Amazing Fort Wayne Restaurants you do not want to miss. From casual diner food to upscale date nights these restaurants are sure to please!
Fort Wayne Restaurants not to miss!
During my recent visit to Fort Wayne, Indiana I was reminded of how great their restaurant scene is.
While I visited these restaurants on a girls trip to Fort Wayne they are perfect for date nights, casual friend meet ups, special occasions, and family dinner nights.
One things for sure bring your appetite and be prepared to enjoy some truly amazing food!
Fort Wayne's restaurant scene matches its mural and art scene...thriving, exciting, and fun!
Mercado
I NEED you to visit Mercado and have the falafel fajita bowl. I would fly back to Fort Wayne and eat at Mercado daily if I could.
The flavor combination is unbelievable! The restaurants vibe is fun and energetic. There are amazing Fort Wayne murals in the restaurant and right outside on the building walls.
Our server was wonderful and helped us narrow down what to order. Everything on the menu looked so good we were having a hard time deciding.
Menu highlights - Cali-Mexican cuisine featuring signature tacos, Pachola burgers, fajita bowls, guacamole with made-daily tortillas, queso blanco dip, loaded carne asada fries, cast iron baked cheese (queso fundido), and Mexi-Cali Dumplings (pork & shrimp dumplings). Known for spectacular margaritas I highly suggest trying one!
Mercado is part of the DORA District so you can take a drink in a designated cup and wander through The Landing!
Address - 111 W. Columbia St., Suite 103, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (located at The Landing)
Proximo
Proximo in downtown Fort Wayne is the perfect date night restaurant. I had the grilled cheese & soup and it was perfectly done. This is not a reqular grilled cheese it has manchego cheese, white cheddar, arbol crema, and more on a brioche bread. I will say the tomato soup has spice to it so be prepared for the heat.
Menu highlights - Upscale Latin cuisine drawing from Brazil, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Spain, Cuba, and Colombia. Popular items include chilaquiles with chorizo, lemon blueberry pancakes, halibut ceviche, tuna poke, garbage skillet, pork chop with corn risotto, Caribbean fried snapper, creative mimosas for brunch, and handcrafted cocktails.
Address - 898 Harrison St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (downtown in The Skyline building)
Cindy's Diner
Cindy's Diner is a local and visitor favorite! There are 15 counter seats in the diner so be prepared for a wait during peak times.
This is a meal you are going to tell people about! The entire experience is honestly amazing. We had the garbage breakfast and it was delicious.
What made the entire experience unfortgetable was feeling like we had a new breakfast family for a small moment of time during our visit. We talked with strangers who shared what they love about Fort Wayne or what brought them to town.
We waved to babies to keep them entertained, we laughed with the staff as they quickly moved back and forth making sure everyone was taken care of.
For a brief moment in time it felt like we were in a bubble filled with new friends, great food, and an energy that is hard to replicate.
Menu highlights -Classic diner fare featuring the famous "Garbage" breakfast (scrambled eggs with chopped onion, ham, and cheese), biscuits and gravy, corned beef hash, omelets, French toast, fluffy pancakes, burgers, cheeseburgers, and fried bologna sandwiches. Homemade chili soup and oven-baked beans available.
Address - 230 W. Berry St. (at Maiden Lane), Fort Wayne, IN
Kanela
Kanela is a fantastic coffee shop and breakfast bar with a great vibe. This is a Fort Wayne Coffee Shop you can easily relax in while meeting up with friends, reading, or taking a deep breath.
The peanut butter toast was delicious!
Menu highlights - Fresh, healthy breakfast and lunch featuring wellness smoothies, fruit smoothies, breakfast smoothies, espresso drinks, tea lattes, blended drinks, croissant sandwiches (bacon, egg & cheese), avocado toast, breakfast bagels, salads, subs, hand-crafted juices, and açai bowls. All made with whole food ingredients
Address - 618 S. Harrison St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Arbor at The Bradley Hotel
We stayed at The Bradley Hotel during our last visit so the Arbor was a quick and easy spot to enjoy for breakfast, snacks, or a drink.
The design of the restaurant is imbecable and perfect for date nights or a girls night out.
Menu highlights - Arbor serves breakfast, dinner, and a late night menu.
The breakfast menu features overnight oats with fresh berries, French Toast, Lemon ricotta pancakes, Eggs Benedict, Proscuitto mozzarella quiche, and more.
The dinner menu features marinated olives, charcuterie boards, crispy parmigiano fries, soup of the day, potato gnocchi pasta, a delicious margherita pizza, roasted half chicken, double smash burger, NY Strip steak, and more.
Address - 204 W. Main St. (ground level of The Bradley Hotel), Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Birdie's at The Bradley Hotel
Birdie's Rooftop Bar at The Bradley Hotel is a spot you need to visit! This rooftop bar is popular with locals and visitors. You can enjoy indoor or outdoor seating, gorgeous views of the city skyline, and delicious cocktails.
You will want to order the Pink Flamingo cocktail! Make sure you are ready for a truly instagramable drink that fits the Birdie's vibe perfectly.
