Old Point Tavern

Indianapolis, United States

3.5

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 317-634-8943
Address:
401 Massachusetts Ave, Indianapolis, IN, 46204
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.9 miIndianapolis Union Station - Greyhound
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Good For
Lunch, Late Night
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today 12:00 pm – 1:00 am
Closed now
Local time (Indianapolis) 05:15 Sunday, 22 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Tuesday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Wednesday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Thursday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Friday 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Saturday 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Sunday 12:00 pm – 1:00 am

Description

Specialties

We are a friendly neighborhood tavern with an eclectic menu that is served right up until closing. We have a wonderful selection of sandwiches, including a lovely fresh dill chicken salad, super spicy chili, gigantic nachos, assorted oven baked Quesadillas, dynamite hand made sausage from Claus’ Meat Market, green salad selections with several housemade dressings, and daily food specials. We have a full service bar and a large beer selection. Our patio is a great place for people watching and it’s open year round.

History

Established in 1887.

The Old Point Tavern is one of the oldest continually operated bars in the city of Indianapolis. They even remained open throughout Prohibition. It was rumored that alcohol was distilled in the cellar below and that a bordello was operated on the upper floors of the builiding. We’re happy to say that all is on the up and up now. We sit proudly on the Cultural Trail on Massachusetts Avenue right behind the Julian Opie art installation «Ann Dancing.»

Meet the Business Owner

Patti P.

Business Owner

My husband Chic and I have owned the Old Point since 1990. We have long been committed to downtown Indianapolis, moving into a historic neighborhood there in the early 80’s. We also owned and operated the Indianapolis Comedy Connection and the Broad Ripple Comedy Club. We saw our dreams come full circle when our city hosted the Super Bowl this year. We have found Indianapolis to be a great place to work and play!

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20 reviews of Old Point Tavern

