Tom + Chee – Indianapolis

Quickie Review: Tom + Chee does justice for grilled cheese junkies everywhere.
After seeing them on Shark Tank years ago I was excited to see them have a location in Indy. Making a fast food chain out of something so simple was genius. I commend them for coming up with so many different options as it’s a great way to experience new things.
As it was my first visit there the cashier was very friendly in describing how the ordering process works. It was a little bit of a wait to get our food, but it was understandable considering how busy they were. I got the grilled cheese with chicken and tomato in it and it was a great combination and very well prepared.
I also couldn’t resist getting the grilled donut and it blew my mind. Unfortunately for them it inspired me to make my own at home. That’s the only problem with their model which is if you’re not lazy enough you could make the exact same thing. Nonetheless I recommend stopping by!

I work near Trader’s Point and have really wanted to try this place for a while but hadn’t gotten around to it. I was a little disappointed by a few things. The menu board is kind of hard to navigate and some of it (the soups) are hidden behind the person working at the counter. The board does have a glossy look and is hard to see in sections.
I ordered the pesto turkey grilled cheese and was surprised to receive mostly dark meat which I am not a fan of. I assumed I would be getting cold cuts grilled with pesto and cheese. That assumption is on me and when I go back I will stay away from that sandwich. The chili was okay, I wish I had gone with the tomato soup and maybe a simpler sandwich option. Overall it wasn’t the best lunch option in the area but definitely isn’t the worst. I look forward to finding menu items that I like better. I think if half stars were an option I would give it 3.5, but I can’t quite give it a 4.

I usually try and eat healthy but sometimes you need a little indulgence. I got the crunchy garlic chicken not realizing there was chips on the sandwich. Oh man. This was so delicious. Finished it off with a Barbara blue perfect sweet to end my salty dish. I still think about this cheap but delicious meal. So glad it’s 30 minutes from my house. Soup was also good. Staff was super friendly and helpful too!

You had me at grilled cheese :) One of my favorite comfort foods is a grilled cheese so I was in heaven when I walked in. The menu was great and has a build-​your-​own grilled cheese option. They also have soup, salads and donut grilled cheese combinations!

Many options, not just a grilled cheese and soup place. The mac & cheese was awesome, maybe my inner kid speaking. I plan on going back soon and try something new.

Ordered a BBQ and bacon grill cheese sandwich, but I didn’t want the bacon.
I got a grill cheese with bbq chips…
The sun was shining in on the menu that’s on the wall and I couldn’t read the description. My bad. The person could have told me what I was ordering when she asked if this was our first time eating here.
We both order classic tomato soup but we got to different kinds of soup.

The boyfriend and I stopped in for our Sunday-​date. The reviews on Unilocal and among my non-​Yelping friends (gasp) seem to be hit or miss. Some absolute love it and some absolutely hate it… extremes scare me.
The space is cool, trendy… and empty? We were there at lunch time and had the whole space to ourselves.
I, in my little world had no idea there were other options to regular white bread, Kraft cheese and butter combo (I make a killer grilled cheese). I ordered pesto + turkey: roasted turkey, pesto, mozzarella cheese on sour dough and their classic tomato soup and a drink. Dillon ordered beef + cheddar: roasted beef, fried onion, cheddar on rye and the creamy tomato basil soup. Our total order was pretty pricey and I feel it’s because I know the price of making a homemade grilled cheese.
Pesto + turkey grilled cheese was yummy as was the classic tomato soup. I had a bite of Dillon’s and the rye bread was so hard it scrapped the roof of my mouth. Needless to say, Dillon’s experience was not so good. He also liken the creamy tomato basil to pasta sauce, but he is very picky when it comes to tomato soup (WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEWS DILLON R.).
Will we be back? While I did enjoy my meal and I didn’t hate or love it, the meal was pricey and something I can whip up at home (thank you for the grilled cheese ideas!). So, ehhh, probably not.

