Golden Ace Inn

Not just a St Pattys day place. I stop here every time I’m east of down town. The drinks are strong, the price is right, and the bartender is friendly. It’s the kind of place you usually only see in the movies. Don’t be scared away by the sparse exterior, when you go in you will feel like family.

Im going to give this place an extra star for the owner writing back to me I feel bad for my. okay review I’m glad that he wrote back to me and I can respect that fully I really respect these guys and I will be back

When I heard that Golden Ace was ranked as one of the Top 10 places in the nation to celebrate St Patty’s Day by USA Today, it became a no brainer on where I would spend the evening. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought this. As we Über’d up, the right-​hand lane of Washington Street was basically a parking lot of cars and taxi cabs with speakers blaring the live music from inside the tent in the parking lot.
Even though there was a little bit of a line, we were inside pretty quickly after having our ID’s checked and paying our $ 5 cover to get in. The tent was packed full of people, and it was a little difficult to tell where the bar was. Thankfully my height helped, and I was able to see the beer tables set up in the back corner, so we headed that way.
I don’t know how many people were in the tent when we got there, but it seemed to thin out slightly after it started getting dark. We found a great spot to stand and watch the bands with easy access back to the beer table. Everyone seemed to be in great spirits, singing along with the Irish band and laughing with friends. The bands that I saw were very engaging and talented, and the beer was fairly cheap and plentiful. No green beer here… but that’s about the only thing that wasn’t green! A great place to hang out and celebrate St Patrick’s Day!

The Golden Ace Inn is an institution on the east side of Indianapolis. We’ve been coming here for awhile to play with the pickers at the bluegrass jam that happens on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursday of each month. If we get there early enough, we always see some of the locals hanging out, having dinner, sharing life… and they are from all walks of life and occupations! Business professionals, educators, the guy that lives around the corner — it is a true melting pot of humanity. Kind of like Cheers. The Ace has probably one of the best burgers in the city, and a kind and friendly staff. I don’t know about their beer selection, because I always get Guinness when I go — or a shot of Irish whiskey… or both. :) If you stop in and are expecting anything more than a casual, low key experience, you will not like it here. But if casual and low key are your things, then you will absolutely LOVE the Ace.

This is everything a bar should be.
Cozy, warm, inviting, in an odd sort of way. It’s got it’s own unique character. The moment you walk in, you know you’re not in some corporate knock off Irish bar, you’re in the real deal.
You’ll find lots of (low key) activities here. Jam sessions, trivia night, spontaneous games of Euchre, and friendly conversation.
And, dare I say, the best cheeseburger in Indy. Quite possibly, in the midwest.
The mixed drinks are generous and cheap. Beer is cheap enough, too.
This really isn’t a place you want to drop in for a quick bite. It’s a place you want to linger, people watch, and escape the real world for a while.

The oldest Irish bar in Indy. Honestly, it’s a dump in a bad part of town. Some people would argue that is part of its charm. I’m not one of those people. The McGinley family runs the bar and they are an amazing group of people. Very kind. The food prices are outstanding, but the food isn’t that great. Their burger tastes like a burger that I would make at home on a Foreman grill. Generally, the place is pretty dead atmosphere-​wise.
I give the Ace two stars with two exceptions: the St. Patrick’s Day celebration and Trivia Night. Their St. Paddy’s Day party is the best in town. Just trust me. It’s amazing. You can expect a packed house for their Trivia Night. Don’t go unless you’re an intelligent person though. I went to the Trivia Night once and the questions were too difficult for this simpleton. The crowd for the St. Paddy’s Day party is ages 21 – 80. The Trivia Night crowd is pretty old.

Amazing atmosphere and great people. It is in a little bit of a rough part of town but def worth the stop. Cheap drinks and food but not lacking in the quality at all.

Though you’d never expect it looking at the building from the outside, this is one of the greatest Irish pubs in the country. When you walk through the doors, you feel like you are part of the pub’s extended family. Everything about this place is great. The no-​nonsense décor, bartender, drinks, Irish music and especially the food! I had the cheeseburger and clam chowder. A-​maz-​ing!

