Kuma’s Corner

I go back and forth between two and four stars. I’ve settled on three, it’s mainly because of the bad service we experience 50% of the time we go (waiting 20 minutes for our orders to be taken, our food being brought to the wrong table when there was hardly anyone in, bringing out warm beer after the waitress forgot we had ordered it, non refilled drinks). However, the food is excellent (And keeps us coming back in). I always recommend the Mac and cheese as an appetizer (get onions and chicken, trust me). Even though I usually dislike most jalapeño things (I hate the flavor not the heat) I actually enjoy the jalapeño poppers sometimes they are mild, sometimes they have kick. When ordering burgers get the potato chips and dip them in the ketchup. The fries are fresh-​cut fries and have come out soggy the one time I got them. The Caesar salad has a weird vinaigrette dressing on it that isn’t really worth the extra you pay. The burgers: the burgers of the month will always have me coming back. It may seem overwhelming with all of the items on the burger but Kuma’s does a really great job of doing even portioning with toppings. I always cut my burger in half before I start eating. Even though I’m not the biggest fan of pretzel buns they actually work here they hold up well to such a large burger anything else would fall apart. My favorite regular burger is the YOB. I also like sitting at the burger bar sometimes it’s cool to watch the kitchen crew and they seem to be good sports about being watched. I’m fine with the music and décor and don’t know why anyone would complain about it Since that’s what Kuma’s bills itself as (a metal burger bar). I’m just looking forward to them doing a Mercyful Fate «Melissa» burger. I’m hoping some of my issues will resolve over time since Kuma’s is fairly new and are just getting into a groove.

I stopped in for lunch on a Wednesday (3−30−16) after parking in a nearby lot. Upon entering, I saw how spacious this place is and that the bar is on the near left, the grill on the back right. The walls are decorated with posters and memorabilia that has a heavy metal theme. I had heard that the music was loud, but at least this lunch time, the music was background and somewhat a non-​issue. (Not sure if they turn it up in the evenings.)
Anyway, I was going to pick a burger that had a great combination, but it wasn’t on the lunch menu. I specifically asked if I could order the type I wanted and got a somewhat muddled «answer» that didn’t address my question stating «here are the lunch specials». I decided to go with the «Kuma Burger». It was a smaller size burger that was appropriate for lunch time. It comes with bacon and a sunny side up egg. (I am not sure why this combo was chosen to be the namesake.) I liked the pretzel bun, but was disappointed with the bacon and egg on top of an entrée. It just doesn’t taste that good to me. rather bland. (Maybe I should have stripped them off and eaten them separately.)
When I go out in the evening, it is rare that I go out for burgers. Unless I find something better on the lunch menu that catches my interest, I probably won’t be back.

I originally visited Kuma’s Corner several years ago in Chicago. Now we have one here in Indy and it’s still great.
I went for lunch with co-​workers. There are two versions of the burgers in terms of size; a lunch portion and a regular portion … I got a lunch portion and it was plenty for me. But I like to be able to function after lunch, and don’t really see the point of over doing it. Kuma’s was always known for a unique take on burgers, plus metal music. You may want to be aware of that going in … probably don’t want to bring children or grandma. But the burgers are good and that’s why I was there. Plus they have a good beer selection.

Kumas strikes my Chicago chords.
We go here quite frequently, arriving in our Land Cruiser blaring Burzum, that my boyfriend is insistent upon.
The aesthetics here suggest serious metal appreciation, but please note all are welcome. In fact both he and I have suggested it on multiple occasions to brig family and guests living multiple lifestyles says a lot.
The staff is friendly, attentive and super helpful.
We came here for Lemmy’s funeral and truly appreciated the screening of his funeral and special Lemmy whiskey and cokes on the menu.
The burgers here are TO DIE FOR. No metal puns intended. My go-​to is the ABSU. Medium rare. It is a mess of pink beef, queso fresco, pepper jack, onions and deep fried hot hot hot deep fried seranos. Their French fries and homemade catsup are amazing.
They have a great beer selection as well as a wonderful outdoor patio for the summer.
Overall, one of the best «fun» places to meet in Fountain Square. I would highly recommend it even if you aren’t a metal head. Everyone is super nice !!
Park in Value World lot, we’ve yet to be towed!

