that it literally almost melts in your mouth. I highly also recommend the hot pot pig potato soup. It is one of my favorite soups ever! They also have amazing pies and baked goods that you can grab on the way out :) read more

I've driven by this place thousands of times. It wasn't until a friend recommended we meet up there for lunch that I even though about going in. I was definitely not disappointed. The place is small, but actually has a really nice outdoor patio area for eating. They have a good sized menu with a variety of options and the food was delicious. The staff were very friendly and followed all of the recommended Covid protocol. It's a solid neighborhood spot and I will definitely be back again! read more

Ralph 3. Your Grandma 0. Your Grandma, or Mother teetering into the AARP Arena, just lost an upper hand in the market place. Ralph's coconut cream pie evokes the wholeness of a soothing Easter Sunday on an 18th green of Hilton Head, South Carolina. Whispy Atlantic breezes. Cool, calm & collected, that coconut cream makes me feel completely at peace. This is my new last supper -- stacks of 'em. After eating this pie, I now feel I could defeat Hemingway in a pie-eating - slash - syntactical battle in the thick of the Spanish-American War. Your Grandma just lost another point to that 1960s picnic-style horseradish-bacon dip (yes, served with Ruffles). This dip harks back to times where a future of above-ground pools was possible, where Schlitz what's for dinner, where people were proud of hood ornaments, and empowered by them, too. In fact, that's what Ralph's Great Divide stirs up entirely. A time where a rich alchemy of historic pride and, 'if we stick together at our small-town community establishments, a bright, prosperous future lies ahead.' When I walk into this place, I'm not surprised when my heart feels it's JFK sitting at that piano in Wayfarers; and I'll keep JFK in mind when Sean Baker hosts his Monday night Pianoke (that's Piano Sing-Alongs). If New York has dimly lit red-vinyl Italian eateries with the ghosts of Sinatra & the Rat Pack, then you can look at Ralph's Great Divide as Indy's more-humble version. (Yes, the review is over and you're asking, "where'd that 3rd point come from?" Ralph had the gumption grandma didn't when he said "No!" to allowing children in his establishment.) read more

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Food was good, service was great and everyone was friendly. We were first-timers but no one made us feel that way.

After reading the reviews and seeing the popularity on Yelp we decided we had to check out Ralph's. The atmosphere is one of those little restaurants with generations of history. The main dining area quickly filled up with regulars at dinner and the staff was terrific. The bar is comfortable for drinks, appetizers or even dinner. We had the pleasure of Sean Baker entertaining us on the piano and several regulars taking center stage throughout the evening. When the pianist asked for request I prompted my husband to ask for his all time favorite Charlie Brown music. Most don't take the request seriously or don't know the songs but Sean did. He played several to the pleasure of my husband and the crowd. Perfect birthday treat for him and icing on the cake. The bacon horseradish dip was tasty with the horseradish not overpowering the bacon flavor. Served with a large basket of ripple potato chips and re-heats well for leftovers. My Hot Pot was excellent and I'll be ordering again in the future. One of the dinner specials was a Beef Manhattan with soup and dessert. Again, one of birthday boys favorite being an old fashion meat and potato guy. Plenty of tender beef accompanied by an extra large serving of mashed potatoes. The high light of dinner for me was the delicate and fluffy coconut cream pie. So much so I'm ordering a birthday pie this Friday for my sister in law. Delicious, light pie with a flaky crust perfect after a large meal or by itself. Excellent service, terrific food, fun, warm atmosphere, nice mixture of ages and personalities. Parking on street or in lot behind restaurant. read more

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Y'know, I might not have found an occasion to try this place if my friend Erin hadn't chosen it for a lunch date. And I would have sorely missed out. I love that this place is categorized as a dive bar. The decor, playfully insulting service, and adjacency to a raging highway definitely follow this prescription. But how many dive bars do you know that make their salad dressings in house? That decorate for holidays? That bring out fresh paper placemats with a handsome greek motif which makes you wish you had crayons to make them a masterpiece like the one they served you. My chicken cordon bleu sandwich was obviously crafted with care - cleanly cut and beautifully laid out in it's basket. And the soup! Oh, I was living high on the hog and didn't even mind being made fun of by my companion for the strings of thick cheese trailing from mouth to spoon to bowl. Save me a spot on the back patio, I'm coming back for that coconut pie! read more

