Fitzgerald’s Catering & Lunch House Is a Lawrence Favorite
Photographer: Ron Wise
Over the course of the last three decades, Fitzgerald’s Catering, 9130 Otis Ave., Indianapolis, has become a longtime favorite among many Lawrence and Central Indiana residents. It’s also become a reliable place to turn to when a special event or dinner party is being planned.
“We can be counted on to cater all kinds of events, small and large,” says Co-Owner Dana Fitzgerald. “We can do various styles of catering for a wide variety of gatherings. Every catering event is different, and we ensure everything is just how the client wants it.”
The popularity of Fitzgerald Catering has grown substantially since their humble start.
“We started off small, but our reputation as a reliable caterer with great food has helped us continue to grow each year,” Dana says. “Our ‘Rooster’ chicken sandwich has really taken off. It’s a chili lime chicken with smoked bacon, avocado, pickled onions, white cheddar and chipotle cream cheese on a baguette.”
The Rooster is just one example of the high-quality food Dana and her staff spend a lot of time preparing, ensuring that Dana’s high standards for perfection and outstanding service, are met. She stresses that everything is delivered on time and tastes fresh. Their clients return because they are reliable.
“The Lawrence community has really been supportive of us for a long time,” Dana says. “We get business from all over Indianapolis. We also try to use locally sourced materials and ingredients as often as we can.”
Dana also makes sure she delivers what her clients want by listening closely to their plans. Her dedication to the food preparation led to a successful spin-off: Fitzgerald’s Lunch House.
“It’s been very successful since we started a year and a half ago,” Dana says. “It’s a great place for the working man and woman. It’s good food made fast.”
Fitzgerald noted that the success of the comfortable Fitzgerald’s Lunch House is due to the hard-working staff and Co-Owner Kyle Fitzgerald, her son, who carefully crafts fresh lunch selections.
“Kyle has literally been in the kitchen since he could reach wooden spoons,” Dana says. “Professionally, he has honed his craft at GT South’s, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Pearls & Ivy Catering, Ocean Prime, Recess and Bluebeard.
“Some of the most popular menu items at Fitzgerald’s Lunch House are The Rooster sandwich and our Mac n’ Cheese,” Dana adds.
Other options include The Wilbur, a smoked pulled pork sandwich with house pickle chips on a brioche bun, with a side of house BBQ and The Maurice sandwich, with salami, ham, pepperoni, shaved onion, oregano aioli, shredded romaine, Munster, tomato,and submarine vinaigrette on a baguette, among others.
Delicious house made salads include The Popeye Salad, with warm roasted chicken, baby spinach, shaved onions, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, feta and house poppyseed dressing, a Cobb Salad and a House Salad, among others.
Daily specials and daily soups are made from scratch. Fitzgerald’s also has house-made sauces and dressings that are popular with their guests.
“My favorite menu item is The Rooster, but every now and again, I really crave the Roast Beef,” Dana says. “We have more seating for our guests to enjoy our food. With the space we just added, we now have 40 seats in the Lunch House. The patio section opened in May. We are also working on a conference room that can be rented for private events and meetings.”
Dana noted that she and Kyle “work with The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce to help with fundraising and a number of other public events. We are also supporting the emerging art scene in Lawrence.”
Fitzgerald’s Catering & Lunch House is located at 9130 Otis Ave., Indianapolis. You can give them a call at 317-308-7010 or visit them online at fitzgeraldscatering.com.
