Main Terminal is where IND hides its noodles: Pei Wei
In Indianapolis International’s Main Terminal, Pei Wei Asian Diner fills the non-burger gap with rice bowls, noodle dishes, and lettuce wraps. It’s the airport’s primary quick-service Asian option, so anyone wanting kung pao instead of a $14 cheeseburger usually ends up here. The setup is fast-casual: order at the counter, get a pager, and food comes out in roughly 8–12 minutes when they’re not slammed.
Expect $$ pricing by airport standards: most mains land around the low-teens instead of the $10–11 you might see at a street-side Pei Wei. Portions still run large enough that one wok bowl comfortably feeds one adult; sharing an entrée plus an order of crab wontons stretches the value a bit. One Google reviewer literally called it “nice to have something different than burgers and pizza,” which sums up the draw when you’ve already walked past two chains selling slices.
Menu standouts: classic orange chicken with fried rice, the Kung Pao chicken or shrimp if you want actual heat, and the Pad Thai for something heavier on noodles. Spring rolls and crab wontons work well as a portable side if you’re hustling back to a gate. Skip anything that’s obviously been sitting under the heat lamps for more than a few minutes; at least one review dings them for holding food too long, which dries out the chicken.
Watch out for the combo of airport pricing and timing: hit Pei Wei during a bank of afternoon departures and you can see a 15–20 minute wait plus limited seating. If your IND layover is under 40 minutes, this isn’t the move. Order sauce on the lighter side if you’re heading into a long flight. One practical tip: check the line from the walkway before committing; if it’s more than 8–10 people deep, grab something grab-and-go instead.