Punch Burger

By definition, and I’m the one defining it, Punch Burger is an Indianapolis-​based «chain» of burger joints focusing on grass-​fed beef from Fischer Farms in Jasper, Indiana. Now, then, it should be acknowledged that the «chain» terminology should be taken lightly since there are, in fact, only two Punch Burger restaurants in existence at this point — the original in downtown Indy and the first franchised location in Carmel. While I work downtown and have been trying to find the time to make it over to Punch Burger, I was actually in Carmel looking for another restaurant, got lost in one of Carmel’s six bajillion roundabouts and found my way to Old Meridian Street and the neighborhood that houses Punch Burger. So, what the heck. I was getting dizzy from all the roundabouts and figured it was time for lunch.
The mission of Punch Burger reminds me a lot of Elevation Burger minus the ten pounds of grease that seems to come with Elevation’s burger — I don’t care if it’s healthier grease, it’s still grease. Punch Burger has several specialty burgers along with a build-​your-​own option. As a plus, they just added chicken to their menu. Among their burgers, they offer angus beef, ground duck, ground turkey, vegan, and veggie options. If you build-​your-​own, you also get multiple choices for bread/​buns, toppings, cheese, etc. Of course, the more you add the pricier your options can get. Punch Burger seemed like they were in line with the prices in most other gourmet burger joints in Central Indiana.
This location has two entries with one leading directly to their ordering area and one likely being considered a «back» entrance. I used the back entrance that did have some accessible parking spots (Carmel tends to do these right), though it’s worth noting that the actual ramp is to the right of these spots. The door is a relatively light glass door, though it does have a bit of a lip that might bump a smaller wheelchair. Seating tends to be either tables or a table/​booth combo. Punch Burger has a rather simple and clean interior that I’d describe as contemporary.
I went up to the counter and immediately tried to figure things out. The person working the counter was helpful and could clearly tell I was either new or just didn’t quite know how things worked. She handed me a smaller menu and that helped. I ordered a build-​your-​own and kept it simple with a single ¹⁄₃ lb. patty with mayo — I did experiment ever so slightly by ordering it on Texas Toast. I ordered a side of waffle fries and a large drink (22 oz.). They have one of those Coca-​Cola Freestyle machines, though I was disappointed that no iced tea options existed and the only iced tea option was a bottled iced tea — I will give the employee credit as she could tell I was disappointed and told me it would be easy to switch to a bottled drink. While this seems like a minor issue, I’ll be honest that the lack of fountain or brewed iced tea would easily lead me to choose Bru Burger just a few blocks away. Yeah, I consider it that important as most soft drinks make me ill (and I did drink Diet Coke and it did make me ill).
I was a little thrown off that they offer a tipping option on their credit machine — they do bring your food to you, but I still find that a tad tacky even if it does stop at 9%.
The burger was a delight and served as ordered. I really loved the Texas Toast and the burger was good, considerably less greasy than Elevation and felt satisfying without absolutely stuffing me. The waffle fries are a definite winner — nicely browned with a distinct flavor that felt natural and not novelty. It was a good meal for a decent price. The atmosphere is pleasant and comfortable. I sat there and read my Sunday paper and never felt rushed. The ketchup dispenser, they used Red Gold, is a tad high for someone in a wheelchair but I was able to access it with a good stretch.
Would I go back? The lack of iced tea bothers me most. Other than that, it would be a no-​brainer. While it’s probably not my favorite burger in town, it’s still a good one and I love that Punch is local. I don’t live in Carmel, though I’m there often enough that Punch will be an option. Next time, I’ll either go for a bottled iced tea or be content with one of their flavored water options from the fountain. My entire meal came in at just over $ 11 — certainly higher than fast food, but you’re also getting healthier food and supporting local.
I should note that they serve up a handful of local craft brews. That’s also always a plus. While I’m not much of an alcohol drinker, on occasion I’ll grab a brew and it’s definitely an option here. They also have milk shakes and, while I can’t imagine ordering a salad at a burger joint, they do offer up a side salad.

Though the lack of parking at this location makes me want to punch a wall, their food makes me want to high five a unicorn!
They’ve recently added grilled chicken sandwiches and salads to their menu. But that’s not why you visit a place called Punch Burger.
Order the Burnt Cheese burger. It features a layer of crispy-​edged chewy cheese that they flat grill separately from the burger. And it is mind-​blowing. Also, their vinegar quick pickles totally seal the deal.
Sides of waffle fries or sweet potato tots can be added, and portions could be enough for two to split. We love that Punch sources meat from local Fischer Farms and Maple Leaf Farms.
Interior is clean and brightly lit with a few big screen TVs and a tiny counter «bar» area just for us old folk. Local craft beer served here!

