Looking to take an amazing vacation, but have more of a staycation budget? Why not compromise and take a delicious road trip around your own state? Enjoy some of the best of Hoosier cooking while exploring almost every inch of our gorgeous state. Plus, if you have family or friends positioned all across the state, you have a built in hotel to stay at, for free!
1. Azura Café & Grill – Jasper
This tiny grill and café has fantastic coffee selections and breakfast to boot. Indulge in hazelnut, vanilla, or dark chocolate coffee or stick to traditional light or dark roasts (decaf is also available). Breakfast here is prepared fresh, just as your order it, and served on homemade bagels or alongside tasty pastries and sweets. Try a bagel sandwich, breakfast taco, assortment of fresh bagels with gourmet cream cheese, muffins, or pastries. You’ll want to camp out right here, but we promise, more great food is on the way!
2. Turkuaz Café - Bloomington
Prepare your lunchtime appetite with traditional Turkish food at Turkuaz Café in Bloomington. You can sit on the floor like traditional Turks or sit at a table like you’re used to (no judgment, really!). They have a fantastic Turkish lunch buffet complete with soup and baklava, but feel free to order off the menu. If you get here early or have time to kill afterwards, walk around downtown Bloomington for some great local shopping.
3. Artists Colony Inn – Nashville
Come hungry for this restaurant and inn. Enjoy traditional country fare dinners like breaded catfish, country fried steak, meatloaf, and chicken pot pie. If you’re a vegetarian, you have to try their veggie lasagna. You also have your pick of sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, quiche, and appetizers galore. The kids' menu is also pretty diverse. Stay overnight at this highly rated inn or crash with nearby friends and relatives as you prepare for day two of the tastiest road trip ever.
4. Café Patachou – Indianapolis
Featured in Bon Appetit magazine is this stunning breakfast gem in the capital city. Café Patachou uses only range-free eggs from local farms and local, seasonal ingredients. Enjoy a custom or specialty omelette, broken yolk sandwiches, croissant French toast, Cuban breakfast, waffles (gluten-free available), smoked salmon, hot grains and granola, fresh fruit and yogurt, and so much more. Top it off with your favorite coffee or espresso drink, Bloody Mary or mimosa, freshly blended smoothies, or juice. Park a few blocks away so you can walk off your breakfast as you return to the car.
5. Sitara Indian Restaurant – Muncie
Next, it’s time to indulge in some amazing Indian food for lunch. You can order most dishes as mild, medium, or spicy, so don’t worry about the food being too hot for your liking. The chicken tikka masala, paneer pakora, and vegetable samosas are all popular dishes. There’s also a lunch buffet so you can sample a little bit of everything if you’d like!
6. Paula’s on Main – Fort Wayne
Have you been looking for the most awesome seafood in the Midwest? Paula’s is what you’ve been searching for. From mussel appetizers, Caesar salads with whole anchovies (you can opt out of them if you’d like), calamari, buffalo shrimp, and clam chowder to bleu cheese salmon, walleye fingers, scallops, and crap cakes, Paula’s won’t disappoint you. Their menu also has great cocktail creations and their staff is great at making bar recommendations. Luckily, you’ll be crashing in Fort Wayne (or nearby) for the night, so get as full as you please!
7. Curve Café – Mishawaka
Did someone say stuffed cinnamon roll? Oh yeah, you’re getting the royal treatment here. Curve Café brings breakfast and brunch to the ultimate level, with treats such as Belgian waffles, pancakes with fresh fruit, and fresh muffins. Looking for something more savory? How about biscuits and gravy, pancake sandwiches, chicken fried steak, corned beef hash, and egg sandwiches? You’ll want to eat breakfast here for the rest of your life.
8. Bistro 501 – Lafayette
Add some more culture to your road trip with a slightly upscale lunch at Bistro 501 in Lafayette. Here, you can savor fresh cut frites, a variety of salads and soups, sandwiches, crepes, and mac and cheese. If you order the frites, be sure to try a few of their intriguing dipping sauces. Don’t pass up on their dessert menu either; try some fresh dipped ice cream, house made cookies, and other specialties.
9. Byron Bobe’s Pizza House - Vincennes
Locals claim this is the best pizza they’ve ever had and others travel from Louisville and farther to indulge in this beloved pizza. With a unique blend of sauces and simple recipes, you can’t go wrong with anything you order from this pizza house. Hey, grab a pie to go as well, as a souvenir to remember this awesome road trip by!
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