for all the haters, why a 4…
— i knew going in they played metal and was totally down, but the metal they play (ed) is on the extreme end. pantera or motorhead feel too mainstream for kuma’s.
— the burger was very good, but not better than other very good burgers i’ve had across the country (shake shack, hopdaddy) or locally (workingmans, bubs, or bru).
— sides weren’t that good.
all that sounds negative, but it’s still a 4 and kuma’s is a great place. glad we have one here in indy. the bartenders are awesome and there’s a good number of beers.
lacquered wooden bar top with smooth corners, round foot rest, and maybe 15 or so black wooden stools with back support. beer taps on the bar steal a little space and make you a little tough to see if sitting behind them, but the bartenders know how to do their job and will take care of you. nice back bar with a HDTV, the beer list TVs, and the mainly bottle shelves. lower eating tables opposite the bar. aside from the loud offbeat metal (it’s not swedish, but still), it’s a very comfortable place.
definitely worth a visit and looking forward to my next trip.

I will go ahead and say it – this is THE best burger place in Indianapolis.
As a person who enjoys a good burger and has sampled many offerings around Indianapolis, I feel it’s a fair award to give. Here’s why:
Kuma’s feels very fountain square. The inside and outside of the building are a little hipster-​esque but don’t give in to the yuppie vibe that sometimes permeates that area. They are apologetically metal both in décor and music choice. I enjoyed it but it could be overwhelming for kids or old people I suppose.
The service has always been good there. We’ve gone on both busy peak hours like a Friday evening dinner rush and we’ve gone on a Tuesday night before. Both times we were seated immediately and our servers have always been genuinely nice and attentive.
The burgers though. Oh, the burgers.
When I tell you that their burgers will literally make you think about them a week later when you’re at work doing something totally unrelated, I’m not lying. The meat is fresh, their menu offerings are creative, and they don’t shy away from the HEAT and spice. Order the chips instead of the fries because the chips are way better though.
I will of course, be back. If you’re coming from out of town and looking for a place to get an AMAZING burger at a fair price with great service, come in to Kuma’s. I think they’re a great representation of Indy and specifically the Fountain Square area.

I really hate the parking situation. Just gonna let that out right at the beginning.
.But the food was good! This place is a cool concept delivering craft beer, craft burgers, and metal in one swift punch. Located in Fountain Square, you may need to find parking in Kokomo then walk over. They do have a lovely three car private lot out back!
Went with the wife, and started with a few beers and their jalapeño poppers. Stuffed with chorizo, cream cheese, then deep fried. mmm! They were served with a sweet sauce, blackberry I think? Very good, loved the contrast between the heat and the sweet.
I got the Pantera burger, medium rare. Bacon, cheese, tortilla strips, whole poblano, and more. The burger was good, I liked the idea behind it. It came out medium and very very underseasoned. Rule number one of cooking beef, lots of salt and pepper, always. That didn’t get me down though, I still annihilated it!
I will definitely be back to try some other burger sets, and will be curious to see how the beef is seasoned next time.

Holy bloody burger, Satan!
Now this place puts together a burger! If you love heavy metal, devil art, and bloody gourmet meat drippings from Satan himself, this is the place! If you’re simply into a damn good burger with fancy toppings cooked just right, this is the place. If you’re into drinking great, hardcore craft beer while listening to music notes spun by demons, this is the place. In fact, just go here.
All the burgers are named after metal bands. I ordered the Iron Maiden medium rare. It came with all the fixins, spicy cheese, and peppers. I also ordered a fried egg on top because that’s what you should do. Any place that allows you to eat hamburger rare automatically gets 3 stars in my book. Then, top it with a fried egg… that’s why the devil was ousted from Heaven and cast into Hell.
If Hell set up a gourmet burger joint, this would be it. So go, my minions… drink hop juice, eat bloody meat, and dance in a séance at Kuma’s!

