Dawson’s On Main

Indianapolis, United States

4

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 317-247-7000
Website:
www.dawsonsonmain.com
Address:
1464 Main St, Indianapolis, IN, 46224
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Music
Background
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Wed, Thu, Sat
Coat Check
No
Smoking
No
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes
Has Pool Table
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Indianapolis) 16:36 Wednesday, 2 July 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Saturday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Our slogan is «A great place for friends, family, and great food». Come in and enjoy the very friendly atmosphere that we strive so hard to maintain. Dawson’s on Main has become a Main Street cornerstone of the newly transformed area in the heart of Speedway. Our Signature lunch item is a Hoosier favorite breaded tenderloin. At night you can’t go wrong with any one of the Steaks or fresh daily seafood. Wash that down with any of our local craft beers and you have the makings of a great dining experience. Come in and introduce yourself and see what you have been missing.

History

Established in 2006.

Dawson’s on Main was established in 2006 by the Hill Family. While undergoing a huge Main Street Revitalization and Construction project we relied on our unbelievable patrons to carry us through. Main Street Speedway has never looked nicer. With the opening of the Dallara Racing Factory and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing shops Main street is becoming a destination more than just the Month of May.

Meet the Business Owner

Chris H.

Business Owner

Chris H is the Co-​Owner with his brother Tony. The Hill family started Dawson’s on Main in June of 2006. They recently opened their second location in Brownsburg, Dawson’s Too: Sticks and Stones with partner Greg Rose. We strive to make every visit to Dawson’s special.

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20 reviews of Dawson’s On Main

