This week, Mrs. K and I were interested in the Ocean Prime (8555 River Road, Indianapolis) Happy Hour on Thursday, which runs from 4 to 9 p.m. and features music along with the special menu offerings. We had been there a couple of weeks ago and heard about it. It sounded like something a little different.
We made reservations online (as recommended) for 5 p.m. and arrived to find a mostly full bar room. Our table was one of their cushy booths that would seat four or six if necessary – very plush and comfy. Our server, Gerald, greeted us and went over the menus with us, and we noted that we would be using the Happy Hour page.
The $8 wine for this HH is a one red/one white decision. The last time we had visited, Mrs. K was disappointed that they had no Chardonnay – but this time they featured a very tasty Rodney Strong brand which we both ordered. A bowl of their truffle-oil popcorn arrived and we enjoyed looking around the room at the wide variety of folks.
From the HH menu, Mrs. K stayed with her favorite – the Crab Cake Sliders ($11), and I opted for the exotic sounding Sakura Wagyu Cheesburger ($13 – Camembert Cheese, Red Onion Jam, Dijon Aioli, Spiced Dill Pickles). The burger is very good-sized for an appetizer, and came with a load of French Fries (cup of ketchup on the side). Everything was delicious. Our tab came to just over $50 plus tip.
As the crowd grew, with most every seat taken, we eagerly awaited for the music to start – but it never did. I asked Gerald if he knew what was going on, and he had no idea – saying that usually the musician was there at 4:30 setting up. We were a bit disappointed, as the music was the reason we had changed our day for this week’s HH to Thursday. It didn’t matter much in the end, as the food was very good and the atmosphere of the full bar room made for a great evening.
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Today, I’d like to relay a little information about Happy Hour laws in Indiana that I had not known about (from ChatGPT):
- Indiana outlawed Happy Hour promotions 40 years ago in 1985. The concern at the time was that discounted, time-limited drink specials encouraged binge drinking and contributed to drunk driving. For decades, Indiana stood out as one of the few states with such a strict prohibition, while neighboring states allowed the practice.
- House Enrolled Act 1086 (2024) signed into law by Governor Eric Holcomb in March 2024 officially repealed the ban.
- The law went into effect on July 1, 2024, allowing restaurants and bars to once again advertise and serve discounted alcoholic beverages during designated hours.
Ken Klingenmeier offers this series of columns, called “A Seat at the Table,” wherein he will review Indy-area restaurants – specifically their Happy Hour offers. Keep reading The Reporter for future restaurant reviews.