Near Butler University
Breakfast, lunch and a scratch bakery in Butler-Tarkington, about a mile from campus, since 1979.
BUTLER-TARKINGTON · MERIDIAN-KESSLER · BROAD RIPPLE
The neighborhood place to eat near Butler
Illinois Street Food Emporium is at 5550 N Illinois St, Indianapolis, on the corner of Illinois and 56th in Butler-Tarkington, about a mile east of the Butler University campus. It has been the neighborhood's cafe, deli and bakery since 1979: students and faculty on weekday mornings, families on game days and parents' weekend, and neighbors who have been coming in for decades.
Everything is made from scratch in our kitchen, from the bread under the sandwiches to the biscuits and the pies. Breakfast is served Mon–Fri 7–11 a.m. · Sat 7–10:30 a.m. and lunch runs all day, so a late breakfast after a morning on campus or an early lunch before a game both work. There is free parking in the lot and on the street.
FIND US
5550 N ILLINOIS ST. INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46208
Free parking in the lot and on the street.
Open
Monday: 7 AM — 3 PM
Tuesday-Friday: 7 AM — 5 PM
Saturday: 7 AM — 2 PM
Sunday: Closed
Breakfast
Mon–Fri 7–11 a.m. · Sat 7–10:30 a.m.
Call 317.253.9513WHAT IS NEARBY
A few minutes from
Butler University
About a mile west of the Emporium: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Clowes Hall and the main campus. Parents' weekend, game days and move-in all run through our line.
Meridian-Kessler
We sit on the line between Butler-Tarkington and Meridian-Kessler, on Illinois Street just south of 56th, which is why the 56th Street breakfast plate is named what it is.
Broad Ripple
A few minutes north and east, across the canal. Broad Ripple breakfast without the Broad Ripple wait.
Newfields and the canal
The Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Central Canal Towpath are close enough that a run or a museum morning can end in a table here.
WHAT TO ORDER
If it is your first time
- BREAKFAST
The 56th Street plate, a Denver omelet, biscuits and gravy, or a stack of buttermilk pancakes.
- LUNCH
A Reuben on our onion rye, the French Dip, the Emporium Club on a croissant, or soup and a half sandwich.
- FROM THE BAKERY
An apple fritter or a pecan roll for the walk back, a loaf of sourdough for home, a pie for the table.
- FOR THE OFFICE OR THE TEAM
Boxed lunches from five people up, breakfast trays and sandwich platters, delivered.
Before you come
Good to know
Free parking in the lot and on the street, breakfast Mon–Fri 7–11 a.m. · Sat 7–10:30 a.m. lunch all day, and catering that delivers to campus and the offices around it.
- How far is Illinois Street Food Emporium from Butler University?
- About a mile. We are at 5550 N Illinois St, Indianapolis, east of campus in Butler-Tarkington, a few minutes by car from Hinkle Fieldhouse and Clowes Hall.
- Is there parking?
- Yes. There is free parking in our lot and free parking on the street, which is the usual question from anyone coming from campus or from Broad Ripple.
- What time do you open, and when is breakfast?
- Monday: 7 AM — 3 PM; Tuesday-Friday: 7 AM — 5 PM; Saturday: 7 AM — 2 PM; Sunday: Closed. Breakfast is served Mon–Fri 7–11 a.m. · Sat 7–10:30 a.m. Lunch runs all day.
- Do you take reservations for a group?
- No, seating is first come, first served. For a group of ten or more, or a team meal on campus, the catering menu is the better route: sandwich trays, boxed lunches and breakfast spreads, delivered. Call 317.253.9513 to set it up.
- Do you deliver to campus or to offices nearby?
- Catering orders, yes. We deliver and set up across Indianapolis, Butler and Meridian-Kessler included. Regular menu orders are placed online for pickup at the shop.
- Is this the same place people call 'the Emporium' or 'the Food Emporium'?
- Yes. Illinois Street Food Emporium, ISFE, the Emporium and the Food Emporium on 56th are all us, at the same corner since 1979.
- Do you supply Butler's dining halls?
- We bake wholesale for institutions and cafes across Central Indiana, including university dining. If you run a kitchen or a cafe and want our bread and pastries, use the wholesale form and we will follow up.
See you on the corner of 56th and Illinois
Order ahead if you are between classes, or come sit down. Feeding a team on campus? Catering delivers.