Service was slow and rude. Seemed unhappy/​unwilling to take my order. Waffle fries were cold and stale. I would have appreciated service with a smile and fresh fries. This place has great potential. Maybe better employee training?

We frequently eat lunch at punch burger in Carmel, however we decided to try the new chicken sandwiches. HOME RUN, great addition to the menu. Buffalo chicken sandwich is my favorite. Great choices before between the Burgers and now the Chicken sandwiches hit it out of the park!

Definitely a good place if you’re craving a burger. They have a good number of options. I got the Thai. I loved the sauce (it was a little messy) but if I get it again I think I’ll have them they off the peanut butter. The texture didn’t work for me personally. We shared an order of waffle fries and 3 drinks and it was about $ 38. A little more than I expected but not by much. And the burger itself really was quite tasty. Service was great and even though it was a weekday lunch it wasn’t too busy. I’m sure I’ll go back and try out a few more burgers (and a milkshake).

One of my two favorite burger places in Indy. This is the one I go to for a quality, grass-​fed, beef burger, cooked with a little pink. Had a nice double cheese burger the other night. My wife loved her mint milkshake.
Locally owned and operated too, which is a mega plus for me.

Our meal at Punch Burger was all over the map, but it slides by with barely three stars because of their EXCELLENT grilled cheese sandwiches. I really wish I would have ordered the grilled cheese, instead of just sneaking bites from my child’s meal. The grilled cheese was crunchy yet soft, buttery and perfectly cheesy. I’m not sure what kind of bread they use for their grilled cheese sandwiches, but it was pillowy. Pillowy, I say!
So, the grilled cheese was the apex of the meal. We also ordered the Texan (a cheddar cheese burger with grilled onions and barbecue sauce) and the Burnt Cheese (a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onions, ketchup, mayonnaise and American cheese, as well as a ring of burnt cheese on top of the hamburger patty). The Texan could have done with a lot more grilled onions — there were barely any on there! The Burnt Cheese also wasn’t very good — it literally had a slab of burnt cheese in the burger, which … is not as appetizing as you might think (if you are one to think that burnt cheese is appetizing).
We also got the sweet potato tater tots, which were pretty good! I could actually taste the sweet potato in them — the flavor of the vegetable wasn’t lost during the frying, as can happen with some tots. And the waffle fries were alright — nothing special, but we finished them all.
We finished our meal with a vanilla milkshake, which was A-​OK, but nothing special. Their milkshakes are $ 4, and if you’re going to pay $ 4 for a milkshake, it better be really good. Because $ 4 is almost $ 5, and I always think about that scene in Pulp Fiction where Vincent Vega asks Mia Wallace what a $ 5 milkshake tastes like. Then, when he takes a sip, he says, «Goddamn, that’s a pretty fucking good milkshake.» I kind of feel like if you’re going to pay almost $ 5 for a milkshake, your response should be along those lines, instead of just, «Yep, that’s a milkshake alright.»

I now have a new favorite burger joint in the Carmel area. The food is great, and service is quick. I recommend the burnt cheeseburger.

I really liked this place. After a failed attempt at a near by pub, I ended up here. Glad I did! I had the Good Morning burger. Both the burger and the egg it included were cooked perfectly. I also liked that the bun was well toasted. The burger was made as a hand formed patty out of grass fed, hormone free, and antibiotic free beef. As a Texas Boy, I didn’t even mind that the beef came from an Indiana Farm.
They also have the self service Coke machines that offer all types of drinks and flavoring. The chocolate milkshake was good.
Great service with a smile!
Definitely recommended.

Super friendly staff, fast service even during the heart of the lunch rush. I like my burger medium rare and most places over cook the meat. Not Punch Burger, it was a true Medium Rare burger. Everything is fresh, cooked to order. We sat at the area where we could watch the cook in action and I am very pleased with the entire staff as they changed their gloves frequently and not a single person touched any food without gloves on. Definitely will be going back the next time I’m craving a burger. Only thing I wish was different is, the fries. I’m not a waffle fry kind of gal but it’s not a deal breaker.