Well, the original Kuma’s on Belmont in Chicago is one of my favorite places on earth. Loud metal. Excellent food. Amazing beer list.
So I get to the Indy location. As amazing as the original. Hands down just amazing. And this place is gigantic! Which does not detract from the Kuma vibe. We had an awesome server, Alexis. The bartender Stephanie is mighty cool. And the chef, Battle is a good dude. He commented on my Kuma’s shirt (I am a nerd) and we spoke about the Belmont location.
This go round I had the Mastodon. Simple BBQ bacon cheeseburger. Nothing simple about the flavor and how damn good that was! Tangy BBQ sauce oozing out the sides. Not too much, a spot on amount. Great bacon and nice cheddar and fried onions top it off. Yum!
I highly suggest visiting Kuma’s when in Naptown. You’re not going to get a better burger. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better, more varied beer list. Oh, and they have Woodford Reserve on tap! Hell yeah!

Let me be clear: I am not a «burger person». By «burger person» I mean someone who typically jumps out of their pants to order a burger. However, my views are changing after thiissss burger. Let me tell you about this burger.
First off, it was a lunch burger (they offer a $ 10 smaller version of their dinner burgers –served with fries). My juicy, hunk o’ beef was topped with fresh oregano, red onions, tomatoes, feta, fresh garlic (an addition I made) and a tatziki-​like sauce. You guys, this flavor combo ROCKED MY WORLD. I was so sad when it was all over. The fries were average but that burger was something else.
Great service from Stephanie at the bar. I recommend visiting over lunch for the great deal and short wait for food. Also note that they have motorcycle parking and are easily accessible from the cultural trail for those of us with bikes without motors.

What a treat! It’s been five years since my first Kumas experience in Chicago, and I was so excited when I heard the news of them expanding to Indy. Kumas fits right in with Fountain Square’s cool, hipster culture.
Their burgers are all named after (in)famous heavy metal rock bands eg Metallica, YOB, iron maiden, just to name a few. I personally am a huge fan of their hand cut fries and housemade potato chips. Oh, what’s that now? You’re a coke person and not team Pepsi products? That’s cool, bc they don’t have either one. They throw it back to RC cola.
To this day I still have yet to try their Mac n cheese, but i hear it’s pretty fire.
I don’t agree with the notion of the original always being better esp when it comes to food. However, having tried both Midwest locations, I would have to agree this time and say that I thought the food quality was slightly better at the original Chitown location. My husband and I ordered two very different burgers yet we both found them two notches north of just enough salt — hence the missing fifth star.
Regardless, I will come definitely be coming back to try the Mac n cheese next time!

I am so glad I finally got to try this place. I have heard so much about this place and was really looking forward to finally trying their burgers. When I got there it was super packed, but we were able to get seated at the burger bar, which I loved because I was able to watch them cook the food they were going to serve.
There were a few burgers that I wanted to try, but I finally settled on the plague bringer and fries. I definitely wasn’t disappointed. The burger and toppings were delicious. It also wasn’t too spicy, so I could still taste the other flavors of the burger. The only thing that I didn’t like was the bun. It was cold and just very thick, but the deliciousness of the burger made up for it.
The waitstaff was very attentive considering how busy they were. II will definitely be coming here again!

First things first, get the Jalapeño Poppers [ panko breaded jalapeño, stuffed with chorizo + cream cheese, served with a balsamic raspberry dipping sauce. ]
Next, get a beer! They have a wide section on tap and have tons and tons of cans, to boot.
There are a great variety of burgers. You’ll definitely find something to scratch your itch. I got the YOB [ a perfectly cooked burger, roasted garlic mayo, bacon, smoked gouda cheese, roasted red pepper, lettuce, tomato, and onion. ] It was so satisfying… I couldn’t finish it. I ate half and then ate the other half the next morning.
The folks that work there are really, really friendly and cool. There was a bit of a wait for a table so my party opted to sit at the counter, watching the action of the open kitchen. Our servers were attentive, energetic, and made great suggestions. From first sip to final pants loosening, I totally dug my Kuma’s Corner experience and can’t wait to go back.

