Nine of us met on October 26th at Open Society Public House. While a number of us had already been to the coffee shop portion of this new Meridian Kessler spot, the restaurant side was uncharted territory for most. We had an early reservation (5:45) to accommodate a group of our size, but the fact that they even took reservations made me happy.

I arrived a few minutes late, so it was a godsend that there was a huge gravel lot across the street offering tons of free parking spots. The entrance to the restaurant confused me a bit, though. The building is rather long and there are multiple doors along the facade, so I assumed that Open Society had two separate entrances, one for the coffee shop and one for the restaurant. I was wrong. The dining entrance is the same as the coffee shop, located on the corner of 49th & College. Once I figured out how to enter,  I was greeted by a hostess who walked me to a small, charming room where the rest of the group was seated and ordering drinks.

The drink list was impressive with beer, wine, craft cocktails and specialty espresso drinks all on the menu. I’m a sucker for all things spicy, so I went with the Double Dare Margarita. It did not disappoint, and in fact, went down rather quickly. I definitely would have ordered a second drink, but at $11 each, I cut myself off after one. Had it been priced under $10, though, there definitely would have been a round two. I just don’t commonly order drinks that are over $10 on principle. This is Indy, not NYC.

While I did not order an appetizer, I sampled the panela frita (pictured above) and the torta ordered by a few of the other ladies. Both were incredibly delicious. I especially liked the panela frita because, well, it was fried cheese and fried cheese should be considered an essential food group.

I had a tough time deciding on a main course. Yes, the menu is rather limited, but lack of options was not the issue. Everything sounded amazing, and I was torn between the fideos y caldo and the pollo rostizado. (By the way, are you picking up on the fact that the menu is South American-inspired?) Because tofu still scares me a bit, and I was unable to substitute it for anything other than shrimp (I just wasn’t feeling seafood), the pollo rostizado won out. This dish was as tasty as I had hoped it’d be. It was a very large portion, especially considering it was priced at only $17. I even had some leftover to take home.

Our server was very knowledgeable and prompt, and she offered separate checks-all things I appreciate. She even ran our cards tableside, which impressed many of us. Because we were in a rather private enclave, and I sat facing a window, I did not have the chance to fully take in the decor. From what I did see, though, it was done tastefully and creatively. I especially liked the lighting.

While I’ll likely return to the coffee house before the dining room, I will definitely be a repeat customer to Open Society Public House.

-Jessica W.

What did the group think overall? Our survey results are as follows:

• Service = 4.42
  • Friendliness 4.25
  • Menu Knowledge 4.5
  • Promptness 4.5
• Food = 3.85
  • Menu Selection 3.25
  • Originality 4.25
  • Pricing 3.5
  • Portion Size 4.25
  • Taste 4
• Drinks = 3.66
  • Menu Selection 4
  • Originality 4.33
  • Pricing 2.66
• Atmosphere = 4.31
  • Seating 4.25
  • Decor 4.25
  • Lighting 4.5
  • Parking 4.25

Overall score: 4.06

Survey scale is 1 – 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest. The scores shown above are the average of all respondents.