Happy Hour at Fork + Ale House

Mrs. K and I took advantage of a beautiful spring day last Thursday by heading to Midtown Plaza in Carmel. There, we took in Happy Hour (HH) at Fork + Ale House, located at 350 Veterans Way, Suite 150, which is a bit confusing to locate. That address takes you to an F.C. Tucker office entrance. The receptionist there was kind enough to let us walk through the office into the adjoining foyer where Fork + Ale’s entrance is located.

Next time we come, we will continue west on Elm and park in the lot across from Midtown Plaza; much better logistically speaking.

We were seated at a wonderfully airy table by an open window overlooking the plaza – just perfect for the 70-degree temps. We met our server Mercedez and she set us up with menus, water, and a nice friendly chat. When I introduced myself as a restaurant columnist for the Hamilton County Reporter, she asked if I had written the review for Drake’s – which was where she worked before it closed. I told her I had.

Fork + Ale’s Happy Hour menu (clickable here: tinyurl.com/ForkAleMenu, and offered 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday) features a full list of cocktails, beers, and wines. Mrs. K asked for the HH Chardonnay (Seaglass – $6) and I opted for the House Margarita ($5).

The HH food menu has an interesting array of very reasonably priced items to choose from. Mrs. K had ordered the Fish Tacos ($8) the last time she was there with her HH group, so we knew they were delicious. We stayed with burgers and sliders this visit. I ordered the Smash Burger ($7 plus I doubled it for $4 more), while my wife ordered two Sliders ($4 each) – one Fried Chicken with Honey Mustard and one Prime Rib. All sides are $4, so we added fries, as recommended by Mercedez.

Mr. Jeff Blair, the owner of Fork + Ale House, stopped by our table to make sure everything was right. A very nice fellow, he made us both feel very much at home. Jeff mentioned that none of the HH items were available on his other menus … that they were meant to be special. I thought that was interesting since many places just discount a few items by three or four dollars off the regular price and make that their Happy Hour fare.

The food arrived and it was extremely well prepared. My Smash Burger was huge, all dressed with cheese, onion, lettuce, and tomato, and with a generous spread of Onion Bacon Jam – wow, that added a special taste! Mrs. K’s Sliders were very flavorful, especially with the creamy horseradish sauce and au jus in cups. And as Mercedez had noted – the fries were something special. I never found out exactly what they did to them, but they were indeed hard to stop eating.

We finished it all, except for a few spare fries, and just as we were ready to call a truce, Jeff brought by a treat for us – a beautiful slice of flourless chocolate cake – rich and warm with raspberries and raspberry sauce. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and a very nice gesture from our host.

The tab came to less than $35, plus tip, and we agreed that Fork + Ale was one of the most pleasant stops we have made on our tour of Happy Hours. The airy setting by the busy Midtown Plaza, the great attention that was paid to us by the staff, the remarkable HH food at a great price – we’ll definitely hope to come back sometime soon.

I’d like to briefly mention the Dinner and a Show Special that Fork + Ale has set up with the nearby Cat Theatre. For $50 apiece, you receive a salad or chili, a choice of four entrees, plus a cheesecake dessert – on top of tickets to the show at The Cat. Contact Audrey at The Cat for details: audreylarkin@thecat.biz.

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.