Mrs. K and I took a ride to the west side of Meridian Street in Indianapolis to try Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern located at 1130 W. 86th St.
Sitting in a small strip mall, the establishment features a Happy Hour (HH) from 3 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can view their menu at myrustybucket.com/menu.
We walked in at just before 4 p.m. and the place had a healthy crowd for that hour. Seated in one of about 15 booth that edge the walls, I asked about a HH menu and was pointed to the main menu we had been handed. Rusty Bucket’s HH features half-price appetizers, $1 off beers, wines and cocktails, and a $7 Juicy Lucy Burger which comes with no sides.
Our very friendly server Armando appeared and took our drink orders – I opted for a bottle of Coors Light ($3.59) and my wife asked if she could sample the Chateau Souverain Chardonnay ($8.95 for six ounces) since they didn’t offer any labels she was familiar with. Armando happily said “no problem.” The sample proved to be very good and so we looked at the menu offerings.
The “Start Here” list of appetizers runs from Fried Pickles ($13.29), Brussels Sprouts ($13.49), and Spinach Con Queso ($13.99) on the veggie side, to Chicken Fingers or Wings ($15.49/$15.99), Old Bay Shrimp Cocktail ($15.49), and Double Stacked Quesadilla ($15.49) on the meaty side.
We are veggie lovers but felt attracted to the chicken/shrimp side, especially the Old Bay Shrimp Cocktail which happens to be one of Mrs. K’s favorite treats. Alongside that, we thought the Juicy Lucy Burger sounded tempting and we added the Double Stacked Quesadilla as well. With half-prices on everything, it was hard not to order the whole appetizer menu.
As we waited for our food, Rusty Bucket was becoming more and more bustling. A man came in with three small children, several pairs of lady-friends took tables around us, groups of younger people came in in groups of two, three, and four. As Mrs. K said, “They have it goin’ on here!”
The place has a centrally spotted rectangular bar, which had only a few empty seats. Our area near the front was a part of the ‘bar’ with several booths and high tables. Nearer the back is the ‘family area’ on the other side of the necessary Indiana partition. There was a small room off to the side that was empty but likely could be reserved for meetings and groups. It’s a good-sized place and we had heard very little about it before searching for Happy Hour locations online.
(Clockwise from left) Old Bay Shrimp Cocktail, Double Stacked Quesadilla, and Juicy Lucy Burger. (Photo by Ken Klingenmeier)
When Armando found out I was going to write this HH review, he asked where some other good HHs were. Immediately Mrs. K said Ocean Prime, which is one of her very favorite stops. Armando said that Ocean Prime was run by the same company as Rusty Bucket, which I thought was very interesting – Ocean Prime also has it “goin’ on.”
The food came and it was a lot! The Shrimp Cocktail had nine large shrimp served in a bucket full of ice with two cups of sauce. They were coated with a sprinkle of spices that were just right with the cocktail sauce. The Quesadillas were indeed doubled with a flaky crust in between two layers of chicken, cheddar, pepper jack, plus black bean and corn salsa. A generous serving of four good-sized pieces shared the plate with chopped tomato and lettuce, guac, and sour cream.
The Juicy Lucy Burger was also a generous offering – two smashed patties, sandwiching a layer of caramelized onions, topped with a slice of cheese, on a seeded bun.
Everything was delicious – not just really good, but really delicious. It was a lot of food for two people, but we did our best, taking home half the Quesadillas and half the Juicy Lucy. Our only critique would be: the Juicy Lucy wasn’t juicy. Cooked to a mostly well-done level, we asked Armando if it could be ordered medium. His answer was ‘no’ – because it is two ‘smashed’ burgers, there was no way to temper the level of doneness.
Our tab came to $42.11 (I had a second beer) plus tip. Mrs. K and I enjoyed this place a great deal. The ambiance, the vibe, the food, the comfort, the friendly service were all top level. We’ll be back to try some of the items we missed.
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.
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