Des Loines

Elm's Club in Creston

2012-02-01T04:43:00.002-06:00

Downtown Creston is a typical regional Iowa town with a big train station and tall buildings like the newly renovated Hotel Iowana. The exterior of The Elms Club gives no hint that any kind of special sandwich lies inside. Walking inside and looking at the menu reminds the visitor that this was a 3rd place winner in a 2003 IPPA Breaded Tenderloin contest. I had been meaning to make it here earlier. A few years ago I came to this place on a Friday night only to find it was a bike night and the kitchen was closed with a bbq smoker selling pulled pork sandwiches outside.

Location: 108 North Elm Street Creston, Union County, south and west of Des Moines.

Directions: The Elms Club is on Elm St in the old downtown area of Creston, north of the railroad tracks and Amtrack Station. Follow the signs from the highway to find the business district.

Online at: A facebook page is HERE.
The Tenderloin: The thick and slightly seasoned batter made several crunchy knots on several edges of the tenderloin. Delicious looking golden brown outside lead to bright white pork inside. The whole sandwich felt heavy, but not too big for small appetites. The juiciness and thick white meat was tasty and just tender enough. This is a good one. Overall 9.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.25, an exceptional value.

Also on the menu: the usual bar food and fried stuff with burgers and chicken fried steak.

Service: Its bar service and the place gets busy for Karaoke and other events.

Ambiance: This is a darkly lit bar with tables, booths, and a counter for seating. The light comes from beer signs and flatscreen televisions. Taking pictures inside the bar were impossible, and most of my photos didn't get the color quite right.

Final Thoughts: The Elms Club in Creston is a low key small town bar with a very good battered tenderloin. Its as the sign reads: Drinks, Food, Pool.

D & S Grocery in Melcher-Dallas

2012-01-15T03:37:00.002-06:00

This post is titled D & S Grocery in Melcher-Dallas, but the tenderloins are supplied by Northcote Meats, a locker located next door. Northcote Meats handmakes these in their locker, and supplies restaurants in the area. Many tenderloin places get their meat supplied from a local locker, some have their pork loins cut there. An award winning tenderloin restaurant may even have their supplier tenderize the loins after having cut and trimmed off site. Northcote is not some giant food processor, its just a small locker employing locals in Melcher-Dallas and specializing in tenderloins.

Location: 104 SE Main in Melcher-Dallas, Marion County, Central Iowa about 35 miles Southeast of Des Moines.

Directions: Take County HWY S45 about nine miles south from the Highway 5 and Highway 92 intersection south of Pleasantville on the road to Knoxville.

Online at: Northcote Meats has a website HERE.
The Bigfoot Tenderloin: I am pretty sure I've eaten these before at more than one place in the area around Melcher-Dallas. The shape was nearly a perfect oval from above, although one side was slightly thicker than the other. The meat felt like seven ounces or more when lifting the sandwich. The meat was a bit on the thin and gray side, but felt like it was from one piece of meat. The texture of the breading had a good crunch, but with no seasoning or spices in the mix. The whole thing felt like it needed all the fixings plus ketchup and mustard to make it taste alright.

Price: $5.50
Also on the menu: There is a smaller tenderloin, tons of fried stuff and burgers. The rural Iowa versions of Mexican fluffy tacos and nachos seemed popular with the locals.

Service: The D & S Grocery has two ladies working the counter with another in the kitchen area, food taken to your table when its ready. Northcote next door will process your pork, beef, or deer.
Ambiance: This is a small town grocery and fast food stop which had a flow of locals in the small dining area.
Final Thoughts: My trip to Melcher-Dallas to check this out didn't change my mind about these things. They only seem fit for places that can't make one on site or don't have the combination of time, trained labor, or other things necessary to make a good tenderloin. This The Bigfoot is better than some tenderloins at places that don't make one right, and I guess its preferable to any other premade tenderloin I've found.

Al's Blue Toad in Cedar Rapids

2012-01-02T03:37:00.000-06:00

Driving down the main street of the Little Bohemia neighborhood in Cedar Rapids brings a visitor past several small businesses with signs in Czech. I never got around to trying any tenderloins here before the big flood came through. Over the years since 2008 many businesses have reopened, while others have decided to make major changes or move on. The owner of the old Zindrick's Restaurant used the time after the flood to reorganize and remake the restaurant. The space is now home to both the Blue Toad, and the adjacent space is now the Red Frog operated by his sister.

Location: 86 16th Ave. SW in the Czech Village area of Cedar Rapids.

Directions: The closest exit from 380 is at Wilson Ave, I think there are signs pointing the way to the Czech Village area.

Online at: website is here.

The Tenderloin: Described on the menu as the Cajun Breaded Tenderloin. It felt like they took and regular tenderloin and tossed it in a mix of cajun seasonings. It tasted like a lot of salt on the outside of the breading. The white pork meat had been pounded into a butterfly shape visible in the pictures. Edges of the sandwich easily tore off the center and felt soft while chewing. The seasoning overpowered the breading but had some great spiciness, the Cajun mayo was good for the thick cut fries. Served with all the fixins on a soft toasted bun. Overall 8.2 out of ten.

Price: $8.55 with fries and slaw.

Also on the menu: Czech stuff including roasted pork loin, goulash, or chicken paprika. Along with bar foods like burgers, sandwiches and salads.

Service: It was table service with a bar area that looked busy.

Ambiance: Its a modern bar restaurant with flatscreen televisions and tables or booths for seating. Beer signs illuminate the blue interior along with natural light.

Final Thoughts: I had only visited the Czech Village a couple times prior to the flood, so I can't say whether the places reopening here restore the neighborhood to what it once was. The Little Bohemia district was once a neighborhood with small businesses catering to people living nearby. Today it is a destination for people from other parts of Cedar Rapids or the Eastern Iowa Corridor. My next stop in this area will be Little Bohemia Bar, a place whose kitchen has slowly expanded its selections since reopening a year ago and is serving a tenderloin once again.

Wellmans Pub on Ingersoll and the Fatboy Tenderloin

2011-12-15T02:11:00.003-06:00

Wellmans Pub is a neighborhood bar that has been on Ingersoll for as long as I can remember. I could have sworn I came here once for a special Garlic Chicken Pizza when this place was a little different. The people who own this place operate a few other bars, and I think they changed chefs and started a new menu here recently. Wellman's Pub on Ingersoll is related to Wellman's Pub & Rooftop, the trendy dance club and singles bar in West Des Moines.

Location: 2920 Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines

Directions: Its right on Ingersoll Ave under the big sign.

The Fatboy Tenderloin: I can't remember the menu description but this thing came out sd a tenderloin with a layer of sliced ham, two slices of cheese and a pile of onion rings on top. There was a small container with what seemed like a special sauce for the onion rings. The tenderloin underneath it all felt like a good eight ounces, and was pounded out into a butterfly shape. The breading tasted like regular bread crumbs without seasoning. The onion rings, combined with sliced red onions on top meant lots of onion taste in this sandwich. Served with all the fixings on a toasted bun.

Price: $9.99 with a side, the Sweet Potato Fries in the pictures were a dollar extra. Still a good value for so much food.
Also on the menu: There is a Cajun seasoned tenderloin, as well as burgers, salads and other stuff.

Service: I came by during the off hours and there were more servers than people. I think the patio are gets filled during the summer.
Ambiance: I could have sworn this place was renovated at some point not too long ago. The old sports stuff seemed to have moved, it was more exposed woodwork in booths with a full bar and patio seating in warm weather.

Final Thoughts: Does this sandwich make any sense on any level? A tenderloin topped with ham, cheese and onion rings? I like having a tenderloin available on Ingersoll more than just about anybody else, but I think I will stick with a regular size sandwich next time.

Bluebird Diner in Iowa City

2011-12-01T03:25:00.001-06:00

While cruising through restaurant websites looking for places to try, this diner in Iowa City reminded me of a place I had visited earlier in Waterloo. Bluebird Diner has a mission to serve homemade comfort food made with fresh and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Between this place and Newton's Paradise Cafe in Waterloo, Eastern Iowa seems to have a couple of better, new, retro self-styled "diners" than any of the new diners I have found in Central Iowa.

Location: 330 East Market Street in Iowa City, Eastern Iowa.

Directions: Its across the street from Johns Grocery on the north side of downtown Iowa City.

Online at: their website is HERE.

The Tenderloin: In the dim light that made my photos turn out bad, the sandwich had a medium size and shape that was between a mitten and the triangular loin cut. The white meat was cut with the grain and didn't feel like it had been tenderized. There was a good cracker crunch and just a little seasoning in the breading. The whole thing just wasn't tender enough. Served with all the fixings on a soft toasted bun. Overall 7.1 out of ten.

Price: $8.75 with a side, also available grilled or blackened. They gave me a mountain of lightly seasoned fries with my sandwich.

Also on the menu: Comfort food including a full breakfast menu with burgers, sandwiches and daily specials for dinner.

I sat right in front of the Cinnamon Rolls, and figured they were worth taking a picture:
Service: It looked like two student waitresses and a cook when I visited during the off-hours. The receipt included cute phrases like "It was our tweet to serve you" and "have a pheasant day!"

Ambiance: I think this building was a paint store when I went to school in Iowa City long time ago. The exterior was designed to resemble Edward Hopper's 1942 painting Nighthawks, my camera couldn't really capture the dark light after the sun went down. The diner in Nighthawks has no door, but the Bluebird has a door with a curtain inside.

Final Thoughts: I would come back to this place to try the breakfast items that sound good like the Biscuits & Gravy or the Egg Omelet choices. I haven't spent enough time trying tenderloins in Iowa City since I last wrote up Midtown Family Restaurant a couple years ago. My list of places to check includes Hamburg Inn No.2, Shakespeare's Pub, and a long list of small town cafe's in the area.

Roadside Inn Martensdale & the Famous Giant Loin

2011-11-15T02:17:00.003-06:00

My travels around Iowa eating sandwiches has taught me that many places claiming to have a "famous" sandwich are in towns a little more famous for something else. According to their menu, this tenderloin was mentioned by a host on WHO Radio as being the best in Iowa. Martensdale has recently become locally famous for Martensdale-St. Mary's High School and their prolific baseball team which has won over eighty games in a row in a streak still going as this blog post goes to print.

