Sam's Silver Circle

Man, this place rocks. It’s a neighborhood, eclectic sports bar but offers something for just about every age and background who wants to live off strong vibes. Good outdoor spaces that are open-air patio and screened-in. Great place to catch a game or trivia night or karaoke. Bartenders who make you feel like home. Great food and drink specials. Signature pizza and cheesesteaks. You wish there was a little more indoor seating at times but it’s manageable to stand by drink rails or in open spaces, too. This might be Indy’s best bar, or at least its most likable.

Yall I'm so disappointed !!!! After having the best pizza ever, watching the Pacers game; my night was ruined by seeing two roaches . And after looking around there's definitely more . Living in fountain square I can't safely order food from here again 😭 please take care of this problem .

Great people, service and vibe. I stopped by when I was in the area after hearing about Sam's Silver Circle for years. I was alone and stopped by after work. By the time I left I felt like I had been going there for a decade. I met super nice regulars, the bartender was very kind and friendly, and the beer was cold. A great bar!

I’m not sure why all the reviews absolutely rave about this being the best pizza ever… I’d rather eat a frozen jacks pizza than this. I’ve never hated a pizza more. Very mediocre, the sauce tastes more like ketchup than tomato sauce.

This place has a great atmosphere. You can't help but feel the vibe in this place. We went there for a quick lunch and a few beers. Our bartender Gabby was wonderful. We ordered a pizza and it's typical bar food nothing special. They have sandwiches too but we didn't have any. Probably should have had one of those. Now don't get me wrong the pizza was good and edible but the crust is premade and that's not what I'm really looking for. A homemade crust is really better but I understand why this crust was used. It's a bar and not a top end pizzeria therefore it works! This is a fun place and dining is not the priority here, fun and drinking is! So check out Sam's Silver Circle. Have a beer and a shot. Read the walls and other decor it screams FUN !

Overall great bar, but service on April 22nd 2025 was absolutely horrendous. You should not deny someone service if they have a VALID foreign ID. Food service was fantastic, but bar service needs to be looked into

Hosted an amazing local music event! Great atmosphere just north of fountain square proper on Shelby. Ample parking.

I love this place! Found it while traveling and they had delicious pizza at affordable prices. Very nice interior to the restaurant too.

This is a dive bar but that title really doesn't do it justice. The quality of the food and beer are both WAY higher than your average diver bar. The pizza is solid. The toppings are beneath the the cheese. The quality of the dough is easily higher than any fast food pizza chain, and higher than many dedicated pizzerias I've been to. There are about 13ish beers on tap, with a handful being local lagers and IPAs. Prices are cheap! My only qualm is the bartender, he was friendly but literally was forgetting everything I told him...some 5 seconds later. Lots of "what were you drinking again?" after having told him mere seconds ago. And lots of "Did you want to start a tab?", my saying "yes"...and then his closing me out. A real space cadet.

Pizza is a must try! Friend and I called in our order and it was ready within 20 minutes. We ordered the largest pizza for two of us and it was a great size with a good amount left over. Pepperoni is under the cheese and they included ranch per our request with parm cheese and red pepper flake packets on their own. Would definitely order from here again!

Ordered a pizza for pick up, and was ready in good time! The pizza was hot and fresh and decent for dive bar pizza. The atmosphere is at Sam's is always amazing as well. Sam's is a go to for me in Indy.

Overall, we had a fun time hanging out with our friends after the Pacers game earlier this week, but were unimpressed with the bartender and I wouldn't come back. He was rude to us when asked to replace a beer (he gave one of our party a lager instead of an IPA and there is a very big difference between those two beer styles) instead of just apologizing, pouring the correct beer, and moving on with the next customer. Right after this he gave us the wrong flavor of a High Noon that we ordered and we didn't even bother going up to have that changed out because he had made the previous interaction so tense and uncomfortable.

