Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Dinky Diner in Decatur City, Iowa

Nothing beats visiting classic rail car diners while driving through small towns in Iowa. The Dinky Diner in Decatur City has been serving consonance and comfort food since the building was moved here around 2005. 


Location: 104 NE 4th St in Decatur City, Decatur County, Southern Iowa. Its about sixty miles south of Des Moines.

Directions: Just a few hundred feet East from exit 12 when taking I-35 into Southern Iowa.


The Tenderloin: This one felt like seven or eight ounces when I lifted it up. The meat was in an odd pounded out shape, I had had tenderloins here before in the usual triangle shape. The breading was crunchy and golden brown but some parts were cooked more than others and showed in the darker coloration. Served on a large toasted bun with your choice of fixings. Overall 7.5 out of ten.

Price: $6.50 with a side of ridged potato chips.

Also on the menu: There is a daily menu with the usual boring stuff like burgers, there is full breakfast made fast, and then there is the Menu Board:
Notice the choice of salads, including butter beans, pea salad, and broccoli & cauliflour. I was able to grab a picture of the pies waiting to be served:

Service: There have been at least three people here each time I visited. Its table and counter service with a register to pay by the door.


Ambiance: The Dinky Diner is a later model of the Valentine prefab diner known as the "Double Deluxe", meaning its twice as big as most others with straight edges and corners. There are small booths to go along with the counter seating, and the whole place is spacious compared to other pre-fab diners.


Final Thoughts: Decatur City is twelve miles north of the state line, the second exit from the state border on I-35. I was sure I could find another on my trip south. My next stop in this area will probably be the Sale Barn Cafe in Lamoni, off the first exit on I-35.

Dinky Diner on Urbanspoon

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