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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Restaurant Review: Big Lug Canteen

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Throughout the spring and summer seasons, as I would often make my way down the Monon Trail on sunny afternoons, I found myself passing the old Snooty Fox restaurant. After 29 years, the English pub-style restaurant shut its doors in 2011.

Replacing the space after a complete renovation were several businesses, including Big Lug Canteen, which I saw become a completed project over time. I decided to check it out after hearing a bit of buzz about it. As the restaurant is slightly hidden, customers must drive behind the areaā€™s Taco Bell and Jimmy Johnā€™s to locate the new eatery and brewery. I was very surprised to see how big the new construction was.

As Big Lug took up the building space to the left, I also spotted a new pizza eatery, which Iā€™ll have to visit another time, and several spaces were waiting to be leased. The decor of Big Lug is very industrial. The moment I walked in, I almost felt as if I was in a vault thanks to the enormous size of the door, its steel bar handles and the interior paneling. My friend Sydney (who was eager to try the place herself) and I were greeted by a tall staircase to the right and open seating to the left.

As our initial plan was to grab food to go, we headed straight for the bar. The main space also matched the industrial feel with chrome-painted bar stools and black-top tables. The only things throwing off the decor were the red diner-style booth tables. As we were given menus, I noticed Big Lug is a true brewery, as the beer and liquor list was very extensive. On tap alone, the bar served 20 different beers, and all of them were brewed in-house. The beer list included four house beers and four rotation beers.

I also noticed a brand called Journeyman Distilling dominating the shelves behind the bartender. Thebrand comes from Michigan Distillery in Valparaiso, Indiana, and Big Lug customers can choose from the more than 13 concoctions on the menu. Wines and cocktails are also available. Now on to the food. I quickly realized beer was the main attraction, so I wasnā€™t surprised to see the food menu was pretty basic. But it included all of the favorite items most people enjoy while gathering for sporting events and enjoying a beer, such as the Nashville Wings, Fish Nā€™ Chips, Beer Cheese and more.

The menu also included seven varieties of salad and hoagie and knot sandwiches. Additional items were walking tacos, gumbo, chili, fries and an array of hot dogs. Sydney and I ordered 12 hot wings and they came out of the kitchen steaming hot, probably right out of the fryer. The wings were pretty large and had an amazing crunch to them. Although there was no sign of using hot sauce of any kind to spice up the wings, they had the right amount of heat. The only thing missing was a bit of seasoning, but I fixed that with a little salt and pepper.

The fries were also crunchy and were coated with a great seasoning. Big Lug also serves up a few weekly specials like the Shredded BBQ Chicken dinner, Autumn Steak & Hash, Scallop Ceviche Tacos and White Pepper Chicken. Overall, I could see this two-week-old eatery becoming very popular as the football season progresses and as it gains a reputation as a place to simply hang out.

Big Lug Canteen

1435 E. 86th St. Indianapolis, IN 46240

(317) 672-3503

Mondayā€“Thursday: 11 a.m.ā€“1 a.m.

Friday: 11 a.m.ā€“2 a.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m.ā€“2 a.m. Sunday: 10 a.m.ā€“midnight

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