The Gathering Bistro & Pub

Horrible food, horrible service and an owner who just doesn’t get it. Much better choices close by.

I was meeting a friend here for dinner last night and I arrived first. I stood for 15 minutes at the hostess stand just waiting to be acknowledged, as the hostess was nowhere to be found and the in waitresses acted like they didn’t see me. Once seated, my friend arrived shortly afterward and we waited another 15 minutes for water – brought to us by the hostess, not our server, who never came by. We left and walked down the street to Sushi House, where we were seated promptly and got excellent service. Needless to say, I don’t recommend this place for any kind of gathering, and judging by the table that walked out before us, that seems to be the consensus.

Went on a Saturday night with a friend and got seated right away in the bar so we could watch football. The bar wasn’t very crowded but the atmosphere was perfect for watching the game.
The food was good (Mahi Mahi sandwich) but slightly overpriced. The service was excellent — we felt very well taken care of the whole night. If I could, I’d give the service 5 stars and the food 3 stars.

I’m usually super understanding of a slow day or just an off day with service. It’s been every single time now, if you ask the server for something it’ll take maybe 20 minutes and when you order food be prepared to sit for an hour at least. I have seen the managers touching food with bare hands. I have received cold food. I wanted so badly to be understanding but the service is just not good. They need someone to come in and get it under control and it could really be awesome!

Food is great, atmosphere is awesome, service is terrible. Not from geist, and am usually pretty understanding when it comes to slower service, but this place is just ridiculous. Breakfast brunch is a solid deal, its cook to order and all you can eat. Problem is, if you rely on the wait staff to come back and see if you want anything else, youll wait over an hour between orders. Servers rarely notice empty glasses or plates, which is waiting 101. To the guy that tried to downplay the negative comments… I call BS! Ive been here multiple times, hoping for improvements from the previous time and always leave disappointed. Management needs an overhaul, staff needs to be trained properly, and this would be a great place. I hope they figure it out…

Met friends for a great evening at The Gathering. We had dinner in the bar and we all really enjoyed our meals. The service was fast and courteous. My husband had the Mahi sandwich which he really liked and I had the gyro wrap. It was delicious. And the wine we tried was great. Convenient to home, we will return!

Nice family owned restaurant with good food and a great atmosphere! Really nice drink specials as well, and a big outside patio with a fire pit! I had a really good time just relaxing and having a beer or two!

Road trip to Indy to look at a motorcycle!
I noticed the place on the corner and both of us being hungry, we decided to stop in on the way back.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a restaurant like this among all the fast food chains nearby, my road trip had me worried I’d be stuck with garbage food, but the Gathering convinced me otherwise. I liked the inside of it, it was like a kind of upscale sports bar. I particularly noticed the other neon signs that are mounted on the ceiling, which I would not have noticed if I hadn’t looked up to take a swig of beer. Nice touch!
We sat in the bar and perused the menu, ordered a beer and a glass of wine, and eventually a burger and a chicken sandwich. I must note their menu has a variety of different entrees as well as sandwiches and salads, too.
We got our food and were at least happy with the portion size and it looked good. As far as taste goes, I can only vouch for the chicken sandwich, which I felt was above average. It came with bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo, which all blended pretty nicely together with the just-​the-​right-​amount-​of-​crunch breaded chicken. My buddy said the burger was delicious, and we both agreed the side of cole slaw was pretty good, too.
The service was adequate, I felt like the waitress (and perhaps even some of the other customers) took notice that we were from out of town, if we didn’t make it evident enough ourselves. No big deal, she was friendly and there were no issues.
My only qualm would have to be the prices. I felt that my chicken sandwich and cole slaw wasn’t quite worthy of a $ 11.95 price tag. Perhaps if it included an equally tasty soup, salad, or another choice of a side, I’d say sure. The glass of wine I got was $ 7.50 and the pour on it could have been a little more, in my opinion.
Gathering seems like a great place for the area, I wouldn’t necessarily know because I’m from out of town, but it’s nice to see a local, perhaps more upscale place like Gathering in this area.
I’d eat here again and recommend the sandwiches.

Service was terrible. Our second time in and they gave us drinks quickly but we also came for dinner. We told the waitress that but by the time we finished our drinks, she never came back to check on us. I felt like everyone around us were regulars and the owner sat by watching it happen. It was really disappointing.

I noticed some negative reviews and felt compelled to comment. I sincerely feel the new ownership is taking big strides forward towards realizing the potential of this location by going with a «neighborhood» bar and grill theme. This place is made for repeat visitors who appreciate good food and service that makes you feel at home. The bar area to me is perfect while the expansive dining area is also good for large parties. Geist customers are HARD to please as they tent to feel that every dining experience should rival a Ritz Carlton experience. Take the negatives with a grain of salt. You want a fun atmosphere to go watch a ball game or catch a home prepared meal then this is perfect. Take some time to get to know the owners and staff who are readily available and super approachable.
As for specifics, you want their best order a burger or flat bread pizza for quick options or the wings are a great option. The dry rub garlic option is superb. They have a diverse set of entrees and specials which are always freshly prepared. I’m a beer guy and they have lots of great tap options and the bar tenders mix up great bloody Mary’s and other libations.

