BRU Burger Bar Review

Date: 02/18/25

Restaurant Name: BRU Burger Bar

Address: 8711 River Crossing Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46240

Phone Number: 317-300-6618

Email Address: bruburgerbar.com

About: Cunningham Restaurant Group opened the first BRU Burger Bar in December 2011 and now operate 16 locations across three states, and fortunately for us, there are 11 in Indiana. The one that we went to was at Keystone at the Crossing.

Authenticity: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️★

Our patty melts were served on sourdough with American cheese, and the onions were nicely caramelized. BRU Burger Bar deviated from the traditional recipe with its fontana sauce and two patties, which was a first on our quest. While not true to the patty melt tradition, we found it a delightful experience.

Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️★

The two smashed patties were cooked just right, though we were not asked how we preferred them cooked. Although a patty melt purist may quibble over the nontraditional recipe, we found it to be just shy of the tastiest patty melt we've had on our Quest (at the LA Cafe).

Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️★

The price was $13.50, but sides were priced at $2.50, meaning that the total price was $16. Not a bad price for a great patty melt, but not a bargain price either.

Ambiance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️★

The restaurant was quite busy with shoppers and office workers. BRU Burger Bar is an upscale casual dining experience featuring eighteen different burgers including VIking Farms lamb, Black and Bleu Bison, and a Bourbon Burger.

Total Experience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️★

Our server was polite, the food was great, and the choice of burgers left us wanting to return soon.

Summary: Bru Burger Bar presents itself as a love letter to the American burger, but it makes a mean patty melt as well. We would recommend you give it a try.

Leadership Lessons: Our BRU Burger patty melts were a pleasant counterpoint to Dooley O’Toole’s. As I noted in my comments from Dooley O’Toole’s, great leadership is a blend of both art and science, and the BRU Burger leadership team exemplified this. On the management science side, the ambience, meal preparation, and service were all great. The artistry was in the minor deviations from the traditional recipe to create something surprisingly different and delightful. I was impressed.