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Category: Cajun/Creole [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Indy Metro, Meridian Kessler
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It's pretty simple - AMAZING FOOD, Great environment, Fast Service, Easy on the wallet
I used to frequent this location multiple times a week. The atmosphere is a mashup of Mardi Gras, and local music faces. You will often see the owner running around, greeting you, helping clear tables and trash! He doesn't forget a face!
The menu is usually something different everyday, but they do have their staples... I love the Chili Cheese Etouffee (With Crawfish), and their Spinach Mushroom Etouffee and will usually do a half & half plate of both and an extra order of their AMAZING bread. Including the drink its only about $7.
If you have a big appetite you'll be pleased, and if you have a little one - you'll be even happier cuz you'll have some to take home with you!
I was introduced to Yats down in Bloomington,IN while I was an undergrad at IU and I was psyched to see they had locations in Indianapolis once I moved up here. They serve traditional creole/cajun food over rice with the most delicious buttery bread.
Some of my favorite options they have on a regular basis are the chili-cheese crawfish etouffe, white bean chicken chili, the jumbalaya, and the red beans with sausage and rice. Make sure you order extra bread as it is absolutely to die for.
One of the quirky aspects to this place is that they are a cash only business, and there is no ATM within walking site, making it kind of difficult for first timers who dont know the routine. The best part about the whole thing is that they take IOU's!!! No joke, like dumb & dumber style, written on a piece of paper, IOU's. Its hillarious when they offer it to you for the first time, i didnt believe them at first but sure enough they write your name down and just ask you to pay next time. Its great for those times you dont have any cash in your pocket as a college student but you know you can hit them up next time.
While I was still in Indianapolis the last few meals I ate were at Yats.
I went because it basically had the most and best reviews on Yelp. I LOVED it!
I mistakingly got the vegetarian spinach curry. It the best vegetarian dish I've ever had (and I'm not a vegatarian)!
I went back the next day and the cashier recognized me and gave me a free cheesecake (also really good)
The prices are great, the food is great, and the service it wonderful!
While on a road trip my girlfriend and I stopped by Yats because of all of the fantastic reviews it has gotten. The place was almost packed and we had to wait a little bit in line. However, our food beat us to the table and it was delicious. The pricing was fair and the portions were very favorable. I would recommend doing half and half plate if you are really hungry. If you are with a date, sharing is very encouraged. The only thing that I did not like is that we had to pay by cash and that there was not any real silverware. Anyway, if you are a traveling vegan, this place is for you.
Yat's has good grub to fill your belly for such a small bit of your wallet. The menu rotates based on available ingredients (so, I've gathered), but you'll almost always find something you'll like. I always partook in the gumbo, but if they were out then I'd do the crawfish etoufee or the sufferin' succotash.
Along with the great food is a great atmosphere. It's a small place. Wait in line to order, give the cashier your name and money (hopefully, it's the one that experiments with shaving various mohawks or the one eyebrow look), get your drink at the fountain and sit down at the next open table. In no time, the kitchen will call out your name and walk your food to your table. They do carry-out, too.
On at least two occasions, when the credit card machine was down, or after they decided to get rid of it, the Owner payed my tab or the cashier gave me an IOU. Who does that? Yats does.
This is a great lunch spot. Walk in, read the chalkboard, put in your order, grab a seat inside or outside and your food is brought out to you. I had half a chili cheese chicken ettoufe and half red, beans, rice and sausage. The flavors are spot on, the prices low and the portions just right. Since what you're eating is mainly rice and bread it sure is filling. The atmosphere is very casual and inviting.
Fantastic Cajun, with an ever changing selection (on a chalk board). Really great and unbelievably cheap.
I would buy this stuff for 4 times what he charges for it.
2 words. Chili Cheese Etoufee with Craw fish. Okay that was 5 but Yats is awesome. Food is always good, and ambiance is nice and cozy. Price is cheap. If you want something spicy try the Jambalaya.
We were in Yats a few weeks ago and were disturbed to find that they had stopped taking credit cards. Not to worry, they gave us our lunch on I.O.U. Now, what kind of place does that?
There was probably 4 other folks while we were there who got an IOU. Everyone came back within a few minutes of finishing their meal and paid the bill.