We just returned from a short visit to Indianapolis! The people there were all amazing and friendly, and we visited some great places. We went axe throwing at Bad Axe and also did an escape room at the Paniq Room. We met friendly people everywhere we went! Except for the bartender working at this establishment on Monday and Tuesday nights, which was a shame. We were in an Airbnb right down the street. We range in age from 57 to 61. We always enjoy going out for drinks. We were fortunate to find The Dugout on Wednesday evening for the Pacers game. We also visited The Dugout on Tuesday before returning to our Airbnb, and the bartender was professional and friendly. At our age, we certainly aren't troublemakers. You need to take a look at your cameras. The bartender working on the evenings is just RUDE! We walked there around 10:30 on Monday evening. There was a crowd of at least 25 people outside. He had the bar chairs up and didn't want anyone sticking around. He served us our first round but closed the tab immediately! He wasn't about to have any open tabs. He had decided at 10:30 that he was closing early, plain and simple. More people came in to drink while we were there. We got a second round around 11, and again he wasn't about to leave a tab open. Then, before we'd even finished drinking the beers he served us, we were asked to leave! Why? I have no idea. To the owner, please watch your cameras. You will see him kicking everyone out. We tried to come back the following evening, and unfortunately, he was working again. He is NOT friendly! NOT a HAPPY person! He was, though, the only rude person we came across during our entire visit. Everyone else was amazing! Friendly! Helpful! I think he may either need an attitude adjustment or perhaps he shouldn't work in the hospitality industry. He was working on both Monday, 6/9, and Tuesday, 6/10. We never even considered trying a third time on 6/11, which, like I said, was unfortunate because it was just a walk from us. It was a shame that we had to come across one bad apple. I would never ever recommend this bar to anyone as long as that bartender is working. He was just an all-around miserable person. I am not a review writer. First I have ever done. Not one to complain but wow the bartender here! He's attitude was shocking

Looking for a casual pizza place downtown we found SSC. I got a big smile on my face when we walked in and saw this iconic dive bar! Every inch of the ceiliing and walls are covered with license plates, sports memorabilia and street signs, and every table was full because it was bingo night A handful of craft beers on draft and in cans. But the winner was the pizza. Loaded with toppings all the way to the edge, it reminded me of local pizza parlors when I was a kid. One woman makes all the pizzas in her small "open" kitchen. One counter to make it, and one pizza oven (that looks like an easy bake oven) to cook it. Kudos to her! We will be back, maybe for karaoke or trivia night!

Seems to be an unpopular opinion based on the total rating but a 3 seems appropriate for our visit! Bar service for food and for drinks. The pizza had a great amount of cheese and sauce but the crust was a bit burnt and overall underseasoned. We'd skip the breadsticks and cheese sauce next time. Great for drinks, good for young groups-heads up it's loud in there, a solid dive through and through.

Man, this place rocks. It's a neighborhood, eclectic sports bar but offers something for just about every age and background who wants to live off strong vibes. Good outdoor spaces that are open-air patio and screened-in. Great place to catch a game or trivia night or karaoke. Bartenders who make you feel like home. Great food and drink specials. Signature pizza and cheesesteaks. You wish there was a little more indoor seating at times but it's manageable to stand by drink rails or in open spaces, too. This might be Indy's best bar, or at least its most likable.

Great service. Awesome vibes. Pizza is really good. Karaoke on Wednesday is always a lot of funfq yz

We left Lafayette early so we could grab lunch at Sam's on our way downtown. We got there just after 11am on a Saturday and were the second people there. The bar was clean and the bartender and staff were friendly. I do not believe they had the back patio the last time we were here. It looked like a cool place to hang out and according to some in-bar advertising, you can rent the patio and get a keg and pizza for a group up to 75 people. Our draft beer was cold, which is always nice. If there was a way to give 3.5 stars, unfortunately I would. We came for the pizza and something has changed. We looked at pics that we had of pizza that we had eaten before and it was different. The cheese seemed, for lack of a better word, different. It seemed more like a premade pizza than I remember. I would get up early to make sure we came here for a few years ago pizza, but not for what we had yesterday. We enjoyed our time at Sam's as we always have. I wanted to enjoy the pizza more than I did.

Classic dive bar! Definitely one of the best in Indy. Service is great and everyone who works there is very kind. Food is your standard bar food with the exception of breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Definitely will be back for some bingo! (Every other Tuesday)

Had the best time at this bar sorry we found it last minute. Could've spent all day there! Jazmyn was amazing! She was so fun and poured fun drinks for us! Can't wait to come back next year. Thanks Jazmyn wish people were nicer to each other because you were great!