The Great Divide - Amazing potato soup called the Hot Pot Pig on the handsome paper mat with Greek motif! This thing was a masterpiece. - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Ordered White Chocolate Mandarin Orange cupcakes for a party. They were amazing, a big hit everyone loved them Thanks Jennifer Susie read more

i walked into the party with a whole Coconut Creme Pie, they all said, i'd Never pay $23 for a pie UNTIL they tasted it YES you would thanks to Ralph's for whipping up a pie (literally in ~45 minutes) on a busy Friday night, usually it's not this much, but i think they added a tip for the cook? No Problem!!! thee Best Coconut Pie in the World (as said that night by a Southern chef @ the party) your fork will shake watch the First Step read more

What a great throw back... I am pretty sure nothing has changed here in many decades! We started with the bacon horseradish dip! Wow... kinda like the best balance of bacon and heat that actually went well on everything else we ordered! I had the T&A with pea salad... could not resist ordering something called T&A. Again didn't disappoint. Steak cooked perfectly, peas were snappy and lightly dressed and the soup was creamy. We split a coconut cream pie which was amazing! If we didn't have client plans tonight we'd be back for more! read more

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Oh my favorite little special spot! You can drive pass this spot and not realize that you just missed the best kept secret in dining! What do I love about the Divide, their specials are always good. The ham (my fave) is to die for! Their homemade sides, house made pies are awesome! And to top it off they have outside seating with shade! If you'd not been there please give it a try!! read more

I visited this little bar for the first time. It was on a Thursday about 1:30 pm and there were about 4 customers at the time. I certainly liked the well-done "dive bar" atmosphere and the service was outstanding. Not such a great fan of the food. Initially, I ordered the Chili with a Frank (a 1/4 pound hot dog in chili). I could barely cut the frank with the standard serving knife and it tasted like cardboard. My server asked how it was and I told her. She immediately offered to exchange it for something else. I picked the Double Cheeseburger that was the lunch special of the day. The Double Cheeseburger was very good and I enjoyed it. Would I go back? Yes, because of the atmosphere and the service and to try something else on the menu. read more

If your one that looks for the unique places to eat in a larger city than this place fits that description. Old school atmosphere, with local flavor sprinkled in, makes this place a top destination for someone who travels to indy a lot. The outside appearances adds to the mystique of this place...you'll know what I mean when you drive up to the place. Food is good...probably 4 star rating, it gets 5 stars for the atmosphere and experience. Get the aged sirloin read more

The Great Divide - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Back in 2002, I stumbled across a recipe for "Beef and Bean Chili" in Bon Appe'tit Magazine (Sept issue). Imagine my surprise when the source was Ralph's Great Divide in Indy! So, I knew I had to go to this restaurant to see how my effort at following the recipe compared to the original. (Mine was good, but it's worth trying the original for yourself!) Okay, so this restaurant is tucked away on the south side of New York Street just before you reach the underpass for I-65/I-70 going into the north split. New York is one way east and the block Ralph's is on is cut off from local traffic from the south by the off ramp. So, to get here, get on New York, watch for Davidson (the last street before the underpass), and turn right and as soon as you round the corner (watch out for the bike lanes and concrete dividers!), look for the alley that runs behind Ralph's so that you can reach their parking lot. (Note that if you miss the alley, you can go around the block and come up from the south on the west side of the building to get to the parking.) I know this sounds like a lot of time wasted on finding it, but it is the most confusing location I've encountered. (One last note: You can only exit to the east when you leave and will have to go through the underpass. If you get to the left right away, you can head north on Pine up to Michigan Ave to return to downtown. Whew!!) So, the chili is really good. I get it with added cheddar and red onion on top. Served rich and thick, it has just enough heat to make it interesting, but not enough to put the weak at heart off. Just really good chili. I also got "The Lucy" on my most recent visit. They have some fantastic home sliced cuts of ham (not some paper thin slices!) with Swiss on toasted Rye. You have to ask for lettuce, tomato, and condiments (mayo for me). Excellent tasting sandwich! The restaurant, assuming you find it, is small and broken into three areas: The front dining room where you enter, the bar area, and a smaller back dining room. I sat at the bar since I was dining solo. Although there was some leg room under the bar, I was not able to sit close to my food which can be a little bit challenging when you have soup/chili. The staff was friendly and seemed to know the orders of some "regulars" upon seeing them. The noise level was modest with light music in the background and all three televisions in the bar muted. The walls are covered with memorabilia and writings/sayings. Kind of quirky, but nothing too outrageous. The seating is a little crowded, but since the crowd for lunch was light during my visit, it didn't seem too bothersome. Review #507 read more

