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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – It’s rare to find a place that makes you feel like you’re at Grandma’s Sunday dinner the minute you walk through the door. But at His Place Eatery, located just 15 minutes east of downtown Indianapolis at 6916 E. 30th Street, that’s exactly what you’ll find.

“There are thousands of places you can go for food, but you come here for the experience,” said owner and chef James Jones.

The experience here is all about serving others. And they aren’t just talking about the food.

“His Place actually refers to God. God’s place,” said Jones.

  • Credit: Yelp Indy
  • Credit: Yelp Indy
  • Credit: Yelp Indy
  • Credit: Yelp Indy
  • Credit: Yelp Indy
  • Credit: Yelp Indy
  • Credit: Yelp Indy

His Place used to belong to a husband and wife minister team, who ran it as a soup kitchen. But after buying the business in 2008, Jones and his wife felt the pull to keep the name and to minister to people through their food.

“We don’t beat people over the head with it, but we try to demonstrate it through the way we go about doing our business,” Jones said.

Doing that starts by taking soul food and marrying that with a full-scale barbecue joint. Then, they kick it up a notch.

“Then we do a spin on chicken and waffles. Things like that. Our banana pudding. We try to take some liberties here and there sort of to put our stamp on some of our dishes,” said Jones.

Four Things You Need to Know:

  • 1: Can’t make up your mind? Yelpers suggest asking for the servers’ suggestions on what dishes to select. They’re very friendly, knowledgeable, and offer insightful advice.
  • 2: Yelp reviews rave about the meatloaf, but also can’t get enough of their chicken and sides, like mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, and collard greens (to name a few).
  • 3: Chef James and his wife own and run the restaurant, bringing together their culinary expertise, hand-making all of the ingredients, including the rubs and seasonings. They also smoke the meats daily!
  • 4: Their hours are somewhat limited so be sure to check out Yelp before you make your way over to get some home cooked eats.

From smoked brisket, fried chicken, turkey Manhattan, and bourbon creamed corn, to red velvet waffles, and—of course—the smoked meatloaf.

“It’s topped with bacon and then there’s a sauce on top that they call the ‘secret sauce,” explained Brittany Smith of Yelp Indy.

With so many options, choosing might be the biggest challenge.

“If you’re one of those people who asks the waiters to surprise you, this one of those places where you can actually do that,” Smith said.

And if you’ve heard their radio ads talking about your work boots being welcome, they stand by that. Because dining here feels like dining with family.

“Good food is universal. It doesn’t have a race, it doesn’t have an ethnicity. It doesn’t have a culture. Good food is good food,” Jones said.

You can learn more about His Place Eatery via their Yelp page and website. You can also connect with them on Facebook.

While on the east side, check out these other local Yelp hotspots within one mile of His Place Eatery: