Dorman Street Saloon
NEIGHBORHOOD: Cottage Home
Stippled, happy hour sunlight spills across wooden floors and worn chairs as a woman, still in her tailored work dress, sits barefoot at the bar chatting with friends and a gaggle of bros loudly plays pool in the back. Built in 1871, the yellow building tucked away on its namesake street has been a watering hole since approximately 1908 and is rumored to have hosted John Dillinger. A vibrant back patio and quirky decor like a warthog bust wearing a birthday hat and a bathroom entrance painted like a Tardis give cozy appeal, but it’s also “a hop and a skip” from downtown, says bartender Ray, making it a popular off-the-beaten-path destination for tourists. This is the type of spot where “you can get a shitty beer or a fancy cocktail,” Ray adds, with everything from supermarket brands and local brews to sophisticated mixed drinks created by the staff on offer. Bar food includes a house-made mac and cheese and spinach artichoke dip, as well as addictive pickles that pack a sinus-clearing punch.
901 Dorman St., 317-237-9008
OPEN SINCE: 1908
THE USUAL: Pickle Martini
J. Clyde’s Pub
NEIGHBORHOOD: Little Flower
Original owner Jo Ann Able patterned her bar after a legendary Washington, D.C., haunt she admired, right down to the name. The well-known former Scecina Memorial High School nurse still stops by now and then to make sure everything’s up to snuff. In the summer, tables and benches spill out onto the sidewalk under the red neon sign. Inside, the LGBTQ-safe space boasts a checkerboard floor, faded dollar bills framing the mirror behind the bar, and $3 Miller High Life drafts on tap. It’s also the unofficial home bar of Indy Eleven fans who pregame and hang out here after matches.
1008 N. Bosart Ave., 317-875-1804
OPEN SINCE: 1987
THE USUAL: Shley Bomb (vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and Red Bull)
Mayfair Taproom
NEIGHBORHOOD: Near Eastside
All the residential blocks that surround this cozy corner bar would like to lay claim to it. Geographically, it sits within the boundaries of Windsor Park—but it’s right on the border of St. Clair Place and only a block from Woodruff Place and Springdale. A lot of the clientele walks in from one of those close-knit communities or another, ordering their pear ciders and vegan sloppy Joes at the counter and grabbing a chair next to a window dressed with lacy cafe curtains. The place, owned by Hilary Powers and Alec Hill, is a direct descendent of Broad Ripple’s English tavern–inspired Broad Ripple Brew Pub, which is owned by Hill’s parents. Tables fill up quickly in the tight quarters or on the semi-covered patio built during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic for added space. But for pure pint-fueled enjoyment, nothing beats a seat at the bar, where greyhounds, Cape Codders, and other classic Grandpa drinks slide across the varnish. The memento-filled mirrored backbar is a collage of Gen X nostalgia—with a Mr. Potato Head, Ed Grimley doll, and rows of VHS tapes among its treasures.
2032 E. 10th St., 317-419-2393
OPEN SINCE: 2018
THE USUAL: A pint of local Ash & Elm cider
Shi-Kay Lounge
NEIGHBORHOOD: Little Flower
Look for the bold black and yellow signage and catch a cold one at this eastside landmark founded by Joe Shikane and his father back in the early 1970s. Through the years, the dark little lounge has become a required stop on St. Patrick’s Day bar crawls thanks to its traditional Irish Catholic neighborhood setting, although the regulars use Pacer games, karaoke, and pretty much any other excuse to party as well. If your friends aren’t up for participating in a four-person “shotski” toast, you’ll probably find willing recruits at the bar—if you can tear them away from their free popcorn and pull tabs, that is.
1514 N. Emerson Ave., 317-357-7622
OPEN SINCE: 1971
THE USUAL: Captain Morgan
Snug
NEIGHBORHOOD: Irvington
From the jump, the owners of Snug sought for it to be a traditional Irish bar with a chatty atmosphere, and one of them, Jim Arnoldt, thinks it accomplishes just that. “We wanted to create a space that we would want to go to,” he says. Located in Irvington, Snug has served what Arnoldt hopes is “the best Guinness you can get on this side of Ireland” since New Year’s Eve of 2023. Whether it’s the expansive Irish whiskey selection (168 varieties, to be exact) or the grazing board with house-made soda bread, there’s a little something for everyone who steps foot inside this cozy pub.
210 S. Audubon Rd., 317-308-8553
OPEN SINCE: 2023
THE USUAL: Guinness