Menu highlights - Brisket grilled cheese, Bradley smash burger, swiss & mushroom burger, beer cheese dip, smoked chicken wings, loaded tater tots, Indiana cobb salad, and more.
Don't skip dessert! The cobbler jars were so good we went back nightly to enjoy them. I loved the apple cobbler and my friend enjoyed the bourbon pecan pie jar.
Address - 204 W. Main St. (top floor of The Bradley Hotel), Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Coney Island Hot Dog
Coney Island Hot Dog is the oldest operating restaurant in Fort Wayne. It is an institution in town and people line up for their hot dogs.
We saw people getting wedding photos in front of Coney Island Hot Dog!
Menu highlights - Famous Fort Wayne coney dogs (steamed bun, grilled frank, mustard, homemade coney sauce, hand-chopped onions).
They also serve a hamburger, cheeseburger, homemade chili soup by the bowl or gallon, oven baked beans, pie, and drinks.
Address - 131 W. Main St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802
YNLI Farmers Market
Producer-only market with 150+ vendors offering fresh local produce, plants, meats, baked goods, homemade crafts, organic fruits and vegetables, handmade jewelry, local artwork, and seasonal items.
There are tons of amazing food trucks serving a wide variety of dishes.
Voted Indiana's #1 Farmers Market by American Farmland Trust four years in a row (2022-2025).
Address - 3811 Illinois Rd, Fort Wayne, IN, United States, Indiana
The Deck at The Gas House
The Deck at the Gas House is open in the summer offering a gorgeous outdoor seating area right on the St. Mary's River.
Menu highlights - Big salads, sandwiches, burgers, snacks, and dinner plates. The menu is filled with something for everyone ranging from a great grilled cheese to a Chicago burger, Fried chicken, BBQ Pulled pork, JTS Chicken Salad, Philly Steak, Reuben, and Roasted Chicken Club.
Address - 305 E. Superior St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (site of historic 19th century gas plant on St. Mary's River)
Puffer Belly Ice Cream
Puffer Belly Ice Cream is a must visit for a sweet treat! Located in a historic train station you need to experience their delicious ice cream and bubble waffles.
They have tons of unique flavors that I have never seen at an ice cream shop. I had the Barking Pretzel and Lemon Bar in a puffy waffle cone, and it was sooooooooooo good.
Menu highlights - More than 24 hand-dipped ice cream flavors including honey lavender, lemon cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, spumoni, amaretto cherry amor, puppy chow, and non-dairy options (peanut butter and jelly). Homemade waffle cones, unique liege waffle cones, bubble waffles, Albanese candy wall (priced by weight), craft sodas, and bulk candy selections.
Address - 1022 Cass St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (adjacent to Promenade Park and Fort Wayne Outfitters, just off Wells Street downtown, inside a historic train station)
DORA District
The DORA District is the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area which allows you to purchase drinks from approved vendors and enjoy a stroll through a designated area in Downtown Fort Wayne!
Electric Works is a new DORA district that was recently added! All indoor and outdoor spaces on the campus are part of DORA at Electric Works.
Check out Visit Fort Wayne's Website to see the current list of DORA Authorized Vendors.
We picked up drinks at The Landing and explored the area looking for fun Fort Wayne Murals to mark off in our Fort Wayne Public Art Trail app that helps you find murals and earn points for visiting them.
Fort Wayne Restaurants we need to still visit
There are so many great restaurants in Fort Wayne, Indiana that we had to make a list of the ones we haven't been to yet but have heard great things about.
Copper Spoon - Award-winning cocktail program, New American with locally sourced ingredients, 115+ whiskeys
Rune - Chef Sean Richardson's 2024 opening, fine dining with seasonal menu
Marquee at the Landing - Upscale urban bar, chef-driven scratch kitchen, seasonal menu
Klemm's Kafe - "Best breakfast in town" with huge omelets and French toast
The Bluebird Restaurant - Huge waffle selection, croissant French toast
Spoke + Ivy - Seasonal New American cuisine with cafe service by day, full dinner at night, plus Black Rabbit Bar in the basement.
Club Soda - Iconic steakhouse and martini bar since 1999 with Rat Pack vibe, live jazz, and one of the best martini collections in Fort Wayne.
Shigs in Pit - Award-winning championship BBQ with 3 locations, featuring Mad Anthony Brewing beers and signature Tin Can Fries.
Nawa - Upscale Asian fusion at The Landing with Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese influences.
The Hoppy Gnome - Creative taco specialist with scratch kitchen, unique flavor combinations, and GnomeTown Brewing Co. beers.
Conner's Rooftop - Fort Wayne rooftop bar on the 7th floor with Parkview Field views and fire pits.
The Oyster Bar (Original Oyster Bar) - Historic Fort Wayne institution since 1888, one of Indiana's oldest operating restaurants, specializing in fresh seafood and intimate dining.
What are your favorite restaurants in Fort Wayne, Indiana?
Follow Tammilee Tips on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, for all of our travel and recipe posts.
Leave a Reply