Location: 325 N Highway 28 in Martensdale, about ten miles south of Des Moines in Warren County.

Directions: Take the HWY 92 Bevington exit East from I-35, or Highway 28 south from Norwalk. Look for the giant signage, but ask the hostess "Is this The Roadside Inn?" upon entering just to make sure.

The "Famous Giant Loin": This thing was huge, it cam out on a plate covering both parts of the bun and the side of french fries. I could taste some seasoning salt and black pepper in the breading which stuck to the meat well but never had any crunch. The pork had good juiciness and was moist even at the edges that stuck out beyond the center. The fat hadn't been completely trimmed they way I like it. Served with your choice of fixings on a flour-dusted bun. Overall 8.2 out of ten.

Price: $9.49 for 1 Giant Loin with not one but two sides:
Also on the menu: Huge menu with broasted chicken, steaks, ribs, sandwiches, salads, hand dipped onion rings, and more that I didn't write down.

Service: Its table service in the dining area, or counter service at the bar.

Ambiance: This is an old building renovated a few years ago. There is a dining area with booths and a bar area with seats and a counter. The decorations are mostly for local sports teams.
Final Thoughts: The Roadside Inn is a classic Iowa side of the highway roadhouse with gravel parking lot and lettering that can be seen from outer space. Its closer to Des Moines than most of the other roadhouses I have made it to for giant tenderloins, less than ten miles down the road from the main street in Norwalk. I don't think this sandwich is more famous the the MSM baseball team, but I think the small community is happy with both.

Old 30 Grill in Jefferson

2011-11-01T02:36:00.000-05:00

The Old 30 Grill Cafe in Jefferson looks like so many other Lincoln Highway side of the road stops for food. I don't think this place has been open too long, but there isn't much information available out there.

Location:505 East Lincolnway Street in Jefferson, Greene County, in Central Iowa. At the end of the Raccoon River Valley Bike Trail.

Directions: Lincolnway is the old Lincoln Highway and this place is 3 blocks East of the giant bell tower in the middle of Jefferson.

The Tenderloin: A nice golden brown color with spots of seasoning made the breading look delicious. The meat had a clear butterfly cut in the middle, and the size was a good six or seven ounces. Steam from inside the soft white inside had moved the breading off of the meat. The tenderizing seemed to take any firmness out of the cut of loin, and the edges drooped over the bun. Served on an untoasted flour-dusted bun. Overall 7.2 out of ten.

Price: $6.25 with fixings and a side.
Also on the menu: The menu is big with burgers and fried stuff.

Service: There is table service available but I went with a to go box from the counter.
Ambiance: Its an old building that has been renovated into a restaurant. The interior had some tables and a bar with transportation themed decorations. I chose the take my to-go box to the park at the end of the bike trail right beside the cafe.

Final Thoughts: I think the sign below was trying to say WE HAVE THE BEST LOINS IN TOWN. But I will have to go across Jefferson and try the Uptown Cafe on my next trip to Jefferson to make my own judgement.

Short Stop in New London

2011-10-15T03:13:00.001-05:00

The Short Stop in New London is a small town drive-in just off the state highway in Southeast Iowa. A local newspaper article tells me that this place serves over a hundred of these a day during the busy summer months. The owners have help promotions giving one lucky person a free tenderloin every month for a year, but it always seems to happen when I am not in town.

Online at: It looks like somebody set up a facebook page when they sold their 50,000th tenderloin HERE.

Location: 600 East Main St in New London, Henry County, Southeast Iowa.

Directions: Its on the Eastern edge of town, Main St. has an exit from Highway 34.

The Tenderloin: The meat portion was huge, feeling like at least twelve ounces. The shape was about halfway between an oval and a rectangle. Breading had a huge amount of crunch and eating this sandwich sent crumbs flying everywhere. The meat was moist and a bit darker than some other loins, pounded thin and the ratio of meat to breading was a little lean. Served with all the fixins on a corn dusted bun. Overall 8.5 out of ten.

Price: $4.75, also available grilled,a good value.
Also on the Menu: Full breakfast with biscuits and gravy, an ice-cream menu, and lunch with sandwiches, burgers, and fried stuff too. The Elk Burger is the Henry County specialty.

Service: Its a walk-up with a window to put your order in.
Ambiance: Its a small town drive-in with a small dining area inside, with picnic tables outside and a big gravel parking lot.

Final Thoughts: From the sign on the wall, it looks like they have sold more than a few of these in the past few years:

Red Rooster Grill in Iowa Falls

2011-10-01T03:41:00.001-05:00

Iowa Falls refers to itself as The Scenic City of Iowa, for its view of the Iowa River and a handful of historic buildings in town. You can read HERE about the Red Rooster Drive-In that once stood at the intersections of Highways 20 and 65 before burning down and being rebuilt.

Location: 420 Oak St in Iowa Falls, Hardin County, in North Central Iowa.

Directions: Its right on Highway 65, the main drag through town, look for the sign with a giant rooster.

The Tenderloin: The menu mentioned proudly that this sandwich was listed as one of the best in the state of Iowa back in 2004. It felt like about eight ounces when I lifted it up. The cut and tenderizing processed had turned the loin into an elongated shape. The whole thing retained a ton of juice after it was cooked. Served on a small toasted bun. Overall 7.6 out of ten.

Price: $4.75 a la carte, fixings extra.
Also on the menu: Full breakfast, loosemeat burgers and pizza burgers seemed to be the highlights. They were sold out of pies during my visit.

Service: It was seat yourself with table service and three old ladies running the show when I stopped by.
Ambiance: The outside is plain, but the inside has cute old fixtures, and old counter area and booths for seating. the decorations are mostly pictures of Red Roosters.

Final Thoughts: The cinder block building with the CAFE lettering and fading sign don't exactly draw the visitor inside. The promise of fresh breakfast, tenderloins, and pie should. When in Iowa Falls, its tough not to be entranced by the beauty the Princess Grill and Pizzeria just around the corner, which will probably be my next stop here.

Boonie's in Earlville

2011-09-15T02:33:00.001-05:00

The sign in front of Boonie's reads "Fine Food & Good Friends", and this small town cafe seems to be the meeting place for this community in Eastern Iowa. A recent top five finish in the IPPA Tenderloin rankings put this tiny place on my to-do list earlier this year.

Location: 107 Northern Ave. in Earlville, Delaware County, Eastern Iowa.

Directions: Northern Ave. is the main drag through town, take the County Rd. X35 from the Highway 20 off-ramp.

The Tenderloin: The butterfly cut in the middle left parts inside very thick. The whole thing had a good size that felt like eight ounces before cooking. The breading left a significant crunchy texture outside the good size of pork loin meat. Served with your choice of fixings on a corn-dusted bun. Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.95 with chips.
Also on the menu: The regular menu was typical cafe fare with Ruebens and Roast Beef Sandwiches, but the daily specials and desserts were on the Pie Board:
Service: There was one waitress and another guy cooking while I stopped in, each was attentive and the place is kept clean and efficient.
Ambiance: This is another small town get together place, its seat yourself table service with a bar area as well.

Final Thoughts: I had not previously found anything special between Dubuque and Manchester. There is no reason not to stop at a place like this while on the Eastern end of Highway 20.

Corner Station in Templeton

2011-09-01T02:19:00.002-05:00

The stretch of Highway 71 in the middle Western Iowa cuts straight through some of the least traveled and rarely visited parts of Iowa. Its one lonesome road. But it has one cafe after another with a great breaded tenderloin sandwich. Templeton is north of the Chatterbox Cafe in Audubon, The Red Barn in Exira, Farmers Kitchen in Atlantic, and Darrell's Place in Hamlin. Each one serves homemade food to dedicated locals. A recent award from the IPPA made me head to this small cafe that didn't even have an OPEN sign outside. The Corner Station closes at four in the afternoon, so get there early.

Location: 18152 Highway 141 in Templeton, in Carroll County, Western Iowa.

Directions: The only building on the south side of the main road, Highway 71/141 between Carroll and Audubon. Its an unmarked white building with just the lettering of the word CAFE on the window.

The Tenderloin: First on my mind was the small size and a butterfly cut that made the meat portion extra long. Breading added good flavor to the crunchy outside of the loin. The warm moist and consistently tender meat was just right. Served on a small bun with your choice of toppings. Overall 8.8 out of ten.
Price: a great value at $3.75 a la carte.

Also on the menu: Its a real simple menu with burgers, a pizza burger, patty melt and other sandwiches. Also a full breakfast in the morning.

The waffle fries: Nothing accentuates the tender taste of the pork loin like the crispy fried goodness of criss-cut fries. I could eat these all day:
Service: There is a counter or table service, you pay at the register counter near the door.

Ambiance: The building is part of an old auto repair garage, with a limited grocery selection in one area. The dining room has tables and a small counter with a menu board and wood-panel walls.
Templeton Rye: The town of Templeton has become known as the home of Templeton Rye Whiskey, the prohibition era drink with a 21st century marketing campaign. It has been known to disappear from store shelves for months at a time. I understand it can be used in cooking or could be mixed with BBQ sauce for an extra kick. My time in Templeton was short, so I only snapped a quick photo of their buildings on the edge of town:
Imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when the "mobile speakeasy" was parked a block away from where I live in Des Moines. While its great that they were promoting the whiskey, I would have preferred to have the Corner Station and its tenderloin move down to Des Moines instead.

Iowa State Fair and the Turkey Tenderloin

2011-08-17T03:09:00.000-05:00

The Iowa Turkey Federation runs advertisements in local publications comparing a grilled turkey tenderloin to a breaded pork tenderloin, under the header named Healthy Choices. It makes the obvious point that the grilled turkey tenderloin, with its meat portion of only about 100 calories and less than 5 grams of fat per serving, is healthier than a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. It strikes me as something of a false choice, because who really looks at these two sandwiches next to each other while looking at a nutritional label. Without any good tenderloins to try at the fair, this was at the top of my list on a recent visit. On another note, could the turkey in the sign look any happier while he is holding up two turkey legs?

Location: On a path of food vendors between the Varied Industries Building and the Riley Stage at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

The Tenderloin: The turkey tenderloin is a cut of unused muscle from underneath the turkey breast. The meat is tender and lean, and entirely white beneath the surface. The marination leaves good moisture inside, and a little seasoning on the surface, but its not flavorful by any means. I topped my sandwich with some Kraft BBQ Sauce at the fixings table. I can't help but think this would taste good if it were breaded and deep fried.