I was on the Northwestside of Indy hanging out at the 2015 Heartland Film Festival and looking for a place for a relatively quick meal before the next screening. I was really hoping for something new, or at least new to me, as I’ve been fairly light on the Unilocaling for the last month and really wanted to get a review or two under my belt this weekend.
I’d heard about Tom & Chee on Unilocal,though I’ve not seen their appearances on the shows Shark Tank, Man v. Food Nation or Amazing Eats. While I’m not eating as much dairy these days, I’ve always appreciated a grilled cheese and figured it was worth a try.
As I’m sure you’ve caught on to by now, if you don’t like grilled cheese this isn’t the place for you. Tom & Chee serves up soups and grilled cheese. The grilled cheese sandwiches start at $ 3.95 and head onward up to just shy of $ 7 — If you toss in a drink and a bag of chips, you’re looking at anywhere from $ 7– just shy of $ 10 for a meal. If you add in soup, well, you get the idea.
The sandwiches range from a «build-​your-​own» option to a variety of more gourmet options ranging from the one I tried, Pesto & Turkey, to a Hot & Spicy. There’s about a dozen or so different of the more premium sandwiches that mostly range from $ 6 – 7 per sandwich. They do also off salads, grilled cheese donuts, and some crunchy options.
This particular location of the growing national chain is located near AMC Traders Point in a strip center surrounded by retail options. There’s accessible parking at 2 – 3 points in the rather lengthy building along with curb cuts. As you head into the double-​sided glass doors, you arrive at what I would learn after several minutes is the ordering counter. This was my first modest irritant — if you’re going to have a designated order counter, how about actually staffing it? I realize that business gets slow during the off-​dining times, but I actually stopped at the ordering counter, looked around, wheeled up to the area where everything is prepared, didn’t see anyway to order there, saw someone bringing out food who didn’t bother to say anything, then figured I’d at least head back to the order counter as I could tell it had the menu.
I went all this time without even being acknowledged. Quite honestly, that’s unacceptable. Now then, when I did get someone coming up to the ordering counter they were friendly in a sort of «It hurts me to be social» kind of way. But, they were friendly. It would have been nice considering I was obviously staring at the menu if they’d have asked if I’d been there or offered some sort of guidance.
I eventually figured things out and found a small table. The set-​up is fairly basic — it’s seat yourself at one of the tables or table/​wooden booth combos. It’s fairly wheelchair friendly, though you’ll likely need to move a chair or two and it’s unlikely anyone will offer assistance.
I ordered the Pesto & Turkey, a $ 1 bag of chips and a large drink. Be aware that the «large» drink is only 22 oz, the size of a regular in most restaurants these days. They serve up soft drinks and Gold Peak Iced Tea in fountains that are also serve yourself.
This of course, brings up another irritant. While my table was cleared, there was nothing else resembling service. I realize that restaurant staff are underpaid, but the whole «Let’s leave a place for a tip» thing on the receipt is just a little tacky given that you don’t actually receive service.
My meal came in at just shy of $ 10. As is often echoed here, I’d say it’s a tad pricey for what you receive. Yes, you’re receiving a better grilled cheese and I definitely enjoyed the sandwich but at that price point I’d actually expect a little service and an actual person greeting me when I enter the establishment. The décor is contemporary and casual, though I wouldn’t call it particularly distinct.
Given some of the responses from Unilocalers I respect, it’s entirely possible I simply caught the crew at an off-​time. What can I say? First impressions matter. If you don’t act like you want my business, there’s a pretty good chance you’re not going to get it again.

My expectations were low and they exceeded them. All I tried were a straightforward grilled cheese (5-​star) and creamy tomato soup (1-​star). The soup tasted diluted, which I had never really experienced before. It just tasted more watery than flavorful.
We will be back for sure, however, because there are lots of intriguing takes on grilled cheese and the staff was friendly. I was also with three people who really loved it. My 12 and 16 year-​old boys would be SO PISSED to see my mere 4-​star rating but hey, I’m the one with a Unilocal account.
I want to end on a positive note: their grilled cheese was grilled perfectly. I prefer mine a certain way but didn’t bother to tell them. So perfect guess.
I will be updating this again as my boys will be pulling me back in!

Good sandwiches, but pricey. I really enjoyed my flying pig, Gouda is a perfect cheese for grilled cheese. No chips come with the sandwich. If it was a colder day I would have tried the soup, but it was a hot summer day. It’s a small location, but there are tables and chairs and you can watch them make the sandwiches.
Dessert was fun! It was tough to decide, but we shared the strawberry lemonade donut.

