Mugs 'n' Buns 'n' Reflux

FCA Day #4:  Mug 'n' Bun        5211 West 10th Street Speedway, IN 46224

   
 

 "They must have a super magical fryer over there..."

After skipping Thanksgiving week (I think we all know that eating large the day before Thanksgiving is a foolhardy idea) we were anxious to get back on the wagon!  The Mug'n'Bun has been in Indianapolis for a long time, over 40 years.  With staying power like that it's only natural it would make it onto our list.

This place started as a drive-in; park your car and they bring the food to you.  Recently, though, a Dine-in building has been constructed on the other side of the parking lot.  Now you sit and order in there, and they walk across the parking lot with your order to bring it to you.  Simply awesome.

Brad ordered what looked like a salad on top of a hamburger patty.  Essentially it was just a burger with all the fixin's without the bun, and he seemed less than impressed with this burger salad.

Bob went with the hand-breaded pork tenderloin sandwich (an Indiana staple) and thought it was very good.  What he enjoyed even more though, were the onion rings that came with it. 

I have to talk a little about these onion rings...  I am a fanatic of onion rings.  French fries?  meh, whatever... but a good plate of onion rings will make my day.   The onion rings at the Mug'n'Bun are the best I have had in the city, and Bob agrees.  Thick slices of large Vidalia onions into fat "thick-as-yer-thumb" breading.  Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside.  The regular order is large and I was barely able to finish them.

Along with the rings I ventured into unknown territory with the foot long chili dog.  Normally, asking for a chili dog anywhere but a chili house is a risk-taking move.  But I decided to go for it, and while I was not blown away, it wasn't too bad.  It was indeed enormous, loaded with chili, cheese, and onions, and quite tasty.  I was just a little disappointed that it came with processed cheese and not the shredded cheddar that came on the bowls of chili.  Overall, I would call it a good chili dog but not an awesome chili dog.

My meal was under 10 bucks; not what I would call cheap for diner food, but certainly not expensive.  And we got a lot of chow in the deal.  As a side note, they do not allow you to put a tip on your credit card, so make sure you bring a few singles to drop on the table - they do have to carry your food all the way across the parking lot after all!

For typical drive-in American fair the Mug'n'Bun is on the mark.  My hopes were high for the chili dog, but I was somewhat let down, and Brad thought his food was less than stellar.  As a bonus we all got our drinks in souvenir cups.  Next summer I plan to drink very large mohitos from mine, as I relax on my deck recalling those magical onion rings.

The Scale:
  Bryan:  Meal: 7.5, Experience: 8
  Brad: Meal: 6, Experience: 7
  Bob: Meal: 8, Experience: 8