Workingman's Friend
Best Old-School Burger in Indianapolis · IN
Smashed thin, served with a cold schooner, since 1918.
The Workingman's Friend has poured cold beer in frosted goblets on the near-west side of Indianapolis since 1918, when the Stamatkin family opened a tavern for the neighborhood's laborers. Its thin, crisp-edged double cheeseburgers and frosty schooners have kept the same booths full for over a century.
A no-frills, cash-friendly Indianapolis institution beloved across generations, it's the 2025 Centurion Award winner.
What they're known for
- Smash double cheeseburgers
- Ice-cold beer in frosted goblets
- Century-old neighborhood tavern
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Selection follows the published criteria; Workingman's Friend met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Indianapolis since 1918 — 108 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Indianapolis.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Indianapolis has kept Workingman's Friend busy for 108 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Indianapolis regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best old-school burger in Indianapolis for 2025 for a century of lacy-edged double cheeseburgers in the same family tavern.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
The details, verified.
- Legal / trading name
- Workingman's Friend
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1918, Indianapolis, IN
- Founders
- The Stamatkin family
- Location
- 234 N Belmont Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46222
- Centurion Award
- Best Old-School Burger in Indianapolis — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
Frequently asked questions.
What is Workingman's Friend?
West-side tavern founded by Louis Stamatkin in 1918, famous for crispy-edged smashed double cheeseburgers and giant schooners of beer.
Is Workingman's Friend award-winning?
Yes — Workingman's Friend is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Old-School Burger in Indianapolis, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best old-school burger in Indianapolis for 2025 for a century of lacy-edged double cheeseburgers in the same family tavern.
Where is Workingman's Friend?
Workingman's Friend is in Indianapolis, IN.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Old-School Burger in Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Workingman's Friend
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Workingman's Friend (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear.
Own this business? Claim the listing for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.