Ash & Elm Cider Co. Restaurant and Cider Bar - Carmel

Amazing every time. Literally one of the best (if not THE best) cider companies in the country. They also have great food & events.

We had a great experience. We went just for drinks and our server made us feel very welcomed! The winter ciders weren’t our favorite, but we loved all of the others! Our table really liked Hazy Harvest as well as Sunset. We will be back if we’re in the area!

The new location is amazing! The atmosphere is so cute, the staff were friendly and attentive, and of course the cider was just as delicious as it always has been. I got the new cider braised chicken sandwich, which was incredible!

Gluten free cheese curds AND Fish and Chips? Yes, please! Thank you for making those of us with food intolerances feel welcome and safe. The cider is beyond amazing (more Apple Butter Dreams, please). I’ll def be back!

Traveling through Carmel and visited Asha and Elm. This was an unexpected delight. The ciders are very good. The service is great. We had the pleasure of Mel taking us through the menu. Everything she recommended was awesome! Cottage pie, cheese curds, harvest salad, fried chicken Sammy, the sunset cider(in a side romance now). Very gray place to eat and drink.

Couldn’t ask for more from Ash & Elm because they really have it all. Great food, savory appetizers, tasty drinks, warm atmosphere and wonderful staff. Perfect location for a quick cider or a date night dinner. Best ciders of all time!

Great service and cider. Like to stop in at least monthly for the ciders of the month and the seasonal ciders. The standard ciders are great too. Didn’t eat this visit but the food is good. Gluten free, vegetarian etc food items for every diet.

I ordered a flight, and every cider I tried was delicious. The grilled cheese was among the best I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Cute decor, family-friendly (our toddler loved the buttered noodles)—highly recommend!

Visited the Carmel Ash & Elm location, Bailey was our server and she was amazing! It was our first time and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Came for the Purple Pride and can’t wait to go back!

We had such a fun experience at Ash & Elm! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was relaxed, inviting, and perfect for sampling something new. The selection of ciders was impressive, ranging from crisp and dry to fruity and bold, and the staff was super knowledgeable and helpful in guiding us through different styles. We loved trying the tasting flights, which made it easy to discover new favorites and compare different flavors side by side. Whether you’re a seasoned cider fan or just curious, there’s something for everyone here. Hint: Try combining the Strawberry Lemonade with the Margarita! Highly recommend checking this place out if you’re in the area! Bryn was also phenomenal!

Great food and great service! Our server, Jesse, suggested the margarita cider and the bulgogi bowl. Both were spectacular. Two of us are gluten intolerant and we had so many options! One of the people in the party ordered a dessert that she didn’t like, had another person at our table try it, and when we politely informed our server that it wasn’t good, he went to his manager and she went above and beyond to rectify the situation. I can’t say enough good things about them! We will definitely be back!

We stopped recently for lunch while visiting family. We were familiar with Ash & Elms delicious ciders and glad we had the opportunity to check out their food options. Everything was wonderful, the service was fast, and it was a great atmosphere for lunch. I highly recommend!

I have been here multiple times in the last month since moving to Carmel and I love it. Amazing food and fantastic service. They host trivia here every Tuesday night and it is always fun. The smash burger is very flavorful and cooked properly every time. All of the staff is amazing but Jordan and Kelsey are definitely my favorites.

We have multiple people with celiacs in our family and Ash & Elm is one of our go to restaurants. The wait and kitchen staff are well versed in CC prevention and take it seriously. There are many GF options and a dedicated fryer. Some of our favorite GF options are the vegan and Mediterranean bowls, fried chicken sandwich, fries with aoili, cheese curds, fish and chips and corn dog. Their new brunch options are delicious, especially their GF waffle - I asked what mix they use but they make the batter from scratch! Also can’t miss out on the cider flight - fleeting youth, bloomsberry and the seasonal rotations are some of our favorites.

We came for the first time on Halloween and had a great time! The PB&J cider was amazing, as was the service. We’ll definitely be back!

This was our first visit to the Carmel Ash & Elm, and it was such a great experience! I highly recommend their GF cheese curds, and they have a wide variety of ciders to try. Thank you to Ethan and Bryn for making my birthday lunch so enjoyable!

Good vibes , great service, good food and excellent cider. What more can you ask for? The fleeting youth is crisp, the raspberry and lemon balances perfectly and it tastes great from can to glass at home! Had a couple ciders on draft and took home a 4 pack. Must stop if your a Cider fan. Side note - I threw back like 5 ciders and DIDN'T wake up with a hangover, Quality ingredients.

