Iconic restaurant named best diner in Indiana. You can't eat there, though.
Reader's Digest knows a good thing, selecting a longtime favorite Indy diner as the best in the state.
Edwards Drive-In landed on rd.com’s list of Top Diners in the U.S., repping Indiana as its most iconic diner.
The list announcement said the publication “thoroughly investigated customer ratings, TripAdvisor scores, and local gossip to find the absolute best diner in every state,” before lauding Edwards for its breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and suggesting diners order onion rings and house-made root beer.
All were staples on the '50s-themed car hop restaurant, which opened as a Dog’n Suds drive-in in 1957, owned and managed by father-son team Herb and Tom Edwards. Over the decades, Edwards would catch the attention of national TV programs, including Travel Channel's "Man Vs. Food," whose host Adam Richman was presented with a comically massive tenderloin during a visit.
Tenderloins and unchanging tradition: Goodbye to Indiana icon Edwards Drive-In
Unfortunately Edwards Drive-In (Reader’s Digest lists the business as Edward’s Drive-In) closed at 2126 S. Sherman Drive in January 2022, citing coronavirus pandemic-related challenges. Months later, a pancake house opened at the site, and the Edwards family took their operation mobile, focusing on its food truck, Edwards Dashboard Diner. They then decided to halt the food truck after closing for the year in October 2022 and owner Louise Edwards’ death.
With that said, it seems a new diner needs to be crowned best in Indiana. Any nominations?
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on Twitter: @cherylvjackson.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Reader's Digest names Indiana's best diner. But you can't eat there.
