The Ball & Biscuit

I’ve been to Ball & Biscuit quite a few times and I somehow always forget to leave a review. Which may actually be the problem with this place for me. I go and I always forget? Not memorable? But it is! In a sense. I mean the cucumber vodka cocktail is to die for. But that being said, it can tend to be a bit on the pricey side for what you get, the service is usually sub par and the bathroom situation is just unfortunate. Maybe one day this place will grow on me…

Ball and Biscuit, oh how I want to love you. So maybe it was a bad night, maybe it wasn’t, but I will never know because I won’t be back.
First off, is it necessary to have a «bouncer» checking ID’s at the door? This is a restaurant and bar, not a nightclub.
That being said, it is had a cool vibe, dark and mysterious, but the place is super small and has minimal seating for it’s popularity, at least that particular evening. It was packed and our poor server seemed to be running the floor by herself. We waited forever to order our drinks and waited even longer to get it. I honestly felt bad for our server, she was doing the best she could.
The good news is that the drink was amazing. It was some sort of butternut squash concoction with egg white. I would loved to have ordered another and some food for that matter, but there was just not enough time.

If you are looking for a quiet, trendy cocktail bar on Mass Ave, this is your spot. The drinks are expensive ($ 10+), and the food menu is very limited (and pricey). Some of the best bartenders in Indy work here, and if you don’t see something on the menu, you can simply ask and they’ll whip you up something personal. In my case, I was feeling like a Mezcal drink, and he immediately spouted off half a dozen cocktails he could make. I’d highly suggest going with a Oaxaca Mule, if you can handle the smokiness of Mezcal. Fantastic spot for conversation and catching up. Not good for more than 4 people; the inside is very small.

Awesome place to chill and vibe out. Nice lounge seating with dim lighting. All round nice place for a date or just to have a nice conversation. It’s not huge but it’s comfortably cozy.

If I hadn’t been to the Ball & Biscuit before, I might describe this crazy club I stumbled into where girls toppled around in six inch heals as their boyfriends shoved each other and wonder why my experience didn’t match with the other reviews, as this is what my friends and I encountered Friday night. Standing room only, with the music switched from the typical Hipster fare to Billboard Bump-​n-​Grind Top Hits and turned up a few notches. Intoxicated girls gyrated and gesticulated with their cocktails, swinging their purses into my companions and nearly sloshing their drinks as well. «Where *are* we?» I thought, and after contemplating together how drastically the small space changes based on the occupants, we drained our glasses and continued our conversations at the wine bar a few doors down.
While on other occasions the vibe has been upscale chill and I’m sure I’ll be back, I’ll be bringing a backup plan to avoid contracting concurrent concussion & tinnitis.

I had a wonderful experience here and highly recommend a visit. An engaging and knowledgeable bartender makes the difference between a good and a great experience. The Ball and Biscuit have great bartenders.
I started with a gin-​based cocktail that was layered and was truly an unique experience, followed with a drink that wasn’t on the menu, but was in the same theme.
This is a perfect spot for a date or for friends visiting Indianapolis. It’s one of those few places that reflect favorably on you for picking it :)

I really enjoy The Ball & Biscuit’s cocktails. Definitely a great date spot as the facility is very dimly lit and intimate if you dig that kinda vibe. Most of my favorite drinks are no longer on the menu, but that’s okay! I’ve never been dissatisfied by the new flavor combos they create. I think my only issue is that it can be suuuper yuppie, which who cares really, but I just tend to feel out of place in that setting. Barely worth mentioning though, drinks are superb! Take your babe out here.

I have been here 3 times and every time I’m so impressed.
This time, Ryan & I came here for pre-​dinner cocktails on our date night! We both LOVE old fashions so Ryan ordered one and as ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is one of my FAVORITE movies, I ordered the ‘I’ll have what she’s having’! I don’t think I could tell you one thing that was in it besides tequila haha. The tequila-​ness was not overwhelming and it was very tasty!
Our bartender was so helpful with describing how the drinks will taste, has great tending skills, and chatted us up which was really nice. Cool dude, excellent beard!
The atmosphere is classy, upscale rustic. Low lighting, low noise, interesting cocktails makes this location an excellent date night.

Came in with a girlfriend for a pre-​dinner drink and enjoyed it so much we came back for more after dinner. Cocktails were great with some awesome options on the menu. The décor is very cute and quaint and the music Is not too loud. This would be a great date spot.
I tried several of their cocktail options and my friend had beer. They seemed to have a good selection of beer wine and cocktails. We did not try the food since we had dinner elsewhere, but the menu looked abbreviated.
When I visit Indy I will definitely come back. I think this place has Libertine beat.