I’m a big fan of Yats, and this Tom+Chee is right by a Yats. So I’ve walked by and seen T+C’s sign multiple times when on my way to get my chili cheese etouffe fix. The hubs had tried T+C a couple of times without me and had really liked it, but like an addict, I’d always pick Yats when in the area… until last night.
Starving and hangry, we stopped in, and in my haste to order, I picked the first thing that caught my eye — grilled mac n cheese. It’s essentially what it sounds like — grilled cheese with mac n cheese in the middle. Quite tasty and definitely big! However, after I started chowing down, I found myself scanning the menu board on the wall and noticing some of the donut grilled cheese sandwiches…
Bacon? Chocolate Marscapone? Donut? Mozzarella? All in one? Sign me up! So I pawned off the rest of my sandwich on the hubs in order to save room for the Choco Bacon Bliss sandwich! Can I just say — heck yeah! It was TASTY! I know it may seem like an odd combo, but take a leap of faith and try it! The chocolate is not overwhelming, and there’s plenty of bacon. It’s less than $ 6, so you aren’t out much if you don’t like it. Plus it’s a fair size if you do like it!
Adding to the experience, we had great service — particularly the food runners who bring it the food after you order at the counter! So friendly and conversational! We were impressed.
It’s safe to say we’ll be back. Next on my list to try: S’more donut grilled cheese! :) Mmmmmm!

The service at this location was EXCEPTIONAL! And the food was absolutely delish! The cashier gave great recommendations.
Foods tasted:
–Crunchy Garlic Chicken
–Strawberry Lemonade Donut
–Tomato Basil Soup

I have wanted to stop in since I saw them on Shark Tank. I was excited to see them in Indy, but it is basically an overpriced grilled cheese. I got the turkey pesto and I did like that it had real turkey meat and not lunch meat. It was like turkey leftover from thanksgiving. The pesto was good, but it was strong, and by the time I ate my 2^nd half I was over it. I think I would have been happier with plain grilled cheese. My husband said he liked his, but he agreed it was expensive for what it was.
Dessert was the best part. If we come back it would be for dessert only. We had the strawberry lemonade and it was really good. I would love to try some of the other dessert offerings.
And I am being a complainer, but I was annoyed we were charged for water cups. I don’t drink soda and we had just come from the AMC right there where be paid like $ 8 for a soda for my husband so he didn’t want one either. But I know the cups cost money, but I can’t think of a time where I spent $ 30 on a meal and had to pay for a cup.
They had seats by the kitchen so that would have been cool to watch them making the food.

Filling. But I wasn’t exactly blown away. I ordered a decent sandwich and a cup of tomato soup. I basically felt like I could’ve made this exact thing at home and could’ve paired it with a better soup. As others have stated, the soup is just «ok.» Altogether, it was almost $ 9.
HOT+SPICY
Pepperoni+Cherry Peppers+Onions+Pepper Jack+Wheat Berry
CLASSIC TOMATO
A Smooth Tomato Soup

Absolutely worth a visit, especially if you have hungry little kids. Food is delicious and comes out really fast even when they’re crazy busy.
We did try the donut cheese sandwich and replied «oh that was good, glad we tried it once.» The rest of the options are even better than it was. We’ve been here a few times and haven’t ever been disappointed with our sandwiches. Try the roast beef and cheddar.
Toddler factor: Yep, they have several high chairs and they’re pretty clean too. Room in between tables is sufficient and you can often find a table up front where there’s more space. If your kid likes grilled cheese, you’re all set here. They even have fruit as a side so it makes you feel just a little bit better about the visit.

This place was AMAZING. I was so indecisive and everything sounded so delicious that I had to get two sandwiches. I don’t regret this in the slightest!!! So my first sandwich I got was the pesto turkey grilled cheese (I added bacon). WOW. It was so freaking tasty!!! I really think everyone needs to try this sandwich because it’s an automatic winner in my book!
The second sandwich I got was the blueberry blue because I obviously needed to try their grilled cheese on a glazed donut sandwich that made them famous. It did not disappoint!!! It was so sweet and savory I was sad when I took my last bite! The whole donut-​cheese-​creamy sweet cheese-​blueberry sauce-​and blueberries combination is BRILLIANT. I can’t wait to go back and try even more! Except I will probably be tempted to just stay with my first choice of the pesto grilled cheese and the blueberry blue (because they were THAT GOOD).
Only reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5… Their tomato soup didn’t taste good at all. That didn’t bother me though because I don’t like tomato soup anyways.