Price: $6.00 a la carte, also available on a stick

Service: You order at a counter, and pick up your food at another counter, the food is served up fast.

Ambiance: The Turkey Grill has two covered seating areas with picnic tables. The food is grilled behind the barn shaped building on multiple grills with Iowa Turkey Federation logos.

Also on the menu: It was faster to just take a picture of the menu:
The Griddle Sticks: These were at the bottom of the menu listed at $1, but they just came out of a Jimmy Dean frozen food box. They are turkey sausage in pancake batter, and are served with powdered sugar and syrup. Not big, or special, but any food at the fair for only one dollar is an exceptional value.Final Thoughts: My travels around Iowa in search of Breaded Pork Tenderloins have only left one place that I remember for promoting a Grilled Turkey Tenderloin. That would be Jerry's Restaurant in Mt. Pleasant, so this is something you can't just find anywhere. If there are homemade pork tenderloin sandwiches at the fair, then I have not found them. Multiple vendors offer the exact same pre-made "Half-pound Giant Tenderloin", but they all look unappetizing and overpriced. A few places serve a grilled pork tenderloin, but I just wish someone would serve a good breaded pork tenderloin at the State Fair.

Patrick's Restaurant in Adel

2011-08-01T04:43:00.001-05:00

I've made frequent trips to Adel a bunch of times over the years, and had tried plenty of places looking for a homemade tenderloin here. This recently opened place in a newly constructed building had a hand-breaded tenderloin on the online menu, so I drove by and checked it out.

Location: 211 S. 7th St in Adel, near the bike path and just west of Waukee and the Western Suburbs.

Directions: Take University from Des Moines, or the Highway 169 exit from I-80 into Adel, this place is a block north and east of the main intersection south of town.

Online At: http://www.aweserv.com/patricks/

The Tenderloin: The meat formed a normal triangle loin shape when viewed from above. The butterfly cut left one half much thicker than the other. Sticking the sandwich in a take-out wrapper meant one of the edges curled up, but that was fine by me. Meat was bright white and steamy, hidden under a fine layer of crunchy breading. The bun was just gigantic and dwarfed the sandwich itself. Overall an okay 7 out of ten.

Price: $7.25

Also on the menu: The menu is big, with sandwiches, salads, steaks, pasta, pizzas and a full breakfast.
Service: Its seat yourself table service with a bunch of waitresses running around, but I had to grab my sandwich to-go from the counter.

Ambiance: This is a newly built building with large tables for seating and natural light coming in from the windows.
Final Thoughts: I've had a hard time finding homemade tenderloins in Adel. The old Horseshoe Lanes on the West Side of town used to serve one, but I never made it there before it closed down years ago. I've found good tenderloins in other parts of Dallas County, but the best I have found so far is still at Fat Randi's in Van Meter. The next place I need to check out in this County is probably Lou's Diner in Woodward.

Leon's Malt Shop in Vinton

2011-07-15T01:06:00.001-05:00

Vinton is a small town close enough to Cedar Rapids and Waterloo to allow its residents to commute to work in each city. It has a well maintained main street with cute streetlights lit up at night, and a large park north of town. But I had never found anything good to eat while cruising up and down the main drag. While driving into town on Highway 218 one day, I couldn't help but notice the word Tenderloin hand painted on the side of a tiny ice cream stand. This made me pull into the gravel parking lot like a bee to honey.

Location: 210 North K Ave. in Vinton, Benton County, Eastern Iowa.

Directions: Highway 218 turns into K Ave as it passes through the west side of Vinton, the Malt Shop is on the east side of the road.

The Tenderloin: The meat was cut in a butterfly pattern visible from above, with three parts sticking far from the bun. Breading was a lightly seasoned crackermeal that turned into a nice golden brown color. The meat was white throughout, although one side was thicker than the other. The whole thing felt like it weighed about seven ounces. Texture included above-average juiciness. The bun is huge and untoasted. Served with your choice of fixins, Overall 7.2 out of ten.

Price: $4.85 a good value a la carte

Also on the menu: Its a relatively simple menu with fried stuff, hamburgers and a full selection of ice cream and sweet stuff.

Service: Its counter service with local kids running the show and what looks like the owners around as well.
Ambiance: The small interior is filled with nostalgic Coca-Cola themed decorations and pictures of the local high schoolers. The seating inside is limited, but there are tables for seating outside.

Final Thoughts: I can't remember if Leon's is open year round or only seasonally. I could have sworn I visited this place one winter day and it was closed for the season. Each online review I found of Leon's mentioned the tenderloin, and I can confirm that its a solid homemade sandwich.

Postscript: While I was going through the City of Vinton website and checking out the other restaurants in town, I visited a page for the High 5 Sports Bar, which had a note at the bottom reading:

Oh! We do have a 5 lb tenderloin, 5 inches high with 5 toppings. If you can eat it all in two hours or less it's free. To attempt this huge tenderloin you must give us 24 hours advanced notice to prepare it. What happens if you don't eat it all - well you pay just $35.55.

Has anybody out there ever tried this thing or even seen it? It appears the place has only been open since late 2010. This would appear to the the only eating challenge involving only a tenderloin, not a tenderloin stacked with all sorts of other stuff on top.

And check out Sweet Corn Day Festival:

Farmers Kitchen in Atlantic

2011-07-01T03:49:00.004-05:00

The Farmer's Kitchen is known far and wide for comfort food in Western Iowa. The chef here, Mark, is a perfectionist making all dishes from scratch and tinkering with recipes to win local and national acclaim. Since it opened in 2002, the wall of awards has grown to take up an entire corner of the restaurant. The pies have been noted by Jane and Michael Stern from Gourmet Magazine and Roadfood. The local paper tells me Mark has been entering competitive chili contests for over twenty years. Finally, the Cy-Hawk Burger has been nominated by the Iowa Cattlemen as one of the best in the state just last year. In 2005, the IPPA named The Farmer's Kitchen as an Honorable Mention in its annual Breaded Pork Tenderloin contest.

Location: 319 Walnut St in Atlantic, Cass County, in Western Iowa. About seventy miles west of Des Moines, Atlantic is close enough to the Interstate for travelers to reach it without taking too much time off of their trip.

Directions: Going south from I-80 Exit 57 turns into County Road N16 which turns into Olive St in Atlantic, turn West of 3rd St to reach the restaurant.

Online at: website with local access television show is HERE.

The Tenderloin: This is listed as Nate's Pork Loin Sandwich. I had to make a new visit when I found out the tenderloin recipe was changed by marinating the pork loins. This adds a significant amount of juice. The breading is batter-like in character and has some light seasonings forming a fine layer that tears apart revealing the bright white meat underneath. The meat is cut thick and tenderized three times, resulting in a unique texture pattern. Served with all the fixins on a toasted Ciabatta bun. The bun is fresh and nicely toasted, but it is large compared to the meat portion. If you get the lettuce, tomato and onions they serve it with a knife stuck through the top. Overall 8.9 out of ten.

Price: $6.49 with side, I went with the "City Fries" cut in house.
Also on the menu: The menu is large with all the classic hometown cafe favorites. Hot beef sandwiches, chicken fried steak, fried pickles, meatloaf, locally raised Kobe beef, and there is a breaded pork loin appetizer named Pig Lips. They also serve a full breakfast menu from scratch.

This is a photo of the Onion Rings with their special sauce I took a while ago:
There were at least 14 types of pie to choose from during my last visit, I chose one with a Blue Ribbon next to it from a contest award from 2009. The Peanut Butter Chocolate Explosion has two layers of pudding with chocolate syrup and peanuts:
Service: Its seat yourself with tables in two dining areas, waitresses are the attentive small town type and food takes time.

Ambiance: Its farm themed decorations with tables for seating that can be moved for large groups. The high ceilings with hanging lights that make photos difficult.
Final Thoughts: Its no mistake that the Farmers Kitchen pack in the crowds in the small town of Atlantic. It has become a gathering place for the locals of this town and the area around it.This place has been on my radar since 2005, and I've been impressed with each visit. I may have even volunteered to drive to Red Oak and back just so I could eat at Farmer's Kitchen for lunch at one time. This place lives up to its mission statement printed on the menu which claims "we do not serve fast food..." and "We do NOT serve homestyle food. We serve HOMEMADE food".

Westy's Sports Bar & Grill in Thornton

2011-06-15T00:57:00.001-05:00

An article in the Mason City newspaper alerted me to a small town sports bar with a big tenderloin in the hamlet of Thornton up in Northern Iowa. I walked inside to be met by a giant banner proclaiming "We have the biggest loins....", so I knew I was in the right kind of place.

Location: 324 Main St in Thornton, in Cerro Gordo County, Northern Iowa about 90 miles north of Des Moines.

Directions: You take exit 180 from I-35 and drive 2 miles into Thornton, Main St and Westy's is just north of the train tracks.

The Tenderloin: The loin itself was pounded thin, and took up the entire to-go box, making the bun and fixings look extra small. It formed a loosely triangular shape, and although thin it maintained a good amount of juiciness. The breading had the usual cracker crunch, but little seasoning to speak of. Served with lettuce, onions, and tomato on a corn-dusted bun. Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $6.00 a good value.
Also on the menu: The menu was small with burgers and chicken, and Thursday is Taco Night. The restaurant was promoting its hamburger for the Best Burger in Iowa contest by the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

Service: I came in during the off hours, there was just one guy running the bar and the kitchen.
Ambiance: Its a small town sports bar with team banners, Chicago Bears stuff, televisions, and a bar or tables for seating.

Final Thoughts: The stretch of I-35 between Ames and Mason City or Clear Lake is one lonely stretch of road with few good options for the hungry traveler. Once you pass the Gilbert exit in Story County its like a dead zone with few options other than truck stops and fast food. Westy's and its tenderloin are not going surpass the Suzie-Q in Mason City as the best loin I have found in this area. It is a good large loin for a reasonable price, and close to the Interstate as well.

