Eating BIG in Northwest Indiana

 Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Return to the Region 

It’s been awhile since I threw up some stuff on Northwest Indiana. The Region and beyond has always been a fascinating place to me thanks in part to its history. Going thru there can feel like stepping back in time in many ways such as visiting some of the older bars and restaurants in the area. Another thing that’s interesting about this part of Indiana to me is how it’s one of the prettiest parts of the state and also the most industrial which doesn’t necessarily translate to ugly but I wouldn’t describe factories, warehouses, and pollution as pretty. But go over the area where the Indiana Dunes National Park is at and it seems like it’s a world away from the casino and all the manufacturing.

Northwest Indiana

Over the years I’ve featured more than 50 spots I’ve stopped at while out this way but it’s been almost four years since I had a dedicated NWI post. Today’s post is a roundup of new (to me) spots I’ve visited over the last few years so no repeats so to say even though I still like to stop at spots like Schoop’s, Miner Dunn, Zel’s Roast Beef and so forth. My story on the 'Legacy of Lincolns Sandwiches' is one of the 5 most read posts in my blogs history while I’ve featured all of the areas popular crispy taco spots as well as a big roundup of where to get lake perch in the area and much more. But today’s post is never before featured eating establishments - some are old, others are new.

Northwest Indiana
_______________________________________

Munster Donut (Munster)

First stop is a great option if you’re passing through NWI early in the morning when only the casinos and gas stations are still open. Munster is notable for being the home to the Three Floyds Brewery but locals love Munster Donut just as much if not more than the brewery. It originally opened as Mister Donut in 1969 but the current owners, a pair of sisters, switched the name and not little else. They still use just one oven, one fryer, and one donut proofer while making fresh donuts throughout the day. 

Donuts at Munster Donut 
_______________________________________

The Taco Dive (Whiting)

Next we head over to Whiting, home to the Midwest's largest oil refinery and a spot with deep Chicago connections called The Taco Dive. The Mexican Inn once stood at the corner of 95th and Ewing on Chicago’s East Side. At the time of its closing it was the city’s oldest Mexican restaurant. Mexican Inn was a staple for families on the city’s Southeast side, popular for their crispy beef tacos which were made the old fashioned way as in corn tortillas stuffed with ground beef that are folded and held together with tooth picks while frying. This style of taco remains popular up here on both sides of the IL/IN border. In fact there’s a family connection between Taco Dive and the Mexican Inn. You can also find the unique soft cheese tacos which Mexican Inn was known for at The Taco Dive. These are enchiladas with nacho cheese like you would tend find at a Mexican restaurant in the 70’s. Anyone that enjoyed this combo from the old Mexican Inn will enjoy it from the new Taco Dive.

Tacos at The Taco Dive
_______________________________________

State Line Pizza (Hammond)

Seeing as how Northwest Indiana is basically an extension of Chicago there’s alot of Pizza History in these parts. State Line Pizza is a mini chain with a few locations including the original in Hammond. It gets its name from its location on State Line Avenue separating Illinois and Indiana. The original location is basically takeout only though there’s a counter inside where you can stand and eat your pizza though nobody does that as this is a real locals type of place so the majority of the customer base lives in the area. State Line uses an old Fauld’s Oven which was a popular line of pizza ovens made in Chicago back in the day. Even though the company is no longer in service there’s still quite a few spots that rock an old Fauld’s oven. I met Bob, the pizzamaker, who’s been here for more than 30 years and he showed me a couple of bullet holes in the oven from an attempted robbery more than 30 years ago. I can usually tell if I’m going to like a tavern style pizza just by looking at it and I thought the pizza here looked good in a few of the pictures I saw. It looked thin and crisp and quite delicious and despite online reviews being a mixed bag I thought it was a pretty solid pizza. The sausage was flavorful, sauce not sweet and it had some of the crunchiest crust I can remember. Since 1957.

Sausage Pizza at State Line Pizza in Hammond 
_______________________________________

Asian Kitchen (Hammond)

This generically named Asian restaurant serves some of the best Vietnamese food in Indiana. Asian Kitchen sits in a busy strip mall and you'll find people from all walks of life in there as was the case on my visit. I can tell if an Asian restaurant is worth trying with a quick glance at the menu and a few unique offerings at Asian Kitchen put it onto my radar. But when I finally visited just last week I decided to try the Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) since it was my first visit and the smell of it coming from the kitchen was too good to pass up on. I got the Dac Biet which comes with a little bit of everything including sliced eye round steak, brisket, meatball, flank, tripe, and tendon. The broth was flavorful and just as important it was hot and all of the herbs and veggies served on the side to personalize your bowl were crisp and pungent. This place could hold its own on Argyle in Chicago.

Dac Biet Pho at Asian Kitchen
_______________________________________

Indian Kitchen (Gary)

I read a piece in the Washington Post last year about all the Indian restaurants starting to sprout up along the country’s busiest highways. The reason behind of which is a growing Desi trucker population. In this article the author Meena Venkataramanan goes onto explain that the majority of these Indian truckers are Punjabi hailing from the region spanning northwest India and east of Pakistan. According to one stat Punjabis make up 20% of the U.S trucking industry and that number is only growing. So it’s only fitting that these Punjabi Dhaba’s as they’re called are starting to pop up across the country. You can find one sitting right off I94 in Gary in the area where all the big gas stations are bunched together with a few fireworks shops and what not. I was put onto Indian Kitchen by Mike Sula at The Reader who told me he had some really good Baingan Bharta here so I took note for the next time I was out that way which was just recently. I arrived to a small line of clientele, all Indian men, and a large workforce of at least eight people shifting in and out of the trailer and the kitchen in the building behind it. One guy pulled up in a minivan and left with an order of more than five bags worth of food strategically placed throughout. I had a hard time deciding what to try so I went with my go-to dish for judging an Indian restaurant - Dal Makhani (black lentils, kidney beans and cream among other things depending on the recipe). I added an order of Tawa Roti and also got vegetable pakora (fritters) as an app. I was happy with all of it and will plan on going back.