I can’t quite put my finger on it but I really like this place. It looks super sketchy on the outside but something about seems very «homey». Everyone in the bar knew each other and they were very friendly. The drinks are excellently priced. This is definitely a place that I could sit for hours and drink a few Jameson and gingers and play some cards with some friends. But be warned, they only take cash.

The world needs more bars like the Golden Ace.
The area it’s located in isn’t somewhere that you are going to be casually strolling through on a Saturday night, well at least not me, but it’s worth a trip out of your way to visit. They have a parking lot with plenty of spaces next to it. The building, both inside and outside, has seen better days, and probably hasn’t had a ton of work done other that basic maintenance, but unlike some places that follow this path and seem dirty and run down, I think it gives this place character and a feel like you’re in someone’s house who prioritizes entertaining and good times over one-​upping the neighbors. From the old school cash register to the décor from previous generations, this place has charm and just feels inviting. There is a bar that was full of on Saturday night, but plenty of empty tables.
The bartender got our orders quickly, and made the recommendation to go ahead and upgrade to the double since it was a better deal. I’m not sure what the small costs, but three tall mixed drinks with generous pours of good liquor, complete with bendy straw, cost a total of $ 12. This is the kind of place you can drink all night without breaking the bank. The service was great, and this certainly seemed like a place that attracted a friendly crowd. The bartender was chatting with everyone at the bar, people were laughing, and it just had a good vibe all around. The Irish theme of this bar is on full display, and I’ve been in here before when they had some great live Irish music going in the corner of the room.
I still need to eat here, but with the combination of the cozy old school feel, great history, appreciation for live music, and cheap drinks, I think I will need to go out of my way to come back here much more often.

This place is perfectly old school. What an awesome Irish neighborhood pub in a location that probably didn’t seem odd years and years ago. The staff was super friendly. The Michelob on tap was great, and the burger was phenominal in a throwback bar burger way. It was all extremely reasonably priced as well. I also enjoyed the inclusion of a bar of Irish Spring soap in the men’s room.

Great bar. My favorite in the city. Not so much for the big selection but for the atmosphere and the warmth by the owners, and the family that runs the place. The draft beer is limited to Michelob, but they have a range of canned and bottled beers, and a decent liquor selection. It’s a place where you can have a great conversation with anyone who is there or listen to some good music (Irish on Tuesday nights, Bluegrass on the first and third Thursday’s) and other acts from time to time. Plus the burger is awesome!
It’s a bar that doesn’t try to be anything but what it is, a neighborhood bar, run by a great Irish family.

The Golden Ace, what a place. Took my boss there and he was like which building are we going to? I was like that one with the shamrock on it. He said NO! Well that was it. It is very much a dive bar with regulars that look like they may not go home. This place has a menu that consists of a hamburger, beef, bbq, turkey, ham, chicken, Braunschweiger, and fish on fridays. Chili, clam chowder and bean soup are also available. The hamburger seemed to be their thing. As that is what my boss and I got. It was excellent. Juicy and perfectly cooked. I like this place and will head back for lunch sometime soon. Cash only here so make sure you come prepared. Although dark and outdated this bar was welcoming and the clientele seemed the same. Worth a trip.

If you love a hole in the wall place then you have found a GOLDEN ACE! When you can get a lunch for around $ 5 and its good then you have also found a GOLDEN ACE! This is the BEST burger in Indy, hot, juicy, fresh, and tasty and the best part its cheap cheap cheap!!! The Golden Ace have a feel that you can only find in a place that has history, and also in a place that is only thinking about the people that love it as it is! My lunch pick is a burger and bowl of chili, it can’t be beat any where in town! A word to the wise, due to the fact that the Ace is only about 3 feet from the street, DO NOT SIT by the door in the dinning room on a rainy day!
Check out the night time Irish music it is a real as it gets!
Please remember to eat well and to live well, and please no chains!,

I am so happy that I attended the little Unilocal gathering at the Golden Ace! Exactly why I love Unilocal,I discovered a hidden treasure. This bar is great, although I think it is more accurately described as a tavern. It reminds me of the local neighborhood bars found in Chicago — small, dark, smokey, with a couple old timers sitting at the bar and a bartender who’s a total character. The owner introduced himself, and shared the history of the place — his grandparents opened the bar all those years ago! And bought us a round — what a guy!
The burgers are great too… well seasoned and they taste homemade. All in all, this is a good place with no pretensions for a nice chill evening with a cold beer.