Great gluten free offerings. The fries are incredibly good. I can't wait to go back and try more things. Service was great, the servers were very knowledgeable about offerings. I highly recommend coming here if you are looking for gluten free options.

Great experience. The staff, good, and drink were great. We will be back to enjoy more ciders.

In the words of my teenagers, I am shooketh! What a small treasure for the area. My husband and I are foodies and we were genuinely pleased with everything that came out! I highly recommend the cheese curds. They were a perfect breading to cheese ratio and were not overwhelmingly heavy. Their ciders were delicious and the PB &J was not gross. It had a light flavor with just the right amount of nutty. The service was also great!

They have a lot of GF items for my husband and all their dryers are gluten free. The food was terrific and their service was awesome. Bailey was our server and she was very knowledgeable and took time to answer all our questions and give us feedback on the different ciders. We will definitely be back...can't wait to try different items.

If you're in the mood for a perfect pairing of craft cider and comfort food, look no further than Ash & Elm Cider Co.! I recently visited and had an absolutely stellar experience. The ambiance is cozy and inviting, with a great vibe that makes it a fantastic spot to relax and enjoy a meal. Now, let’s talk about the star of the show—the Really Good Grilled Cheese sandwich. This isn’t your average grilled cheese. It’s a next-level creation that combines perfectly toasted sourdough bread with a gooey, melty blend of cheeses that’s nothing short of heavenly. The balance of crispy exterior and creamy, savory interior is pure perfection. Honestly, it’s one of the best grilled cheeses I’ve ever had, hands down! Highly recommend Ash & Elm Cider Co. for anyone who enjoys great food, excellent ciders, and a laid-back atmosphere. I’ll definitely be back for more of that grilled cheese!

I was very excited to go here because of the prospect of gluten-free fried chicken and french fries. My waitress Bailey was amazing, and she was very attentive and offered me samples of the cider because I had never tried it before. Although I ultimately chose a glass of red wine instead of a cider, they do have lots of varieties to choose from. The fried chicken I ordered was boneless Chicken on gluten-free bread with a side of french fries. there was more fried than chicken and tasted a little overdone, but I do appreciate the fact that they had a dedicated fryer. The french fries were just fine. I ordered the Panna cotta for dessert which was also good but not fabulous. The atmosphere of the restaurant was pretty cafeteria-esk. It was not a comfortable feeling at all, very minimalist and Stark, and cold. I probably be back to try something else on their menu as they do have other gluten-free options but the best thing about the place, was my server Bailey's personality.

This was really my first cider experience and it did not disappoint. Jordan took care of me and my friends from the moment we stepped in. Greeted us very kindly, quickly got us seated, and gave great recommendations. We ended up trying the flights. The seasonal flight is an absolute must if you love Fall. The separate Chocolate Covered Sunset drink is a perfect dessert in a glass. Was able to sit out on the patio on a comfortable night. Warm string lighting and very attentive service made this a great stop on girls night. Thank you Jordan!

Did not try the food. Nick the host was very nice when we called to inquire about drink options. We sat at the bar and service was decent, it wasn't busy but we felt we had to pull info from the very pleasant younger bartender. Not a knock on her but as this was our 1st time, just thought she would engage a little more. Staff was pleasant. We most likely would come back to try the food.

First off, the ciders are a home run—we really wanted to like the taproom. I gave the service two stars, not because our server was bad—she was actually very good—but because she was covering both the inside bar and the patio, so she couldn’t be very attentive. That’s not her fault; she did a great job under the circumstances. The food looked beautiful. However, the salsa didn’t distinguish itself from jarred varieties. The cider cheese was tasty. My daughter’s noodles were well-coated but lacked flavor, and my wife’s sandwich tasted like it hadn’t been seasoned at all. We’ll give it another chance—everyone has an off night—but maybe just for drinks next time.

Staff was friendly but I am afraid if they don’t work on hiring more staff to improve wait times, they are going to struggle with repeat business. The food took a while, we had to ask for water multiple times, two of the guest kegs were not available, the food came out cold, and we had to ask for our check after sitting for a while. We were not in a rush, and were trying to be very patient, but they were definitely understaffed. One person was waiting tables and delivering food, he was the only person we saw in the main area of dining (he was working hard and very friendly). The food was tasty even though not warm. I got the wrong salad as my side but did not mention it because I didn’t want to wait for a new one. I wanted to give them another chance today and ordered carry-out and waited 30 minutes for just a salad. I also overheard the server apologizing to one of the three tables for their delayed food. The restaurant was not busy post lunch hour so didn’t seem to be a scenario where they should have been scrambling. I am not sure if they are also short-staffed in kitchen too? I hope this location does well and can improve on timing of food, which reflects my service rating; there are a lot of places to choose from in Carmel, but hoping this one succeeds!