I have mixed impressions of this place. Sometimes it feels cool and hip, but sometimes it seems so stuffy. The crowd is pretty weird sometimes, too. difficult to describe.
Service is hit or miss. I’ve had one really great waitress outside on the patio, but that’s where the greatness ends. The drinks are pretty tasty — I’ve had a champagne cocktail that was lovely, a frozen Moscow mule, and their spiked cider. Prices are pretty steep ($ 10 – 12), so this is the kind of place you probably don’t want to stay drinking at all night. They did recently have a burrata cheese and fig dish that was pretty on point; I haven’t tried any of their other food.
I’ll definitely give it another chance because of the quality of the drinks, but I still think I’d pick other cocktail bars in the city over this one.

This happened several months ago, but the more I think about the experience, the more ridiculous it seems.
My wife and I planned to start a weekend getaway with cocktails here. We arrived at opening time to find the bar closed for a private bourbon tasting – disappointing, because I’m a bourbon fan and would have enjoyed taking part – but we decided to pass the time at the nearby Irish pub.
So we returned an hour later, bellied up to the handsome bar, decided upon two cocktails, placed our order and… were asked to show our IDs.
Now I must pause to say that no one with the gift of eyesight who is not taking Thorazine would question that we are of legal age. We have a daughter who can drink anywhere in the country when she chooses, and we were in our 30s when we she was born. I can show Facebook photos establishing that we were married 25 years ago. Even if my wife had been a zygote then (and thankfully she wasn’t, because finding a wedding dress for a zygote must be pretty difficult), she would still be well past the legal drinking age now. But she didn’t happen to have her ID, and the server refused to place our order.
We were later told that Indiana law penalizes liquor servers for selling to anyone who does not show valid ID, regardless of their age, and that agents frequently run sting operations. Seems like an asinine waste of time and money in pursuit of persons who have committed no crime, and not a civic failure I can blame on our server.
But I can blame her for treating us like a couple of pariahs. After refusing to serve us, she just physically turned her back. We were the only people in the bar besides the Four Roses sales reps, who were still packing up after the bourbon tasting. After several minutes in which we were discussing what to do next, trying to convince ourselves we hadn’t stumbled into an episode of The Twilight Zone, she turned around, looking annoyed, saying «So are you guys going to order something?» Like what? A couple of big orange sodas? We went to Bluebeard instead, after stopping at our hotel to get my wife’s ID, and enjoyed an extraordinary experience.

Fabulous décor – gives off an NYC vibe… as does the price point of the cocktails. They were certainly good though, as was our artichoke dip app. Loved the outdoor seating and the open wall between the dining room and patio. The staff kindly lowered the awning when the sun started to glare in. Seems like it would be a really cozy place on a cold night for dinner and drinks.
The 4 stars is due to the wait for our drinks. We were there at 5:30 on a Thursday and waited about 20 minutes during a not very busy evening. Kinda lost our mojo so we only stayed for 1 drink!

Stopped in one night to see what all the buzz was about. The restaurant is very small inside and we did not see anywhere to sit. We sat outside (which was totally fine because it was a nice night) and were attended to quickly by the server. The drinks were amazing. I got the Rooftop Cocktail because it came highly recommended by other Unilocalers and it did not disappoint! I did not dive into the menu too much, but they had bacon on a stick and I could not resist the opportunity to try it. Do I really have to tell you if it was good or not… come on… it’s BACON… ON A STICK! Ok, it was fabulous. Of course you should try it!

Came here Halloween night 2014. They had themes drinks and had candy all around the tables.
I ordered a drink that came in a syringe. We were dressed up in costumes and enjoyed the people there. It was a fun place to hang out.

