Dooley O’Toole’s Review

Date: 02/11/25

Restaurant Name: Dooley O’Toole’s

Address: 160 E Carmel Drive, Carmel IN 46032

Phone Number: 317-843-9900

Email Address: dooleyotooles.com

About: Dooley O'Toole's is a local family owned and operated business in Carmel Indiana. They boast of 35 years serving fresh Hoosier style comfort food and a touch of Irish fare, which fortunately for us includes patty melts.

Authenticity: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Their patty melt was rye bread and swiss cheese, as close to patty melt orthodoxy as you can get. They also had Thousand Island dressing available on request. This was also the first patty melt we had that had cheese on both the top and the bottom.

Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️★

Dooley O'Toole's patty melt was tasty- definitely above average, but not a five star experience. Notably, we felt that it was better than our Friendly Tavern's patty melt, but less than the LA Cafe's top ranked one.

Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️★

The price was $15 for the patty melt, including a side. This was pretty good value, but not a bargain.

Ambiance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️★

Nice. This is a tavern, so it was no surprise that it was busy and we had to wait five minutes for a table in a comfortable waiting area. The decor contriubted to Dooley O'Toole's distinct character. Although the tavern was busy, the dining area allowed space between tables so that our dining experience felt more private.

Total Experience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️★

The service was good, and the food was very good. Our server was pleasant, and we were able to carry on a conversation. There's a lot to like about Dooley O'Toole's.

Summary: Dooley O'Toole's seems to be a similar experience to the Friendly Tavern in terms of patty melts, but we would rank it a bit higher in tastiness. If you are looking for a tavern experience to go with your patty melt, we recommend trying Dooley O'Toole's.

Leadership Lessons: Dooley O’Toole’s patty melt reminded me that great leadership is a blend of both art and science. It was the art, that my patty melt lacked. The ingredients were all great – even a slice of Swiss on each side of the patty! But the overall taste fell short of the gold standard, and I can only conclude it was a lack of artistry in the kitchen. Five-star leadership requires passion and an artistic blend of je ne sais quoi. It defies being reduced to an algorithm.