Oldenburg, IN is a sister town of Batesville, IN, which is on I-74 2/3rds of the way from Indy to Cincy. It's about an hour drive from where I live in Fishers.
Oldenburg has Wagner's Village Inn on Main St. It's been serving fried chicken and other country style food since 1968. In 2023 they made headlines because they were given a James Beard Award in the American Classics category. That, of course, caused a flood of people flocking to Oldenburg to try it out, and I decided to wait until the crowds had died down. So I went there with two friends for lunch today.
All three of us ordered the same item from the menu, which was fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, and slaw. The fried chicken is a generous half-chicken, and all the sides came with the ability to ask for more. They had German beers on tap and we all ordered beers to pair with our meals.
The fried chicken was delicious and I'm glad I went there today. It's heavy on the black pepper to the point of it really being the prominent ingredient one notices about the fried chicken. The side dishes were adjusted to my taste with me adding a little salt and pepper.
This quaint little establishment is a treasure for this community, and I feel fortunate to eat at a James Beard Award establishment.
I won't recommend people drive from other states just to eat there, but the well-travelled I-74 from Indianapolis to Cincinnati makes this a convenient stopping place for lunch or dinner in either direction. It's about a five minute trip from the exit.
Brian
Oldenburg has Wagner's Village Inn on Main St. It's been serving fried chicken and other country style food since 1968. In 2023 they made headlines because they were given a James Beard Award in the American Classics category. That, of course, caused a flood of people flocking to Oldenburg to try it out, and I decided to wait until the crowds had died down. So I went there with two friends for lunch today.
All three of us ordered the same item from the menu, which was fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, and slaw. The fried chicken is a generous half-chicken, and all the sides came with the ability to ask for more. They had German beers on tap and we all ordered beers to pair with our meals.
The fried chicken was delicious and I'm glad I went there today. It's heavy on the black pepper to the point of it really being the prominent ingredient one notices about the fried chicken. The side dishes were adjusted to my taste with me adding a little salt and pepper.
This quaint little establishment is a treasure for this community, and I feel fortunate to eat at a James Beard Award establishment.
I won't recommend people drive from other states just to eat there, but the well-travelled I-74 from Indianapolis to Cincinnati makes this a convenient stopping place for lunch or dinner in either direction. It's about a five minute trip from the exit.
Brian
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