Punch Burger is very good at what it does… a delicious, locally sourced burger with great fries, in a low key atmosphere. It is not fast food… the food is much, much better, but it does have a fast food vibe in that you order ‘off the wall’ a and the meal is out pretty quickly. Biggest complaint… the puny napkins that don’t hold up to the sloppiness of the burger toppings. Grab a big handful before you dig in!

Why is the Thai burger so good? I lose track of time whenever I eat it. It’s so good.

Yum! Hot & fresh food delivered to the table quickly! The burnt cheeseburger and waffle fries were awesome!

You can’t go wrong with burgers and Punch Burger does it really well. Add fries and a coke free style machine and this is a place is an ideal spot for lunch. I went with the regular Punch Burger, but they had a ton of choices. The sweet potato tots were really good and the waffle fries were the best I have had.

I really enjoyed my Aloha burger. At first the ham was a little salty to me, but then once you eat the pineapple that salty and sweet made an excellent combo. This was our first visit so it was hard to decide what to get and I felt rushed sine we were in a line and I had to decide, but I was super happy with my choice. There were 4 adults and we shared a basket of waffle fries and a basket or the sweet potato tots and it was plenty of fries, possibly too many, but we still ate all of them. I usually dislike waffle fires, but these were really good, but I think the tots were amazing and I would for sure get those when we go back.
I got my Aunt a double and she ended up thinking it was way too much and it was pretty greasy too. The rest of us didn’t have that issue, so maybe that extra patty was too much.

Very solid burger. Especially for the price. The burnt cheese burger is fantastic – a burger covered with a burnt topping of crispy cheese. The morning burger is unique; I’d never consider adding cream cheese to a burger, and I live life on the edge.
The real kicker is, that even though the burgers are a ¹⁄₃ lb, the abundance of toppings means that I am getting at least ¼ of my wife’s burger. Wooo.
The sweet tater fries are slightly softer than regular tots, but they make up for it with being very fresh-​tasting. The waffles fries are fantastic. Straight 10/​10, like the pain I feel when I try to clip my ingrown toenail.
Things I think they would benefit by adding:
1. Give the option to double up on the patties
2. Offer a bourbon (s) to go alongside the great draught choices they have
3. Offer a bunless option, for us meatatastic ketoers.
4. Providing little buckets so, if one so chooses, they can pull the trigger and have a second go

An awesome place to get home sourced beef cheeseburgers! When my burger tastes so good I sigh it is good! The staff were great and explained the process to us, including how to build your own burger. The beef, duck and other meats are locally sourced with no added hormones or other foreign substances. ENJOY!

The burgers are decent. I had the good morning turkey burger. We paid $ 2.25 for a side of fries that were old and stale…
All in all… Decent burger, bad fries, Bubs in Carmel is much better

Definitely the best burger joint in the area with such low prices. The veggies are super fresh. They say everything is local and I believe them.
Nice beer selection. They have ghost pepper cheese and it rocks. Spicier than pepper jack, but mild enough to stand. The waffle fries are the truth. You can spend $ 20 and feed two standard sized humans.
They asked me if I wanted my burger well done or pink, but I don’t think it mattered how I answered because it came out well. It was good though. Not really thick enough of a patty to matter.
Next time I come here I’m going to concoct a 5 animal monster sandwich with beef, duck, turkey, bacon and egg.

I love having Punch in the neighborhood, but I do think it takes a significant punch to my wallet. I ordered a burger, waffle fries, drink and a small tip and left spending close to $ 13. Sadly, I know they won’t change their prices but when Bru arrives, I’ll be hard pressed to go to Punch at the same price point. This is a tad steep for lunch time prices.
The waffle fries are a home run. Ranch can be ordered by request and a must with any potato/​starch/​food/​object. They were hot and crispy and had me going back for more like A Rod to steroids.
The burger, which should be the star, was good. I got the burnt cheese burger with standard toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mayo). The burnt cheese was tasty as expected and the burger was a thicker patty that was as juicy as the day is long these days. But much like my Tindr game, I kept going back for more and left just feeling average after each bite. I wanted to be punched with flavor, but instead I was lightly grazed with a nice experience. Not bad, just not GREAT.
I appreciate the fresh approach to burgers and will continue to support as a local business. The patio is a huge upgrade.
Ps, I know that it pops up on every draft, but I do appreciate the Unilocal pun to «put mustard on that review».
Pps, irony noted that this location went from When Eddie Met Salad to Punch Burger, the opposite ends of the cholesterol spectrum. I guess Eddie never found that salad.