In order to understand how excited I was about eating at Kuma’s you have to first understand how disappointed I was when I tried to eat there in Chicago four years ago but wasn’t able to because it was closed the day I was visiting. I’ve been looking for a reason to come back this way since then and that day has finally come.
Some friends and I (from Pittsburgh) are in town for a concert and after begging (okay, they were pretty willing to oblige) them to check out the food here, we were completely impressed. The atmosphere is super cool, very open and lots of natural light. The beer selection was pretty expansive and I was even able to try a locally brewed IPA, which was also something that was on my to-​do list for the visit. The music is exactly what you’d expect for a rock/​meta themed restaurant. I grew up on Metallica, so hearing their music while eating a burger named after them literally felt like too much to handle. I may or may not have squealed when the food came out.
The staff was so friendly and really knowledgable about the menu. The manager came by multiple times just to chat (and to meet the girl who squealed at the arrival of her food). It was a very chill lunch for us and the food is absolutely delicious. Quite possibly one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Get the roasted garlic mayo to dip your fries in… it’s so good.
Here’s to hoping they bring another location out to Pittsburgh so I can eat there all the time!

I would say that burgers are one of my favorite things to consume. I have had many different burgers in my day and want to proclaim that Kuma’s has the best burgers I have ever had.
When it comes to burgers I tend to get a similar burger wherever I go. I love bbq and some type of fried onion. This place took what I love most on a burger and added even more delicious toppings. Even with that, I have tried other burgers and everything is wonderful.
Not only is the food and drink selection well done but the service is top notch.
About a month ago, my family came from out of town to visit. They, like me, love a good burger.
We had prior plans and I read the website wrong and got there 5 minutes before the kitchen was closing (I hate to be that person). Not only did they serve us even though we offered to not stay, they were so pleasant and understanding. They treated us with the utmost attention and got our burgers out to us in record time still cooked and prepared wonderfully. It made me very happy that I got to share this experience with my family.
I live in Fountain Square and this is a great addition to our neighborhood.

Being the tried and true Kuma’s Corner roadie that I am I’ve been to the other locations in and around Chicago so I can honestly say that out of all of them, this location is my least favorite. I am, by no means, saying that The Indianapolis Kuma’s Corner offers distasteful food, but it does has much less to offer its patrons in authenticity. If you want to experience the head-​banging, wild n’ crazy attitude that is quintessential to this bar and restaurant then you will find yourself disappointed here. At least I found myself disappointed by how sedated the entire atmosphere was at this location. For me, I feel as if the allure of Kuma’s Corner is not just their friggin’ phenomenal burgers, but it’s also the rockin’ atmosphere which is lacking here. When I walked in I felt as if I was walking into any other bar and it’s because of that I was probably biased against my entire experience.
Besides the atmosphere which prompted me to turn up my nose, I also found the service slightly disappointing. My fiancé and I sat at the bar where the bartender was fairly attentive, but what caused me to furrow my eyebrows was the fact that he charged me a couple dollars for a jalapeño. Here’s the backstory: I had an allergy cold and I couldn’t taste my food so in order to prepare my tastebuds for the burger I asked for a jalapeño to eat so I could clear my senses. It just seemed odd to me that he would charge for something so simple when you know full well that they have an excess mount of those suckers in the back.
Despite that tiny little annoyance, we ordered the burger of the month for March which was Summon the Destroyer. The burger was tasty (just as I would expect from Kuma’s Corner) but it was probably one of my least favorite burgers I’ve every gotten there. I’d say that the quality of the burger was just as good and juicy as the other locations, but I seemed to notice that the fries were much more salty here. That could just be a perception, but I thought I’d mention it all the same. Besides the food which is almost always a winner, their beer selection wasn’t all that bad. I do have to say, though, that the fact that they have whiskey on tap was pretty legitimate.
Other than those extremely important points here are some other logistical concerns that you should keep in mind: 1) the parking is limited around Kuma’s Corner so be ready to walk and 2) the seating inside is also limited (because their layout is terrible) so you will most likely have to wait longer for a seat.