Grilled sandwiches, salads, and soups — and grilled DONUT sandwiches? How can you not try this place at least once.
Tom + Chee is a good example of a growing trend in restaurants: do a simple menu and do it well. Just like its neighbor in the strip mall two doors down — Yat’s — Tom + Chee is betting you’ll just want soup and a sandwich every now and then.
Well, I liked what I tried, for the most part. I had half a Flying Pig (turkey, crumbled bacon, pickles, smoked Gouda) and half a crunchy garlic chicken (chicken, onion, tomato, garlic, sweet hot mustard, garlic Parmesan kettle chips, pepper jack). I wished the grill was using butter and not the oily butter substitute I tasted.
I also got to taste a Bacon Blue and a Swiss Shroom. Sandwich fillings are tasty and satisfying but again — where is the butter?
Please, grill your sandwiches with butter!
Got a cup of Beef Vegetable soup which reminded me of Soupman Soup (Seinfeld’s «Soup Nazi» really had a grocery product). Again, it had an oily finish. Great flavor but too much oil.
Tried a Choco Bacon Bliss grilled donut, too. I’d rather have a bacon long john from Titus Bakery but this was similar in flavor.
If you have a simple menu, it needs to be solid. Tom + Chee is almost there, not quite, but worth a try.

I have only been to Tom + Chee one time out in Kentucky, so I was excited when one opened here in Indy. With it being on the Northside and I live on the Southside, I haven’t been able to get up there… until now. Ok, fine… I go to the Northside often, but not to the Trader’s Point area.
When we walked in we were the only people in there. A girl came up from around the corner to take our order. I must say that I wasn’t too impressed with her. She just seemed like we were interrupting something far more exciting that taking our order. I feel that their drinks are a little overpriced for the size. We asked for a large… and their large is the size of other places medium. While we waited for our food to come out I took a look around. The place is clean, but nothing special in terms of décor.
Our food came out pretty quickly. It was good and had good flavor. Sadly with the price I paid for 2 meals I would have hoped for a bigger sandwich, but was disappointed in the overall amount of food.
Overall its a neat concept of soup and grilled cheese… but probably isn’t something that I would visit regularly.

Me and my sister saw this place as we were passing by it and declared that we would return to eat there the very next day. And we did just that.
Today for lunch, after a little Christmas Décor shopping and two growling stomachs that needed to be FULFILLED, not just filled, we pulled into Tom & Chee not knowing what to expect. When you walk in, its quite an inviting small space. The menu takes up the whole back wall behind the cashier and its colors (black/​red/​yellow) are all subtle reminders that you are indeed at a Grill Cheese Factory !!!
We stood at the counter not really knowing what to get as we did a quick once over of all the selections. The cashier could have been a little more friendly initially, but when you are hungry, what does a little small talk do for you anyway? * shrug * So, my sister bought the Mac & Cheese for 5.95 and while I initially thought I would get the Tom Chee for 4.95, I decided to live a little and I ordered a sandwich called «Hot & Spicy». Sounds like my kinda food!
The interior is pretty cute. Again, it is small, but there is enough room to sit comfortably at a table or you can opt to sit at the short ‘bar’ and watch your food (and everyone else’s) be prepared. I was delighted to see workers in the back wearing gloves while handling food. I took a ServSafe class in culinary school and I admit that I look for sanitary places to eat and employees who wear gloves when handling food. #CHECK. The drink selection was standard; Coke products/​Tea/​Water.
Our food was brought to us pretty quickly and piping hot. My sandwich was so hot that I shouldn’t have (notice I didn’t say COULDN’T) bit into it but I did. It was worth it. Our sandwiches were cut in half, naturally and both were full of great ingredients that had a fresh taste to them. My sister’s mac & cheese sandwich was just that: Mac & Cheese on bread!!! She added bacon to it and Voila ! STomach Magic ensues!!!
Mine on the other hand, came with peppperoni, spicy cherry peppers, onion and pepper jack cheese. I added cheddar cheese to it as well. I mean, might as well go all out right? It was full of every ingredient it came with. It still tasted like a grilled cheese and NOT a sandwich w/​cheese. That in itself was pretty cool. The flavors were good and while it was spicy, it wasn’t that overpowering spice that makes you question why you are even still eating hell-​in-​your-​hands!!! I enjoyed it quite well.
They also have soup & chili options, as well as the Donut Grilled Cheese. That one scares the attack right into my heart, but I give them 20 cool points for being bold enough to serve it !
We both finished off half of our sandwiches and took the rest home. I’m not sure what a reheated grilled cheese will be like, but I look forward to not just that…
…I look forward to coming back!!!
And luckily for me, I work right around the corner!!!
((((Later on that evening. …))))
********THIS JUST IN!!! Did you know there was a thing called Reheatable Grilled Cheeses!!! Yeah, me neither !!! Well it is !!!
I officially call it for them. …Tom Chee is the home of the Reheatable Grilled Cheese Sandwich! !! I just reheated my other half of the Hot & Spicy and this half has a Lil more kick to it and is just goid, if not better… the whole wheat bread is splendid !!! I gave it less than a minute, covered and boom. Yes… I can’t wait to return! !! #Yumlife!