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Lebanon, OH
Went there right at lunchtime. Got waited on very quickly (not because they were slow but because they were good). Ordered the tenderloin. Was the best one I have ever had hands down. Thicker than most and seemed to be had breaded. Usually when you get a big tenderloin like that, you fold it over or cut it in half and stack it up. If I would have done that with this sandwich, it would have been too big. I ended up not even eating the other half. This would be a great sandwich to share with someone. The house sauce was awesome too.
Place rating: 1
Lizton, IN
Food truck at Rockin on Main. Worst slop ever! BBQ pork nachos… tasteless pork bland bottled BBQ sauses cold cheese. I’d be embarrassed to serve this food. Shame on you.
Place rating: 5
Indianapolis, IN
We loved this place ! Its charming… local…right on Main St of Speedway (which looks so freshened up)…and right in the midst of the INDY 500 buzz. (You can see the 500 Speedway from the front of the restaurant.)
VERY friendly and VERY attentive waiter. We sat outside on a gorgeous day — on a quiet day early in the week before the Indy 500. Ordered the Pork Tenderloin and I SWEAR this is the very best I have ever had. Apparently hand pounded and prepared there. (No prefab patties from some restaurant supply house.) The REAL DEAL. So someone should put them on the list for the Best Tenderloins in Hoosier Country… IMO. Salads looked great too.
Fun to see the Race Team crews come and go.
We loved this so much that we will now make the 30 min drive each way to go at other times of the year. And this is now a Pre-​Race tradition for us to get us into Race mode.
For all those who complained about slow service — I can certainly see that if you hit it wrong — the place is completely swamped.
Place rating: 5
Indianapolis, IN
Great to see Dawson’s hopping the week of the Indy 500. Lots of servers and live music outside for main st festivities.
Place rating: 4
Bolingbrook, IL
We stopped by Main Street Live the night before and thought Dawson’s looked great! After the GP we decided on carry out because it was too cold to BBQ! Dawson’s was our first choice and we were happy to find out they offer carry out (and have a kids menu although it’s not online.) I had the Grilled Chicken and Artichoke Carbonara while others in my group had the Horseradish Crusted Top Sirloin. Our boys had buttered noodles and loved them. The portions were good sized and the food was really good. We will definitely eat there again.
Place rating: 5
Indianapolis, IN
Great stop on delightful new streetscape, especially to bring guests. Our lunch outdoors was wonderful, menu selections were varied. My husband had calimari and it was the best he had ever had… better than the «Ocean» places. Nice wine and drink selection. Server was super and service was «speedy.» Just down from great shopping and fab Dellara IndyCar factory. Still raving about fun afternoon in Speedway.
Place rating: 3
Indianapolis, IN
Came in for a birthday with 5 persons and was expecting pretty decent service. Didn’t get it. Waited. Waited. Waited. Onion doup was cold, took a while to flag down the waiter to send it back.
I got the Angus burger, with the trimmings. Tasted decent. The bloody mary is ok.
Don’t come here for the service.
Place rating: 5
Mooresville, IN
First time at this speedway landmark. What an awesome experience! Reservations on a Saturday night are a good idea. Our server, sarah, pushed this review to the 5th star. She was helpful, got out food out perfectly and kept our water glasses full. We started with the pretzel sticks which were hot a pleasantly in-​salty with a gooey and creamy quest cheese sauce. Husband ordered the shrimp parmesan and declared it worth a return trip just to have this again. I had the rib eye that sarah recommended as very popular. The chefs veggies were perfection and the steak was done perfectly. Portion sizes were so generous that we left with two takehome boxes! We will be coming back!
Place rating: 3
Columbus, OH
I will say that the service is outstanding! Everyone was so friendly and very accommodating. Food and drinks came out quickly so I never had to wait long for anything. The half priced martinis were a great deal and worth it. It was delicious. The reason I only gave 3 stars however is because I felt that the food was fairly mediocre. I wasn’t impressed by anything. The sauce for the meatballs was too tart but the meat was good, the salad dressing was too overwhelmingly creamy for a Caesar, and the steak was sub par. Even at medium rare it was still tough. If you want good drinks, come here. If you want delicious food, this isn’t your place.
Place rating: 5
Indianapolis, IN
Dawson’s is a great find in Speedway! The atmosphere is casual but cozy, kind of pub-​like. We each had a cup of soup, and I had the meatloaf sandwich– delicious! The pot roast sandwich stole the show, though. Super tender meat on toasted bread. This place is nothing fancy, but the drink specials are great and the food is yummy. If you live in Speedway and haven’t tried it, you’re missing out!
Place rating: 5
Kissimmee, FL
Very good meals at resonable prices, nice staff! Check out early meal deals 4 to 5:30.
Place rating: 3
Indianapolis, IN
I really hate to give this place 3 stars, because I really enjoyed the food. But the service was bad. Really bad. And I’m not sure if the server was just green or not very good at her job, but I’ve never waited 1hr for soup to arrive. And we asked her for things several times before she would actually get the to us. Never did a manager stop by and check on us, despite the fact that we were all sitting with very upset faces.
Now, if we can move past the service. The food was good.
Place rating: 3
New Palestine, IN
The food at Dawson’s is fantastic! My husband and I have been there many times. It is a great place to go to have a variety of choices — you can’t go wrong with anything.
I gave this restaurant 3 stars due to the service. Service and management. Out of the many times we’ve been there, we’ve only had good service a handful of times.
Here are a few examples.
1. When Dawson’s gets busy, they can’t handle it so they stop serving carry out.
2. One time I picked up carry out and they never returned my debit card. I realized when I got home and then called and they swore up and down they didn’t have it. I then went back to the restaurant… they claimed they looked for it. The next day they called and said they had the card. I went to pick it up and they did not give any sort of apology whatsoever. That is very bad customer service.
3. One time we were given the wrong pasta dish. The waitress just said sorry. We were hungry so we didn’t want to switch it out so we just ate it. The meal was not discounted or comped. Any other restaurant that I have ever been to would have apologized and comped the meal.
So all that being said, go for the food but don’t expect good service.
Place rating: 5
Carmel, IN
I love the calamari at Dawson’s! It’s the steak fries cut kind. They come with three sauces. It’s prob. the best calamari I’ve ever had, for real. I’ve never had a bad meal here. Pot roast, meatloaf, ruben sandwich, it’s all good. Gets really busy when something’s going on at the track. I want the calamari now!
Place rating: 4
Indianapolis, IN
Dawson’s is a gem along the Main Street drag in Speedway. I was shocked that at noon on a Tuesday, it was PACKED for lunch. By the time we left, every table was taken and people had to wait or sit at the bar area. What is this madness?
It makes sense, though, because there really aren’t many other options on the street. Speedway is trying hard to revitalize (and it looks great with the new streetscape) but the businesses just aren’t hoppin’ quite like Broad Ripple or downtown.
I indulged in a double cheeseburger with fries and it was good! A word of warning: you get bang for your buck here. All of the dishes are huge, including the salads! Maybe share your food if you’re not that hungry?
Place rating: 4
Indianapolis, IN
I am a regular at Dawson’s, due to the walking distance for lunch. I always get great food and great service. The portions are large and food consistently good. The steak salad and beef stroganoff are my favorites.
Place rating: 4
Indianapolis, IN
Dawson’s on Main is Indiana in restaurant form. Seriously. When you decide to check out Dawson’s after reading this review, please tell me later that I’m right. The breaded tenderloin on the menu, the brick walls on the interior, no-​nonsense waitresses and comfortable feeling that reminds you of your one stoplight hometown.
I need to spend more time exploring Speedway. Dawson’s on Main is a perfect example of this. I recently hopped in for a snack (loaded potato soup, to be exact — don’t kid yourselves and call this «healthy soup» — we’re talking shredded cheese and bacon bits).
The sidewalk seating is fun for a glass of wine and watch pedestrians pass on Main Street.
The breaded tenderloin is tasty, by the way.
Place rating: 3
Indianapolis, IN
We finally got the opportunity to eat at Dawson’s. The woman who seated us behaved as though she would be happier doing something else.
I ate the Steak Diane, the waitress informed me they had runout of the garlic mashed potatoes which was ok. At best I would rate my meal so so!
My partner ordered the meatloaf, she thought it was very good and would order again. Our server was excellent, very attentive to our needs.
Place rating: 4
Spokane, WA
After discovering that there weren’t many restaurants near our hotel, our large group consulted Unilocal and then headed to Dawson’s on Main after a graduation.
We had made a reservation, but it wasn’t necessary. We were eating around 2 on a Saturday. They accommodated our group of 8 very easily.
I got the California BLT. It was supposed to come with spicy aioli, and it didn’t, which was actually fine with me — I’m not a big spice fan. Another person ordered something that was supposed to come with zesty ketchup and didn’t. Those were my only complaints! My sandwich was really good. It came with 6 or 7 large pieces of bacon, which is unusual. I feel like places usually skimp on the bacon, and that was not the case here. It was just the way that I liked it, crispy but not overly so. I tried someone else’s salad, and that was very good too. I tried my boyfriend’s potato salad which was good.
Our waitress was attentive. The restaurant itself looked nice — I liked the glasswork throughout, the waterfall in the back. We found that there was a lot across the street with free 2 hour parking.
I would definitely come back if we were in the area again.
Place rating: 4
Indianapolis, IN
A speedway staple! Cannot go wrong going to Dawson’s. I love the exposed brick on the interior and the fact that if you work in the auto racing industry like I do you’re bound to see someone you know during lunch.
The service today was great. We had Shelby as our server as she promptly greeted us and got us drinks, soup starters and our meals. The French onion soup is a must when going to Dawson’s. And if you like to judge places on their ability to make chicken tenders (am I the only one who does that?) Dawson’s is a great place. All around good experience every time I come and go.