The Longest Yard in Valley Junction

2011-06-01T01:22:00.001-05:00

The Longest Yard Sports Grill is a low key neighborhood sports bar that seems to be named for a 1974 Burt Reynolds movie. I had seen signs at this bar telling me of hand breaded tenderloins on Mondays while walking through Valley Junction in the past few years, but never made it here until a few weeks ago. I must have thaught they only serve these on Mondays, but they are on the menu every day.

Location: 122 Fifth Street in Historic Valley Junction, West Des Moines. Its between a bunch of antique stores, across from the Atomic Garage.

Directions: You get here by taking 63rd to Railroad and turning north of 5th St.

Online at: the website is down, but they have a facebook page here.

The Tenderloin: This sandwich felt like it was a good seven or eight ounces of pork in between the bun and the fixings. The pork was hot steamy white meat which had been pounded out well. The breading had just the right amount of seasonings to give a good aftertaste, along with a great crunchy texture. Served with all the fixings on a toasted bun, overall 7.84 out of ten.

Price: regularly $7.99, but on special Monday for $6.99 with a side. I opted for the homemade chips, which were tossed in seasoning salt. Tenderloin is also available grilled.
Also on the menu: Burgers, nachos, pasta, something named Hayden Chili Fries and the usual sports stuff. The drink specialty seems to be a beer served in a three foot high glass.

Service: Its table service or sit at the bar. It was attentive when I came by early on a Monday, the food takes a while to prepare.
Ambiance: This is a Hawkeye Bare with photos of visits from Jim Zabel and autographed stuff from former Hawks. The place feels like a small town bar with high ceilings, exposed brick and woodwork, and dim lights.

Final Thoughts: This is an okay sports bar with an above average tenderloin. Its like visiting a small town pub and grub right in West Des Moines. My eternal quest for new and untried breaded pork tenderloins had always failed to find them in West Des Moines. The local Maid Rite around the corner, Paula's, had a sign advertising a tenderloin as "Best in the Junction" but would serve up a frozen preformed loin. Maddy's used to serve a good tenderloin in this neighborhood before moving out by Jordan Creek. I am still looking for undocumented tenderloins in and around Des Moines, if anyone can let me know, leave a comment somewhere on the blog.

Fountain on Main in Reinbeck

2011-05-15T03:54:00.000-05:00

Grundy County is the center of German immigration to Iowa. Back in 2010, some people from Ostfriesland region of Germany came to Grundy Center and signed a partnership agreement to encourage cultural ties and youth exchanges. With all these German descendants, I thought there would be more tenderloins in places like Gladbrook, Conrad, or Grundy Center. However, after the Townhouse in Wellsburg, I haven't found anything in my trips to Grundy County. Reinbeck appears to be a quiet small town close enough for people working in Waterloo or Cedar Falls. A recent drive through led me to check out this place on main street.

Location: 413 Main St. in Reinbeck, Grundy County, in Eastern Iowa. About 20 miles southwest of Waterloo.

Directions: You get to Reinbeck by driving on Highway 175, Main Street runs parallel but one block south.

The Tenderloin: This was described as a quarter pound homemade loin on the menu. The bun and vegetables to meat ratio was skewed towards the bun and veggies. The breading had a good crunchy texture and a good golden brown color. The meat was decent thickness and trimmed completely. Served on a toasted bun with your fixings, including Romaine lettuce. Overall 7.2 out of ten, an okay tenderloin.

Price: $7.00 with a side, I went with homemade chips.

Also on the menu: Full ice-cream selection, and hot food a little different than most other ice-cream shops. Panini sandwiches, salads, wraps, spinach stuffed or crab rangoons, and funnel fries topped with powdered sugar like at the State Fair.

Service: I came during the off hours, and two people were working the counter and the kitchen between them.

Ambiance: This place is the classic drug store ice cream shop remodeled into a restaurant. The classic counter seats are still there, or you can sit at a table. One side of the interior is filled with Reinbeck memorabilia.

Final Thoughts: Its really tough to give some sort of serious critical review on small tenderloins because the sample I eat is so small. In relative terms, a quarter pound of breaded pork loin is still a good size sandwich. This little ice cream fountain surprised me with its unusual menu and old fashioned interior.

One-R's and the new St Olaf Tap

2011-05-01T04:08:00.002-05:00

The tenderloin business, like the restaurant business, is no stranger to the forces of change. Places open, places close, chefs and restaurant owners come and go. There are no shortage of stories people tell about their favorite places turning into something different under new management. St Olaf Tap has been taken over by a guy who named Lary, spelled with one letter R instead of two. The new owner has changed some things, but there is still a gigantic tenderloin hidden here in the bluff country of Northeast Iowa. The sign still reads St Olaf Tap: Put Something Big Between Your Buns. This is my second trip to St Olaf, my previous visit was recorded here.

Location: 106 S Main St. in St. Olaf, Clayton County, Northeast Iowa.

Directions:From Elkader, take Gunder Road or Highway 13 north and turn on County Road B65 to reach St Olaf. The St Olaf Tap the only building that looks open for business on the block.

Online at: They have entered the information age with a facebook page here.

The Tenderloin: The previous incarnation of this sandwich was more like a lightly breaded pork steak that just drooped over the bun. This one has a piece of meat cooked firmer to keep its shape when lifted by the bun. Instead of a light and thin layer of breading, there is a crunchier layer with a little more seasoning. There is a big difference in juiciness, with the new model on the thinner and dryer side. Served with your choice of fixings. Overall 8.2 out of ten, still good.

Price: $9.95
Also on the menu: Lots of typical bar food and fried stuff, burgers, chicken, and Friday Fish Fry.

Ambiance: What a difference a coat of paint makes, this place is totally transformed. Gone are the torn up stools, and now you can see the high ceilings of this old building. There are new booths and a bar with a flatscreen television to watch.
Service: It was one lady running the bar and waiting tables, with a guy cooking in the back.

Final Thoughts: Its always tough to compare something you just ate to a memory of an experience a few years ago. The St Olaf Tap was one of the first real "destination tenderloins" to market itself as the biggest or the best in the world. From what I can tell, they have been doing it for a long time. The previous owner operator was not shy about discussing the frustration of running a restaurant in what he called a "dying town". The new owner has put in the effort and energy to make this a better place, but the tenderloin is just plain different.

Blue Bird in Centerville

2011-04-15T03:55:00.001-05:00

Centerville has one of the best looking, and largest, town squares in all of Iowa. It takes a while just to walk around the whole thing. A small sandwich board advertising homemade meatloaf and tenderloins led me into the Blue Bird while in Southern Iowa recently. This is a small town family restaurant in Centerville which has been operating in different forms under different owners in the same location since the twenties. It is not to be confused with the Bluebird Diner, the recently opened retro diner in Iowa City.

Location: 108 E. Jackson St in Centerville

Directions: Its on the South Side of the town square, look for the sign.

The Tenderloin: Listed on the menu as Hand Made Jumbo Tenderloin. The whole loin was pounded thin and developed a little wave shape. Breading formed a hard crunchy layer outside the white meat. The inside wasn't as soft as most others I have tried. This was an okay tenderloin. Served on a toasted corn dusted bun. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.75 with fries for a dollar more.
Also on the menu: Its homemade comfort food including meatloaf and a biscuits and gravy breakfast served all day.

Service: Its table service with an attentive waitress also running the counter.
Ambiance: This is a historic building on the square with old booths and an antique counter, but it has been refurbished multiple times under several owners over the decades. There are picture of what it used to be, but now its filled with stuff for sale.
Final Thoughts: In the past few years, all of my trips to Centerville have been during the winter months. That is not a bad thing by itself, except that the main drag through town has two seasonal Ice Cream Shops each with competing hand breaded tenderloins. The Double R Dairy Bar has a giant sign with a tenderloin on it, and I get the idea they sell up to a hundred a day in the summer. Raymond's Dairy Creme is also on my list to check out. Across the square the J& K Market has a website claiming their tenderloin is the "biggest in town" and "a labor of love". I just hope I can make it back during the summer someday.

Westside Maid Rite in Cedar Rapids

2011-04-01T03:07:00.002-05:00

Special Note: This review is for Westside Maid Rite in Cedar Rapids, not for any other Maid Rite anywhere else. They are not all the same.

Maid rite is a chain, but it has a unique franchise structure. There are new Maid Rites in distant cities or new development areas with rigorous product homogenization. Then there are owner operated "heirloom" Maid Rites, most easily identified with a proper name in front of the name. These ones often have been run independently by the same family for decades, and often deviate from the regularity of fast food franchises. Some heirloom Maid Rites get tired of paying the franchise fee and just take down their sign and repaint in any color but red and white. The vast majority of all these places serve up a frozen tenderloin.

I knew that any Maid Rite location could serve a handmade tenderloin, but had never heard of one until reading an ad in Tidbits Newspaper where Westside Maid Rite advertised a half pound tenderloin, clarifying that it was the "biggest & best in town" and "hand made daily". I really can't tell if this location is run by the same folks who run the other one in Cedar Rapids, or the one in Marion. The Marion Maid Rite on the other side of town serves a "homemade giant iowa tenderloin" which they describe as "Best One Around!" along with homemade onion rings and pies.

Location: 621 1st Ave SW just outside downtown Cedar Rapids in Eastern Iowa.

Directions: First Avenue is the main drag through town if you are going east or west on Highway 151, or you can just find it by taking 1st street from downtown and looking for the small red striped shack.

The Tenderloin: The first thing I noticed was a huge appendage of soft pork meat sticking out on one side. The whole sandwich is a big soft piece of pork with crunchy cracker-like breading that reached a good golden brown color. Its not thick, but is a little steamy inside. Served on a soft, very soft bun. Condiments were tucked under the meat and made a mound of onions and ketchup. This is an uncomplicated sandwich. Overall 7.4 out of ten.

Price: $4.79 a good value

Also on the menu: There is the usual Maid Rite stuff, like Maid Rite sandwiches, chicken sandwich and bowls of chili. This location also serves goulash, roast pork, and has a waffle breakfast on Sundays.

Service: Counter service with food brought to your table.
Ambiance: The dining area is small with booth seating and pictures of the flood and rebuilding effort.

Final Thoughts: Cedar Rapids is a proud town that takes its tenderloins seriously. I know I am not really doing this town justice by starting out here. The Westside Maid Rite is just one of several places which have reopened since the flood. I also made it to the Czech Village to try Al's Blue Toad, and I will try to make it to Little Bohemia when they get their deep fryer running again.