I really don't want to be that person who says that something has "good vibes," but what the heck: Sam's Silver Circle has good vibes. OK, I said it, and it's true. Have you ever walked into a place and immediately felt peaceful? That's how I felt walking into Sam's Silver Circle. There were at least two TVs on and people at the bar talking and music playing, so it was a bit of a sensory overload, but it's still a chill place. The bartender was friendly and efficient, and they have Daredevil Lift Off on tap, as well as lots of other beers. And speaking of sensory overload: There is so much stuff on the walls. Like every bit of memorabilia associated with local high schools, IU, Purdue, Ball State, Butler University, Indianapolis Motor Speedway stuff, Colts paraphernalia, Indiana license plates, license plates from other states, newspaper clippings, record sleeves, bumper stickers, regular stickers, neon signs, street signs, posters, magazine covers, signed photographs, and lots more. I like to think of myself as a minimalist, but really, I love being surrounded by lots and lots of stuff to look at. I really enjoyed drinking my beer and looking at all of the stuff all around me. While I was drinking my beer, I heard someone who worked there tell someone else that Sam's Silver Circle has been around since 1938, and it's only had two owners that whole time. Wow! That's a lot of history for a little bar in Fletcher Place. (Or is it in Fountain Square? I don't know where the heck I am.) But it all makes sense now. You can really feel the history within this place. I only visited Sam's for a drink this time, but apparently you can also get pizza here. I'll have to come back for a drink and a snack at some point.

Great people, service and vibe. I stopped by when I was in the area after hearing about Sam's Silver Circle for years. I was alone and stopped by after work. By the time I left I felt like I had been going there for a decade. I met super nice regulars, the bartender was very kind and friendly, and the beer was cold. A great bar!

A good historical bar near the Fountain Square neighborhood. Although modest in size, the interior is brimming with character. The walls are covered with various decor, including many antique signs. I recall reading an old news article that was framed next to my table which gave some interesting info of the original owners. I don't know if it's the best in town, but the pizza here is very good. Breakfast apparently is served on weekends as well, which is interesting & unusual for a pub. A good basic bar for a hang out, and for an inexpensive meal.

terrible service, pizza was sub par. if you're looking for the best worst karokoe this place is for you but if you really want decent pizza and service do not go.

4.5 stars given for the pizza. The pizza there is delicious. The pizza was prepared with layers of cheese then your choice of toppings then cheese again. We had pepperoni, sausage and bacon. Crust was crusty and sauce was robust and savory. One of the best pizza I had.

Friendly staff and patrons. Just stopped in to pick up some pizza for carry out. We didn't care for the pizza, but would definitely come back some time for a drink. Very casual and comfortable inside.

I just moved to the city, no dishes or silverware unpacked and tired from renovations. Sam's is down the street from my house and was a life saver. It was so delicious and the perfect treat after a long day. I don't go much because it's a bit pricey for me but even with that I couldn't recommend this place more!

This is such a cool dive bar near downtown! The interior is super neat with license plates and stickers all over. They had great music and cheap drinks. We heard the pizza was the best around, so we stopped in to try it. Although I wouldn't say it was the best around, it was really good especially for bar food! The service was great and the bartender was so nice. We'll definitely be back for the drinks!

This place is awesome! I came from out of town and joined some friends for their weekly trivia and pizza. Looking at the bar from the outside I didn't have high expectations, but everything was great! The atmosphere is fun, it has a lot of character on the inside and outside. There's a bunch of high top tables, and it's all pretty tight on the inside. The trivia itself was super hard! But in a really fun and challenging way. Some of the questions you either know or you don't, and some you can try to deduce. It's set up really well. The host is wonderful, too. As far as the food and drinks, we ordered several pitchers of beer and a large pizza. The pizza isn't going to change your life, but I can almost guarantee it's going to surprise you with how good it is. The only thing is it took so, so, so long for it to come out. Overall, really cool place, really fun trivia. Would love to come back!

Old time local bar. Great selection of alcohol and beers. Pizza was good. Make sure you walk around bar and check out pics. Cool bartender.

Came here on a Saturday with the fam for the first time and it wasn't too bad! First of all, was delighted to see that they had Bosco sticks on the menu. Haven't had one of those since high school. Overall the pizza was pretty good. Maybe a touch too oily for some. Honestly the only complaint I had was service was a little slow but not terrible. Oh also, beer is cheap so if you're a big beer drinker and like a solid pizza I highly recommend!

Awesome dive bar. My group was looking for a Thursday night trivia spot and stumbled into Sam's after all the tables at Chilly Water were full. So glad we did, we had a blast and loved the trivia vibe there. The decor makes the place feel warm and inviting, we loved trying out the lottery ticket machine and everyone (whether or not they were participating in trivia) clearly was having a great time. I was also pleasantly surprised at their non-alcoholic beer selection. This will definitely be my group's regular weekly night trivia spot! Looking forward to coming early next time to scope out a comfortable table and try some pizza.