KUMA’s – what a kool addition to the Fountain Square scene. What makes this place stand out among other restaurant locations in the area is their loyalty to their metal music theme and their incredibly good burgers. If you are headed to Kuma’s, be prepared for a noisy, but energetic environment. There is always metal music blaring, and during prime hours this place is usually crowded. We went on a weekend evening around 9PM, which I was hoping was after the dinner rush hour, but we still had to wait for a table for two. Our waitress was friendly and handled the busy night very gracefully.
The headlining story from the night, however, was the INCREDIBLE burgers. I had the monthly special which was called «Spaghetti Incident». This burger had spaghetti + marinara sauce under the beef patty, and was topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. The basil and pretzel bun were the finishing touches. This burger exceeded my expectations and made me a fan of this new Fountain Square hot spot. I will be back!

Heavy metal + burgers — a perfect match for the man in my life and my appetite. We ventured to Indy to meet friends and after hearing rave reviews from our Chicago contingent of framily, decided to give Kuma’s a try.
Our table split the fried pickles ($ 7) and Buffalo Chicken Tenders ($ 12)for appetizers and shared with the table — both wonderful.
Burgers were happily received around the table, but I will say the Build Your Own Mac & Cheese a friend ordered was envied by the entire table. This is not a lo cal menu, don’t go here on a diet. The burgers are smothered and topped with all the goodness you can imagine.
Beware: if you can’t handle a metal song on the radio this is not the place for you. It is loud and all metal. I’m a pop princess but my fiancé is a total metal head. I enjoyed it (but would definitely need to be in the right mood and with the right group) and he was in heaven.
Our waitress, well, she was annoying. Friendly yes, but too much and the sarcasm got old realllllly fast. This is a big part of the place getting a 4 from me v. a 5. Will be back and may adjust if the service was isolated.

A delicious new and unique burger restaurant.
I have visited a few times and have always had a good experience! Everything is «Metal» themed, including the music being played, the art on the walls, and the names of the burgers on the menu. Even the staff has an edgy look that helps to continue the theme. Although I don’t like metal music, I don’t find it to be overly intense for my taste. The burgers are huge and you will never leave hungry (unless you only go for the beer). My personal favorite burger I’ve tried was the «Neurosis» burger. I also tried the special taco burger of the month, which was a unique experience unlike any other burger that I’ve tried.
Although the burgers are delicious, know that it typically takes a while for the food to come out. I would recommend to get an appetizer, but know that it will most likely be difficult to finish the meal if you do. But hey, save the leftovers for later! Everything tastes great and the beer selection is great as well.
I will be happy to continue going back!

It may appear strange that I’m giving Indy’s new darling a 3-​star restaurant, but I’ll explain. It has many strong components but I can’t do the 4-​star «I’m a fan!» and definitely no 5-​star «Woohoo!»
Atmosphere: Great! On a Sunday afternoon there were only 3 other tables and folks at the bar, so it was fairly chill. Great heavy metal playing on speakers, but at a chill enough level. Nice red walls with black. Great heavy metal-​inspired art. However, the tables are a bit small. Not a lot of space besides your plate and glass. I prefer more spacious tables.
Meal: Good in some ways, eh in others. The Kuma Burger is good with beef, cheese, bacon, and a fried egg. The egg is great! I substituted cheddar cheese with blue cheese crumbles, which was DELICIOUS. However, the server forgot to tell me that substitute was $ 2 extra because they make that cheese in house (like, unless you are milking a cow I don’t think so). Fortunately, the server took it off. The fries were very eh. Super salty and half of them were too hard to eat. I still ate most of them though, because this meal was $ 13.
Also, they cook their bacon «limp» not crispy. To me, that is disgusting. Sigh. So be sure to specify how you want your bacon cooked.
So why only «A-​OK»? It’s a very tasty burger but the fries kinda suck and it’s not worth $ 13. Indy has a ton of great burger places and they all tend to be about $ 10-​$ 13 range.
But if you’re in Fountain Square, this place has a good atmosphere so if you have the money, go for it.