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Place rating: 4
Indianapolis, IN
I have read some of the negative reviews of Old Point and some things that others don’t like I consider part of the charm. If you need nachos at 2:00am this is your spot. If you have a large group of people and want to eat on Mass Ave with no reservation or pre planning, this is also your spot. I came in with 7 people and we could just casually push tables together and we were good to go.
They have a rather eclectic menu. Everything from a diet plate with fruit and cottage cheese to a grilled cheese sandwich with multiple types of cheese, mac and cheese, AND pulled pork on it. You can please vegetarians and meat eaters at one inexpensive eatery with a prime people watching patio. What more could you want?
They usually have a good amount of bottled beer available and daily food specials and as I mentioned probably one of the best patio locations on Mass Ave.
Place rating: 1
Indianapolis, IN
I was SO excited to try OPT when I saw the «DOGS & CHILI» sign outside! However, I was incredibly disappointed to see that they do not serve hot dogs, but serve sausages, and the only chili they have is their «famous hot and spicy» chili. Other menu options included «hot and spicy» BBQ, or overpriced nachos with extra costs for typical toppings. We were seated outside where the water was being poured from an open pitcher sitting under a tree on a table with a cooler of ice. After being fooled into sitting down to look at the menu, we realized OPT offered nothing we would pay money for and opted to leave. The waitress charged us $ 2.50 for the pop she filled for my boyfriend that he did not drink because we did not eat there, which ended up being the icing on top of the cake for us. Needless to say, we won’t be back.
Place rating: 3
Indianapolis, IN
I think this is more of an all-​American place, which is perfectly fine, but do take my review here with a grain of salt as I am someone who is lactose intolerant (can’t eat cheese). The big dish here is supposed to be nachos and I really appreciated that they were willing to hold the cheese, but I don’t think it would quite the same without it.
What I didn’t really like was the water was pretty awful. And I didn’t think it would be that hard to screw up water. Although it was free water, I felt like any other place with free water would have drinkable water. My chicken sandwich (Athena) was just o.k. too. The menu made it sound tastier and I was really hungry too (hunger is the best sauce?). The chicken was slightly on the dry side. The bun that it came on was very yummy, however, and the veggies were spilled over (which I like) although it didn’t have much taste. The fruits on the side were fine.
What I also liked was the location. It is prime location. The weather was gorgeous and sitting outside with the sun was pretty amazing. But then the inside didn’t look so good (went in briefly to use the bathroom, which was ok too).
Overall 2.5 stars probably. :/
Place rating: 1
Indianapolis, IN
I’d heard good things about Old Point, & decided to try it out last night after a show at the Old National Center. The food was pretty decent, I got the chicken and basil sandwhich (that tomato basil cream cheese was delicious!), and both my friends were really happy with the portobello burger they each ordered. However, the service we received was TERRIBLE, and ruined our whole experience.
Our server (didn’t catch her name) was not attentive and just straight up rude. She cut me off in the middle of ordering, and then proceeded to get my order wrong… Big surprise. She wasn’t knowledgeable about the menu at all. When I asked what kind of fruit came with the fresh fruit side, she plainly responded «I don’t know, it’s just fresh fruit.» Are you serious? Very unfriendly and unwelcoming. I work in the service industry as well, so I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she’s had a bad day, or just an off night. But she was perfectly happy to stand up by the bar and laugh and joke with customers there.
There are too many great bars and restaurants on Mass Ave. for me to justify spending my time or money at a place with such pitiful service as I received here. Very disappointed.
Place rating: 5
Kokomo, IN
Great food and large portions. Service was great as always. Great neighborhood. Stellar place for lunch.
Place rating: 3
Indianapolis, IN
Not my first choice for food on Mass Ave. the food I had was uninspired and the chips tasted stale. But the location is great. Maybe worth a second try for the patio.
Place rating: 3
Indianapolis, IN
Minus half a star.
So… This hurts to do reviews like this.
The people who work at this location are great. Very friendly and attentive to the customer.
Love the location of this place as well as the character this building presents.
Very reminiscent of the flatiron building in NYC. Makes me feel back at home when looking at it.
Now the food:
The nachos. I guess from looking at the reviews I was expecting more. Like actual «nacho» cheese… Plus what was a letdown was that’s he chips themselves were a little stale. Thought it was just me but all the chips were kinda stale.
The chili: a little generic for my taste. I guess once again I was looking for that «mama used to make» type chili. Don’t get me wrong it’s not bad. It’s just okay. And not okay enough to make me say «let’s go back to old tavern for chili!»
The pulled pork BBQ sandwich:
This was GOOD… But piled pork is suggested. I literally had difficulty cutting the sandwich in half. I mean if it’s pulled pork the bun should be the tough part. And I know BBQ because I living in TX for 3 years.
All in all. My expectations weren’t met. But that doesn’t mean the food is bad (with the exception of the semi-​stale chips) it’s just not «blow my hair back» good.
I can see this place being a fun bar that serves food. Not good food with a bar. If that makes sense.
Happy fooding.
Place rating: 3
Greenwood, IN
Came here for lunch with the lunch group and ordered the Club sandwich and a bowl of chili. The sandwich was good and the chili was better but neither was amazing. Service was friendly but a bit disorganized. My friends ordered the ginormous nachos which are 2+ meals and neither could finish (and they tried hard). We’ll certainly be back and next time I’m getting the nachos :)
Place rating: 2