AJ's Bar & Grill in Mt. Sterling

2011-03-15T02:19:00.009-05:00

Mt Sterling is a small town on a small hill with two claims to fame. When the local mayor tried to outlaw lying in 2003, New York Times sent a reporter to AJ's Bar & Grill to interview locals, and other media outlets picked up the story nationwide. The second claim to fame is the gigantic tenderloin known for "miles around" in the hill country just north of the Missouri Border. A local newspaper article compared AJ's Jumbo Tenderloin to the Gunderburger in terms of local legendary giant sandwiches. I had to check this place out after someone from the local tourism office pointed me in the right direction.

Location: 101 Elm St. in Mt. Sterling (population 36), in Van Buren County, Southeast Iowa. This is about as far out of the way as it gets.

Directions: Highway 2 is the main road through the southern tier of counties in Iowa. Take County Road W20 4 miles south to Mt Sterling. Follow the sign pointing to AJ's.

Online at: try the Villages at Van Buren website, one of the best local tourism site in Iowa, HERE.

The Tenderloin: This one is significantly bigger than the plate it is served on. It has the usual attributes of the super-jumbo tenderloin, extreme thickness in some parts, edges a little crispier than the middle. Juice bursts from the center when a fork is stuck inside. The fork and knife that give the picture scale are necessary to cut the edges off and make the thing workable. The breading seems to be a double dip of egg wash and seasonings before deep frying. They put the ketchup on the mustard on for me, but I would not have added this much ketchup. Overall 8.5 out of ten, worth the trip off the Highway.

Price: $9.00

Also on the menu: There is a smaller tenderloin, a tenderloin bits appetizer, along with the usual burgers and fried stuff.

Service: One lady was working the bar while a guy in back cooked. I think they were the co-owners.
Ambiance: This is a Hunters Lodge with exposed concrete floor, wood paneling and particle board walls, along with taxidermy animals of all local varieties mounted on the walls between beer signs. The windows have a great view overlooking the Fox River Valley, and its acres of protected wetlands and tree groves.
Final Thoughts: Any person who has traveled most of Iowa would be surprised to see how much land isn't being farmed when driving the county road into Mt. Sterling. This small part of Iowa is turning into a hunters paradise, with hundreds of acres of fallow fields, and shallow water wetlands and wooded areas filled with animals. AJ's Bar & Grill and the rest of Mt Sterling is a welcoming place for these people. The town with just 36 people, and which may have had more dogs than people at one point, seems to be hanging on. Check out the antique church on the way into town, the locals have been trying to maintain it for a while now.

Luana Tavern and Todd's Grilled Tenderloin

2011-03-01T03:16:00.002-06:00

The Luana Tavern answers the phone by stating "Luana Tap". I get the idea this place opens at 8 in the morning and stays open until bar closing time. Unfortunately, they were sold out of breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches when I arrived at 1:45 in the afternoon. I asked about their grilled tenderloins, and they were sold out of the plain grilled tenderloin and the Mesquite BBQ grilled tenderloin. The only thing they could offer me was the Apple Cinnamon Grilled Tenderloin, and it turned out alright despite not being my first choice. If they are selling out of three different sandwiches at lunch time, they must be doing something right in this tiny burg in Northeast Iowa.

Location: 301 Main St. Luana, Clayton County in Northeast Iowa.

Directions: Highway 18/52 crosses this part of Clayton County, turn north at the gigantic Luana Bank building and cheese factory and take Old Highway 52 into town.
The Apple Cinnamon Tenderloin: The meat felt like it had been lightly tenderized, with most fat trimmed except for a tiny bit on the edges. This kind of grilled loin feels like it has tons of juice, and it runs out even forming a little puddle in the to-go box. The color ranged from the white of the pork loin to the good brown seared parts and a few darker bits. What sets this one apart is the aroma of pork and apples that filled my car for hours. That was something different. The flavor of the marination didn't overpower the classic fresh pork taste. Served on Texas Toast with butter on both sides, which adds calories and some crispitiness. This is a tasty sandwich, Overall 7.5 out of ten.
Price: $5.25

Also on the menu: the Luana Tavern has a daily menu with the basics like a breaded loin, burgers, chicken and other stuff. There are some out-there daily specials, like frog legs, broasted wings, hand breaded fish or sirloin steak.

Service: There was one lady running the bar and waiting tables, with a guy cooking in the back.
Ambiance: This giant building at the main intersection of Luana has followed the path of the town, from once being an Opera House, later a dance hall, and now a tavern with a dining room. The decorations are the usual "welcome hunters" sign, racing posters, beer signs, and bar games. There are tables and a bar for seating.

Final Thoughts: Its just seems out of place to pick up a sandwich that tastes like something from a pretentious big city bistro or gastropub in a town like Luana. The owner/operator/cook makes this place work, and it was packed with locals when I visited. I just wish they had a breaded loin in stock when I stopped by.

Smokey D's BBQ just north of Des Moines

2011-02-15T02:41:00.014-06:00

Smokey D's is the BBQ and catering empire that grew out of a competitive BBQ team run by a central Iowa native that has won trophy after trophy across the country. The catering empire used to be based from a warehouse just north of here, with a walk-up counter and waiting area cluttered with competition trophies just sitting on the floor. The new location opened up around the same time the owner's BBQ team "A Boy and his BBQ" won the final round of BBQ Pitmasters on the TLC Channel. Later last year, a local food writer named the partners who operate Smokey D's as Restauranteurs of the Year in Des Moines.

Location: 5055 NW 2nd Street in Saylor Township just north of Des Moines.

Directions: Its right north of the 2nd St. offramp of I-80 on the north side of Des Moines beside the Harley Davidson Big Barn.

Online at: their website is here.

The Tenderloin: I have had three of these and each has come in a different shape. The pictured one has the classic butterfly cut into something resembling a "mitten". The mass feels like a little over eight ounces, and be too large to fit in a usual to-go container. Served with pickles and onions on a toasted bun. The breading feels like some fine bread crumbs, and forms a consistent texture that I hope is visible in the close-up photo. You can see little bits of seasoning above the white pork loin. The meat itself is chewy tender, with a good amount of juice inside. Let the record show that I prefer my tenderloins with Russ & Frank's Fiery BBQ Sauce under the bun. Overall 8.27 out of ten.

Price: $5.69 a la carte

The Farm Boy: This is best described as a breaded pork tenderloin with two slices of bread, about a pound of seasoned fries, smothered in gravy, and topped with bacon and cheese. The fries have a ton of salt thrown on top of them, and the flour in the gravy makes the whole thing just a little too thick with mountains of fried potato getting in the way of the tenderloin. By the time you are done digging and find the loin inside, your taste buds are basically dead. Served on a platter. It bears a slight resemblance to the "horseshoe" sandwiches of Springfield Illinois, which are built on slices of white bread topped with french fries and a melted cheese sauce. I simply can't recommend this thing to anyone.

Price: $12.79, listed on the BIG D section of the Menu.

Also on the menu: The menu stars with the BBQ basics of pulled pork, brisket, ribs with the usual sides. The new location has expanded the offerings with fried stuff, and a daily comfort food special. Some of the pictures here are from my visits dining in or at other locations.
Wednesday is Rib Day at downtown locations, low priced Ribs all day long.

The Mac and Cheese takes a pretty basic mixture but pumps in something like the same spice mixture found on the Garlic Bread or in the dry rub and other parts of the menu.

I really don't know why they decided to bread the wings. They come in three varieties, even though there are five different BBQ sauces at each table.

Service: Order at the counter after waiting in line, which passes a bunch of trophies and a signed picture of Guy Fieri. The food is brought to your table. There is a separate entrance and counter for to-go orders.
Ambiance: As recently as two years ago, this building was a dump of epic proportions known as Stagecoach Spaces with a busted sign visible for miles. It was rented out for events like poker tournaments, and I think I know someone who went to a rave with techno music, glowsticks, and lasers lights here. The renovation has been enormous, as parts of the building were falling apart. Half of the building is a Harley Davidson retail space. The dining area has a full bar along with counter seating, booths, tables and flatscreen televisions visible from any angle. Honestly I preferred the walk-up old location with the picnic tables outside in the gravel parking lot.
Final Thoughts: There is a long list of Championship Competitive BBQ masters who have failed to translate their success into operating a restaurant. Its also no secret that the Central Iowa BBQ Restaurant scene is a little crowded right now, with over thirty restaurants advertising their offerings as "BBQ". Smokey D's has grown over the years, and the new location is a big expansion from the last incarnation. My visits to the new location have found more people in line than actually sitting down and eating. I hope the highway crowds keep coming for the BBQ and the tenderloin.

Edit: Rib Wednesday promotion is only at downtown locations, my mistake:

Big Muddy's Bar and Grill in Burlington

2011-02-01T03:54:00.003-06:00

The local paper had a poll for Best of Burlington a few years ago, and Big Muddy's was listed in the category of Best Tenderloin. I had been around downtown Burlington before, but had never made my way up Front Street before. This place reopened after the floods of 2008, and draws in crowds with its river view and high end atmosphere.

Location: 710 North Front Street in Burlington, Southeast Iowa.

Directions: This place is underneath the gigantic bridge between a hill and the Mississippi River, take N Front street from downtown and park across the street.

Online at: they have a facebook page here.

The Tenderloin: Picking up the sandwich, it felt like about seven ounces after cooking. The meat was a medium thickness butterfly cut with a few marks from being stored for a long time. The breading was a thin and fine layer that had just a little seasoning but a good golden brown color. This was a truly okay breaded pork tenderloin. Served with all the fixings on an un-toasted bun. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $7.99 with a side, I chose the homemade chips.

Also on the menu: The menu is big, with steaks, sandwiches, seafood, homemade chips, other fried stuff, even frog legs.

Service: Its table service with a bar as well. I came during the off hours so the place was nearly empty and I had a good view even though I was by myself.
Ambiance: This is a large riverfront building with natural light pouring in from the patio area. Its on the high end of places in Burlington or Southeast Iowa, the building might be an old railroad building with the high ceilings and exposed brickwork.

