The Fiddlers Three

A couple of months ago, on our way back from Kentucky on a Friday night, we happened upon this restaurant in Shelbyville. According to my mom, I’d been there as a child (I lived in Shelbyville and Rushville). According to an old high school friend, lots of prom goers ate there before the dance. But, if you ask me, I had never heard of it until that evening in October when a search of nearby restaurants as we drove along I-​74 enlightened us.
It was love at first bite. So, when we had to go from our home to Rushville one evening last week, I applauded my husband’s brilliance for suggesting we stop in Shelbyville and eat again.
This time it was much less crowded and we were seated in a secluded little booth under the stairs in the bar area that was full of it’s Thursday night regulars.
We immediately ordered the Lobster Bisque, which at half the price, is comparable to our favorite lobster bisque from an expensive downtown Indianapolis restaurant. As we eat the bisque we are constantly commenting on how good it is, amazed that it’s right around $ 4. Rolls are served warm from the oven and are delicious as well.
While we waited for our entrees, one of the regulars came over to our table to ask if they were being too loud. I asked if they could be a bit louder as it was hard to eavesdrop if they weren’t. We all laughed and she ended up sitting down with us and chatting for a good 15 – 20 minutes. Bonus points for friendly patrons!
On our first visit I had the Filet Mignon. More tender and flavorful than I ever would have expected from a small town restaurant. This time I ordered the Teriyaki Steak bites and while I wasn’t as surprised, I was thrilled that they were just as tender and flavorful as the steak I’d had the first time. My husband ordered the Fried Chicken, which he loved and said he will order over and over again as it’s hard to get good fried chicken anymore. I had a bite and agree that it was exceptional.
We can’t complain about the service. Our waitress came by often to make sure we were satisfied and didn’t need anything else. And, while the atmosphere may be a bit outdated, I think it adds to the charm of the place. And with prices less than half of what we would pay for the same meal at a downtown restaurant, we felt it appropriate. 70’s décor to match their 70’s prices.
If you haven’t had an opportunity to check this place out, do yourself a favor; it’s worth the drive.

My husband and I need to Shelbyville about six weeks ago and have already been to this place four times. It is incredibly reasonable and has delicious food. We have yet to be disappointed. My favorite is the prime rib sandwich. It’s huge, juicy, and cooked absolutely perfectly. My husband usually gets one of their steaks and always goes on about how great they are. Their menu has a wide array of options and they always have great specials. This is definitely one of our favorite spots in our new town.

Fiddlers Three is a safe option for a nice dinner in the country, with conversation on a date, with a small group, or with a large group if you can reserve one of the rooms to yourselves. The inside of the restaurant is like a house with many rooms. The furnishings are sparse, but clean. My wife and I came here on a dinner date and we were content with our meals. She had a filet and I had a ribeye. Our steaks were cooked just the way we like them. The bread was awesome, and the salads were fresh with plenty of ingredients. I ordered coffee, which was hearty and hot, even in the evening. There is a decent selection of wine and beer with some beer on tap. I had vegetables on the side, and a baked potato. The potato was better than any I have had at a chain steakhouse. The vegetables were fresh and cooked with light butter — just right. My wife ordered the French onion soup, which other reviewers had recommended. She was not disappointed, and she is a big fan of French onion soup! We had the last piece of hot, fresh blackberry cobbler a la mode. Yum yum yummy!
Overall, the food is great and there is a solid variety of seafood and steaks.
The music in our room came from a boom box playing B 103 soft rock. Kind of funny to dine to 80s music, but better than no music at all.
I would not recommend kids come here, although they could. It’s just a quiet place and sound carries in the small rooms.
The price might be 10−20% higher than a Logan’s Roadhouse.
Our waitress was amazing — top notch service, very attentive and checking to make sure everything was to our satisfaction. She was also helpful with the menu choices.
I would think Fiddlers would make a nice place for a rehearsal dinner or family is in town get together dinner. Cozy and comfortable.

Great place for fried chicken and prime rib. Neat old style décor, like an old house inside as there’s a few tables in each large room. Upscale type place, bit pricey, but very tasty food. Service was OK, not best, but not the slowest either.
The lobster bisque was great, food presentation was very pleasant, and taste was excellent, shrimp cocktail and sauce was very good. Nice place for a nice upscale dinner.

Ohhhh Fiddler’s Three. Such fond family memories in this place. Fiddler’s is a family owned American Steakhouse. The building is made of rich woods, bricks and lead glass windows and doors, giving it a charming eastern european feel. Each piece of the building is upcycled from various areas of Shelby county and a lot of the bricks, mantles, etc… are over 100 years old.
My family has been going here my entire life for their delicious prime rib! Handcut and roasted to perfection, served with sides of your choice. And I’m telling you right now, this place has the best French Onion soup in the world. Don’t forget the french onion soup!
It’s a great location for groups with banquet rooms, there is a back bar, and lots of family dining tables throughout. It’s always traditionally decorated and you should see it at Christmas time. The prices are unbelievably reasonable. It’s very difficult to walk away from a steak joint paying under $ 40 for 2 people… but you can here. If you’re ever passing through Shelbyville, you need to stop and have a nice dinner at this place. Support a local family owned business and skip the chains!