Kerp's Pub in Carroll, Iowa

*whiskey

Kerp's Tavern does not look like much from the outside, just a sign reading KERPS FOOD COLD BEER DRINKING WISKEY. I couldn't find much about this place on my internet searches. A recent tip on foursquare about homemade tenderloins here put this tiny bar on my radar for my next stop in Carroll.

Location: 223 E. 5th St. in Carroll, on the Lincoln Highway in Western Iowa.

Directions: This is on the east side of the main business area, get here from Highway 30 and turning south on Clark or Court streets
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The Tenderloin: this one was not big upon initial inspection. It had been butterfly cut yet the loin meat was extra thick. The juiciness was above average and the grain of the meat was only partly broken by the tenderizing. Breading had some salt and pepper and a crisp exterior. Served on a steamy warm bun, this was good bar food. Overall 7.9 out of ten.

Price: $4.50 a la carte

Also on the menu: Its a real basic bar food menu with low prices. There are burgers and fried stuff, and pizzas with names like "Pizza Lovers" and another pizza that claims to have nine meats piled on top. Daily specials are just $6.00

Service: Its small town bar service from the counter, I guess there is table service too. I think the other people here were regulars and the waitresses made conversation.

Ambiance: This is a low key bar with a dark interior, beer signs and sports stuff on the walls, and a pool table in the back. There is seating at the bar or tables.

Final Thoughts: I think I had tried tenderloins at a sports bar and an ice cream fountain in Carroll over the years and neither seemed worth writing about. I wouldn't put this one on the same level as the places farther south on Highway 71, but it a good tenderloin at a good price in an unexpected place.