There aren't too many restaurants in my hometown that I think about now that I live in New York but Yats is in a class by itself. Brunch wasn't really in my vocabulary when I was living in Indy but hangover lunch definitely was and Yats really really works to cure a hangover. Just go easy on the hot sauce. My favorite dish here is the carmelized black beans and corn which NEVER seemed to be on the charming little chalkboard menu. But don't worry, I'm not mad at you Yats because everything else is nearly as great. I still have dreams about it. I wish they delivered to Brooklyn. The prices, the delicious bread, the huge selection of hot sauces, the diet mountain dew, this place can do no wrong.
If this recession forces me to move back in with my parents I know that I won't have to kill myself because I can eat my feelings at Yats.
What to say about Yats? It's ridiculously awesome Cajun food. I recommend the Chili Cheese Crawfish Etouffee. Full plate, please! And their bread is excellent. Word of warning: they're cash only, so make sure you're packing.
Not much to add to what everyone else has said, but I loved it. We were in town for a convention and wanted to get outside the downtown chain restaurants full of conventioneers, and this place was perfect. Super cheap, super fast, good food, reasonable price, friendly staff, laid-back diners, good music on shuffle (indie rock and new wave mostly).
It's small with pretty limited seating, so I'd say avoid bringing a lot of friends, and try to hit it when it's not terribly busy, I could see it being a little uncomfortable when it's super-crowded.
The food wasn't fancy, basically their thing is to serve a variety of stew/chili-like dishes over rice without frills, so presentation is not a priority, but portions were good and decent cajun is still better than most other food, ha. I'm not from the bayou, so I have no idea, but I'd bet it's closer to the down-home hole-in-the-wall places down there, not some trendy gourmet re-interpretation or anything. Which is totally cool with me.
Tasty food with huge helpings.
Easy on the wallet.
Consistently good with ever-changing menu.
One of the best local restaurants in Indy!
I'll keep this short.
I hate shrimp. This place made me crave crawdads. It must be Cajun magic.
Yats is cheap and good. Whenever I mention that it's "Cajun Creole," people aren't quite sure, but once they try it, they love it. Most of the Yats locations don't have a ton of seating, so it's not ideal for large groups. But you can always order to-go containers.
Staff is pretty chill and will let you try the different menu selections to help you decide. My favorite (and the most popular selection) is the chili cheese etouffe. They used to only accept cash, but everytime I go, I've been able to use my debit card. Yats is totally worth a try. :-)
Yats is nice, I've never really had a craving for spicey food before, but when I hit Yats all of that changed. I believe this is one of the many trreasures of the Indy Resturaunt scene.
However, They are cramped for space and only take Cash at the Massachusettes Ave one now. Which is sad.
Yats is delicious and cheap! I stopped eating meat when I lived in Indianapolis about five years ago, and this was one of the few places I could eat out at and have more than an appetizer as an option. I wish Seattle had a Yats!! The staff can be a bit of a curmudgeon, but I look past it for the food. :)
My one true complaint is the styrofoam plates. Really?!
I love YATS!!! This was one of my favorite things about living right by Broad Ripple when I was in college. The food is excellent and freaking cheap. You may not love everything you can get here, but you will find SOMETHING you love. I still go here anytime I am in the Indianapolis area.
UPDATE: They recently stopped allowing credit cards again. It's a cash-only joint.
Used to love this place. Very unique in indy. Totally recommended, especially in a city full of chain restaurants.
Yat's Cajun, Creole, Crazy? More like Yat's Cajun, Creole, Crazy Good!
This place is on my list of Indianapolis institutions, much like the Colts, The IMA and the Indianapolis Fever. It's the coolest, funkiest, and best food you can buy for under $5.
The ever changing menu is without a doubt one of the best things. Going in each time offers some old favorites as well as giving patrons a chance to try something new.
If you tend to shy away from anything labeled vegetarian I must protest, while no one enjoys a good chunk of med. rare beef like I do, some of the best food in town is vegetarian, and at Yat's that is as true as anywhere else. The Spinach and Mushroom etouffe is one of the best plates of unappetizing looking food you'll ever eat. It's delicious on many levels, I order it anytime it's on the menu, though anything with craw fish on it is usually awesome too. Say hello to the funky looking dudes behind the bar and ask for a sample if you just aren't sure, but don't pass up a chance to check out one of Indy's best holes in the wall. Though they may be expanding into Chicago, they are still in my mind, Indy's best creation.
As a former New Orleanian, I freely admit to being a little suspect of Cajun cuisine this far north. Recently, a couple friends were in town from the Big Easy and I wanted to see what they thought. So, I took them to Yats and they were lucky enough to try the Chili Cheese Crawfish Etoufee.
