The Thompson House: Great Drinks, and Definitely NOT Your Ordinary Pub Grub

The Thompson House Bar & Grill, 711 E. Thompson Road, is around the corner in the same old strip mall as my home away from Home, the Green Door Lounge, but don't hold that against it-- the place is new, clean, and attractively furnished, although the rather ornate bar with a brass rail supported by brass elephant-head brackets seems a little fancy in contrast to the otherwise simple decor.  It's also next door to El Compadre Taqueria, the home of the best tacos I've had in Indy (see review), so a range of evening entertainment and dining options can be had right there in that one little commercial center.  Some of TTH's owners used to own Lizard's, a gun & knife club at Thompson & Madison that closed a couple of years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that they have taken such care with this place.

TTH is first and foremost a bar, with ten or more electronic dart boards and a couple of arcade games around the walls, as well as eight TV's scattered about the room, and a stage where live entertainment plays three (?) days a week.  The sound system for the jukebox is GREAT, which has seduced me into putting a lot of moola into playing the songs I want to hear.  Something about that speaker set-up makes it possible to hear the music AND engage in conversation with the people at your table without either drowning the other out.  Since they opened about 6 months ago, the crowd has mainly been composed of middle-class working people with a few well-to-doers, too.  There are usually at least 4 or 5 Harleys parked outside with their weekend warrior owners stopping in for only 1 or 2 before continuing their ride.  The drinks are decent and not overpriced, and they have a number of meaningful specials through the week.

All this down-to-earth ambiance makes TTH a very comfortable place to relax, which is reason enough to go there, but, OHMIGOSH, you have to try the FOOD!  It is 3 cuts above your usual pub grub:  I've been trying something different off the menu every time I visit, and have yet to be disappointed.  The best thing I've found so far is the Reuben sandwich:  fresh rye bread, homemade corned beef, and sauerbraten grilled in teriyaki sauce make it ever so tasty, every bit the equal of Gandolfo's Deli (see review) and at little more than half the price. I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention Robert's Ribs available on Fridays.... LET'S EAT, Y'ALL!  

What's behind The Green Door?

Well Marilyn Chambers sure ain't there, but sometimes pretty wild stuff happens in The Green Door Lounge, on the backside of the strip mall at Thompson Road and Manker Street.  The Door is best loved by hardcore bar goers-- it kind of reminds me of a 60's bowling-alley lounge, certainly smaller than Marcus Schrenker's old living room but maybe only a little bigger than Bernie Madoff's prison cell, with a giant mirror on one wall to make it seem bigger, cheesy Wayne's World basement-type wood paneling, a small bunch of tables & chairs (no booths) and the bar along the other wall.  That's all there is:  no pool table, no stage or dance floor, no food, just a place to sit and drink and talk with your friends (or yell, depending on what song is playing on the juke box).  It does, however, have an unpretentious, undefinable ambiance that makes you feel comfortable there for reasons I have yet to discern. Especially during the day and to some extent all night, The Door draws people of all ages and from all walks of life, lured in by the cheap, stiff drinks, no-nonsense bartenders who git'r done, and the prospect of seeing old friends. The Door stays open later than most other bars and clubs in the area, so it's a place of last resort when you don't wanna go home.  Like Times Square, most southside party folks pass through there at least once in a while, in order to have that last drink, or make that last try to hook up with someone, or to have that last cup of coffee in a futile effort to sober up before trying to get back to the house....

UPDATE, 03/22/2013:  Green Door has been bought by Art & Tina, a couple of the partners who own the Gaslight Inn.  They've given the place a thorough cleaning (Geez, I always thought those wall sconces were dimmed on purpose!) and put in two big flat-screen TV's that were actually manufactured in this decade.  Art hates paying credit card fees, so like the Gaslight, the Door is now cash-only but with a $2 ATM available.  So far none of the good parts have changed, including the potency of the drinks!  Hopefully they won't go the way of the Gaslight's weak-assed wells.  The Door has already had a number of good beer and drink specials, though, so I'm hopeful!

UPDATE, 09/27/2013:  Happy Days!  They're once again accepting credit cards.  I believe they don't open until like 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon on weekdays, but they do open at noon on the weekends.  Credit card fee is now 50 cents per tab, better'n before.....