The food was serviceable but not especially creative. The vegetarian bowl was both bland (white rice base) and salty, with little other added flavor to make it interesting. My daughter's smashburger was OK, but we all agreed that the plain fries weren't worth finishing. We were also struck by the generic decor--bright lights and plastic. There were many families with small kids, which was honestly a bit surprising for a cidery. We didn't try the cider, but that's probably the only reason we'd return. Friendly and attentive service, though.

Feels like there still in Startup mode, outside of the Hostess who is impeccable. Place leaves ALOT to be desired. Love the Brand completely. But this location needs help.

Menu items marked gluten free but BE CAREFUL!! We went for the gluten free cheese curds, gluten free fish & chips, and gluten free fried chicken sandwich. They were out of cheese curds AND fish! Even though the fried fish sandwich was marked gluten free on the menu, you still had to ASK for a gluten free bun (which turned out to actually be bread) AND there was an up charge for the gluten free bun. No where on the menu did it say there was an up charge for the gluten free bun! We asked for ALL our food to be gluten free, but the burger came out on a regular bun. The Pancit was nearly all noodles with barely any sauce. Hard to find the vegetables, needed more sauce, & sauce needed more flavor. Also, $5 up charge for cider braised chicken to be added and there wasn’t more than 3 bites of over dry chicken. The cider cheese was grainy and they don’t give you enough chips to even eat half of the cheese. On the bright side, the fried chicken sandwich and burger were delicious.

The building, dining room, and patio are beautiful. And every cider I've tried from Ash & Elm has been delicious. However, both times I've come to this particular location for lunch, the service has been slow. On the most recent visit, service was incredibly slow. Our group arrived before noon and there was only 1 table of guests in the dining room and nobody on the patio. We had a large group(~10) and sat on the patio outside. Apparently, there was only one person working in the kitchen that day, which neither the hostess or wait staff informed us of until we were already annoyed at the long wait for our food.(approx. 20 minutes to get drinks, and well over an hour to get food that was cold) Had we been informed of the short kitchen staff upon our arrival, we could've decided to go elsewhere and avoided a bad experience.

I have enjoyed eating at the downtown Ash & Elm many times & was very excited to have one closer to home. But they definitely have some bugs to work out. The food was good but not great. They were out of several menu items including a cider that I tried to order. And, the service was VERY slow! It was over an hour from the time we were seated until our food arrived. Maybe give them some time before you try it. Hopefully it will improve.

Cider was great, but food really lacked. The "shaved" steak sandwich had chunks of meat and raw red onions. We sent it back and they subbed out for caramelized onions, but the sandwich still wasn't good. The kids "smash burger" was thick and on a stale, dry bun. The cheese curds were good, but needed salt and the fries were over salted. The ranch has dill overkill. We let our server know, but nothing was comped. $150 after tip for good drinks, but bad food.

Service was very slow. It took 25 minutes to get my drink that was sitting at the bar. To add insult they automatically charged a 20 percent gratuity for a party of six.

Good server and atmosphere. Drinks were also good, and came out quickly. However they have a few things to work on for their food service. We had a party of 6, ordered 3 apps and 5 entrees, and came in at 6:30 on a sunday. The appetizers took about 30 minutes and the entrees took about an hour to come out after ordering. When it did come, the bulgogi bowl we ordered was also way over seasoned, to the point that it was inedible. We weren’t offered a replacement, possibly because by the time we were served, the kitchen had closed. The fish n chips were soft and not crispy. Also, the cheese curds were clumped together and seemed like half of them were distinctly darker and missing cheese inside. We appreciate that the management was able to give us a discount on the food after we brought up the long wait, however we had to go back twice to correct the bill. Overall, not a pleasant experience dinner-wise, despite having a great server who kept us updated and listened to our feedback.

Cider is great, food was fine. The cheese curds were an abomination. They didn’t really even have cheese and they were just a giant conglomerate of baked oil. They were all stuck together and it was all hard and chewy and my girlfriend literally picked it all up and they all came together. I asked the waiter if it’s normal and she said yes but it was honestly the biggest disgrace of cheese curds ever, especially for the price. Service was fine.

