On a late night driving back from Nebraska, this place greeted me with a bright neon "Open" sign. The first place I tried on a cold Monday night was closed, so this was my last chance in this trip to grab a tenderloin.Location: 608 Davis Ave. in Corning, Iowa (population 1,783). Its about 70 miles southeast of Des Moines in Adams County.
Directions: Corning about a mile north of the busy state highway between Creston and Red Oak. Take 148 into town and follow signs marking the business district.
The Tenderloin: This was described on the menu as "Homemade Breaded Loin" sandwich. My plate arrived with a steak knife to cut the sandwich into easily lifted halves. The edges clearly bent upwards. The breading was a little to fine for me, meaning no crumbs fell to the table. The meat was bright white and soft. Served with fixins on a toasted bun. Overall 6.5 out of ten.Price: $4.25 ala carte
Also on the menu: The fries are homemade, also serving steaks and hot beef with daily specials.Service: Seat yourself table service with one waitress and one cook when I arrived towards closing time.
Ambiance: This is a small town diner in a cute main street with furnishings to get a homestyle look with family pictures and simple decorations. The "Kafe" is connected to a bar next door.
Final Thoughts: Corning is an alright place to stop off while driving through southwest Iowa. The mainstreet are has many small shops to check out. This isn't exactly a destination tenderloin, but it kept my craving in check as I drove home.
Promise City may have the most optimistic name in all of Southern Iowa. I had looked in every restaurant in the nearby metropolis of Corydon, but found no notable tenderloins. A trip to Seymour meant I had to drive past this cafe twice. The owner's of the No Name Cafe refurbished a vacant building and now operate the only restaurant for several miles around. Sure, they had a hand-breaded tenderloin. But further down the menu was a colossal pork sandwich that I could not refuse.
The Tyson Whole Hog Tenderloin: I ordered this and sat down for a while as it cooked. Soon I heard the younger waitress asking the other what to do with a sandwich that wouldn't fit in the to-go container. I took it without closing the lid over, because I had what I wanted. This was a big sandwich packed with pork. The tenderloin was hand-breaded, tenderized at the local meat locker. It was much thicker in the center with good chewy consistency. the ham was thick and moist, the bacon was fatty and good. The two slices of cheese tasted like Kraft singles, but were melted just right to make the meats stick together. All served on a bun that was cold, but the bun was just an edible napkin here.
Also on the menu: Full breakfast, with burgers and sandwiches. Today's special was sweet-potato fries.
Ambiance: The Cafe itself was about as humble as its name implied.There were tables, booths, and a counter for seating. The high ceilings of the old building were nice, good natural light come through the windows.