Final Thoughts: I run into plenty of places recommended in local publications Reader's Polls or Best Of.... lists, and find many to simply be the busiest places in town. Big Muddy's looks like it has plenty of food on the menu, but calling this tenderloin "the best" misses the mark. I wish I had ordered the frog legs or fish entrees. I also checked out El Taco Casa nearby based on the same poll and was just not impressed with their frequently recommended tenderloin. On my next visit to Burlington I plan on checking out Uncle Ronnie's in West Burlington or the Tender Trap on Sumner St in the south side of town.

If you are visiting Burlington, be sure to check out Snake Alley, it is the crookedest street in all of Iowa:

High Life Lounge Des Moines

2011-01-15T02:49:00.000-06:00

Nobody can argue with the success Full Court Press has had in Downtown Des Moines over the past ten years. Older people can remember back then "eating downtown" meant watching tumbleweeds bounce down mainstreet every day after two in the afternoon. Full Court Press has added more to downtown than any other restaurant group in the time since. Many Des Moines residents appreciate their continued investment in Downtown Des Moines, and the dedication to eclectic eating options in unique settings. These places downtown have patios that are packed after baseball games, and get after work crowds year round.

Location: 200 Southwest 2nd Street in Des Moines

Directions: Its right next to El Bait Shop, south of downtown Des Moines and north of the baseball stadium.

Online at: http://www.thehighlifelounge.com/

The Tenderloin: This one starts with a thin cut of pork loin pounded out to cover a good sized meal basket. It has the classic "Catcher's Mitt of Meat" shape. The thick breading was packed with seasoning salt and black pepper and it makes your mouth dry before you can taste the pork. Part of the loin had two layers of breading resulting in a half-cooked mushy area that was just bad. The thin meat and thick breading meant there was no juice left in the white pork. Served with pickles on a toasted bun. Overall 6.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.99
Also on the menu: Its pub 'n grub favorites like tater tots, a sloppy joe, broasted chicken, fried cheese curds, and more. Everything is reasonably priced, including a cheeseburger basket for $3.75.

The Chili-Cheese Fries: a nice big gloppy mess for $2.75
Service: Its table service with booths and tables or a counter at the bar.

Ambiance: The owners spend a lot of time, money, and dedicated research recreating a 1970's era neighborhood pub. Shag carpet, wood paneling, vintage beer signs, and analog televisions are visible in every direction.

Final Thoughts: Its apparent that this tenderloin is not a jewel in the crown in the food offering of the High Life Lounge or Full Court Press. The High Life Lounge's bacon wrapped tater tots and broasted chicken were featured on a highly rated cable television program. The Royal Mile has the best fish and chips in town. The Crab Rangoon Pizza at Fong's, and the Fish Tacos or Thai Peanut Wings at El Bait Shop have all won rave reviews from multiple sources.

I've heard of restaurants putting breaded or battered pork loins into the pressure fryer used for broasted chicken. You can see in the video of their appearance how the broaster keeps all the juices and flavor in the fried chicken. Compared to the total dryness of the tenderloin, the fried chicken comes out great:

video uploaded by youtube user brendenfraser, direct link here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUlW4_qG68s

Farmer Nicks Restaurant near Brooklyn

2011-01-04T15:54:00.005-06:00

I had driven past Farmer Nick's Restaurant a few times over the years because I could have sworn the place looked closed. There are rusted old tractors and an out of use gas station connected to the building, along with an archaic satellite dish right in front. The dirt parking are had some semi-trucks and upon getting closer I saw some traffic inside. It turns out the sign reading "Homemade Tenderloins" faces north, away from the Interstate.

Special Note: This is Brooklyn Iowa, the inspiration for the ironic "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" t-shirt available from Raygun in Des Moines available here: http://raygunsite.com/shop/women/t-shirts/brooklyn-10019

Location: The address is in Brooklyn but its really in between Victor, Guernsey, and Brooklyn in Poweshiek County, Eastern Iowa.

Directions: Get off I-80 at exit 201 and drive north a short distance on Highway 21 to see this place.
The Tenderloin: This had the usual triangle shaped pork loin cut. The meat was cut thin but was soft to the touch. The cracker meal made a small layer of crunch. Served with lettuce, tomato, onion, on a toasted bun. This was an alright homemade tenderloin, overall 7.5 out of ten.

Price: $5.50, also available in a dinner with two sides or smothered with gravy along with mashed potatos.

Also on the menu: Its comfort food all the way through with burgers, the usual fried stuff, and a Czech Burger described as a pork patty topped with melted cheese. The menu lists a locally grown Buffalo Burger.

The Black Raspberry Pie: This is listed as the house special on the menu, they had five other varieties of homemade pies to choose from. $2.50
Service: Its table service with a couple attentive waitresses running around constantly.

Ambiance: The marked "Entrance" is in the back, you have to walk through a room filled with old farm furniture and other stuff for sale. The dining area has some vintage and funky fixtures to sit at. The decorations are just random, like sports trophies from 1994, or stacks of pizza boxes and a line of Beer Steins. They don't even serve pizza or beer if I remember correctly.

Final Thoughts: This place certainly is popular with the locals, as it was nearly full on the Tuesday I stopped by. Since Brooklyn 80 Diner had closed I hadn't found a good place to eat along this part of I-80. I think I will get one of the daily specials next time I stop in here.

Newtons Paradise Cafe in Waterloo

2010-12-10T15:22:00.010-06:00

For many years this building was known as Newton's Jewelers on a busy corner in downtown Waterloo. The rehab of this aging building looks like miracle work. A local grant of $50,000 made the exterior renovations possible. This included restoring the original exterior Carrara Glass to its Art Deco glamour from decades ago. Just this year it reopened as a cafe with the jewelery store signage of GOLD SILVER WATCHES DIAMONDS changed to read Great Fresh Local Food. The relatively young chef placed in charge has created a menu of simple comfort foods made with fresh and local ingredients whenever possible. Some of the online reviews claim he has become a local hero, using Farmers Market produce and protein from local farms will do that in a town like Waterloo.

Location: 128 E 4th St. in Waterloo, Eastern Iowa.

Directions: You should look for the revolving sign reading Newtons Paradise Cafe at 4th St and Sycamore when driving around the north side of downtown Waterloo.

Online at: they have a facebook page here.

The Tenderloin: This is at the bottom of the menu, listed as Iowa's Pork Tenderloin. The first thing you notice is the giant size, it envelopes the square plate and dwarfs its bun. The edges of the pork loin form arms and branches that fold and curl like a fried pork octopus. the breading includes some giant bread crumbs that pack a giant crunch while producing hundred of crumbs scattering everywhere nearby. The pork inside was bright white and mostly trimmed, with only one tiny bit of fat. Served on a toasted Ciabatta bun with Romaine lettuce, sliced onions and tomato. Overall 9.0 out of ten.

Price: $8.95
A special note about the size: This thing felt like it must have been twelve ounces of pork loin before breading and frying. If I had eaten earlier that day, I would not have been able to finish this thing. The giant size may scare some people off, as only one other person there was eating the tenderloin, and they were cutting it in half to share or take home. The tenderloin looked about four times bigger than anything else served here.

Also on the menu: A small menu with sandwiches like a Rueben, Roast Beef Dip, or salads and wraps. They serve a full breakfast all day.

The French Fries: these were only fifty cents extra, but the Parmesean and Oregano didn't stick to the fries, and jest fell to the bottom of the bowl. The fountain drinks were $2.00.
Service: Its table service with waiters running around all the time.

Ambiance: They put a serious amount of money and designing time on the interior. There is a green color theme with paintings of farms and ornaments of roosters on the walls. the ceiling has a painted blue sky with clouds against a stain glass sun window. There are tables and booths for seating, and a small bar.
Final Thoughts: Its not uncommon for a restaurant with such a heavy investment to cut corners on the menu. Thankfully, Newton's Paradise Cafe has at least one great menu item. I would not be surprised if the chef had tried the tenderloin at the Augusta in Oxford while developing this one. A nearby sports bar claims to serve the "largest pork loin in the Cedar Valley" on its menu, but I doubt its as big as what they serve here at Newton's.

D & D Bar and Grill Cafe in Villisca

2010-11-30T10:15:00.007-06:00

The D & D Bar & Grill was recommended in Iowa: An Explorer's Guide , which can be found here.

The sign reading Homemade Country Cooking greeted me before I walked in the door. Its display of a coffee cup on one side and a beer on another reflects the dual nature of most small town pub and grubs, which have to serve everything a small town populace needs in order to get enough business to stick around.

Location: 307 East 4th Street in Villisca, in Montgomery County in Southwest Iowa.

Directions: You take Highway 71 south from 34 to get to Villisca, and the D & D Bar and Grill is on the south side of the main square.
The Tenderloin: What this tenderloin gets right is the crunchy breading and juicy darker meat. You can see in the close-up the breading is made from cracker meal. The tenderloins here all seem to have the same curved bowl shape. Served on a big untoasted bun with pickles by the side. Overall 8.372 out of ten.

Price: $4.25 a la carte.
Also on the menu: A big menu with most of the hometown cafe basics of burgers and salads. There is a fish fry buffet on special occasions I need to check out.

Service: It seemed like one woman was taking everyone's orders and cooking all by herself when I was in.
Ambiance: Locals pack this hometown cafe that seems to be in a time warp with wood panels and old furniture. The interior is a mishmash of checkerboard ceiling tiles and mirrors. There are tables and a bar for seating. The kitchen is in the middle of everything.

Final Thoughts: I don't get many chances to drive across Southern Iowa on Highway 34. I had tried to visit Susie's Kitchen in nearby Stanton, but always seem to get there when it is closed. The D & D Bar and Grill has much longer hours that make it easier to get in and out. Also, while in Villisca, check out he Axe Murder House just down the street from the D & D:

Cozy Cafe in Clive

2010-11-11T13:09:00.006-06:00

Cozy Cafe occupies the corner of a strip mall in Clive that resembles every other strip mall in the Western Suburbs. A couple Des Moines restaurant veterans turned this location into a comfort food option for people driving along Hickman Road west of Des Moines, and it has a Grounds For Celebration franchise inside serving a full menu of coffee drinks.

Special Note: Cozy Cafe opened in February 2010 in a western section of Clive. It is not to be confused with the Corner Cafe, another suburban retro diner serving comfort food in nearby Urbandale since April 2010, staffed by former employees serving a menu from the closed Urbandale Cafe. That place is down the street from the original Des Moines retro diner, Stella's Blue Sky, now open on 100th st. Cozy Cafe is owned by the folks who operated The Rock Restaurant, and previously ran Pat's Corner Cafe on Ingersoll, and some other place before that.

