The Jazz Kitchen

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#134 of 2,258 Restaurants in Indianapolis$$ - $$$, American, Cajun & Creole, Vegetarian friendly

+1 317-253-4900+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Mon

5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Tue

5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Wed

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thu

12:00 AM - 2:00 AM6:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Fri

5:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Sat

5:00 PM - 11:00 PM

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What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.0

114 reviews

#134 of 2,258 Restaurants in Indianapolis

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

$20.00 – $50.00

CUISINES

American, Cajun & Creole

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

meals, features

Location and contact

5377 N College Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46220-3141

+1 317-253-4900

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Does this restaurant serve Bar / Pub food?

Yes

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About

Since 1994, The Jazz Kitchen has served up world-class jazz and beyond with a mix of Indy-based, regional, and critically acclaimed international touring performers. Voted by Downbeat Magazine as one of the ``Top 100 Jazz Clubs in the World`` we also offer a full dinner menu known as ``NOLA meets Midwest.`` Combined with an array of signature cocktails, wines and local draft beer, we are the perfect spot for a night out. Being a live music venue we operate a little differently than standard restaurants. We recommend visiting www.thejazzkitchen.com for the most up-to-date information on tickets, menu updates and other questions. We also recommend purchasing tickets at online. This will automatically put you down for a dinner reservation based on the number of tickets purchased.

PRICE RANGE

$20.00 – $50.00

CUISINES

American, Cajun & Creole

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

Meals

Breakfast, Dinner, Late Night

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Jazz Bar, Gift Cards Available

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4.0

114 reviews

Excellent

Very good

Average

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Terrible

CRMays

Indianapolis1974 contributions

A great experience!

Mar 2021 • family

I took my adult daughter who loves Jazz, but had never been. And I had not been since the COVID pandemic. We had a great time! Jazz Kitchen remodeled during the months they were closed due to COVID. They did a nice job. We bought seats in the main room where we could see the stage/musicians. I didn’t think I’d ever want to sit in the the Lounge where you watch off TVs with Live sound. Since the remodel, I would sit in there if I couldn’t get tickets in the main room. The Jazz was good. It was the music of Herbie Hancock. I have always had great food there. And again, they didn’t disappoint! The food was fantastic! We got the Not So Cajun dish which was excellent and the entree size spinach strawberry salad which was good and fresh. Then we got the white chocolate blueberry bread pudding with caramel! Amazing! It’s a must have! Our server, Christina was awesome. They did a good job with COVID precautions - entry, exit, table spacing, and seating. (We actually went on Feb 28 but the Trip Advisor selection jumped from Jan - March)

Written February 28, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LBCLT

Charlotte3 contributions

A Fun Night!

Jun 2021 • friends

Arrived around 8:30pm for table seating for the 9pm show. Amazingly talented musicians— love authentic live jazz! The show was wonderful. So much diversity (in every aspect) … just a beautiful time. Enjoyed the crab cakes, sautéed mixed vegetables and good strong cocktails. :) Newly renovated/expanded venue. Great service! Always a fun time.

Written June 26, 2021

pnwtoc

Erie405 contributions

Great music experience

Oct 2023 • couples

Went for a Monday night jam session. A 3-piece (bass, drums, piano) band and you can sign up to play with them. Had an outstanding time. The house band starts so you get some high quality songs to start. Then they invite those from the audience to come up and play. I played piano for a couple of songs and had a great time. You do not need to be there early for a Monday night jam session. I got there at 6 (music supposed to start at 630) and I was the first one there to eat. Food is very good too. I found prices to be very reasonable.

Written October 24, 2023

stephen j

1 contribution

Terrible food, needs immediate intervention

Feb 2024 • family

Kim Waters was fantastic; but my dinners were horrible. First was not so Cajun shrimp with pasta. Never had shrimp so hard, ugh. And it wasn’t even hot. So , I sent it back. I then ordered crab cakes and garlic mashed potatoes. It to was horrible, the potatoes tasted old and were cold . None of the food was hot I was very disappointed. The food there, is now like heat and serve crap.

Written February 16, 2024

Deb

6 contributions

Excellent music..but RUDE

Jun 2024 • solo

Very rude. I was shocked when I was the only one told to sit down for dancing. I had observed a group of women dancing up by the band for a few songs. These were mostly black women having a great time. The elderly black man told me to sit down who is in charge of the place. I'm white. I travel all over the country and this was unbelievable. I told him why would you do that. He said it's a supper club and he said at least he hadn't cut me off. Omg. I was on my second drink after having eaten. To be treated like that as an older white woman traveling by herself is disheartening. I believe the man has dementia or maybe just an angry black male. Shame on him.