It’s sad, but my husband & I waited patiently for months for Tom+Chee to open, simply for the absurdity of the restaurant concept. **A grilled cheese donut? What?** We made our first journey to Tom+Chee for lunch this past Sunday. We wanted this franchise location to get a few days/​weeks of business under their belts before we judged them…(& yes, this is a chain).
We bought 3 sandwiches to split to get a sampling of some of the offerings. I’ve outlined what we got & our impressions below. We felt it was a bit pricey at around $ 22 including drinks, given the type of food. Overall, we would probably return to Tom+Chee, but this will be a *visit rarely* location on our list. We both felt disgusting & guilty after our first visit. Maybe when March rolls around, and it has been months since exposure to the State Fair or Festival food, it might sound good again. Also, it is a shame they didn’t build this in one of the bar districts in town, this would be killer «drunk food.»
A few notes on the menu: the majority of their soups are tomato based, thus the «tom», but when we were there they also offered a potato leek soup. I didn’t try this, but I appreciate special non-​tomato soup options since I’m allergic to tomatoes. You can add chips to any of the sandwiches there. As someone who grew up eating my chips on my sandwich instead of as a side dish, I think this is awesome. I grabbed a copy of the menu so I can finally convince my mom that I’m not THAT weird… They also list that they have Gluten Free & Vegan options on the menu, although I did not investigate.
The restaurant itself was clean and well-​staffed when we were there. They were busy on a Sunday afternoon, but we did not have to wait for a 2-​top table. You can also opt to sit at the bar & watch the kitchen crew working while you nosh. Our wait time from order to food was less than 10 minutes.
What we tried & what we thought:
* ORIGINAL GRILLED CHEESE DONUT– This was served with 2 slices of cheddar cheese on a glazed donut that had been cut in half & then grilled «inside out.» It was ok. I was expecting the saltiness of the cheddar to shine through the cloyingly sweet taste of the glaze a bit… but alas, it just tasted sweet & «buttery.» They have a challenge where you try to eat 12 of these and I wonder if there’s a cardiologist who comes over & shakes your hand afterwards and sets up a clinic visit?
*BACON+BLUE– This was a grilled cheese sandwich with blue cheese, mozzarella, & bacon, on sourdough. There was a generous portion of crumbled/​chopped bacon on the sandwich and a lot of cheese. I personally thought the blue cheese was a little lost, but my husband thought it had a good balance of blue cheese. Let’s be honest, my palate was probably blown after having just eaten a cheddar on donut sandwich… I thought it was a little overly-​heavy on the «butter» part of the grilling, and it tasted more like a synthetic «frys all» style butter blend instead of real butter.
*CHOCO BACON BLISS– This was a grilled donut filled with bacon, chocolate pieces (Hershey classic milk chocolate), chocolate mascarpone, mozzarella. Of the 3 sandwiches we tried, this is the one I would return for. It’s disgusting, but a delicious kind of disgusting. I thought the mozzarella on this dish sounded like a horrible idea, but it surprisingly blended well with the other ingredients. The chocolate mascarpone was yummy. My only complaints with this one were a) too much «butter» like in the above, and b) I would like to see a better quality or darker chocolate used, rather than Hershey’s original milk chocolate.