Revolucion
1132 East prospect
Indianapolis, In  46203






Ahhhh.   A cantina.  Nestled in the heart of Fountain Square is one of Indy's little treasures.  Unique. Independent. Bold.  Revolucion is all of this and much more.  Fountain Square is another one of those little suburbs of Indianapolis that has for the most part withstood the onslaught of drugs store chains, fast food joints, and gas pumped convenience stores.  It's home to one of my favorite local events, Masterpiece in a Day. 


I've grown accustomed to the fresh out of the rail container plasticized hand carved primary color parrots and bullfighters decor that you find in every strip mall Mexican restaurant.  One step inside Revolucion brought a smile to my face and a whistle to my lips.  I felt like Gomer Pyle on his first trip into Mt. Pilot.  Welcoming stained concrete floors with exposed wood ceiling joists and rafters give the dining room a open and relaxed atmosphere.  What really grabs you, though, are the large Day of the Dead figures painted on all of the walls. 


We were directed to order our food at the bar and have a seat anywhere.  We were there early and seats were plentiful.  A server told us to make ourselves comfortable and that since they were slow she would come by and take our orders. Once seated, I was delighted to look up from my table and see Mexican wrestler's masks on mannequin heads dotted around the place. I just pressed their "like" button again on their FB page.


The menu is short.  I mean short.  Tacos and burgers.  Weird, huh?  They have an average drink menu and way above average drinks. Killer margaritas. I had one on the rocks with the house tequila.  Nice buzz. They also have a beer labeled Revolucion for a buck.  Our server said she was sworn to secrecy and couldn't reveal the identity of the brewer.  I suspect it was whatever stale keg they drained into a pitcher when they opened that day.  Don't order it.


The tacos on the other hand....order them.  Lots of them.  I had the shrimp taco. . Before I ordered I asked the server if the shrimp there were dodgy.  I could tell by the look on her face that she knew what I was talking about.  Her face didn't read, "I can't believe that you would ask me that."  It read, "just you wait and see."  And I did.  Best damn Mexican I've ever put in my mouth.


I don't know nuthin' about Mexican food. I was told that the food at Revolution is west coast style. It's call that because in L.A. the Hispanic community butts up to the Korean district and the cultures are influencing each other.  Tacos with Asian seasoning.  Go figure.


This place is FUN.  The bar and dining room filled up by the time we left with Fountain Square locals.  Young hipsters with an artsy edge.  Like me only young, hip, artsy and edgy.

I gotta give this joint 5 out of 5 tee shirts for being so much more that I expected.  Great food, cool atmosphere, reasonably priced, warm and friendly service and Mexican wrestler masks.

Serving Tips

32 ounce mugs X 8 = 256 ounces.
Mugs are 65% full  = 166.4 ounces.
10.4 pounds not to mention the mugs.

She's still smiling.  Even with a wrist brace.

Give the lady a nice tip. I'm sure that's what the guy in the top right corner of this picture has in mind.


Generally speaking, I'm not a very demanding person, but if I were to become one, I would demand great service at all restaurants.  I think this runs in my family.  A few years ago I went to The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Indianapolis with my brother and his wife. Once seated, we were completely ignored by the server who had been assigned to our table.  After a half hour or so of this my brother grabbed the guy by the collar and offered to introduce him to the dumpster.  Well, it didn't happen exactly like that but he did get the message across that the server would be justly compensated for his efforts. Then there was the time that The Tammy and I went out to dinner at a pizza joint in Denver with my son and his bride.  The server was a first class a-hole.  After an uncomfortable and heated exchange between my son and the server we were able to secure a different server without anyone being handcuffed.

Anyway, some simple do's and don'ts that should guide every server...

Don't show any "mods" that make me want to vomit.  If you have a king cobra tattoo make certain that it doesn't crawl out of your shirt collar. Leave your ear gauges at home in the jewelry box your mom gave you on your 10th birthday before she became so disappointed in you. NOTE:  I just googled "extreme body mods" and discovered that you can now have your eyeballs tattooed.  Yeah.  Don't do that either if you plan to make a living as a server.

Never say to me, "you still workin' on that?"  Dining is my pleasure, not my vocation.  If you have been paying attention to me you will probably know when I have finished.  If not, try something like, "are you still enjoying your dinner" or "let me know if you would like for me to box the rest of those rib tips."  Never use the words "doggie bag" or make reference to any mammal that is not a part of my entree.

