Fat Dan’s Chicago-Style Deli
815 Broad Ripple Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46220
http://www.fatdansdeli.com/
I’ve had several people recommend this place to me and I’ve seen many positive reviews in the newspaper and other local magazines, so finally I decided to get off my lazy rear end and make my way down to Broad Ripple to try it out.
My first impression of the place when I walked in, or more appropriately as I was walking up to the door (they have a front porch style screen door as their front door…LOL), was “oh my god, this place SMELLS incredible.” Turns out I was walking in just as they were taking some brisket out of the smoker and it smelled DELICIOUS.
Fat Dan’s also has a very Broad Ripple-y vibe, which really surprised me. I expected it to be a full-on sports bar but while it did have a sports design to it, it also had that eclectic feel to it that you see everywhere in Broad Ripple.
What I Got: Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich ($7.50) and Fries ($2.75)
Anyway, onto the Italian Beef. All I can say about it is “WOW.” This thing was huge and absolutely delicious. The meat was cooked perfectly as it was tender, spicy and juicy. Basically, it’s everything you’d ever want the meat in an Italian beef to be. The meat was served in a perfect bread roll that was fresh (at least it seemed) and the Giardinera peppers added a nice spicy bite to the sandwich. I ordered mine “wet” (extra juice poured on) and it was done absolutely perfectly as the sandwich was literally falling apart in my hands. That’s my preferred way to eat an Italian beef sandwich and this one had everything going for it. I really cannot say enough about how good this was.
I also got an order of fries and ordinarily I wouldn’t spend a lot of time talking about fries, but these fries were absurdly good. They were hand-cut, crispy and were covered in a mix of seasonings that gave them a nice kick. Honestly, these could have been the best fries that I’ve ever had (even better than Rally’s fries) and I would even go there just for the fries alone. They were that freaking good.
Would I Buy It Again? Yes, absolutely, without question. It was a bit pricey for lunch, but I don’t really care. When you get something that was as good as BOTH the sandwich and fries were, it is worth it. It is easily the best Italian beef in Indianapolis and I would almost venture so far as to put it up against any Italian beef that I’ve had in Chicago as well. I may be exaggerating slightly, but not by much.
This meal was so good that I’m just going to go ahead an put this place in the Hall of Fame after one review. I just cannot say enough good things about this place and now I cannot wait to go back and try the brisket, which according to this review, is the best thing that Fat Dan’s has on the menu. If it is better than this Italian beef sandwich was, then I could quite possibly be making a trip into food euphoria and I am just drooling with anticipation. I’m just glad I don’t get down to Broad Ripple often anymore, because if I did, I would go to this place constantly and I’d easily be broke and weigh 400 pounds.
-IndianapolisEater
