June is Pride Month in the United States. Indianapolis celebrates with a parade and all-day events on June 14 and 15. But being LGBTQ isn’t something we clock in and out of on the weekends: We were born this way (thank you, Gaga). We didn’t choose it. Thus, we shouldn’t
choose between authenticity and acceptance when eating or meeting up. We want spaces that are more than just inclusive for business optics. Establishments need to be genuine in their support of who we are.
For most of us, it often means seeking out LGBTQIA-owned restaurants, bars and coffee shops, where identity isn’t a marketing strategy. It’s brewed, baked and blended into the DNA. Since moving from Los Angeles to Indy five years ago, I’ve visited queer-owned restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops across the state, from Fort Wayne to Evansville. These businesses don’t just serve the LGBTQ community; they employ locals and uplift their neighborhoods.
While we celebrate Pride this month, we also look toward Chicago, where the Oscars of the food world, the James Beard Awards, will be handed out June 16. It’s especially significant, considering James Beard himself was a gay man long before it was safe or celebrated to be out in public.
Today, the James Beard Foundation carries on his culinary legacy, honoring all chefs and restaurateurs, regardless of gender or identity expression, who feed us with creative and inspirational flavors.
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience, “ – James Beard
Gather 22, Indianapolis:
The couple, Adam Reinstrom and Pablo Gonzalez, opened Gather 22 in 2023. Named after its location on 22nd Street and as a place to convene, it showcases deliciousness from pizzas, sandwiches and cocktails. Like its owners, a mix of ethnicities and experiences from the West Coast to the Midwest, it is a place to meet up, have inspiring conversations and celebrate differences while eating and drinking well.
22 East 22nd Street, Indianapolis (Central) (317) 258-2222: IG, FB
Black Lodge Coffee Roasters, New Harmony (Southern Indiana)
In the small town of New Harmony, just outside of Evansville, Alex Gale and his baristas produce house-roasted beans and specialty coffees. What began as weekend meditation excursions for Gale to the new age-centered village along the Wabash River led Gale to discover and purchase Black Lodge Coffee Roasters. Since buying the shop in 2019, it’s become known for its bourbon-barrel coffee, eccentric events (sound baths, art exhibitions), and community outreach.
610 Church Street, New Harmony, (812) 682-2449 IG, FB
Lady Tron’s, New Albany (Southern Indiana)
Lady Tron’s, a sci-fi homage serving delicious handcrafted soup and sandwiches, sits where Indiana meets the shores of the Ohio River. Owned by Alexa and Summer Seig, the duo serves a crowd of regulars from a vintage mobile diner outfitted in memorabilia from Star Wars to Elf and Star Trek. It’s an incongruous, madcap but tasty experience in a historic town that also served as part of the Underground Railroad.
147 East Market Street, (812) 725-9510 FB
The Huntingtonburg Grind, Huntingtonburg (Southern Indiana)
Smithsonian Magazine named Huntingtonburg one of the best small towns in the United States in 2024, but partners in life and business Chad Brian and Mike Voegerl, the latter growing up there, knew that already. Thus, they purchased the coffee shop on charming 4th Street, a four-block stretch of restored Queen Anne and Victorian architecture.
410 E. 4th Street, Huntingtonburg, (812) 684-8079 FB
FortyFive Degrees, Indianapolis
Opened in 2008, this sushi-slash-Italian-slash-Chinese eatery is a delicious haven for downtown Indianapolis residents. With a full bar, it’s a well-designed gathering space for the LGBTQIA community and their friends. If the ramen noodles or street tacos don’t fit your Midwest tastebuds, they also serve a burger with fries. The owner, Bill Pritt, purchased Metro last year, an LGBTQ bar on Mass Avenue and plans to open Harrison’s on Delaware Street in an abandoned bank building this summer.
