Chatterbox Jazz Club

Went on a Sunday evening to listen to Jazz Music, I’ve been to the Slippery Noodle multiple times and loved the atmosphere and blues music so I was suggested to see a show at this dive bar.
First, the waitstaff was rude and never really acknowledged us until our group grew bigger than two. I don’t think they are very knowledgable either about drink recipes maybe they are just accustomed to beers? I ordered a whiskey sour and the bartender told me he couldn’t make it because all he had was whiskey and sour mix??? I wanted to ask him if he was missing the ice and glass because I was confused. Regardless, I told him that was fine and he made me the worst whiskey sour I’ve ever had. I enjoy a strong drink but it was whiskey with a splash of sour mix – if I wanted it that strong I would have ordered whiskey on the rocks.
The other parties in my group had beer and they enjoyed that but you can’t really mess beer up.
The music was very nice. I really wasn’t into the whole «dive bar» scene though I would have much rather been at the Slippery Noodle. It seemed dirty, disorganized, and really cramped. It’s so small that the music is deafening. And going outside to the patio was nice but it’s also very crowded with all the other people visiting mass ave.
All in all it wasn’t my cup of tea and I’ll stick with what I know. Great jazz/​blues ensemble though!

Oh, Chatterbox, how I love thee. Cheap drinks, solid beer list, great ambience, awesome live jazz… this place is everything a dive bar should be. And I don’t even LIKE dive bars!
On Mass Ave for date night? Swing in here before you head home. Perfect spot for a memorable evening… and if your evening is one you’d rather forget — no talking needed during live jazz! So sit back, drink your coke and vodka and enjoy the jams.
Thank me later.

This place is amazing. We moved from Phoenix recently and take all of our Indy visitors here, every one of them!!! It’s magical!

Cozy bar that has amazing jazz music! I love hanging out here to check out the music.

Come on down and see the legendary Chatterbox Jazz Club on Mass Ave! It attracts Indianapolis’ greatest jazz talents. It is by far my favorite dive bar in all of Indianapolis. Live jazz from 8p-​11p Sun-​Thurs with a variety of regular performers (Sophie Faught Quartet on Wednesday nights is my personal favorite). Music from 10:30p-1:00a Fri-​Sat with $ 7 cover. No real food on the menu other than bar snacks. Pretzels, popcorn, etc. Go for the irish coffee, they make a mean one here, especially Vanessa. She knows a lot of other coffee drinks too if you’re up for something new! Bring a chess board, book, or newspaper on a slow night if you’re up for it. Patio is great in the summer, smoking allowed. Enjoy!

Only place you should go to to listen to jazz while having a cold drink. I wouldn’t think of a better place to go in Indy.

Decorated with Christmas lights year-​round and sharpie drawn walls, the Chatterbox is the epitome of «hole in the wall». It’s quaint size, outdoor seating and modest pricing make it a great chill hangout in one of the most trendy areas in downtown Indy, Mass Ave.
Paired with fantastic live jazz music, this is a great place to hang out with the girls, your parents, or take a date (if they’re cool with the whole «hole in the wall» concept).
There is a small menu of basic bar food, including soft pretzels and popcorn, so if advise eating before you go. However, the beer and liquor lists are decent, with both local and domestic brews.

Located in the heart of Mass Ave, Chatterbox is a divey bar that provides an intimate setting to enjoy nice jazz. I recently attended a free jazz night (Wednesday) at Chatterbox and thought the music was excellent. I have heard that the first and last Tuesdays of the month have special live performances as well. Although weeknights are free, I think there is a cover charge on weekend nights. The venue is small, but in nice weather there is patio seating out front on Mass Ave. The Chatterbox is unique among other establishments on Mass Ave and definitely brings diversity to the neighborhood. If you are looking for live music, definitely give it a shot!

We went on a Friday night and had a great time listening to a brass jazz band. The scene lively with a mix of all ages. Great to see they have expanded the drink menu to include flavored vodkas, etc. There was a $ 7 cover but felt like a good value given the music was incredible.

I just love this bar. It’s a small hole in the wall place with really great jazz music and the bartenders are always really helpful and drinks are reasonably priced. I like to hang here read a book listen to music and just relax. It’s a great bar for just that.

You have to love this place.

We came early for a drink and a shot before a show we were going to elsewhere. I liked the feel of this bar, extremely divey and drinks were cheap. Bathroom was covered in quotes and signatures. Bathroom soap was liquid neutrogena face soap. Haha Bartender was friendly and made a strong drink. Cute, tiny little outdoor seating area where you can people watch on Mass Ave. I would like to go back for jazz when we are in town again.

