Sally's Old Fashioned Hamburgers Des Moines Skywalk

Its hard to find a true replacement for the great tenderloin that Original Coney Island used to serve in the Skywalk before they closed last year. There is this place claiming a homemade tenderloin, and then there is Winston's Skywalk Pub and Battani's Pizza, each about a block away.

Location: 555 Walnut St in the 3rd Floor Food Court at the Kaleidoscope at the Hub Building.

Directions: You walk up the stairs from the bus station, its up a flight of escalators from the skywalk.

The Tenderloin: The first think you notice is the tenderloin is nice and thick, cut open for you to see. The breading had just a little bit of flavour. The meat was white, but not very tender. The whole thing wasn't really all that big. They get a little extra on the rating for the presentation. Overall 6.5/10

Price: $4.35, with fixins or $7.50 in a combo meal.

Also on the menu: The specialty is hamburgers, but there is a huge menu of homemade comfort food including a full breakfast. The menu advertised a "frenchie" sandwich when I visited.

Service: Its just a counter, you wait for your number to be called.

Ambiance: This is just a big food court with lots of fast food for the office crowd, its abandoned after about 2 in the afternoon.

Final Thoughts: This isn't exactly a tenderloin worth making a trip for. However, what Sally's gives you is far Superior to what Maid-Rite dishes out at the other end of the food court. Its also a good value for your money downtown.

BK's Sports Bar & Grill in Ogden

I think I had tried at least four places in Boone looking for homemade tenderloin, but couldn't find one. Just down the highway in Ogden is a legendary giant tenderloin. Its at a small sports bar that has changed location a few times, but perseveres and stays in business for the small town of Ogden Iowa.

Location: 113 E. Walnut St in Ogden in Boone County.

Directions: Walnut St. is the Old Lincoln Highway route through town, so take the Old Highway 30 or drive straight up 1st street from the Highway 30/169 junction south of town.

The Tenderloin: The tenderloin is nearly too big for the take-away box, with the fixins and bun hidden underneath. This was one big piece of pork loin in the usual triangle shape that was bright white inside. The meat was uneven in thickness but remained moist throughout. The thick breading and toasted bun gave this plenty of crunchiness. Overall 8/10

Price: $6.65, with fixins and a side.

Also on the menu: Large menu includes full breakfast and lunch that has burgers and the usual fried appetizers.

Service: There is table service, but I went to the bar because the dining area wasn't busy when I stopped by.

Ambiance: There's a well-lit dining area in front with a darker bar area in the back. The walls are decorated with sports junk and a picture of Elvis.
Final Thoughts: This was referred to on the menu as a fritter but its clearly a homemade tenderloin. The folks at BK's can be proud of this one.