Why We Love Muncie, Indiana
We traveled to Muncie two years ago for Ben’s previous job. We spent less than 24 hours there and fell in love with the town. We’ve been looking for an excuse to go back, so when Beard had a work trip planned to Indianapolis, we obviously had to stop there on the way home. And yes, it’s as amazing as Jerry Gergich says it is on Parks and Recreation.
Where To Stay
Muncie is a tiny city. There is the adorable downtown area and then there’s the campus area near Ball State University. The first time we visited, we stayed closer to campus because the one hotel downtown was booked. This time we stayed at an amazing Airbnb (the one hotel was booked again, Muncie is HAPPENIN’!). The Charles Over Mansion was located in the perfect area. We could walk to where we wanted to go, it was affordable, a really cool experience, and the owner Jonathan was super friendly and offered great recommendations (plus he had a pupper!)
Tonne Winery
On our way into Muncie we stopped at Tonne Winery which was about 15 minutes from downtown. We got there in the early afternoon and had the place to ourselves. We each did the tasting and tried mostly the drier wines. We were very pleased. We ended up buying a bottle of our favorite, Kabrie.
Guardian Brewing Co.
This brewery reminds us of something we’d find in San Diego. It’s open and industrial and no frills. But they serve damn good beer! We enjoy sitting at the bar and talking to the bartenders to get their beer recs and Muncie recommendations. They also make a mean Michelada (Broad had a craving for one this time around). You definitely have to stop here for brews! We recommend trying a whole bunch because they’re all really solid and there’s something for everyone.
Elm Street Brewing
Elm Street is the opposite of Guardian. It’s a cozy, farmhouse type vibe. They have an excellent food menu and extensive bar list. We decided to get dinner here and had to wait a bit because it was hoppin’ on a Friday night. We recommend the pizzas and the chili.
Savage’s Ale House
Savage’s is a laid-back retro type spot with delicious American bar food and a great beer selection. It definitely gets packed. We’ve been lucky enough to snag bar seats both times we’ve been there. This last visit we ordered an appetizer sampler of fried foods, which was delicious, and enjoyed local beers.
The Fickle Peach
We originally came to Muncie the first time because Beard had to work an event at The Fickle Peach. We can describe it (lovingly) as a townie dive bar with one hell of a beer selection. Everyone is so friendly here whether it be the staff or customers. It also happens to be a former bank, so there’s really cool things to take notice of like a giant vault door that leads to the back of house.
The Heorot Pub
When asking the locals where to go for a great beer selection, almost all of them suggest The Heorot. They have over 64 types of beer, cider, and mead on draft and over 300 bottles to choose from as well. We could spend an entire day here. It also seems like the type of bar you’d find in Game of Thrones.
By Hand and Fork
There appeared to be a bunch of good, local breakfast options but we decided on By Hand and Fork for breakfast on our way out of town. This was an adorable diner where everyone appeared to know each other. It felt like you were eating breakfast at your grandma’s house, in the best possible way. Beard got steak and eggs and Broad got a Greek skillet. It was an amazing breakfast!
Muncie is an adorable, friendly, small Midwestern town. We recommend stopping for the night, especially if you’re going to or from Indianapolis or another destination out there. Just like our previous visit, we met some of the nicest people we’ve had the pleasure of coming in contact with while traveling through the midwest. This was our second visit, but it definitely won’t be the last. Who knows, maybe we’ll get a timeshare next to Jerry.