Be attentive but please don't smother me.  There's a breakfast joint in Greenfield that requires every server to stop at every table every time they pass by and offer to re-fill your coffee.  I always say yes to see if they can squeeze another eyedropper full in the cup without it spilling over. Makes me feel like I'm the target of a aproned strafing mission.

Another catch phrase to avoid, "did y'all save room for dessert?"  That implies that I may have already busted my gut on taters and gravy and should I open wide for their inspection they might be able to see for themselves. Instead, invite me to indulge by saying, "would you care to see our dessert tray (or menu) ... or possibly something to take home and enjoy later?"

No smoking during working hours unless you wear a Tyvek suit and do it in the trunk of your car.  Is there anything less appetizing than driving around the back parking lot of a restaurant and seeing a gaggle of servers huddled around the dumpster corral with their smokes hanging from their lips?  Body odor and smokey breath are tip killers.

Sneezing, hiccups and coughing. Need I say more?  Of course.  I was in a restaurant in Anderson this week for lunch.  There was an employee there who was coughing so often and so violently that I felt like I was having my soup and grilled cheese in a TB ward.  I would not have been surprised if she had pulled a hanky from her apron pocket and dabbed away a spot of blood from the corner of her mouth.  Yuk.
Stay home.

Smile most of the time but not all of the time.  You can be pleasant without looking fake.  Consider this: “You can only hold a smile for so long, after that it's just teeth.”
― Chuck Palahniuk

Next week!!!!!!!  A trip to Denver where we will enjoy some fine dining, a private tour of the Infinite Monkey Theorem Winey, and the best damn breakfast in the Rockies at Snooze.

p.s.  Don't ever call me "hun."

The Legend Classic Irvington Cafe
5614 East Washington
Indianapolis, In







The very best thing about The Legend Classic Irvington Cafe is... Irvington.  This small suburb just east of Indianapolis is easily my favorite of all the burbs that maypole Indy.  It has the best architecture, the best festivals and a lot of really spooky stuff. Herman Webster Mudgett a.k.a. Dr. Henry Howard Holmes rented a house there for some time while he was wanted by the police for up to 200 murders at the hotel he built for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.  Abe Lincoln's funeral train passed directly through Irvington and it is said that every year on the anniversary of that fateful day, the air grows stale and well.... you get the idea.  Then there's the Klan guy who bit a woman to death.

     If you desire to render Irvington down to its very best and most basic elements, stop in at The Legend.  The Legend is everything that Applebees isn't.  Small. Independent. Stylish. It’s a place of quiet conversations about things of substance. Like literature, the absolute best location to base camp on Everest and amateur dentistry. They have real cloth table linens for crying out loud! They won't set a bus tub on your table or use a sweeper under your feet or go out back for breaks and then come in and breathe their hot smoky breath down your neck. I just gave myself carmel.

     I have been visiting The Legend for several years and have yet to have a bad experience.  One of the reasons for this is their servers.  Even though the place has gone through a couple of expansions, they have managed to retain the original servers and have actually augmented their staff with clones. Smiling blonde women who undoubtedly share genetic material.

      The Tammy and I stopped in there for dinner with another couple last Saturday evening.  One of the blondes who had slipped  from her pod more recently waited on us as if she had been bred for that very purpose.  She was graceful, polite and efficient.  One of our dining companions noticed a tattoo on her arm. I also had noticed it but intentionally didn't read it because those things often give me the heebie geebies. The tat read "So It Goes."  The clone informed us that the ink is a tribute to her favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut.  We spoke briefly about Slaughterhouse Five from which the phrase was lifted.  She even made reference to some lesser known Vonnegut essays and short stories. Her conversation was a far cry from the usual "you guys want more biscuits" that you get at many restaurants.

     The dinner was just right... not to mention the food.  We shared a shrimp cocktail appetizer. The sauce rivaled St. Elmo's in intensity and flavor. We saved what remained to embellish out entree.  Meet loaf. It was the perfect complement to ummmmm... meat loaf.  Moist, tender and now flavorful.  Did I mention that they also have a small bar serving Sun King WeeMac on tap?

     On a scale of one to five tee shirts, The Legend earns 4 shirts for style, comfort, service and location.