Location: 15950 Hickman Rd. in the Dallas County side of Clive.

Directions: Its next to Wendy's on Hickman Rd/Highway 6 on the way to Waukee and Adel.

Online at: http://www.cozycaferestaurant.com/

The Tenderloin: This thing is a great size and value, and heavy to pick up. The meat is in the classic pork loin butterfly cut that ends up in a sort of triangular shape. The uneven thickness of the meat made some parts much thicker than others. The overall juiciness retention of the meat was exceptional. There was just enough seasonings to add some taste to the breading. The two slices of American cheese were an extra 35 cents. Served with fixins on a large soft toasted bun. Overall 7.943 out of ten.

Price: $5.95, on special with a drink on Thursdays.
Also on the menu: The house specialty is the cavatelli, dating from when the owners served Helen and Pat's Cavatelli, and there is the usual diner fare of coneys and burgers. There are also homemade dessserts, daily soups and a full breakfast served until eleven. The coffee counter and drive-thru have a full selection of espresso drinks. Sides are served a la carte.

Ambiance: The strip mall is less than five years old, and this place has a small dining are with booths for seating. There is new colorful tile and natural light on the decorations.
Final Thoughts: The Cozy Cafe is serving up classic Iowa comfort food for people who don't even know Hickman as the road to Adel. Additionally, you can now get a tenderloin and chase it with a Red Eye without leaving your car. I never made it to Pat's Corner Cafe on Ingersoll before it closed, but people had recommended their Hot Beef Sandwich, and homemade chips to me back then. I may have to head back someday to try the one of the Cavatelli dishes. I just hope I can make it back before the operators of this place move on to open another restaurant.

Pump Haus in Cedar Falls

2010-10-23T13:32:00.008-05:00

My last trip to downtown Cedar Falls was on a winter night when the sun went down early, but the streetlights and decoration made the business area lively and the nearly fully occupied storefronts are worth walking past and looking inside. There was even a horse-drawn buggy moving down the street that night. While browsing through online restaurant menus, one tenderloin from this area stuck with the option to have the sandwich dipped in BBQ sauce. I had to check this one out.

Location: 311 Main St in Cedar Falls, in Eastern Iowa.

Directions: Its on main street in the downtown area.

Online at: http://www.thepumphaus.com/

The Tenderloin: This is listed on the menu as the PH Tenderloin. The thick layer of breading absorbed the BBQ Sauce and kept it close to the meat. The white pork had slightly above average thickness and juiciness. There was a little piece that stuck out like a finger of pork. Served on a large untoasted bun with all the fixings. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $8.49 with a side, plus 50 cents to dip it in BBQ sauce.

Also on the menu: There is a large menu with burgers, salads, and drink specials. I got the homemade chips with the tenderloin:
Service: Its table service that was typically slow as most sports bars seem to be these days.

Ambiance: This is a recently remodeled Main St. building, with exposed brick and good lighting, with tables and booths or a bar area for seating and flatscreen televisions everywhere.

Final Thoughts: The Pump Haus has a full title with Pub and Grill, and it is better than most sports bars I have visited. The lighting and small table I was sitting at meant I couldn't get any good pictures of this tenderloin. Next on my list in this neighborhood of Iowa is Newtons Paradise Cafe in downtown Waterloo.

Chatterbox Cafe in Audubon and the Hamburloin

2010-10-07T19:51:00.009-05:00

The Chatterbox Cafe lives up to its name, the locals were talking up a storm with the waitresses. If you are a regular here then you can get away with calling it "The Box". The sign reads Down Home Cookin', and the menu is filled with homemade comfort food.

Location: 120 N. Division St in Audubon, in Western Iowa.

Directions: Its right on the Highway 71, the main north-south drag through town.

The Hamburloin: This isn't the biggest tenderloin you will find, but the meat is expertly trimmed and kept thick through the tenderizing process. The breading is a thin golden brown layer that locks in the pork taste. The hamburger was alright, it may have been locally grown meat. The whole thing dragged through the garden, topped with enough vegetables to add moisture to the bun and breading. The final product had a "leaning tower" effect that comes with many sandwiches with toppings stacked up. Served on a toasted bun. Overall 8.193 out of 10.

Price: 5.25, or $4.00 for just the tenderloin.

Also on the menu: Comfort food at affordable prices including a hot beef sandwich, full breakfast and homemade pies for dessert.

Service: There is a to-go counter and table seating.

Ambiance: There is a dining are with tables, decor is wood paneling with agricultural signage.

Final Thoughts: Driving past Albert the Bull on the highway through town, its easy to miss this little spot. It sorta fits you would find a tenderloin with a burger on top in a town with a giant bull beside the road. I think this one holds up against the Uptown Cafe a few blocks away in Audubon, as well as Darell's Place in Hamlin and The Red Barn further down Highway 71 in Exira.

Billy Jo's Bar & Grill in Algona

2010-09-27T16:28:00.010-05:00

Algona claims it is home to the World's Largest Cheeto, but I missed out when driving through earlier this year. I had tried a couple other places around town before stepping into this Pub 'n Grub with a humble exterior on State Street.

Location: address is listed as 4 E. State St in Algona, Kossuth County in Northern Iowa.

Directions: This is right on the edge of the main street near the courthouse. Get there by taking state highway 169 and turning on State St.

The Tenderloin: From a distance this one looked like two smaller loins on top of each other. The meat here was over-tenderized and was folded in half to fit into the take-away box and stay on the bun. The pork was white, steamy hot, and had been butterfly cut before being pounded into such a huge size. This felt like it was at least seven ounces before cooking. The flour-dusted bun was toasted, tasting rich and buttery. Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $8.95 with a side.

Also on the menu: the menu is large with steaks, a grilled tenderloin, and other fried stuff.

Service: There is table service or sitting at the bar.

Ambiance: This was a high-end pub 'n grub with woodwork along the booths and a seasonal patio.

Final Thoughts: This was the last thing I ate before visiting the Grotto of Redemption in nearby West Bend, thus I have taken to this one as the Tenderloin of Redemption.

Dairy Sweet in Dunlap

2010-09-11T09:59:00.010-05:00

In anticipation of the IPPA annointing another tenderloin as "best in the state" next month, I decided to write up one the the previous top tenderloin award winners. The Dairy Sweet was awarded the IPPA Best Tenderloin award in 2005. The plaques on the walls claim they sold six thousand sandwiches in 2006, and up to twelve thousand in any given year after that. A local real estate company recently listed the property with a note reading "owners looking to retire". This place was listed as "permanently closed" on google maps, but I called and they are still open. I would assume they are staying open at least until their regular winter break at the end of October.

Location: 714 Iowa Ave. in Dunlap, Iowa (population 1,139) in Harrison County, Western Iowa. Its about 50 miles north of Council Bluffs.

Directions: This place is a block west of the Lincoln Highway on the main street through town. Look for the sign.
The Tenderloin: The first thing you notice is the thickness and the odd shape. Its clearly beaten into a sort of thick and wavy loin shape with large bumps and curling parts sticking out. The bright white meat is consistently tender throughout. No two ever look the same. The fine breading here may have the most taste packed inside that I have found. There is just a ton of what tastes like seasoning salt and black pepper in every crunchy bite. I would put this one only behind The Augusta in Oxford among the tenderloins awarded by the IPPA. Overall 9.374 out of ten.

Price: $4.95
Also on the menu: Its surprisingly big with a full ice-cream selection, burgers, fried stuff and taco salads.

Service: Its counter service with a walk-up or drive-thru window on the side. It looked like three teenagers and one adult running the show when I visited.
Ambiance: This is another small town ice-cream shop with small tables in a cramped interior and picnic seating outside. I think there were jigsaw puzzles hung on the walls inside.

Final thoughts: Both of my visits to the Dairy Sweet have been special experiences while driving through the more scenic part of Western Iowa. Its really heartbreaking to see a place like this might be closing down, although I get the idea the owners are getting old and are ready to move on. Hopefully new owners can keep the tenderloin recipe intact. I really doubt any small town ice-cream shop ever suffers from a lack of business, especially over a hot summer.

Angle Inn in Walford

2010-08-24T12:22:00.011-05:00

I drove past this humble pub'n grub on a cold night earlier this year. It was named honorable mention in the 2009 IPPA Best Pork Tenderloin in Iowa contest. For such a sizable town, there doesn't seem to be any other operating restaurants according to google maps. The one place that is open here serves up some tasty fried food, and the award-winning tenderloin. My camera just wasn't working right on this night, but the tenderloin was too good to forget.

Location: The address is listed as 505 US 151 Walford, population 1,200 in Eastern Iowa.

Directions: This is just southwest of town on the surprisingly busy road connecting Cedar Rapids and Amana.

The Tenderloin: First off, this thing is huge. The other patrons tell me that each tenderloin has a different shape, and this one was a little bit thinner and wider than what is usual for the Angle Inn. The meat was a little on the dark grey side, and was soft in even the thinnest parts. This one was pounded so much that holes were present in the middle. There was enough flavour in the breading to keep it interesting. The small bun just wasn't useful here. Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.49, an incredible value.

Also on the menu: The usual fried stuff, pizza, and burgers with The Angle Inn Burger as the specialty.

Service: I ate at the counter, surrounded by regulars who made a lot of conversation with the bartender.

Ambiance: This is a pub and grub that caters to racing fans, with beer posters and a pool table. The lights were dim and my photos turned out bad, really bad.

Final Thoughts: The Angle Inn had a brief moment of fame when it lead a "Fight for Freedom" against the 2008 Iowa Smoke Free Air Act. Small town bars across the state were frustrated by the legislation, but few took their protests to the point of civil disobedience. The Angle Inn eventually went smoke free. Its hard to quantify the effects of the ban on many small town bars and restaurants that are desperate for business. Although it has made trips to once-smoky bars more enjoyable for me in the past two years.

