New American plates served alongside craft cocktails in a crisp, contemporary setting. Based on 101 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.3 stars. Price
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ No delivery
Address:
6319 Guilford Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46220
Website: https://www.vanguardindy.com/
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Reviews
A F
Maybe because we went here on a Devour weekend (which we weren’t aware of), they were struggling more than usual. We had an 8pm reservation. When we arrived we were told the kitchen was backed up and they couldn’t seat us. There were plenty of tables available, so we asked if we could just sit at our table and order drinks. The hostess told us she wasn’t allowed to even seat people. With that, after standing a while, we were able to get seats at the bar. We noticed that the entire place was very smoky, as if there had been a fire in the kitchen. It was like this the entire time we ate, which made it kind of hard to breathe. On top of the burning smell, it was also really hot. Anyhow, as expected, service was pretty slow, but the two bartenders were doing the best they could. Overall our food was pretty good, but there were some issues. The cocktail menu was hand written (tacky). The shrimp and grits app came out cold. The salads seemed to have been sprinkled with a bunch of salt, and the noodles in my pasta weren’t quite done. The place has real potential but has a lot of kinks to work out.
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Hannah Banana
The food was AMAZING. We went because Google recommended it to my friend and it was absolutely on point. Food came fast, selection was good. They have a shot and drink for $9 special going on, which I think we can all appreciate and get on board with. The staff was super nice and checked in on is to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. We’d go back.
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Romily Bridges
The food here was so phenomenal. And the drinks were amazing. The ‘Sometimes it Snows in April’ drink comes with its own smoke. And the staff is very personable.
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Carma Ketterman
We finally made it to Vanguard, and we were not disappointed. In fact I think my boyfriend said “this was even better than I expected” at least half a dozen times. The craft cocktails, food, and service were on point. We shared the smoky wings, greens salad, braised short rib, and bread pudding, and we enjoyed everything. We’ll definitely be back!
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Dominique Boyd
The venue hosted my wife and I’s baby shower and it was a great experience from start to finish. Kayla was great, communication was consistent and the space provided everything we needed!
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Kari McElroy
I was so excited to try this place out, and my husband and I decided Valentine’s Day was the time to do it. What a disappointment! We spent a little over $300 (the fixed priced Valentine’s menu was $100/person, so that plus wine, tip, etc. added up). Not only did the level of food and service not match that price, it’s actively insulting that they charged us so much for what we got. When we first arrived, no one was at the host stand, which is totally fine because hosts have other duties. However, the two bartenders were talking behind the bar. They turned and saw us, then immediately turned back to talking without any acknowledgement. They weren’t even making drinks at the time. They just didn’t want to deal with us. Our server was very nice but really didn’t understand the menu or some basics about food service. He asked if I wanted pepper on my salad. I said no. He went ahead to pepper it. We had a couple questions about the menu. He didn’t know the answers (not everyone knows everything, but he was consistent in lacking familiarity with the menu/bar). He brought our courses out at the wrong time. Both he and a person I assume were the house manager were very sweaty. Sweat happens, we’re human, but in the food service industry, it feels like it might be prudent not to show up dripping to a table. Not only that, but the house manager was running around the room like crazy. It’s a little tricky to kick back to a romantic meal with a damp stranger dashing around your table. Now, I get it: the restaurant industry is intense! There’s something to be said, though, for still cultivating an air of calm even while keeping everything running.
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Kylie Foster
I was very impressed with the Vanguard! I honestly forgot I was in Indianapolis while dining here. The food was amazing, I got the curry grilled Tuna. It was cooked perfectly and the mash good as well. Some friends got the filet which was also perfectly cooked. The chef personally made sure everything was as ordered and even gave us free dessert for my friends birthday. The music was on point. Cocktails and wine also very good. I’m looking forward to coming back. The only thing was it was a little empty for a Saturday night. Although I don’t mind a little more quiet so that didn’t bother me.
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Owen Hitchins
Love the atmosphere and that was the highlight next to excellent service. Appetizers were very tasty. Main course was average and the dessert had no flavor at all. No bourbon, butterscotch, or dates but very moist. Didn’t live up to its reputation.
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Rachel Davidson
Great food and so much flavor! Portions sizes were plenty for all with the devour menu! Wait time to be seated with a reservation was a bit longer than preferred but they took care of us well once we were seated. The gumbo was to die for!! Will definitely be back and try sitting at the bar.
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Joel Scott
Delicious food!
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