Vegetable Pakora at Indian Kitchen
_______________________________________

Pizza Terra (Burns Harbor)

I got word of some good food to be found at Pizza Terra which is in Burns Harbor not far from Indiana Dunes National Park. Wood fired pizza is the main act here but the rest of the menu was tempting me to try a couple other things including a big old plate of linguine topped with an extra crispy chicken parm, pomodoro, and melted mozzarella that can easily feed two for just $16. Bone Marrow Arancini was also excellent albeit a bit misleading as I expected there to be bone marrow inside the arancini but it was still delicious mixed into a bolognese paired with a taleggio fondue. As for the wood fired pizza we got the namesake Terra with wild mushroom, caramelized onions, taleggio, spinach, and a black truffle fonduta that tasted as elegant as it sounds. I thought Pizza Terra was reminiscent of Stop 50 in nearby Michiana Shores and The Rolling Stonebaker in Valparaiso making the Northwest Indiana area a bit of a hot spot for wood fired pizza on top of Lake Perch and Crispy Tacos.

Lunch at Pizza Terra
_______________________________________

Wagner's Ribs (Porter)

The last time I ate at Wagner’s Ribs was a handful of years before they moved to their current location so although I’ve been here before it was around 20 years ago give or take. As the name suggests they’re popular for ribs which are pretty good if you can find joy in the baked until the meat is falling off the bone variety. I’m not sure the baby backs here ever see any real smoke but they’re still tasty albeit not true bbq. But even you don’t like baked ribs slathered in sauce I still recommend stopping here for the lake perch dinner as it might be the best plate of lake perch in all of Northwest Indiana. Wagner’s lightly breads small and tender pieces of Canadian Yellow Perch and pan fries them in butter. The end result is lake perch that taste like it came from the late great Phil Smidt’s which I never got to visit but I know good lake perch when I have it and Wagner’s is my pick for best in NWI (Tiebel’s is also top tier). It’s not cheap at $31 for a dinner which includes 8 pieces and 2 sides of your choice but it is worth it. You can also get a half order of lake perch and a half slab of ribs with two sides for the same price. Please note it’s 21+ and they can get busy but it’s a big space with a huge patio so they can really pack them in during summer months but best to call ahead in season.

Lake Perch / Ribs at Wagner's Ribs 
_______________________________________

Brooks Family Corned Beef (Michigan City)

Next stop might be my favorite of them all as far as recently opened dining options in Northwest Indiana. Brooks Family Corned Beef is hidden within in a large strip mall that includes a now defunct Carson Pirie Scott building in Michigan City. I saw some pictures online and noticed the way the corned beef comes in chunks (my preferred style) as opposed to slices so I checked them out just recently. I was very much impressed with their Reuben sandwich which comes on marbled rye. It was perfectly put together down to both sides of the bread being crisp while the cheese was completely melted. They also make corned beef egg rolls and although it’s a takeout only operation they have a few throwback video game machines for you to play while you wait for your food. Cool spot.

Reuben Sandwich at Brooks Family Corned Beef 
_______________________________________

Carlson's Drive-In (Michigan City)

It seems like every lake town in the U.S. has a seasonal drive in. In Michigan City that’s Carlson’s Drive In. This real deal drive in opens at the end of every February and closes for the season in early October. Carlson’s is known for their all beef Eckrich Farms Hot Dogs topped with a tomato forward chili sauce and also made on site root beer. The latter of which is why you stop here. Since 1947.

Chili Dog and Root Beer at Carlson's Drive-In
_______________________________________

Ritz Klub Tavern (Michigan City)

I’m a little late to the party at Michigan City’s oldest tavern (est. 1890) but better late than never. I’d read good things about some big ass burgers served here so me and some friends rode over one day last summer while we were up in Michigan City for the boat race. The namesake Cheeseburger at the Ritz Klub is 3/4 lb of heavily seasoned, lightly smashed fresh ground beef served with a pile of fresh cut fries and it’s a damn good bar burger served up in a timeless setting. 

Cheeseburger at Ritz Klub Tavern
_______________________________________

Cool Runnings Restaurant & Bar (Michigan City)

A couple summers ago I got word from a reliable source about some jammin’ jerk chicken at Cool Runnings in Michigan City. With jerk chicken being my favorite prep of chicken I made sure to stop in last summer with a couple of friends on our way into Long Beach. I really like the setup which has the feel of a Northwoods Tavern except it’s decorated like an island bar and there’s reggae and what not on the jukebox. I kind of knew we were in for a treat not just bc my friend who knows good jerk chicken told me it was good but also bc there was a dense cloud of smoke hanging over the restaurant. I was right in my assessment as a plate of the jerk chicken with mac and cheese plus rice and peas was a banger. Cool Runnings has two locations including another in South Bend.

Jerk Chicken at Cool Runnings 
_______________________________________

If you liked this post you might also be interested in:

Eating BIG in Southwest Michigan

Eating BIG in South Bend (and beyond)

Eating / Drinking Tour of Hegewisch
______________________________________