Sale Barn Cafe in Lamoni Iowa

There is something about livestock auctions and food that just goes together. These are major get together locations with a specific function in the farm economy of Iowa. There are sale barns all over the place in rural Iowa, and many serve food on sale days. There have to be a few that stay open during the week, and I stumbled across one in the far south of Iowa in Lamoni.

Location: 900 East Main St. in Lamoni, Decatur County, Southern Iowa.


Directions: Take the Highway 65 exit from I-35 and turn West. The road turns into Main St in Lamoni and the Sale Barn Cafe is close to the city center.

The Tenderloin: The pork loin had been cut into a basic triangle shape. Breading felt like a little bit of cracker crunch and just a touch of seasoning. The white pork loin meat was steamy and warm while tenderizing had left the grain of the meat barely disturbed for a nice chewy texture. The edges had a little bit of untrimmed fat that could be chewed apart and did not take away from the enjoyment of the sandwich. Overall 7.8 out of ten.

Price: $7.50 a la carte

Also on the menu: There is a hot beef sandwich and tenderloin served hot beef style, something called a Chuck Wagon, burgers and sides. The daily specials come with a roll and a couple sides. The pies and other desserts are often made with fruits from the local Amish farms. They also sell homemade bread.

Strawberry Pie

Service: Its basic seat yourself table service with a register at the counter in the back.

Ambiance: Its a cafe inside a livestock auction building with wood paneled walls and tables for seating. The outside will smell like cows on a hot day.


Final Thoughts: Its no secret that livestock auction houses will have some good food. The hard part is getting into town and knowing the when and where to go. My internet searches have not found any other sale barn cafes with regular weekday hours, and information about any others would be appreciated.