Two Indiana Restaurants Among USA Today’s Restaurants of the Year

Two Indiana restaurants just received some very high honors by being named two of the best in the entire country.

Indiana has a lot of great restaurants that have been open for years. These restaurants have become staples in that area where people must go whenever they are in town. They are restaurants that can even become bucket-list places to dine at. Whether it be comfort food, burgers, fried chicken, seafood, Italian, Mexican, steakhouses, or any other type of restaurant, there are certain places that stand out among the rest.

Some of these restaurants are pretty famous too. As you know, there are a lot of famous restaurants throughout the country. No, I'm not talking about the big-name chain restaurants that everyone knows about because they're in practically every town. I am talking about restaurants that have become a must-visit place whenever you visit a city. Most of them are found in bigger cities like Chicago or New York, but there are a few scattered all across Indiana that have garnered quite a reputation over the years. Two of those Indiana restaurants are among USA Today's Restaurants of the Year.

Two Indiana Restaurants Among USA Today's Restaurants of the Year

Food writers across the USA TODAY Network selected their favorite spots. Writers choose restaurants that surprise and delight them, ones that they return to again and again, ones they like to recommend to out-of-towners. They range from white tablecloth, James Beard-nominated spots to roadside burger stands. There were a total of 44 restaurants on USA Today's Restaurants of the Year. Among those were two from Indiana. Let's check them out.

Bodhi- Indianapolis

Named for the Sanskrit word for enlightenment, Bodhi quickly became one of Indianapolis’ most acclaimed restaurants after opening at the north end of Mass Avenue in March 2021. The 21-plus Thai bistro and craft cocktail bar is a buzzing hangout approachable enough for a quick drink on the greenery-enclosed patio and refined enough for a celebratory splurge. The creative spark behind Bodhi spans three generations of Thai women: owner Taelor Carmine; her mother, Nicky; and her grandmother, Pen Phojanasupan. The family and its staff curate dishes like papaya salad and massaman curry that look familiar on a menu, yet feel completely fresh and novel on your plate. When someone says, “Just wait until you try really good Thai food,” they’re talking about places like Bodhi. — Bradley Hohulin, Indianapolis Star

Roots Eatery and Pub- Wolcott

Indiana’s small towns are celebrated for hidden gem restaurants. But none is likely as locally sourced as Roots. Owned and operated by siblings Amber Farrington and Luke Furrer, Roots offers many Midwest-comfort favorites, like meatloaf and schnitzel. But the real stars of this restaurant’s plates are the beef and pork, raised on their family’s farm just down the road in Reynolds. Beyond the restaurant’s sign, it would be easy to look past the building while driving along US 231. Step inside and you’ll soon understand how this spot quickly became a destination eatery in a town of fewer than 1,000 residents. — Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier

This is a high honor for both restaurants, especially given the fact that not every state was represented on the list. Indiana has two! If you have ever eaten at either restaurant, what do you think? Are they worthy of being named two of the Restaurants of the Year?