This is exactly the bar that I wish was my neighborhood bar. I’d love to stop in here every night on my way home, enjoy a draft Michelob or a bottle of Smithwick’s, Harp or Guinness, possibly have a cheeseburger or braunschweiger sandwich, stay an hour or two or all night conversing with the locals, feed some quarters in the juke box and just forget all about the crappy day that I had at work.

Before anything else, big ups to Ethan H for puttin’ this on the Unilocaldar.
I went to his review to see if I could find anything going on during St. Patty’s Day, and, yes their St. Patty’s is huge… then found out that quietly on March 1 they’d be celebrating their 77^th anniversary. Damn, Gina! That’s the oldest Irish pub in Indy!
I love when I feel like I’m in someone’s house when I’m not really in someone’s house — like in an old Inn, like this one!
Straight forward Bar menu — much like Red Key — and the burger & chili was recommended (and there’s braunschweiger on the menu!).
The burger was juicy and as thick as it was wide (almost). Heavy on the cheese, too.
Kind gentleman behind the bar taking care of the crowd. The owner Jimmy introduced himself and told us they celebrated his 77^th anniversary this past Sunday (nice!).
Well, just as terrific the Tuesday night traditional Irish musicians gathered round a table to play, another group gathered round to listen while we gathered with post it notes on our foreheads (those crazy kids!) and played a traditional bar game of guess who.
I’m down to make this a routine thing with this Irish Music.
Michelob on Draft. Yep. Smithwicks to Harp to Guinness too.
And, there St. Patty’s is apparently enormous!
The bottom line… I love this place.

Don’t wait for St Patrick’s Day to visit this bar. If you do, you will miss out on the great character and charm of the oldest Irish bar in Indianapolis. Head in on any Tuesday and enjoy a burger while listening to some live Irish music with a REAL Jameson and Ginger Ale.
The burgers are plump and juicy and did I mention… only $ 3.50! The menu is very limited, just a few different sandwiches and everything is served with potato chips.
The staff are very friendly and welcoming, and I was so excited to hear they actually carry Ginger Ale. Not an easy find. A Jameson and Ginger is not truly a J&G if the ginger ale is replaced with a mix of coke and sprite.
Usually live music in a bar means it gets really loud and hard to carry on a conversation. I got nervous about this when I spotted the PA set up in the corner. Thankfully this wasn’t the case. The musicians casually came in, gathered around a table, ordered some drinks, and started playing traditional Irish music. It was pretty much what I imagine happens in pubs in Ireland without the spontaneous sing alongs.
It was a fun evening made better by the awesome people I got to share it with!
Heads up, they only take cash, no cards. I learned this the hard way.

What the Golden Ace lacks in draft choices it makes up largely with character and what may be the best cheeseburger I’ve eaten on East Washington Street.
A small irish folk group played music in the corner while a few of us Unilocal Elites played a silly bar game and enjoyed our irish refreshments.
I visited last St. Patrick’s Day which was a huge mistake on my part as I’m not too fond of large drunken festivals. It seems like things are pretty low-​key on weeknights at the Golden Ace and I like that.

Let’s hear it for a place with an interesting history, local flavor, and a surprisingly good burger.
The Golden Ace Inn opened in 1931, less than a year after the repeal of prohibition. The owners, Irish immigrants from Donnegal, later changed the name to «Emerald Isle», in an effort to highlight the Ace’s identity as an Irish pub. But Indiana at the time was still a stronghold of the KKK, which didn’t like the Irish-​Catholic nature of the enterprise. Business plummeted, and the owners changed the name back to Golden Ace. Even so, the place remains Indy’s oldest Irish pub.
Today, the son and grandson of the original owners still run the place and tend bar. They have increasingly added the family name to the place («McGinley’s Golden Ace»), and that’s how a lot of the locals know it.
You’ll also notice shamrocks on the outside walls and a variety of Irish paraphernalia. But don’t let that fool you. Shamrocks are sometimes a sign of a fake Irish pub — a pub trying too hard to make a buck on St. Paddy’s Day. But in the case of McGinley’s Golden Ace, it’s the real deal. And it’s really really wonderful.
And seriously, that burger was really quite decent … especially for the price.