Twenty-tap has 38 taps

Hmm. Where to eat Friday night?

We've been enjoying Indianapolis so much the daily posts have fallen away. After a perfectly acceptable stroll through the Indianapolis State Museum, we met up with friends and headed north to SoBro, the realtors' title for the area south of Broad Ripple. There's some information in the pages section about other places in the neighborhood. We went to Twenty Tap, a beer and burgers place that now has 38 taps. Why not call it 38 Taps? The cost of stationery, I'm guessing. And Twenty Tap, or 20Tap, just works alliteratively as well as branding.

We finally got to share the huge plate of deep-friend cheese curds with a crowd large enough to enjoy them and put a proper dent on the gigantic plate of lava-hot liquidy cheese with garlic and chimmichurri aioli, and an embarrassingly gravy-soaked boat of vegetarian poutine. Oh my. The vegetarian udon across the table looked amazing, and was apparently good enough that it was not shared. The menu has been updated: more variety and sandwiches but they have not lost their burger focus and the service was attentive without making anyone feel rushed. And on Thursday, we waited 20 minutes for a table, but then were left to enjoy the wrap-around booth that could have easily accommodated 10.

But the beers! The list is religiously updated daily. We had Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, Two Brothers Monarch, Rogue Brutal IPA, and Schlafly's Firkin American Pale, which is a "real ale" version of the dry-hopped APA: natural carbonation and a ton of sediment done with 19th century precision.

Twenty Tap     5408 N. College Ave       317-602-8840

Twenty Tap, with 38 beers on tap (I know, I know; the name stuck before the number of taps was finalized). Many of the beers are Indiana local brews, with regional Michigan, Chicago, and nearby offerings supplemented by others from the coasts, Colorado, and Europe. Beer types range from hoppy IPAs to lagers, stouts, ciders, and oddities. Selections change often.

Twenty Tap also has great food with something for everyone. They have an impressively good selection of burgers, including traditional beef, veggie, chicken, and turkey burgers. We like the Wrath and the Tex, but the classic is a simple, outstanding cheeseburger—and all are good with homemade, crispy fries. The blackened whitefish sandwich packs a spicy punch, which is nicely tempered if you have the good fortune to enjoy the sweet potato bisque as the soup of the day. The entrée salads or the simple side salad are always fresh and take advantage of seasonal produce. The cheese curds are decadent, and they’re large enough to share … try to finish an order yourself and you'll likely be too full to eat anything else! Twenty Tap takes pride in sourcing local ingredients, and prices are affordable.