They both said it was some of the best Cajun they'd ever had (and this couple are both life-long New Orleanians). I would be apt to agree with their assessment - this is probably my favorite restaurant in Indianapolis.
The prices are very reasonable, the atmosphere does take me back to the "City That Care Forgot," and Joe Vuskovich always comes out to say "hello" (especially after I told the cashier my friends were real and true New Orleanians).
Other Midwestern cities should be so lucky to have Yats (by the way, they just opened a new location in Chicago).
I just tried Yats for the first time yesterday. I didn't know what to expect, never had creole before, and was having trouble deciding. The guy at the counter was super nice and actually spent time explaining to my friends and I what the dishes were and about some of his favs. It was great.
Then we got our food, which was scrumptious. The serving sizes are large and I had enough for a leftover lunch today. Awesome!
At $6.25 for two meals, this place can't be beat!
A pound of butter kind of savory and tasty, of which I'm a big fan, but the food comes served on what seems like instant rice. That's not good. It blands it up a bit and really takes away from the glory that could be happening on that plate.
I love how on both this one but most notably on the Downtown one, a ton of reviews are from people who have moved away from Indy but still miss Yat's.
This is one of them.
First, Joe is amazing. He's a fun authentic dude that just loves to have fun making the kind of food he likes. You can't ask for much more out of a restaurant owner.
Secondly, it's a lot easier to be a vegetarian (or vegan) in southern California than it is in central Indiana. But Yat's always makes sure there's a veggie/vegan item on the menu. And carnivores are never afraid of them.
Anyway, the staff is always amazing. The bread is to die for. The food is plentiful and spectacular and cheap. And it's in a great spot. (Both of 'em actually.)
Dammit. I'm hungry now.
Miss you Yat's!
Yat's is awesome. $6 for dinner. Chili cheese etoufee...mmm....
The only thing that would make it better is if they served alcohol and were open on Sunday.
Yatz rocks, for 7 bucks you get a plate of goodness and a fun atmosphere.
Some of the best food you can get for your money in Indy. This is the Cajun-Creole baby of Joe Vuskovich, a real-life Nawlins native. If you see the man with black rimmed glasses and crazy salt and pepper hair, that's him. Say hi. He'll say hi back. He's very nice.The best measure of a restaurateur's niceness? He doesn't price-gouge. How's this for cheap: $4.50 for a half order, $5.50 for a regular, $6.50 for a combo plate.
And this isn't fast food. It's silky, slow-prepared spinach and mushroom etouffee; or creamy-sweet, vegetarian-friendly black beans and caramelized corn; or top-selling chili cheese and etouffee with crawfish; or a million other saucy combinations. Did I mention the butter-slathered French bread? There, I just did.
One caveat: I'm pretty sure most locations are closed on Monday.
I was brought to Yats when I was visited Indianapolis last week. I got the impression that this is an institution around these parts so I knew I was in for something good. I had the Chili cheese etouffée and Hunter's Stew, both served on one plate on top of rice. Both were flavorfully delish and hit the spot. That bread topped with oil is something you'd rarely see in LA, where I'm from, and absolutely yummy and goes perfectly with the stews. The Chili cheese etouffée was almost like a guilty pleasure as anything this cheesy has to be. I'm still dreaming about the it. Don't tell my boyf but I'm going back to Indianapolis in a few days to eat here again.
POSSIBLY MY ALL TIME FAVORITE PLACE... the only improvement would be the addition of a bar.
Everything and I mean every delicious morsel of food that comes out of that place is fabulous. And you can't beat the price.
All time fav is the chili-cheese ettouffee but the new winner has been their chicken and mushroom curry ettouffee dish...
The bread for some reason is really good to, but it is nothing fancy just french bread smeared w/ some kind of oil and seasoning. We always get extra.
You can not go wrong w/ Yats! The downtown locale is a little smaller, but the Broadripple one is more accommodating for groups and parties.
Happy Dining!
Yat's food is addictive and worthy of high praise in regards to tastiness. Joe is awesome, his Broad Ripple location has a great environment, staff are friendly and efficient. Food is cheap and they appreciate good customers. The rating below mentioned that they let them pay on their next visit because they didn't have cash (no credit cards) - and that sounds just like the kind of thing I would expect from Yat's - they're awesome in these regards. However, I have a bone to pick with ol' Joe and his staff.
