Rusty Bucket

Hubby and I were running errands on a Friday and wanted to try something new, but casual.  We ended up driving by the Rusty Bucket.  I had been there for drinks before, but not for dinner, so we decided to give it a try.

We ordered a round of drinks – they have an extensive beer selection which we were happy to see.  Unfortunately, I had ordered a Saison Dupont, a Belgian ale, which I was extremely disappointed in.  It wasn’t the best start of my meal as I didn’t enjoy it at all, especially as hubs sipped on his Sun King Osiris that I knew was better. So we turned to one of my favorite foods as an appetizer – nachos – to get the meal started on a better note.

The chips were crisp and light, covered with a  layer of sirloin chili.  I usually like chicken versus beef on my nachos, but this chili surprised me as I enjoyed the meaty flavors, as well as the chunky sirloin pieces.  Nacho cheese sauce was not only poured over the chips, but you were also given a bowl of it to continue dipping.  I didn’t get the “homemade’ vibe from the cheese – it seemed like a basic nacho cheese sauce.  The tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro were a much needed fresh component to the dish as the cheese and chili did make the dish a bit heavy.

For our entrees, we both ordered a sandwich. Hubby ordered the Torpedo: an Italian sandwich with a variety of meats.  The main component of the sandwich was a grilled piece of Italian sausage.  Unfortunately, neither one of us enjoyed the sausage as it didn’t have much flavor.  Hubs ended up removing the sausage, leaving him with a healthy serving of salami and cappicola ham.  Each had the expected flavor components, but were still standard meats that didn’t have any special flavor.  Definitely not deli style, but we didn’t expect that, so it was a decent sandwich.  Italian dressing, mayo, tomato, lettuce, red onion and Provolone cheese were layered on the sandwich.  The sausage wasn’t a good choice for this sandwich due to the quality, but I think we both had higher expectations for it.

I must have been craving All-American fare because I ordered the chicken finger BLT.  I wasn’t expecting a hamburger bun as the bread component, but it worked for the sandwich.  A slight layer of mayo, lettuce and tomato were layered with three chicken strips.  The chicken strips were okay – there was a fish taste to them.  This could have been because of the oil they were fried in (it may have been shared) or the batter, which was a light beer batter.  It worked only because I was craving a standard sandwich.  I had asked for cheddar cheese to be added, but didn’t receive it (and fortunately wasn’t charged for it either) which was okay because really, the sandwich didn’t need it.  Both sandwiches were served with fries – thin and crispy, salted well.

Definitely a neighborhood tavern, the Rusty Bucket is a family friendly venue.  There were many families present on the Friday night we were there, as well as some couples.  Whether it is a bar or restaurant is up for debate – the bar was full of patrons drinking on a Friday night, but the tables were full of families eating and enjoying themselves.  I wish the menu had more variety, but if you are looking for standard All-American fare this may work for you.

Rusty Bucket * 1130 W. 86th Street * Indianapolis, 46260 * 317.566.3463