For four decades, Barry’s Pizza and Wings has been a part of many West Indianapolis cheat days and game days since 1983. 

Many see Barry’s Pizza and Wings as a neighborhood staple, and the restaurant has been a part of Indianapolis even longer than its beloved Colts, which moved here from Baltimore in 1984. 

“As far back as I can remember, we were eating Barry’s,” said Daniel Wilson, a maintenance man and drummer for a local metal band. “I definitely think I’d call Barry’s a west side institution.”

A sauce to remember

Soon after establishing the restaurant, Barry Doss, the business’ namesake and owner, and his crew began working on what he attributes as the reason for the restaurant’s long term success: its sauce.

“People rave about my sauce,” Doss said. “It took us about six months of testing everything that we could do as far as sampling. We settled on one sauce brand and then added our own ingredients to it. I’ve been using it for 40 years.”

The sweet and tangy sauce has built a loyal customer base that knows exactly what they want to order.

“My personal go-to order is the extra large with bacon bits, pepperoni and extra cheese,” Wilson said. “I’ve eaten their rib tip dinners, stromboli sandwiches and multiple topping pizzas. I love them all!”

Doss said his most popular product is the Super, an extra large pizza measuring 18 inches packed with 12 toppings.

It’s not just the tasty monstrosities that attract customers. He said customers enjoy knowing that they will get a product that tastes the same every time they order it, no matter when they order it.

“I’ve been consistent since Day 1 on everything going out the door,” Doss said. “Everything I send out is something I’d like sent to my house.”

Doss said he understands that his product is not for everyone, but he tries to make it as easy as possible for people to decide to give his pizzas a try. On Saturdays and Sundays, the restaurant features half-price pizzas for pick up orders.

The deal, he said, helps him pick up new customers, but he doesn’t consider that a victory. For Doss, success comes when the customer orders again.

“I got people that moved away telling me, ‘I’m glad you’re still here,’” Doss said. “They moved to Texas, moved to Florida, and still come by. I have people come down from South Bend, Martinsville, Plainfield, Brownsburg. All over.” 

Building a relationship with the community

Doss believes that the flavors developed by he and his crew have helped him create a product, but his restaurant’s relationship with the community has helped him sell it.

He and a partner initially wanted to start a bar on what was a bustling West Morris Street. The area was still prosperous. Many in the neighborhood still worked at the local GM stamping plant or at other nearby manufacturing facilities.

Doss first bought the part of the building that was a bar called Ron’s Place. He looked into getting a kitchen installed and found it would cost as much as buying the neighboring part of the building, a pizzeria.

But Doss never had ventured into the food business before.

“I never did work at Burger Chef or any of those places growing up,” Doss said. “Our background was in carpentry.”

With the help of Jean Harding, an employee at the former pizzeria, Doss was able to jump into the food business.

Harding taught him what he needed to think about and what he needed to put the business together.

“I can remember the first Thursday I was ever open in this place,” Doss said. “After we got the product out, me and three other people went out there in our shoedebakers and walked the streets passing out our menus. When we got back in here, the phones started ringing and that began our story.”

A limited but lasting reach

National pizza chains have set up in the area, but Doss does not consider them competitors. He believes that the key to his restaurant surviving is to stay true to what his business is good at – making the pizza that locals love.

“I don’t compete with Papa John’s, and I never will,” Doss said. “But if you don’t have a product, you’re not going to survive. We don’t have national advertising. Our national advertising is our product.”

That product has helped Doss’ restaurant survive during the toughest times. He said that while other businesses felt the crunch of 2020’s COVID-19 closures, his business actually became stronger.

Doss first stopped allowing customers to dine in the restaurant, limiting orders to pickup and delivery. He said he had to consider and implement a system to get the food to customers before the city shut down. 

The dining area still is closed, as Doss has switched the focus of his restaurant to pickup and delivery orders. 

The restaurant has prospered despite the change, a success he attributes to his customers’ loyalty.

“The people in the neighborhood are still great,” Doss said.

Location and hours

Barry’s Pizza and Wings is located at 2020 W. Morris St. It is open all week at various times for pickup and delivery orders. To check out its hours and menu, head to barryspizzaandwings.com. 

Mirror Indy reporter Enrique Saenz covers west Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-983-4203 or enrique.saenz@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @heyEnriqueSaenz.