READ THE REVIEWS BEFORE YOU GO!
I can’t think of a worse experience I’ve had in a restaurant. I took a party of nine here for an early NYE dinner. Let’s start by talking about how cold the restaurant was. Sure, it was cold outside, but that doesn’t mean you don’t adjust the heat inside so your guests are comfortable. We has three times for the heat to be adjusted before realizing we were just going to have to deal with it. When your feet — with socks and shoes on – are cold inside of a restaurant, something is wrong.
Speaking of cold, we ordered four appetizers all $ 11+/ea and they came out cold. Shrimp cocktail makes sense served cold, but not a «meatball martini» or scallops (which also aren’t supposed to be flat). The beer was also cold, so that’s a plus.
Then we move to the entrees. From the first entrée coming out until the final one, 20 minutes elapsed. Six of the nine meals were wrong. They were either temperature wrong (steak) or the wrong entrée all together. These things happen, so we were patient. However, one of our guests never ended up getting the right meal. The meal she was served was a completely different entrée, but she didn’t want to complain so she cut into it and poked around — that’s when they realized they gave her the wrong meal… took it from her and realized it was someone else’s at our table and actually put it down in from of them. Yes, we are all friends, but this is not okay.
My meal — twin lobster tails, risotto, and asparagus… was rubbery and cold. I don’t think the risotto was cooked at all. It should be softer than rice and in reality was hard and chewy.
After we asked to speak to the manager, he came out told us he’d be taking 10% (over $ 500) off our bills, which we appreciated it. Then the checks came — while each line item said «comp» the full price was still listed and combined with a 20% mandatory gratuity. So, being fairly good at math, I checked the menu and added up my bill to find that there had not been 10% of anything taken off. That’s when the «manager» said if I were to get out a calculator, I’d see that I was wrong. Wowsers! I wasn’t wrong… and that set me off!
Why put «manager» in quotation marks you ask? We asked if we could talk to the owner and the person we talked to told us he was «just the manager» and confirmed again he was «not the owner.» Come to find out… HE WAS THE OWNER! The guy had absolutely no spine, and on top of outright lying, provided the worst example of customer service I’ve ever seen.
Save yourself a headache and DON’T SPEND YOUR MONEY on overpriced terrible food with horrific service.

Got yelled at by the owner-​bartender at my table for apparently topping to small on a beer tab of 45 bucks, felt awful and he came back to the table 2 times to tell us on our last trip we were to cheap. I know that 4 $ is cheap but it was an alcohol tab and were locals. Felt in wanted there. This place has changed ownership at least 4 times over 3 years, go somewhere else… El rodeo next store has great service and chips and salsa!

Overpriced. Terrible service. It felt like some dude who got rich by some happy accident and thinks Applebee’s is haute cuisine opened a restaurant for sh*ts and giggles.

What a horrific experience. The hostess and wait staff were curt, inept, and – at times – seemingly nonexistent. The menu is sparse and highly overpriced; do not expect to get your money’s worth here.
My party and I waited a solid hour and 15 minutes between our food order and arrival. The issue arose when – only after a 45 minute to hour wait – we’re we finally informed that «the kitchen computer had an error.» Definitely pass, folks.

Oh man. This place was bad. So, so bad.
My husband, sister and I headed here for dinner on a Friday night. We were seated right away in an area with many open tables. The hostess said, «We’re pretty busy tonight. We never ever seat people in this section.» The bar was pretty busy – there was an EXTREMELY loud band playing. Yowza. It was hard to hear yourself think.
It took our server 15 minutes to come by and take our drink order. When she came back with our pitcher of beer – I’d 15 minutes later – the glasses she brought us were hot. Right out of the dishwasher. Not exactly what you want to pour your icy cold beer in.
She took our order and said, «I just want to let you know that we’re slammed. It’s going to be a while.» Understatement of the year. An hour later, we received our food. Two of the three orders were wrong and all plates were cold. My nachos were soggy, my husband’s burger was overcooked, and my sister’s wrap was ice cold. Not to mention the onion rings. Dear Lord. They were like limp shoe strings. Nasty to even look at.
Many of the tables around us were served in a relatively timely manner. When our server came by to ask how everything was, we expressed our displeasure. She headed to the ktiched, came back and said it was going to be too long to get hot replacement food. She did say that the owner was comping our meal – something he «never does” – but not our beer and iced tea.
I appreciated that, but the owner never came by our table to apologize. Not once. What kind of restaurant etiquette is that?
I try to be nice, respectful and understanding to servers. I was a server for many years and know how hard of a job it can be. But SO many of these things were unacceptable. Disappointing all the way around. We are never ever ever coming back. Like ever.

