"Indianapolis's 1902 steakhouse and the shrimp cocktail that clears your sinuses. Book it to close a deal downtown."
The shrimp cocktail arrives first at St. Elmo, four jumbo shrimp under a cap of cocktail sauce so loaded with fresh-ground horseradish that first-timers cough and regulars grin. The room has poured that ritual since 1902, when Joe Stahr opened the saloon at 127 South Illinois Street and named it for the patron saint of sailors. Executive chef Jeremy Holmes, two decades in this kitchen, runs the dry-aged steaks that follow. Cuts range from about $45 to $150.
Jeremy Holmes has cooked at St. Elmo for more than twenty years and run the kitchen for over a decade, which in a 1902 institution counts for more than any tasting-menu resume. The format has barely moved: the shrimp cocktail, the restaurant's lone famous appetizer, then dry-aged steaks cut from filet to a 20-ounce ground ribeye smothered in Gorgonzola. The horseradish sauce is the signature; the restaurant goes through tons of it a year. Steaks run roughly $45 to $150. The James Beard Foundation named St. Elmo an America's Classic in 2012, the rare award reserved for restaurants that define their region. Operator Craig Huse is the second generation of his family to run it. For the wider city, see the Indianapolis dining guide and the best Indianapolis restaurants to close a deal, or browse best steakhouses worldwide.
St. Elmo spreads across a series of dark wood-paneled rooms hung with autographed photos of the senators, ballplayers and entertainers who have eaten here for a century. Sound runs lively, a steady downtown hum that climbs on convention nights. Lighting is low and warm against the white tablecloths, tables are close enough to feel the room's energy, and the dress runs smart-casual to jacket. Across the floors the house seats roughly 240, and the bar pours one of the busiest after-work crowds downtown.
Book St. Elmo to close a deal because the room does the persuading for you: a century of downtown history on the walls, a shrimp-cocktail ritual that breaks the ice before the first steak, and white-tablecloth service that signals you took the meeting seriously. Reserve a table in one of the quieter upstairs rooms, let your guest brace for the horseradish, and order the dry-aged ribeye. The waitstaff has timed business dinners for decades and will pace the courses to your conversation, not theirs.
Skip St. Elmo if you are price-sensitive or vegetarian. Steaks reach $150, the menu is built around beef, and the meat-free options are an afterthought.
Is St. Elmo Steak House worth it?
Yes, as an institution as much as a steakhouse. St. Elmo has run since 1902, earned a James Beard America's Classics award in 2012, and serves the horseradish shrimp cocktail that defines Indianapolis dining. Steaks run from about $45 to $150, so it is a special-occasion bill, not a weeknight one. Go for the room and the ritual as much as the beef.
How hard is it to book St. Elmo?
Not hard with notice. Weeknights open up a few days out, but prime weekend slots and convention weeks want two to three weeks of lead time. Book on OpenTable or by phone, and ask for an upstairs room if you want a quieter table for business. Walk-ins can usually find a seat at the bar and order the full menu there.
What is the dress code at St. Elmo?
Smart-casual works, though many guests dress up. You will see jackets and dresses alongside business-casual on a convention night; jeans with a collared shirt are fine. There is no jacket requirement, but St. Elmo is a white-tablecloth room, so leave the gym clothes and ball caps behind.
What should I order at St. Elmo?
Start with the shrimp cocktail; it is the dish St. Elmo is known for, and the horseradish is meant to clear your sinuses. Follow with a dry-aged steak, from the filet to the Gorgonzola-smothered ground ribeye, and a side of the German fried potatoes. Tell the table the cocktail sauce is potent before the first bite.
Took a client downtown and the shrimp cocktail did exactly what it always does, cleared his sinuses and broke the ice. Old-school room, perfect for the meeting. We closed the next day.
Celebrated a birthday in one of the upstairs rooms. The history on the walls and the dry-aged ribeye made it feel like an occasion. Pricey, but that was the point.
Book on OpenTable or by phone. Prime nights and convention weeks book two to three weeks out.
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