Written June 3, 2024

Keith35094

Birmingham107 contributions

Rude Hostess

Mar 2022 • family

We were visiting from out of town and found this venue on a “Indianapolis Attractions” website. We then followed up on their Facebook page to get the schedule. Since our 18 year old is a jazz musician, he was very excited to see a performance. When our party arrived, we noticed that the hostess was being extremely rude to the party in front of us. When she seated them, she then asked for our son’s ID, and rudely said that he couldn’t come in. I said that it would be nice if that was advertised and she rudely said that it’s “all over” their website. (On a close review of their website, it simply says “21+” in very small print.) I hate to give a negative review of a venue based on the absolute rudeness of one employee, but if she is representative of this establishment, I would advise going somewhere else.

Written March 28, 2022

David A

Sorry you were treated so rudely. We strive to treat everyone as kindly as possible and enjoy our great live music and cuisine. That said we will work to do a better job in making sure the 21+ is more visible. We encounter this from time to time, especially with out-of-town guests. Indiana's liquor laws are a bit different compared to other states.

Written June 20, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

indyvagabond

40 contributions

Awesome music venue and staff

Apr 2023 • friends

Great night out for late night show. Drinks and food that we all shared. Awesome staff including our busser, Sean. Very pleasant young man, Definitely will return for another show.

Written August 11, 2023

open_to_the_world

Columbus345 contributions

Looking forward to coming back

May 2023 • couples

Great jazz shows can be heard at this supperclub. Worth the drive, even if you are from out of town. Buy tickets on line. Any seat is a good seat if you are in the main area. Very good acoustics. Not only is the music good, but the food is above average for sure. You will not go wrong ordering the 2 shrimp tacos entree with fries. The fries were too good, not just a side filler. It was hard to resist the white chocolate bread pudding. Warm, dense and decadent. The portion was enough for 2 if you aren't feeling greedy! Service was attentive. There was always someone walking around to keep your table clear or take additional orders. There are 2 shows. About 1.5 hours. After the first show everyone leaves main room and it is cleaned for second show. If second show isn't sold out, you can stay for it at no additional cost. Large bar area divides main room from lounge area where you can hear show but not see live performance. Parking can be tricky. No dedicated lot. Street parking available mostly in resdiential area. No nearby hotels. The city of carmel would be a good choice for hotel stay

Written May 13, 2023

kevinhJ2413ZF

Noblesville37 contributions

David Sanborn concert

Mar 2020 • none

Another one of our many visits to the Jazz Kitchen with friends for an evening of music by David Sanborn and good food.

Written March 10, 2020

Biggal91

Robinson75 contributions

"Block Party"?

Sep 2019 • none

Music was great, atmosphere pleasent but a bit overwhelming. if it's called a block party block off the street so everyone can enjoy?? The seating was very limited. And at first come first serve, seats were being held for people who were still at home. And to add insult to injury charging $25.00 a person for a partially blocked sidewalk, the people who placed lawn chairs in parking spaces across the street from the venue were the smart ones

Written October 10, 2019

Lois H

18 contributions

Nothing But Good!

Aug 2019 • family

This is my second visit to the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis. This time it was her jam session where musicians sat in. WoW! I was thrilled to see to youngest guys playing, and the vocalist who sat in was superb. Food was fantastic and very reasonably priced. Our waiter, who confessed he was new, was wonderful. Ask for Thomas! They have a jazz fest coming up soon, so check them out online. Bonus: no cover charge for the jam sessions.

Written August 22, 2019

Eliza W

Hertford21 contributions

Great food, disappointing show

Aug 2019 • none

I have mixed opinions writing this review, because the quality of the service, food and drink was great. The seafood was fresh and perfectly cooked, decent sized portions, and cocktails were delightful. However the show itself was mediocre at best, lacking enthusiasm and flair. So all in all, an average experience.

Written August 11, 2019

donna f

Martinsville132 contributions

Fantastic Dinner, Music and Drinks

Jul 2019 • friends

It was spur of the moment to go check this out with a group of friends to see 2 girls and a band. They rocked!! We had the best seat in the house. A table for 5 in the back corner but it was raised off the ground so you had a perfect view of the show. Which was really good. We had the taquitos to start and they were really good. I had a couple of huricanes which were delicious. My friends had a few oui oui senor drinks, which I sampled and they were really good. I was told the paella served 2 but 4 of us devoured it. SO GOOD!!! I've had it in Spain last year and this was equally good. We finished the meal with the blueberry bread pudding. That was so so good!! I don't remember what the sauce was but it was delicious as well. You are going to spend some money here, I'm not going to lie, but well worth it! I'll definitely be back.

Written July 22, 2019

w0f2015

Indianapolis104 contributions

Great Live Jazz

Feb 2019 • couples

We go to the Jazz Kitchen about 4 times a year. The acoustics are wonderful and the seating feels intimate, partially because you are almost on one another's laps, very tight. We went last Saturday night and the music was wonderful (Bill Lanction). there is a minimum of 15.00 per person per set, pretty easy to achieve considering the price of food and drinks. Next time we won't do dinner and just have a couple of drinks. Go early, seats are not reserved and while I don't know that vaping is legal in the club, Frank, the guy at the front door was doing so freely all evening. As others have mentioned, be prepared to walk especially if going to the 2nd show.

Written February 11, 2019