On today's Dopest we're covering:
The best rooftop view in Indianapolis — and it's been hiding in Fountain Square this whole time
Yats: the cheapest meal in the city that slaps every single time, no exceptions
Rock the Ruins — the outdoor concert series that somehow keeps getting better
Thanks for reading!
- Hillary
Via @fsqrooftopgarden
🌇 The Dopest Rooftop Bar — Fountain Square Rooftop Garden
Perched on top of the Fountain Square Theatre Building, the Fountain Square Rooftop Garden is the kind of place that makes you wonder why you'd go anywhere else for a summer cocktail. The skyline view at sunset is breathtaking — the kind of view that makes your phone come out involuntarily and your plans to "just have one drink" evaporate completely.
The vibe is exactly what Fountain Square does best: low key, local, unpretentious. Patio seating, draft beer, wine, specialty cocktails, and a tight appetizer menu. No dress code energy. No velvet rope nonsense. Just good downtown people, good drinks, and one of the best outdoor settings in the city.
Live music happens regularly, and on Friday and Saturday nights it turns into a full dance party from 8:30 until close. Which means this is both your chill sunset spot and your late-night answer, depending on what version of yourself shows up.
📍 Fountain Square Theatre Building · Dance Parties Fri & Sat 8:30PM–Close
The Dopest Tip: Get there before sunset. Seriously. The skyline view as the sun goes down over Indianapolis is worth showing up early for. Grab a cocktail, find a spot at the railing, and let Indy do its thing.
Via visitindy.com
🍛 The Dopest Forgotten Staple — Yats
Indy has a short memory. Every time a shiny new restaurant opens, we collectively lose our minds and forget about the places that have been feeding this city quietly and consistently for decades. Yats is the most glaring example of this and we're here to fix it.
This New Orleans-style Cajun and Creole joint has been an Indianapolis staple since before most of our favorite new spots were even a concept. Born at 54th and College, the model hasn't changed because it doesn't need to. You walk up to the counter, look at the chalkboard, pick from seven to ten rotating sauces and stews, and pay under ten dollars for a steaming plate over rice with a Cajun buttered baguette that has absolutely no business being that good.
No waiters. No tablecloths. No $22 small plates. Just honest, soulful food at a price that makes you feel like the city still has your back. In 2026, a full hot meal for under ten bucks is basically a miracle. Yats has been performing that miracle for years and asking for nothing in return except that you show up — which, apparently, we've been slacking on.
It still slaps. It has always slapped. It will continue to slap. We owe Yats an apology and a visit.
📍 Multiple Indy locations · yatscajuncreole.com
The Dopest Tip: Get the combination — two sauces, one plate, still under ten dollars. If the chili cheese étouffée is on the board, that's your answer. Don't overthink it.
Sponsored By Trevor St. Aubin with @Properties
Home Ownership Is For Everyone
Trevor bought his first home in downtown Indy 11 years ago — in a neighborhood that wasn't exactly on anyone's radar. That house is now his biggest asset. He believed in this city before it was easy to, and he's been helping other people do the same ever since.
He's worked with clients from Brownsburg to Fishers to Greenwood to downtown Indy and everywhere in between. He went full time in real estate in 2020 but don't expect a stiff suit and a rehearsed pitch. Trevor shows up as himself, which turns out to be exactly what people need when they're making the biggest financial decision of their lives. Interested in learning more? Reach out! Trevor is the least sales bro guy we know. (Thank goodness)
He believes home buying is for everyone. We believe him.
@trevorstaubin
Via rocktheruins.com
🎸 The Dopest Summer Concert Series — Rock the Ruins
Six seasons in and Rock the Ruins just keeps getting better. What started in 2021 as a hopeful experiment — outdoor concerts at Holliday Park and Broad Ripple Park during a moment when everyone desperately needed to be outside together — has grown into Indianapolis' premier summer concert series. And it earned that title.
The setting alone is worth the ticket. There's something genuinely magical about watching the sun set over the historic ruins of Holliday Park while a band plays through the trees. It feels intimate and epic at the same time — like the show was put on just for your neighborhood, even when the headliner is internationally known.
Each year the artists get bigger, the production scales up, and somehow the soul of the thing stays intact. Emerging indie acts, renowned headliners, tree-lined landscapes, and a crowd of Indy people who really, really needed a good summer. That's Rock the Ruins. Don't miss it.
📍 Holliday Park & Broad Ripple Park · rocktheruinsindy.com
The Dopest Tip: Grab tickets early — shows sell out and the lineup this season has no business being this good. Bring a blanket, arrive before showtime, and let the ruins do the rest.
Indy is always up to something. So are we.
See you next week! — Indy's Dopest