Good pizza. Great breadsticks. Lots of rotating beer options. Great deals. Very friendly bar tenders. Lots of cool decorations all over the bar. This place is great.

One of the best hole in the walls. Place is always busy and the pizza is spot on. Breadsticks are kinda dry. Cheap drinks. Place gets loud. Get there early to get a seat!

Live a couple blocks away. Very solid neighborhood dive bar. Large draft list, affordable, strong drinks. Classic dive sports bar feel inside. They make pizza and breadsticks. Some folks are obsessed with the pizza here but just ok IMO. Wish there was more from food standpoint but I get why they don't. Two patios. One is nonsmoking and other is smoking. The nonsmoking formerly (maybe currently) was kid friendly but have not taken kids in quite some time. The smoking patio can get pretty stinky at times but is more lively than nonsmoking. Overall, good place to go have beer/cocktail and watch ball game.

Great pizza for a late night snack! It is ready in under 15 minutes and is very tasty! Also, a fun bar to visit.

Okay this pizza is DELICIOUS. they do not skip out on toppings... they have GREAT beer selections. I was able to capture the beer but the pizza was so good I forgot. Lol! They have a patio and you are able to bring your dog there. It's located right outside of Fountain Square! This IPA was so good. Very subtle hoppiness and oh yeah, GREAT service!

I was a first timer here and it's definitely a hidden gem surrounded my homes I'd love to live in (whole other subject). We walked in and were the only patrons and were quickly reprimanded for not having a mask on. Some may be annoyed by this, considering we were walking no more than 5 feet, but I appreciated the rule following. Now I must say although they were mask followers, there was definitely no social distancing to order drinks once karaoke began. There was virtually no way to accomplish this given the small set up. (Note for those who really want to achieve the highest safety, as this probably isn't the best choice for you). The table was also extremely sticky (main reasoning for the 3 stars). I left feeling like I immediately needed to change clothes, sanitize my phone and jump in the shower. If you are a Roncalli, Cathedral grad or even an Indy sports fan, this spot is covered in pictures and articles to fill your heart. I look forward to checking out the outdoors once it warms up again and actually trying some food.

All around good vibe local/neighborhood "dive bar." Good people, good prices and great pizza!! Will be here frequently, you've been warned!!

I decided to venture just a bit north of the heart of Fountain Square up to this local bar at the corner of Fletcher and Shelby. Although there isn't parking outside the door, there is a row of angled parking across Shelby along Fletcher. I crossed the street and up the steps into the bar. The interior is a shotgun style place with the long bar w/seating on the right, a center row of standing islands to rest your beverages on, and then some additional seating fitted wherever it doesn't get too crowded (at least until the place gets really busy.) In the back is a small grill area where they prepare the food. I also noted that there is a covered patio area of the right rear of the building that was enclosed to offer some protection from the cool winter. Not sure if it stays open all winter or not. The man working behind the bar/running the grill/taking orders may have been the owner. He was doing it all during the lunch hour. It wasn't too crowded during the week so wait times were minimal. I noted that he was dialed into the music playing, making sure it wasn't too far out there for customers. (I can't tell you how many places have it either too loud to carry on conversations or have profanity laden lyrics that I have outgrown.) It seemed the guy was really focused on getting everything done, especially as more customers started showing up. Just able to carry on conversations too. Great job! I ordered one of the lunch specials: a Philly Cheese Steak with chips and a beverage. While I waited, I browsed around the bar. There are Sports Illustrated covers framed all over the walls. Lots of sports items with a couple silent, but captioned tv's playing over the bar. I also noticed that they carried a number of beers on tap including a mix of national brands and local craft selections. Hard liquor was also available. The sandwich was good. Crispy crunch of the bread and large chunks of green pepper and onions inside with the cheese and meat. Good flavor, but could use a little higher ratio of meat to veggies for my tastes. Still, a good sandwich, but not what I would consider a traditional Philly. Although this is a well established neighborhood bar, I didn't feel any negative vibes during the lunch hour. In fact, the staff was easy going and welcoming. It's nice to see a local place still making a go of it even with all the change going on in the area. Review #3308

Love this dive bar. Very small menu but the food was great and service was as well. Staff was friendly and attentive. Will definitely return.

