Happy Hour at Bar Louie

Carmel’s Bar Louie, located in the Olivia Building at 1111 W. Main St., is a sprawling establishment set in the newest section of the west side of Carmel. The entire area is fresh and new and still growing with large apartment buildings on all sides. There is plenty of parking in the rear of the building.

Happy Hour (HH) is offered from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with a full menu of 24 Bar Bites and Flatbreads priced at $8, $9, and $10, plus $8 glasses of wine and premium liquors. Signature Martinis and Select House Cocktails are $9, and Pints are $5.50 or $6.50 depending on your choice.

Dana was our server and promptly offered waters and menus and a smile. There are a limited number of wines available for HH, one each of seven different types. I ordered a Chloe Pinot Grigio and Mrs. K took the uniquely named Unshackled by The Prisoner Chardonnay. (The Prisoner is the winery’s name and Unshackled is the name of the Chardonnay). Both proved to be very refreshing and tasty.

Bar Louie’s Margherita Flatbread (foreground) and Burger Sliders. (Photo by Ken Klingenmeier)

Our decisions for Bar Bites came down to trying Bar Louie’s versions of some of our favorites. I chose the Margherita Flatbread ($8) while my wife ordered Burger Sliders with a Side Salad ($10).

The restaurant’s sunny interior features comfortable booths, many tables and chairs (high and low) and a long bar. There is also an outdoor sitting area. The upstairs portion was hosting a large party at 4 pm Wednesday afternoon when we arrived. Not many others were in the main room.

Graphic provided / barlouie.com

Both dishes arrived quickly and I must say it was beautiful food. The Flatbread was good-sized, with three types of cheese, roasted grape tomatoes, hunks of sweet roasted garlic, and a nice drizzle of their homemade pesto. So delicious!

Mrs. K’s trio of Burger Sliders had Black Angus burgers with cheese, pickle, the tomato she special-requested, and Louie sauce. The Louie sauce makes for a very unique and enjoyable condiment. I really enjoyed it.

Our tab came to right around $40 plus tip – a good value for the quality of food we shared. I want to thank our friend Kimberly for telling us about the place.

Ken Klingenmeier offers this series of columns, called “A Seat at the Table,” wherein he reviews Indy-area restaurants – specifically their Happy Hour offers. Keep reading The Reporter for future restaurant reviews.