We love coming here! The food is so good and the menu has lots of healthy options! The restaurant is decorated so nice and they are never too busy. Nice for get togethers or a date night! :)

We decided to try this out on my wife’s birthday and it was amazing.
We sat outside on the patio next to the giant spruces and enjoyed the sound of the birds and the breeze. I know that the restaurant can’t control the weather, but in this case it was as perfect as our meal, so I’m giving them the credit anyway.
It wasn’t crowded at all. In fact we shared the patio with only one other couple. They were annoyingly gorgeous. You know the kind. The ones that make you feel inadequate as a human when you are laying in bed eating ice cream, writing reviews on Unilocal,and wondering where your gym membership card disappeared to. Perfect Barbie and Ken, she was a tall, pretty, blonde size 3 and he was a tanned, handsome, size «I beat up kids like you in high school.» They are probably socially involved, wealthy, philanthropist surgeon types. Ugh. In fact, the only thing wrong with our entire experience was that they didn’t simultaneously choke to death for our viewing enjoyment … But I digress — the food:
As you’ll see from the pics, the food was amazing. I had the Colorado Green Chili (which was perfectly spiced) and the Pork Chop with potatoes au gratin and asparagus. I can’t emphasize enough what a perfect combination that plate makes. The creaminess of the potatoes cut the acidity and bitterness of the perfectly prepared asparagus, leaving my palette clear for what was perhaps the most juicy pork chop I have ever encountered that wasn’t still rolling around in the mud. Seriously, this thing was still weeping juices from the meat closest to the bone as I was taking my last bite. That couple had on REALLY high end clothes too. Beautiful and rich. Jerks.
My wife had the Red Snapper, also with asparagus and a mushroom risotto that she raved about the whole way home. I think she said the fish was good too, but I’m not sure because I was having trouble hearing her over the sound of me stuffing my face and growling at that couple. Did I mention they had their teeth whitened to the color of new fallen snow? Or maybe they’re just genetically gifted that way. Freaks. Makes me sick.
Anyway, the service was really good too. She was kind enough to bring out a free dessert for my wife when they overheard that it was her birthday, which was a nice surprise and she gave us plenty of space during the meal.
Oh — and we had a toddler with us and it was a non-​issue.
This side of town isn’t exactly known for great food. The Gathering is by far the best we’ve encountered in this area. Highly recommended.

Mixed but mostly mediocre experience at The Gathering. Dining outside on a Saturday night, I ordered spaghetti w/​meatballs and my wife had the blackened mahi sandwich. The spaghetti deserved no stars. The sauce was flavorless and was swimming in water — they didn’t drain the pasta well. To call the meatballs dry and overcooked would be too generous. On the other side of the table my wife actually really enjoyed her mahi sandwich but for some reason it didn’t come with anything other than the bread and fish with some sauces on the side. No lettuce or tomato to be seen. This location used to offer some very tasty shrimp tacos but the server explained that they took that off the menu to add some more pasta. Their margins likely improved but at the expense of the dining experience.
I can’t say I won’t ever be back but this place makes it hard to be a fan. The only thing consistent between the old Michael’s Southshore and the newer Gathering is the inconsistency. They offer good beer, sometimes good service and a nice ambiance. I also like the fact that they support local musicians and they’re locally owned. But geez, tighten up the execution, will ya!!! Not to mention the fact that meals are about 20% higher than their competition at The Grill. Granted it’s a nicer restaurant and nicer crowd, but the food quality is simply lacking.

3.5 Stars
The Gathering Bistro & Pub is a reasonable dinning option if you’re Geist area by Fox Road and don’t want to drive too far to get a sit down meal. The restaurant is separated into two main sections, the bar and the main dining room. The main dining room has a modern décor, with a fire place as their main focal point. There are a few TVs throughout the room as well if you wish to grab a bit to eat while you watch a game. The bar provides a more relaxed setting. In the spring and summer, they do also offer patio setting, which as always, is weather permitting.
The menu has a nice selection. They do designate vegetarian options on the menu. As for gluten free options, they offer a gluten free bun and pizza crust. Some of their salads and entrees can be adapted as gluten free as well. During holidays, they generally offer a special menu and will sometimes include a gluten free pasta dish, but I haven’t had luck with those. Word to the wise GF pasta doesn’t cook the same as non-​GF pasta and it can come out tasting awful, the degree tends to vary based on the ingredients used to make the pasta, if it isn’t cooked right.
Overall, it is a good option if you’re in the area and want a bit to eat. Plus, they are open for lunch.

My husband and I like to hang out here mostly on weekends. They are now open for lunch which was not the case with the previous restaurant in this building. They also have a fried chicken dinner/​buffet on Sundays too, but I have yet to try it.
I am appreciative of the friendly service and local beer selection. The homestyle cooking portion of the menu is classic Indiana comfort food and very tasty! I finally learned to stop comparing it to the previous restaurant there. It’s a fairly priced selection, and they have special dinners for holidays or for special occasions.
The owners are an active part of the restaurant and are very friendly and have started to recognize our faces. If you’ve never had a place where you can feel like a regular, I encourage you to check this place out!
Overall, I’m happy that I live around the corner and can visit a comfortable spot with good food and drinks! (Note: we do not sit on the dining room side so this review is about the bar area only.)