Such a fun dive bar! Think: cheap drinks, small interior, neon signs in the window, and one food option. You can get a vodka sodas, Jack and cokes, PBRs, etc, each for only a few dollars. We also got a pizza, which I wouldn't recommend as much as the drinks. There was a jukebox, so we got to choose fun music to keep our group feeling dance-y. Definitely check out this downtown gem.

I came here on a Thursday night and there were surprisingly a decent amount of people here. It's definitely a dive bar scene with neon signs and sports memorabilia all over. They also have outdoor seating. It's located right across a Dairy Queen. I got a White Claw here.

Sams is soooo much fun, always a great time! The atmosphere is fun and the food never disappoints! One of my favorite places to hangout in the summer time!

Went in hopes of delicious pizza per the reviews. Left disappointed after eating what tasted like frozen pizza and drinking flat soda. There is no table-side service here, you order at the bar (not necessarily a bad thing, just wish I'd known before going). I didn't have a terrible experience but I'll also never go back.

Sam's is a great neighborhood dive bar. Karaoke and trivia happen on the regular. This was our go to trivia spot for a while. But be warned, these teams play to win and the trivia is HARD! For example, the first 4 most populous countries are blah blah blah blah, name 5th, 6th, & 7th. Trivia is on Thursdays at 8pm, $3 per person to play and cash prizes go to 1st, 2nd, & 3rd. No more than 6 people per team. Lots of fun! Food and drinks are decently priced and popcorn is free! It can get pretty loud, but it's a bar so.. that's kind of to be expected.

Gosh, where do I start with Sam's? I love this bar. It's such a wonderful little neighborhood bar that everyone needs to visit. The outside seating is ideal and their inside will never bore you! Their pizza is my FAVORITE of the entire city! They load the toppings on thiccck and then put the cheese on top to hold them all down. Ugh, my mouth is watering. Seriously, the fountain square neighborhood wouldn't be the same without Sam's. Do yourself a favor and stop in for a beer and pizza. CHEERS!

I was curious of this pub while driving past for the last year. So one day I decided to make a stop after work was satisfied with the experience I had. The bartenders are nice with Tom and Brian being my favorites. With a pitcher of American beer and a stromboli you end up spending around $20. The supreme pizza is delicious being thick and tasty. There are a few tv's with a couple games on. The other end of the spectacle is the crowd that comes in. The crowd on the weekend is generally nice with no trouble.

This place has a cool vibe. Like your cool uncle that always was slugging back Budweisers while watching the game, or what John Belushi could have been. Went to get carryout, and they didn't have the greatest selection, but it was close. I've got to say, the pizza cooking smelled great and there is hella construction going on right now. This place can only get better. Trivia on Thursdays!

Great atmosphere and pizza and breadsticks sandwiches great employees very fun place love this place

Love the pizza from here! Live downtown and this is my go to pizza spot despite them not delivering, which is fair because it's a dive bar. If they charged $5-8 more per pizza I'd still be loyal to this choice establishment

Some of the best pizza in the city! Went on a Saturday night with a group of friends around 11:30 and we were still able to order food, which was great! They have a good selection of beer and great music. I also love that they have darts and different events throughout the week. One of my favorite dive bars!

college college college Anyone looking to replicate their favorite bar on campus experience should be advised to run not walk to this place. Free popcorn, miniscule bathroom, walls covered in all the stuff grandpa was saving in the shed and cheap basic food takes me back. Went for lunch and we were the only patrons there but I did see a lot of carry out. Some local craft beers in bottles and wide selection of corporate beers on tap, quite inexpensive. We got the 7" pizza, which was a premade crust with 2 topping for $6.95, lots of cheese saved that one, and the Stromboli, which did not have meatballs as expected but instead ground sausage, which actually made it easier to eat. All were served in little cute pizza boxes. This is clearly the ultimate late night bar and I'm pretty sure you can get food until they turn off the lights at 3 AM totally perfect for hungry drunks.

My family and I ordered take out, we couldn't be more satisfied with our pizza order! We were visiting from out of town and glad we found this dive bar with great food to take back to our hotel.

This place rocks and the people that work here make it so! Shout out to Dylan for going above and beyond! #Yourneighborhoodwateringhole

Totally old school with all the hippest accoutrements! #craftBeer on rotating taps Awesome, late 70s style pizza Friendly servers and bartenders My go to for Sunday beer and pizza!

Love coming here for good pizza and cheap drinks. Fun vibes and good service! Trivia every Thursday is also a blast.