Black Swan Brewpub

w22011

Indiana

3.45/5  rDev -17.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 2.5 | $$$

Edit July 1, 2011

The black swan tapped their first beers today. Double pale ale and Scottish ale. The beers were simply not ready. Carbonation had not finished, sort of like my home brew before it gets a dose of priming sugar. Both beers were very cloudy, very worty, and just plain flat. That being said I look forward retrying these on the next batch. Really the taste was there but they were rushed to the tap. If you have never had 'raw' beer, it might be worth the trip. Sorta like raw peanuts though, much better fully roasted with a pinch of salt.

My overall rating of the Black Swan takes a slight hit. Still waiting on the first batch.
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Best beer selection on the west side. Simply great! Seriously, Hopslam, Brugge Brasserie Quad, Elector Imperial Red Ale and on and on. I am hoping that they will keep a couple of the best guest beers after they start to brew their own. My only compliant is that the beer is served on the cold side.

Atmosphere - not fancy but serviceable, the actual service bar is a bit on the small side. I think 8 seats. Room for improvement but lets spend our capital on the beer end of the business.

Serving staff - good. Mostly on the young side, still learning about "real" beer.

Food can be hit or miss. Fries are one of their main appetizers. Taste like Dairy Queens fries with fancy spices to me. Send the cook up to Brugge Brasserie to see how its done! Stuffed peppadew peppers were outstanding but pricey. Buffalo burger was good, but again, the crappy fries. Also all of the breads have a cheap quality to them, right off the supermarket shelf. . Meatloaf was good but on the dry side the night I had it.. Locally sourced food where possible, which translates into better ingredients and a higher price.

You want good beer go to the Black Swan.
You want a chicken sandwich, tenderloin, hamburger, or other typical pub fare, go on to Three Pints up the road.

01-30-2011 04:34:32 | More by w22011

Brettster

Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +9.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$$

This is my new favorite place to eat and drink. I just wished I lived right next door. I bugged my wife to go opening night and have been back a few more times. The West side of Indy desperately needed a place like this. The food, although pricey, is excellent. It varies from sandwitches to lamb shank. The beer list seems to be growing. I believe they just added Brooklyn Brown, Anchor Steam, Three Floyds Broodoo, and one more People's.

I recommend this place for dinner or just a quick pint. Cannot wait until they start brewing their own.

10-29-2010 20:23:43 | More by Brettster

treepaul

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

This is a very hopeful review. As of this writing this is THE PLACE to go on the west side of Indianapolis if you want Indiana beer on tap - no place else closeby has more than one local tap - Black Swan has more than ten. As the other reviewer wrote they are currently not brewing on site - licensing is pending and according to the brewer they hope to be serving their own beer by April to June of next year.

We visited late on their opening day and were lucky enough to have good conversations with both the chef and head brewer/owner. The menu is definitely different from most brewpubs. You won't find nacos, burgers or fish and chips - typical beer drinking comfort foods. They do have some creative alternatives. The stuffed mini-pepper appetizer was creative and tasty, but the portion was small. I found the "frites" dissapointing in execution. The entree selection was interesting and I do look forward to trying a couple after I save up a little cash. I hope the menu doesn't outpace the audience.

I really want to see this place succeed and I am looking forward to tasting the results of their brewing when the time comes. In the meantime I will be stopping in every chance I get to enjoy some of my favorite Indiana beers that are sure nice to have on tap in the Indy West/Hendricks County/Airport neighborhood.

10-21-2010 00:20:06 | More by treepaul

elalber

Indiana

4.78/5  rDev +13.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

Black swan is a gem for west siders and those visiting the area. They carry 16 taps and no crap. Right now they have 9 of their own brews on. You can expect to find a double pale, an IPA, an ESB, a Porter, and a tasty cream stout. More exciting to me is their rotating/seasonal menu which includes some more interesting stuff. Right now is a belgian tripple and a maple oat ale. (First one I've ever tried, sweet and flavorful coming in at 7%) Some very intersting stuff on the horizon too-a rye wine, a scottish ale, and a lambic in the near future. They fill the taps with a few indiana beers and Crispin cider in case you come with a non beer drinker.
The food is all very fresh and made with local ingredients whenever possible. They keep it pretty simple with only 6 sandwiches and 5 entrees rotating with the season. Sandwiches and apps are very reasonable with entrees being a bit pricier. Food is of exceptional quality and taste in my opinion.
Black swan has been open for just over a year now and has really hit its stride. Definitely worth the drive (Just glad I live close)

10-17-2010 23:27:12 | More by elalber