Review: Binkley’s Kitchen & Bar
Author: WIBIA | Filed under: Food Reviews, Location: Indianapolis, IN, Tenderloin of the Month
Binkley’s Kitchen & Bar
5902 N. College Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
http://www.binkleyskitchenandbar.com
Tenderloin of the Month is quickly becoming my favorite segment. Why? I get to eat at least one tenderloin a month. I ate one about every four or five months previously, so I am looking forward to having a fixed menu item in this fun experiment. Last month, IndianapolisEater tried out the tenderloin at Broad Ripple Tavern. So, I tried out Binkley’s, which is another LUX restaurant.
Binkley’s is a cool joint. It was crazy crowded on a Friday night, so I assumed that the food had hope. The service was slow throughout the meal, a real bummer for sure when you have a 14 month old. I saw a tenderloin on the menu and realized that we are running out of time for September, so I had to try it.
What I Ate: Breaded Tenderloin; $8.99. Served with Cole Slaw.
The good news was that it was not a breaded pork fritter. I liked the thickness of the tenderloin as it was not too thin and and not too dry. It was just right actually. However, I found it to be a good amount smaller than a lot of its competitors. The breading was crisp, the pork was juicy and all in all, I thought that it had a nice taste until…(insert cliffhanger music)…the bun was gross. Flour dusted yuppie bun. It wasn’t grilled either, just straight out of the bag. This ruined the sandwich.
Would I Buy It Again? No. The tenderloin was a little on the small size, however the bun ruined it. Notice at their other restaurant, they serve a sesame seed bun. I really can’t rag on it too much because if they get a new bun, they would be back on track. I have had much worse.
Btw, the remainder of the food at Binkley’s was pretty bad. Hummus tasted like a romesco sauce and my wife’s pasta (a special) was pretty awful. Watery sauce for $16. First, it was too expensive and second, it was just plain bad. I am not sure if I would return to Binkley’s, unless it was for a few drinks.
-wibia
Tags: binkley's, cole slaw, Food, Tenderloin, Tenderloin of the Month
Out of the bag, un-toasted bun? No thanks.
Went to Binkley’s once about 3 years ago (or so) after it first opened, and it was moved in to “never again” territory. It has a great locaiton, and the patio with the little fire pit is appealing, but it is overpriced and most of the casual sit down chains are far better (applebees, o’charley’s, TFIG, etc.). Places like this add to my general cautiousness about Broad Ripple – restaurants achieve greater appeal due to the location and excitement of just being out than what the food merits.
whew! that is pretty sad – the bun doesnt look so bad, but some toasting is key.
I have a gift card to any of the LUX restaurants and was thinking I might give Binkley’s a shot… I still might go for their brunch (http://www.binkleyskitchenandbar.com/menu/brunch.html), but the Elbow Room may win out.
For me, Binkley’s is always adequate. Can’t remember a thing I’ve eaten there, but never had a horrible experience. they have a decent beer list, which is nice. It’s a low risk, low reward type place. I’ll take my parents there because they don’t have the most adventurous of palates. I don’t think I’ve ever paid for a meal there either, so I never noticed if it was expensive or not.
I love the burgers, beer menu, and fresh salads at Binkley’s. I’m sorry, but I’m not that familiar with the intricacies of Hoosier cuisine–what exactly is a “pork fritter” in comparison to a deep-fried pork tenderloin? Is the former just a term for frozen, machine-cut-and-pounded tenderloin, or is there a difference in cut of meat and recipe? Thanks.