So the other day when my friend and I were on an early evening drinking excursion on Mass Ave. we started at the Chatterbox.
The bartender was making some crazy strong vodka-​red bulls and she was very thorough about the specials.
The outdoor seating was really cute and it was nice to sit out there to be able to just chat, drink, smoke and hang out.
It really could have been the timing that we were there, but the place seems to be a bit of a snoozefest on the inside. It’s very hole-​in-​the-​wall, but it could use some lighting or something to liven up the place a bit. To be fair though, I haven’t been there when it’s dark and it probably gets busier throughout the evening, so i can’t knock it until I try to go there at a later time in the evening.
The patio is a really great place to sit and people watch others scurrying around Mass Ave. So I do recommend this as a place to start an evening.

The Chatterbox is a great place for live music and solid drinks. Highly recommended! Try the Dark & Stormy.

The atmosphere is the reason your here. They add décor in layers, every holiday seems represented. Always a friendly face at the bar and they usually have drink specials. Live jazz music most nights (I think). Seems like they always have a band when I am here. Great place to check out.

This is easily one of the best finds since moving to Indy in 2008. It is small but has a great atmosphere. The jazz is great. I love the casual feel and the fact that you can sit and enjoy the jazz or chat with the person you came with.
The outdoor seating is nice as it is a little quieter but you can still hear the music. They have heaters in the outdoor area when it gets cooler.
My husband and I went there two years in a row for New Year’s Eve and had an amazing time. Included in the cover for that night you get a hat, poppers, and a glass of champagne at midnight.
This is a great place to spend an evening.

I am a twenty year veteran of The Chatterbox and love the place. It is my go-​to spot on Mass Ave for good music, reasonable drinks and great conversation. I’m contributing my review here because it seems some of the negative reviews might have a basic misunderstanding of the place.
The Chatterbox is a dive bar with live music seven days a week. There is a cover charge only on Friday and Saturday evenings (currently $ 7), every other night is free with a tip jar for the band. The weekend bands are often traveling jazz musicians, thus the cover. David, the owner, usually collects cover starting around 8:30 or 9pm, and he politely asks the currently seated guests for the cover charge at that time.
The Chatterbox is not a restaurant. They serve Patties of Jamaica, tombstone pizza, popcorn and nachos. Don’t arrive and ask for a menu. There are four beers on tap and a selection of decent but not great wines. If you consider yourself a sommelier, you will be disappointed. Head to the wine shop down the street.
The Chatterbox has one television. It’s probably not the spot to watch the game. The décor is there is no décor, only a visual record of fourty years of bar entropy and liquid wisdom scrawled on the walls. It’s not fancy. At all. If the place is packed it holds about 70 people, and you might be sitting dangerously close to your neighbor.
The Chatterbox has a good jukebox (vinyl 45’s of course), a friendly waitstaff and some of the best hard-​working jazz musicians in the Midwest. Jazz happens six nights a week, and on Tuesdays the music varies. First Tuesday of the month is classical music with amazing members of our symphony sitting in and picking up. Other Tuesday’s vary, but the music is always good. There are sing-​a-​longs for Christmas and St. Patrick’s days.
That’s it. The place has character and great music. Leave all other expectations behind and hopefully you will enjoy this place as much as I do.

Bummer. Bum bum bummer. I was so looking forward to hearing some live jazz at this hole-​in-​the-​wall dive bar on Mass Ave. The bar itself is small and cozy with some interesting wall decorations. Overall, the place has character.
The other night myself and two other friends grabbed a table and wanted drink recommendations. One of the servers was of little to no help when he failed to give us his favorite drink choices. Come on pal, help us out! We finally chose our drinks and they were definitely strong enough — so a few points were earned back.
As we got closer to the jazz music starting up, the owner (I believe it was the owner) walked from table to table asking that each person paid $ 7 to stay and listen. AFTER we had already taken a seat and gotten a drink. What?! So if we don’t pay the $ 7 we’re kicked out? So we guzzled down our drinks and left. Did we want to stay and listen to the jazz? Yes. Would we have bought more drinks from the bar? Yes. But — due to the situation, we had no trouble in picking ourselves up and leaving. Sad. If you want to charge people to listen, do so before we sit down. Or — for anyone coming in after a certain time, then charge those folks. But who charges people AFTER they’ve already made themselves comfortable? Again, sad. Because It seemed like I place that I would have enjoyed.

Total dive but in the best possible way! Ever since Indy eliminated smoking in restaurants/​bars, this has become a favorite hangout for me. I love the graffiti on the walls, the live music, the chill atmosphere, all of it! Good place for drinking whiskey with friends, but there’s not a lot of seating, and it can get really loud from performers. If you’re hanging out with a lot of friends and want to have long conversations, this might not be the best place.

This is my favorite Mass Ave bar. It has a neighborhood feel which is mostly due to the fact it’s essentially a dive. I love the fact that the walls are covered with posters, nick knacks and anything else they could hang.
The music is always great, I mean who doesn’t like live jazz? The staff have always been sweet and attentive even when it’s a full house. The prices are reasonable, especially if you like craft beer. Their Malbec is my favorite wine the list.
Great place to catch up with friends or take a date!