The Great Divide - back dining room - American Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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I have been coming here for about 6 years and the Great Divide has never disappointed!! The food, drinks and hospitality are exceptional!! Awesome patrons!! Never a bad experience!! Cant wait to go back!! read more

Excellent! Funky little place,that hasn't changed much since it opened.Wonderful service & excellent food. Brilliant desserts.Plenty of parking in adjacent parking lot. Indoor/Outdoor seating available.This place is a treasure read more

me and the home-swizzles went 2 miles on scooters just to go here, the outside is humble but the food is wonderful and so is the staff, we had a nice woman serving us. It was great! read more

Dive bar is definitely how I would describe Ralph's. There was only one employee working as server and chef when I visited, although she was friendly and efficient. The food was classic diner food like soup, salad, and sandwiches. However, the quality was similar to what I can make at home. The place was dimly lit and decorated with an unusual array of items, from old movie posters to beer trophies. Nothing to write home about. read more

One of those places in town I've driven past a thousand times, but never checked out. My wife and I finally stopped in for dinner recently. So glad we did! What a great local treasure. The food was excellent and loved the dive bar ambience. And they are Butler Bulldog fans based on the decor. How can you not like the place. We've already made plans to visit again soon. read more

Saturday dinner featured a special comprised of Prime Rib, the Hot Pot Aug, and some coco crime pie. And a piano player to boot. Everything was great..I'll be back read more

Great food and service. Very friendly staff and management. I've heard about Ralph"s for years but only recently tried it. It's now one of my favorite places. read more

Awesome food and fun service. The ham melted in your mouth and the pea salad was SO good! Will definitely be back!

I have driven by here about a thousand times since moving to Indy and never stopped in. My husband said we were in a rut for lunch and needed to find somewhere new to go. Thus, we tried Ralph's Great Divide. Our server was really friendly and top of keeping our drinks full and moving all his orders along. I had the half and half, which yielded me half a roast beef sandwich and some of their very tasty potato soup. I ordered my soup "AUG", which means they top it off with melted cheese. Awesome. There was an upcharge for that, but they are very open about all the upcharges on the menu. The sandwich was so so - it tasted like something I would have made at home from store bought lunch meat and bread. They give you a dessert teaser - in my case I got a miniature Krackle bar, so that was cool. I did not try dessert, but plan to go back and rectify that situation. I dinged this place for two reasons - the lackluster sandwich, and the fact that their website said they carry Sprite Zero but that information is evidently out of date. However, the reasonable price, the location, the fact they have their own parking lot, and tasty soup on a cool day make up for it. read more

Ralph's is a hole in the wall if there ever was one, but this place has the best tasting prime rib in town (maybe that I've ever had.) They're also quite famous for their homemade desserts. The carrot cake is life changing. Prime Rib special on Friday nights is the best steak deal around, but make reservations. The piano and live music in the main dining room is a great touch, but I prefer to sit in the bar area where it's a bit quieter. Don't judge a book by its cover. Within those walls is a hidden gem! read more

We read the reviews on Yelp and decided to hop over for dinner our first night in Indy. Thanks to what everyone had written we came early and were able to find it and parking. We had fun meal and a show that really wasn't par of the night. Things got a little crazy and our appetizers ended up being given to another table. (My question is why did the other table not say, no we did not order these?) The cook and the server were so darn personable and apologetic I was actually glad it had happened. We tried a variety of plates and everything was really good. I enjoyed it very much except I wasn't blown away by the dessert. Rats. I will have to go back and try something else! read more

I like this place, especially on Friday with live music. The entrées come with free dessert too! The food isn't going to change your life, but it's a great atmosphere, great music, and the price is right. read more