The Mug

If you ever find yourself driving through Greenfield you have to stop in The Mug. It takes drive-​in/​root beer stand restaurants to a whole new level. Much of the protein is locally sourced from Tyner Pond farms, which is also located in Greenfield. There is also a sign hanging up that tells the customer where else their products are being sourced from. Even though it was dead winter, I was still able to eat her thanks to the closed in patio with heaters. It makes you feel like you’re sitting outside but you can stay warm. I had a burger and it was delicious! The perfect amount of «good grease». The garlic fries have me dreaming. My favorite food topped with my favorite spice! Crispy fried and dip em in some ketchup!

It’s a shame that I can only give 5 stars because this place deserves a couple hundred. Food sourced from local farms (mostly Tyner pond) is something that you typically don’t find at at «fast food» type joint. It has all the nostalgia of yesteryear with the car hop style ordering system paired with up to date technology of iPads inside to take your order. The service is spectacular. Smiling faces on all of the staff, ready and eager to answer any questions that you have. They have root beer on tap. That is a must for a place like this. I ordered the tenderloin and a side of garlic fries. The tenderloin was the size of a small child and the price for the sandwich was under $ 7. Also ordered a side of garlic fries. Everyone else in our group ordered burgers and seemed to be really happy with what they got. I wish there were more locations! This place was awesome and well worth the drive to Greenfield.

I’ve heard lots of hype about The Mug as they prepare to open a new location in Irvington. It’s a pretty small operation, with some bar-​type seating inside for about 5 people and some tables outside. During the winter, they enclose the outside seating and put up some of those heat lamps, but it honestly wasn’t warm enough to be comfortable.
I ordered the two and change burger which, as another reviewer described, is like a fancied-​up White Castle. The onions are indeed diced! I thought the size of the burger was fine and just as described, although it was small enough that it really couldn’t be cooked to temperature. Overall, the burger was A-​OK and about what I was expecting for a $ 3 hamburger. I also ordered the garlic fries, which I was able to finish on my own without sharing. They were great – crispy, pleasantly garlicky (enough that you could taste it and know that it would be on your breath later, but not so much that it was burning your throat). I also tried the root beer which was tasty but not mind blowing. There were several other things on the menu I’d like to try (other burgers, chicken sandwiches, basically all the other sides, and the ice cream!). There’s a perception that this is a cheap meal, and it kind of is, but if you get a burger, fries, and a drink, you’re definitely going to be paying over $ 10 and maybe closer to $ 15.
The service was friendly. I overheard that they deliver within a 3 mile radius for $ 15+ orders. It was unclear to me if they actually do car-​side service; there are menus and speakers posted outside, but no one seemed to be taking advantage of it, perhaps because of the weather. I probably wouldn’t put in an hour’s worth of driving to re-​visit this location, but I will be a happy customer when they move into my neighborhood!

I am completely embarrassed I haven’t yet given The Mug the 5-​star review it deserves.
I begged my boyfriend to drive from the far north side of Indy to «this small town restaurant with outdoor seating but I swear it will be amazing and worth it.» Being «worth it» is a total understatement. The Mug hits it out of the park.
You order from a counter and they bring it out to you. It isn’t fast food — this is the real deal and it takes time to cook good food. I ordered the tenderloin and it was easily the best one I’ve had in my 20-​some years as an Indiana resident. These folks know what they’re doing.
Order all of the sides on the menu — they are all absolutely wonderful — and don’t regret leaving the ice cream there like I did. Eat a salad tomorrow; this place is worth the splurge.

I would just like to start by saying, it is pretty nifty that this farm-​to-​curb joint is located on Apple Street. Anyway, stopped in for lunch around noon today. You order at the counter and I noticed because of people entering from two doors, where the line ends seemed a tad confusing to some. The interior has an open kitchen layout. The order was taken on an iPad tablet and credit card swiped with Square (mobile cc processing), which was nice to see. Service was basic and friendly enough from the cashier. We ordered, got a number and sat outside. The dining area was attractive and comfortable. Our food was delivered in about 10 min.
The meat used is sourced from a local farm, Tyner Pond Farm, so you can feel better about the food you are eating; antibiotic-​free and it’s traveled from just a few miles away.
I ordered the Jalapeño Cream Cheese Bacon Burger ($ 7.75) and Chad, the Ultimate BLT ($ 7.00). We shared an order of garlic fries ($ 3.25).
While my burger was very good, I wasn’t completely convinced about the addition of the two jalapeño poppers. They were likely originally a frozen product and were like little scalding bombs. I smashed them into the burger before biting in. Overall, the flavor was good.
This is what I would have done differently: Spread cream cheese on the top toasted bun and layered the burger with fire-​roasted fresh jalapenos (not breaded).
Chad was happy with his BLT sandwich. I don’t have more information about it other than that.
The garlic fries were good. They were fried correctly (not over or under done) and a good ratio of seasoning. The one size was too much for both Chad and I to share, so the portion could have been smaller, especially because of the garlic and they only offer the one size.
SUMMARY: Super cute place, very clean, love the outdoor seating. Bravo for the local sourcing of meat and supporting another local business! The food seemed like it can be taken up a notch slightly for the prices and presentation. The service is basic: ordering at counter, food delivered, not sure if there were drink refills available, no follow-​up to speak of (but we still tipped 15%, so???). I will return to try more menu items and because of my affinity for burger joints.

The Mug is a true delight… In the age of gourmet, overpriced, hot dogs and burgers,
this drive-​in spot is a diamond in the rough.
You get amazing quality food, sourced from Tyner Pond Farms, for totally reasonable prices. You truly don’t have to pay $ 15 for a high quality burger.
Some of my favs are the Chicago dog and the Cuban. Their sweet potato waffle fries are delicious, as are their fresh cut potato fries (which can be spiced up with garlic or pulled pork).
They are featuring Sundae’s ice cream milkshakes now, and they have their own maple bacon and sweet corn flavors as well.