So I start this with the fact that I may or may not have been trolling the B&B cocktail menu for a few weeks now. I’ve long heard about them and wanted to go and randomly a few nights ago, me and my sister went!
Atmosphere: It was a Friday night and considering it’s summer and Mass Ave, the small inside was packed tight with people. There was literally no where to sit except outside, which was fine by me. Their open patio section and snooty drinks intrigued my inner-​snoot and I embraced the experience of the wrap around wood bench. There were a few other patrons outside having their individual conversations with each other and me and my sister sat close to the sidewalk (aka Mass Ave Foot Traffic). It was a light rainy night, so door attendant rolled down the decorative ‘shutters’ (idk what to formally call those). We used them as a cool backdrop and I loved the design of bookcases and fine bottles combined with the ability to still see a little bit straight thru them. Another guest offered to take a picture of me and my sister. Points for cool people !!! #CoolKidsClub
Drinks: I ordered the Sidecar and my sister ordered the Rooftop (?). I was going with something fluffier and fruitier but I figured for sake of where I was (Snoot levels — 8 on scale 1 – 10), I’d venture out and try something different. The Sidecar is Cognac infused with «other stuff», but whatever it all was turned out AMAZING!!! Did I say great? Yes GREAT !!!
OMG? Yes, all the OMGs allotted for a bar drink go here.
Yes. So the drinks are a little pricey. Yes. But worth it. This is the kind of drink I don’t mind paying for. Nevermind that artistically cool drink menu that they have. I wish I were richer for these simple delights right here. I wanted more but we were both balling on a diva budget of hopeful dollars and glitter quarters, so we limited ourselves appropriately. I sipped slowly. I was pleased. Alcohol perfection pleased. It’s quite possibly the best drink I’ve had in Indy. Yeah I said that.
Highly effective Snooty Fox levels!!!
Food: We also indulged in some bacon. How could we pass up Siracha Bacon and Honey Maple Bourbon Bacon on a stick? We couldn’t, that’s how !!! So we indulged and guess what???
**Snoot levels rise to elevated status. High alert. People should beware of extended pinky fingers and exposed cheese and croissant-​like crackers! **
Ok that was dramatic. But the bacon was dramatic. And the water was served in tall glass Vases.
Overall, I mean what else can I say here? I gave it five stars. I expected a great time and a good drink here and have been repeatedly talking about it over the last few weeks (and couple of years). Finally I go and it didn’t disappoint.
THAT is what you call an Elite experience, with High Levels of Snoot !!!

We went in twice in one night on our short trip to Indy. Once, before a show, to have a couple drinks. Once, late that night because the sushi place we wanted to eat at had just closed their kitchen. I’m honestly glad because we got to try the fish sliders and they were really good! Drinks were stout and they had unique combinations. Bartenders and servers were all friendly and welcomed us back in later. The décor inside is really cool. One of the neatest things was the screen over the windows looked like massive bookshelves and I have never seen anything like it. We really liked this place and would for sure go back!

Top notch cocktails!!!
The bartender knew exactly what to make when you tell him your spirit and what you normally like. This bar is dim lighted and very vintage looking. If the weather permits, sit outside. :)

Only went in to have a drink on our girl’s night out. I must say they were fabulous. I so recommend the Maya or the Son of a Peach, both lovely drinks. Waitress was awesome even so we only had drinks. The interior and ambiance are very welcoming and comfortably trendy. I can see why this place is do popular.

What I like about this place is how it is quieter than a lot of the bars downtown, and very open. The menu is very unique, almost exclusively drinks I have never heard of or seen.
We went for my birthday and I am almost ashamed to admit how many things we tried.
My favourite drink was made with a rose liquor and had an edible flower in it which was sweet and delicious.
My boyfriends favourite is called «The Maya». It comes in a skull mug.
Looking around at the other tables I realized a lot of the orders use the mug as presentation, which is really cool. I feel like it sort of adds to the experience.
We did not try any bar food since we had just had dinner, but we will come back to try it some time, since it looked very tempting.
I feel like the service was great, the bartender was very helpful and very friendly.

Dark corners, leather furniture, and candlelight? I’m IN!
I happened across The Ball & Biscuit quite by accident. A friend and I were heading to one of our favorite spots, but it was unusually crowded on this particular evening. (Side note: don’t you hate when people finally discover your secret hideaways?). I was pleasantly surprised by The Ball & Biscuit.
The décor was exactly what you’d expect in a classed-​up tavern. Think mood music, leather arm chairs that you can get lost in, minimal lighting, and a perfectly retro bar. This seems like the place that you might meet a clandestine lover or make super-​secret power deals that may or may not be under the table. That’s not negative at all, it’s a great feel and perfectly fits the prohibition history of Indy.
I had the pleasure to enjoy a seasonal cheese plate and was duly satisfied. My cheeses were very fresh and my crostini was perfectly crisp and served warm. My friend ordered a moscow mule type drink and was satisfied, if not overwhelmed or particularly impressed.
I suspect I happened across The Ball & Biscuit on an unusually quiet night. I’d be interested to see how it looks/​feels during one of it’s more characteristic busy spells. Next time, perhaps!

Eine genialeBar mit sehr gemischten angenehmen Publikum. Sehr guter netter Service und sehr gute Drinks. Der Laden war immer sehr gut gefüllt, die Musik lief in einer angenehmen Lautstärke so das eine Unterhaltung noch möglich war. Einfach eine Top Adresse auf der Mass Ave