Very poor experience at Ash & Elm on Mother's Day. Restaurant was 2/3 full at 2:30 pm for late lunch. Took over 90 minutes for our lunch of grilled cheese, fish & chips and 2 salads. Luckily our party had plenty to chat about, but we were quite hungry. They were out of many things on the menu, and dressings and sunflower seeds for salad were non-existent. We saw two parties walk out. Staff tried their hardest, but restaurant seemed to be plagued with operational issues. Portions small. Management tried to make right with discount and free donuts. Apple cider donuts were terrible. Undercooked and tasteless. Go for the cider, elsewhere for food

couldn't get service for a half hour. when we did get service, my gf ordered a flight and the bartender slammed the flight order form in front of her and walked away brusquely. I attempted to say I didn't need a form I wanted the Dry Flight. she then spent another 10 minutes going to every table but ours. I wrote "Dry Flight" on my form while we debated leaving when she finally came back to us, she saw what id written and said "we don't serve rude people here" and told us to leave. first time I've been asked to leave anywhere in my life. first negative review I've ever written. I missed out on the ciders, she missed out on a de facto large tip (I worked food service myself), my my gf and I got traumatized by the manager/bartender. food might be great, I wouldn't know.

This review is 100% because of my food order tonight. My carry out was just supposed to be their basic smash burger w/fries. I get home, take out the food & notice they added tomatoes when I asked them not to. You’d think it’s not a big deal right, I can just pick them off…. Well not if your burger has been drenched in ketchup, mustard & mayo. There were actual pools of condiments soaking the lettuce, tomatoes, bread & meat patty. It was so bad I had to take paper napkins to wipe the layers of condiments off the burger & bread. All I was left with was a cruddy meat patty covered by a soggy sesame seed bun. Then it got worse, I took a bite & realized the burger smells & tastes slightly like fish on one side. Like it was cooked right next to some sort of fish burger on the griddle. Now you’re probably thinking why wouldn’t I have just driven back & complained, well at that point I had just conceded & was going for surviving the day. It was almost 9pm, I was already home exhausted & so unbelievably hungry after a very long work day. This was also the very first time I had a bite to eat all day. It was either I ate the cruddy burger or whatever random stale food I could find in my kitchen. So I chopped that section of burger off threw it away & was left with eating a portion of a bad imitation Burger King burger for twice the price. Lesson learned, next time I’ll just stick to their cider because that is the one thing that is reliably 5 stars.

This is a repost of an older review I had previously taken down, but after seeing the individual we referenced share their own experience—and noticing many similar complaints since our incident, I felt it was important to share again. We gave Ash & Elm a second chance after a so-so experience during Devour, where we expected delays but still felt a bit unwelcome. The first time, a server said how he wasn't going to serve just two people, not sure if he knew we heard that or not... unfortunately, after the second visit, we won't be returning. We sat at the bar again and were initially greeted and got our drinks quickly. However, as time went on, the bar manager kept disappearing for 10+ minutes at a time while customers waited. We struggled just to get a refill, let alone order food. When we were ready to ask for our check, she finally reappeared--only to disappear again to check what the new burger of the month was. Meanwhile, a couple who sat down after us waited so long that they listed everything they wanted at once, unsure when she'd return. They weren't rude, but she told them they were and asked them to leave, making the whole atmosphere tense. After waiting 1 hour and 45 minutes, our food finally arrived--and mine was wrong. At that point, I just asked for a box so we could leave. Meanwhile, people who sat down after us were already eating. I didn't want to spend over two hours waiting for a simple burger and cider. We understand staffing shortages and are sympathetic, but disappearing for long stretches, leaving customers unattended, and not even checking in isn't acceptable. Seeing other reviews mentioning the same issues months ago makes it clear that nothing is improving. Maybe a second location isn't a great idea if staffing is an ongoing problem. And calling customers "rude" for trying to get their order in after waiting forever? That's just bad hospitality. Lived in Indy for 12 years now, this has been the worst service experience in any restaurant in the Indianapolis area. If you want good ciders still, I highly recommend going to the liquor store, get some Ash & Elm and some Steak n Shake burgers and you're going to have much better service and cheaper experience altogether. While upper management did address the situation, it has continued to come up in conversations about some of the worst places to go in the Indy area.