Isla Vista, CA
Grossly overrated restaurant that wastes its ideal location on Mass Ave by trotting out food that wouldn’t be out of place at an Applebee’s or Ruby Tuesday (not that either of those places are bad, but still …) I get that this place is open late, but that doesn’t excuse the less than stellar food. I agree with some of the more honest reviewers here that while the wait staff is friendly, it cannot save the food. Some of the food is good, but others felt like a Piccadilly or old person cafeteria. Avoid the chicken salad at all costs, as well as the quesadillas.
Place rating: 4
Indianapolis, IN
One of my favorite nacho places! The deluxe nachos with chicken are built for at least 4 people, but between myself and my husband, we can come close to finishing a plate of them.
Beer selection isn’t great, but I can always find at least one beer to try.
The outdoor seating may be the biggest perk. It’s great for people watching, and Dancing Annie, an artistic piece, is placed on the street corner. It’s entertaining to see a Pickled Peddler, full of people, stop and dance with Annie.
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
Super yum! Came here after some Oktoberfest festivities and ordered their chicken nachos and was pleasantly surprised. It was super huge and super filling and I couldn’t finish it all, but it was definitely worth it.
I would suggest sharing the nachos with a friend? Also, I think they use Chipotle in Adobo sauce mixed with beans (so good!!). I would definitely recommend if you like things a little spicy.
Place rating: 4
Indianapolis, IN
lunch on the boss!!!
I won’t confirm or deny that my boss took me to a bar for lunch. I mean, we have no reason to discuss that anyway. I’m here to write a review, not be questioned about my lunch time activities. Sheeesh. Back off… Oh, sorry.
Now, we have here a very cozy, classic bar atmosphere… We sat outside. It was a beautiful day and the food was nothing to shake a stick at. Reasonable prices, ESPECIALLY on appetizers. Nice bar menu and a nice variety of beer on tap. Makes for a great lunch stop… Yeah… Lunch. With my boss.
Place rating: 5
Denver, CO
This place was referred to me by my aunt Beverly absolutely delicious I love their chicken quesadilla deluxe and they made me a custom drink it has Bacardi Malibu pineapple juice orange juice and grenadine very very good.
Place rating: 3
Chicagoland, IL
This review averages out to a «OK»… Some food was good, some yuck but the drinks were tasty.
Hit them on a Saturday later afternoon and the wait staff was very friendly and chatty.
The hummus we ordered was… gross… slimy and the components were kinda separated and clotty. YUCK.
But the quesadilla was quite tasty with generous helpings and a nice taste.
The mixed drinks were $$ for my taste — $ 10???- but the cucumber one I had was prefect for the hot afternoon with lots of flavor.
Place rating: 5
Noblesville, IN
They are opened until 3 AM. We got something to eat after our July 4th celebration. I got the $ 8.95 special of BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad with a mini US flag, and watermelon. Everything was delicious. However, I think there was celery in the salad.
We sat outside and enjoyed the morning.
Place rating: 5
Indianapolis, IN
This place is really in the perfect location. It’s in the middle of a lot of life, it’s in a convenient location on Mass Ave., and there are so many options around to go afterward!
I’ve been here a few times and I love the wait staff. They’re all a bunch of fun people who like to engage in interesting conversations with you, even when it is super busy.
I got these fully loaded nachos and it was a giant portion. Even though I shouldn’t have, I almost ate them all. I was full for what seemed like forever after that.
My friend often gets the pulled pork sandwich there and I had a bite of it and it’s also very delicious.
They’re drinks are usually made well with decent prices. I’ve gotten a wide array of drinks there and haven’t ever had a problem with any of them.
I think this is a fun place to go whether if you’re just getting lunch, going out or going to an event at Old National.
Place rating: 4
Indianapolis, IN
This review will be short and sweet. Only one word is really needed: NACHOS. I don’t know what’s in them, crack probably, but they are so dang good. Bring a friend, or two. These chips with cheese and toppings are MASSIVE.
OPT has good drink specials and a prime location on Mass Ave — look for the dancing lady. Stumble in for a late night bite or start your bar crawl here. Either way, I don’t think you will go wrong.
Not often the most talked about place in downtown, but Old Point Tavern is a place not to be missed at some point in an Indianapolis experience.
Place rating: 4
Indianapolis, IN
It has the typical tavern look and feel. The service was decent the two times I visited. And the food was awesome.
I’ve had only two items from their menu: the frankfurter and the chili. I’ll have to say the dog was the best I’ve had. The bun was fresh and crisp. It’s a hoagie bun. The frankfurter is from Klaus meat market and is huge (half pound). I like mine topped with shredded cheese, chopped onion, and sweet relish.
The chili was also good though bordering on a little too hot for me. Still, good taste and very hardy.
Place rating: 2
Indianapolis, IN
We were walking around Mass Ave on a busy Saturday afternoon and this was the only place without a wait. The atmosphere was nothing special but it seemed like the perfect place to get a quick, tasty, and affordable bite to eat.
Our server knew what she was doing but she was NOT very friendly. She was pretty condescending and never got us the waters we asked for. The bartender brought us shots and carried all three shot glasses over with his fingers IN the glass and spilled liquor on our table when he set them down and didn’t bother to acknowledge or apologize.
The food was okay, but nothing I can’t live without. If you’re on Mass Ave i’d say skip this place and wait 10 minutes to get in somewhere halfway decent.
Place rating: 5
Indianapolis, IN
Great service at this nostalgia looking bar. Local beers nice mixed drinks and good food too. I don’t usually eat here but the few times that I did, I was pleasantly surprised! Drop in for a drink and enjoy the crowd. Cool people know this to be the place to go on mass avenue.