Stir Crazy Restaurant

I generally make it a point to avoid chain restaurants at all costs. I will make an exception now and again for the sake of expediency or if it comes recommended by someone whose food tastes I trust. Stir Crazy, located at Castleton Mall in Indianapolis fell in to the latter category. Stir Crazy reminded me a lot of P.F Chang's, except they seemed a little less high brow, a little more casual. Stir Crazy differs from P.F. Chang's in that they offer a "make-your-own-stir-fry bar."

Decor:

Here are a couple (dark) pictures of the interior:

As you can see, there's lots of black and red, it's a large space with plenty of tables and booths, and a large bar in the front of the restaurant. All in all, it's nice, not spectacular, probably not where you'd want to propose or have a special dinner, but nice.

Service:

Our server was very pleasant, very attentive, and gave us good tips on what to eat. We had two kids at the table, and before they even arrived, made sure there were crayons and a color-able table mat available. It was a good touch.

Food:

I ordered from their "Right Portion and Price" menu which offers scaled-down sizes of several of their entrees with a fried spring roll. I got the Buddha's Teriyaki Bowl with brown rice. It's a mixture of vegetables in a teriyaki sauce.

I was surprised at how good this was. Lots of veggies, well-seasoned, very fresh-tasting. I did not expect food this quality. I finished the whole plate!

I like my food spicy, so I asked if there was any hot sauce available. I got this:

It had sriracha, chili-garlic sauce, and Chinese mustard. I loved that they had this available. Well done, Stir Crazy!

I had a really nice drink to go with my meal, a mango spritzer (non-alcoholic):

My husband ordered from the "all-you-can-eat" stir-fry bar and was also very pleased with his dish:

My husband's drink, a strawberry lemonade, had promise but was way too sweet. Once he had seltzer added to it, it was much better:

Pricing:

I felt the pricing was more than fair (although you might say the drinks were kind of expensive, but I felt they were in line with other places). Here's the receipt from our visit and you can see for yourself:

Verdict:

It was an experience that exceeded my expectations and that is always a plus for me. I'd go back, even if it is a chain. The food was good, the service was good, the prices were good. 'Nuff said!