If you ask for vegan menu items, they'll tell you the succotash is vegan. That's true. But the rice it's served on (essential) and the oiled bread it comes with (also essential, you know if you've been there), isn't. It's made with Whirl, a commercial liquid butter substitute (search the 'nets and you'll see this artificial butter has caused some to puke violently, but that's another story). But they don't tell you that. You just have to know. It's happened more than once. That's crap.
If you're not vegan feel lucky you can experience Yat's, and eat there often. This place, in spite of the aforementioned, in worthy of your support. I just wish they'd fix that one issue.
Save yourself the plane ticket and hassle of visiting Lousiana--because authentic cajun food resides in Indianapolis and Bloomington.
Not only is the food amazing, you get an entire plate of food for less than $6! I recommend the Chili Cheese Etoufee, the Spinach and Mushroom Etoufee, the B & B, and the Chicken Gumbo--although I've never ever been disappointed here.
Before the Yats in Bloomington opened, we used to drive up to the Broad Ripple location just for dinner--and it was worth every mile.
I had higher expectations for Yats. There was so much hype from my family about Yats I was expecting something more. The inside is ecletic and interesting and the outdoor seating is great on a sunny day. I had the succotash, which was good, but I found it a bit bland. I was expecting a more flavorful and spicy dish. On the up side, the food is cheap and the portions are big.
It's really good and fairly cheap. Some of the most flavorful food that you're going to get in town. Just writing about it makes we determined to go back the next time I'm visiting. I've tried several things there and have never been disappointed. And if my memories serves me they let you try anything you want before you buy it and you can order 1/2 and 1/2. Awesome. Also, it attracts a cool assortment of people. I'm a fan.
Simply awesome cajun/creole fare. You can do a full order, a half order or 2 different half orders on the plate. The food is ridiculously good and an exceptional value. 2 people can have a complete meal for under $14. they could raise their prices by half and it would still be a great value.
My favorites are the chili cheese etoufe and petroze.
Great and cheap
I swear this place can really do no wrong. I usually end up choosing the chili cheese etouffee, but I've had just about everything on the menu. The food is authentic and the service has always been quick. The pricing is unbeatable also. Don't forget to get double bread for an extra 50 cents to dip into your entree.
Also, remember to bring cash because they do not take credit cards.
On one of my first visits to Yat's I read one of the awards that they had posted up on the wall from Indianapolis Monthly, which proclaimed it the "best ugly lunch" place in town. The decor at Yat's is so tacky that it's charming. On the other hand, I don't think that it really matters one bit because the food is just that good. It's the best $7 you'll ever spend, and the best food that I've ever had served on styrofoam.
Tip: Ask for Extra bread, you won't be disappointed.
The only bad thing about Yat's is that they don't have their Peanut Butter pie often enough. Everytime that they do have it, I get two pieces. One to eat there and one to go for later!
Yats. The original. Come for the food, stay for entertainment. I was coming here when it first open and it kept me fed throughout college. My brother and I try to come here whenever I'm back in town, and a parade of my friends ate their often enough that they were eventually employed to work there. The staff is friendly and eclectic - the types of people Indianapolis needs more of.
The B&B and the succotash are my favorite dishes. Everything is heavy though so don't over indulge or your stomach will regret it later.
In a city where local establishments are hard to come by, Yats has become one of the most well known and well liked. Inexpensive ($5-6 for all entrees), large portions and an ever-changing menu make it a good choice for just about anyone who likes New Orleans-style cuisine. A very laid-back and friendly atmosphere in both locations.
Because all of the food is made at the Broadripple location, they often run out of menu items at the Massachusetts Avenue restaurant. If you have a choice between locations, you'll probably find more in Broadripple (52nd and College Ave.).
A warning: if you don't like Etouffe, Jambalaya or similar dishes, this isn't for you.
Yats rocks. You walk in and they've got 4-6 cauldrons full of your choices...which are written in sidewalk chalk on a blackboard. There's always something vegetarian, and a plate full of any of it costs five fitty. Add a buck and you can get a split plate of 2 delectable cajun creations with rice. But the best part is the ridiculously awesome garlic bread...which you can get a bowl of for like a buck.
Not only is the food awesome, but the owner (Joe Vuskovich) is a local celebrity. He's a famed restaurateur from New Orleans that sells his secret spice to restaurants everywhere. Everybody in town knows him (despite the fact that there are two other locations) and he's highly supportive of local bands and kids that most older people stay away from.
Neighborhood: Chatham Arch
Category: Cajun/Creole
Neighborhood: Indy Metro
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Indy Metro
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