Gateway Market and the Vegetarian Tenderloin

2010-08-14T12:50:00.007-05:00

Local Des Moines super-chef George Formaro is not afraid to put something a little bit different on the menu, and never forgets about the vegetarians. For Iowa State Fair time, three vegetarian versions of midway food classics are available at the Gateway Market Cafe. Along with a Seitan Gyro, and a Veggie Grinder, the Veggie Tenderloin is available through Fair Week until August 22nd. The Gateway Market website reads "George is crazy about the state fair..." and "even meat-eaters will find them fair-worthy". We'll see about that.

Location: 2002 Woodland Ave. in Historic Sherman Hill Des Moines. The west location at the Villages at Ponderosa, reviewed here, just recently closed

Directions: This is at the high traffic intersection of Woodland and Martin Luther King Jr.

Online at: http://www.gatewaymarket.com/

The "Tenderloin": First off, it looks like a tenderloin, but doesn't smell like fried pork. The menu describes this as "A monster veggie patty on an egg bun", and I don't understand the use of the huge, toasted sesame-seed bun. The veggy patty tastes likes its mostly made of beans along with some tiny white bits of what feels like tofu. There is a solid layer of fried bread crumb bits, but beneath lies a grey and dark mass that is mushy and just no fun to eat. The patty is thick and with the big bun and toppings it weighs over half a pound.

Price: $7.50, with fries.

Also on the menu: There is a diverse selection of high end food, like fresh raw-men noodles or an expensive hamburger.
Service: Counter service with food brought to your table.

Ambiance: Air conditioning, well-dressed erudite epicurean patrons, clean tables, a distinct absence of body odor or any other smell; its basically the exact polar opposite of the State Fair that inspired this sandwich.

Final Thoughts: I just don't see any appeal to this sandwich. Its nice that someone tried to give vegetarians a taste of a pork tenderloin, but this is like a veggie burger with less texture. There are some other "tenderloin" sandwiches made from other meats around Iowa, like a turkey tenderloin, that I may check out sometime. As a general rule, I would advise people to accept no substitutes for real Iowa pork.

Ted's Coney Island West in Urbandale

2010-07-21T03:47:00.003-05:00

Ted's Coney Island has been serving Greek American fast food in Des Moines for decades, first downtown and later on Ingersoll Avenue. The Ingersoll location has advertised tenderloins on their sign but has served the pre-formed frozen ones for as long as I can remember. Their location in Urbandale has been around for just a couple years. Recently, a chalkboard reading NOW SERVING HOMEMADE TENDERLOINS appeared beside the menu board.

Location: 2667 86th St in Urbandale, in the Des Moines Suburbs. I thought this was in Clive, then I looked at a map and found out its in Urbandale.

Directions: This is in the Westmark Plaza II strip mall with Hobby Haven and its toy race car dirt track on the corner.

The Tenderloin: You get a real good size pork loin for your money, it feels like about eight ounces. The meat is only slightly tenderized, the grain is still visible. The breading forms a thick layer. The whole thing has good thickness, only thin on the edges. Fried to a golden brown with ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles. Overall a good 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.85, add $3 to make a basket with fries, onion rings and slaw to make a complete meal.

Also on the menu: Greek American fast food favorites including gyros, coney dogs, grilled burgers, chili, and falafel.

Papa Joe's Pizza Loin: This sandwich includes a Italian Sausage patty with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and Italian Peppers on top of a tenderloin. The Italian Sausage is served at more places in Des Moines than the pork tenderloin, so it is only natural to combine the two. Its priced to sell at $5.95.

Service: Its counter service with food brought to your table.

Ambiance: Both locations have an upscale fast food setting with high ceilings and good lighting. This place is not a dive.

Final thoughts: Its always good to see a restaurant replace a frozen tenderloin with a homemade one. The Pizza Loin is a good addition to the topped tenderloin selection, because it uses the next most popular sandwich in Des Moines. I would like to see the Ingersoll Avenue location serve these homemade sandwiches as well.

The Glenn in Manchester

2010-07-14T10:56:00.006-05:00

I have visited Manchester several times before and had never found much of anything to eat beyond the Pizza Ranch before I found this place. Its tucked inside a high rise office building in downtown Manchester.

Location: 222 S. Franklin St. in Manchester, Eastern Iowa.

Directions: Its a block south of the main east-west street through the center of town, on the first floor of a tall building.

Online at: http://www.visittheglenn.com/

The Tenderloin: The dim lights meant my photos turned out poorly. The meat takes the classic three point pork loin cut shape. The menu describes this sandwich as "hand pressed", and a guy who looked like the manager or owner told me he personally presses the seasonings into each of the pork loins after tenderizing. What you get is layers of crunchiness in the breading and more noticeable taste in the seasoning. There were no gaps between the breading that occur in the larger, thicker tenderloins. Overall I prefer the thicker varieties, but this one was worth checking out 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $5.25 a la carte, served on a toasted bun..

Also on the Menu: Its the regular diner fare for breakfast and lunch with some Mexican entrees available for dinner. Since my visit they added a huge sandwich, the Westcott Tower, which they claim is the tallest sandwich in Delaware County.

Service: Table service seemed to be the only way to go.

Ambiance: This is another family restaurant that looks like it was decorated by someone's grandmother. They seem to pride themselves on cleanliness.

Final thoughts: The website claims The Glenn is "A Relaxing Place to Dine", and promotes the family friendly atmosphere. I can't argue with that. Their tenderloin takes an approach that is thin with pork but packed with crunchiness and seasoning. If there is a better tenderloin in Delaware County, I have not found it.

Stones Restaurant in Marshalltown

2010-06-29T20:26:00.010-05:00

Stones Restaurant was a Roadfood Icon in central Iowa. Its classic sign sticks above the viaduct, reminding those driving by that this restaurant has been here so long it predates the modern road built above it. After closing earlier last decade, it briefly reopened by the Stones before closing again. Only in 2009 did a new ownership group attempt to bring this place back to life. "Since 1887" reads the front of the restaurant, and many people in the area have memories of eating here from long ago.

Location: 507 South 3rd Ave in Marshalltown, Central Iowa. Under the viaduct, beside the busy railroad tracks.

Directions: You have to drive around a corner if you are on the viaduct in order to reach the parking lot. There is an illustration on the business card.

Online at: http://www.stonesundertheviaduct.com/

The Tenderloin: This had a good size, decent thickness and looked clearly homemade. The breading became a little dusty. There seem to be parallel marks across the top from storage or something. The whole thing had good size and white meat. Served on a roll with all the fixins. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $6.50

Also on the menu: The lunch menu has diner classics on the menu like hot beef or smothered steak sandwiches along with homemade daily specials. The usual fried appetizers are not available here.

Service: Its only table service as far as I could tell.

Ambiance: The remodel and reopening work has made this place into a trip back in time. There are high ceilings and natural light, along with period music and vintage decorations.

Final Thoughts: People returning to a place that has been closed a few years may be in for some surprise changes. The Mile-High Lemon Merengue Pie, listed on the DM Register's 100 Things to Eat in Iowa Before You Die, is no longer on the menu. I am optimistic about the new owners and what they have done with the place. I was never able to visit here before it closed, but the remodeling and careful attention to atmosphere is noticeable. So many places like these close, it is rare to see one make a comeback. The tenderloin is alright. However, I left wishing I had tried one of the daily specials instead.

5th Ave. Diner in Coon Rapids

2010-06-15T12:11:00.006-05:00

I was driving home on Highway 141 past Coon Rapids late one night. I saw a giant sign reading DINER, with some stoplight graphics. I figured it was worth stopping in to see what was goin on inside.

Location: 501 5th Ave. South in Coon Rapids in Carrol County, Western Iowa.

Directions: This place is literally just off Highway 141 on the main intersection south of town. Look for the sign.

The Tenderloin: For some reason they served this on a gigantic plate that made the sandwich look smaller than it really was. The menu described the meat as cut fresh daily, it did not appear to be tenderized to break the grain of the meat. However, the meat was soft and white. Served on an untoasted bun. A solid 7.5 out of ten rating.

Price: $4.50, a little more for the fixins.

Also on the menu: The typical diner fare with some odd stuff like a grilled marshmallow peanut butter sandwich or a giant hamburger. I opted for a fried cheese bits side dish.

Ambiance: This place has the same decorations as every other drive-in or one-stop on this highway with road signs and license plates nailed to the walls. There are tables and booths for seating.

Service: Its table service with space for a walk-up that wasn't in use when I visited during some kind of small town rush hour.

Final Thoughts: This sandwich wasn't exceptionally great by any approximation, and there are plenty of places to get one about as good along Highway 141. The Coon Rapids Country Club has a restaurant open seasonally next door that I may have to check out next time.

Goldie's Ice Cream Shoppe in Prairie City

2010-05-24T03:26:00.006-05:00

In the few short years since this space was turned into Goldie's Ice Cream Shoppe, it has been featured in a Des Moines Register article about small town ice cream stands, then KCCI TV had their Cruising For Comfort Food feature visit here. Last October, the Iowa Pork Producers Association gave Goldies its coveted and prestigious Best Tenderloin in Award. The owner, Brad Magg, created his own catering company when he was still in High School. Since then he has taken over the ice cream shop, been elected to the City Council of nearby Colfax, and promoted a Demolition Derby all before turning 24 years old. His next step could be world domination, or perhaps an even bigger demolition derby.

Location: 304 W 2nd St in Prairie City, about 18 miles east of Des Moines in Jasper County, Central Iowa.

Directions: You take East University from Des Moines, it turns into Highway 163 and Goldies is just past Casey's from the Prairie City exit.

Online at: There is a facebook page

The Tenderloin: This has to be at least eight ounces after cooking. The lightly seasoned breading forms some gigantic crumbs on the edges. The meat is very tender with a consistent texture. According to the IPPA press release, the pork loin is cut and tenderized at the meat department at Fareway in Pleasant Hill. Served with all the fixings on a large untoasted bun. Overall 8.43 out of ten.
The Mingo Special: this is made with seasoned Italian Sausage from the Mingo Locker, and a slice of provolone cheese on top. I had trouble trying to eat one of these while driving, the sausage was all over the place.

The Magg Combo: This is a tenderloin topped with a cheeseburger. The ground beef is from the nearby family farm run by the Magg family, processed at the Mingo Locker. This one works better as a sandwich than the other combo deal. Each one gets a good melt job on top of the beef.

Price: $5.50 for the regular tenderloin a la carte, or $7.75 for one of the combo sandwiches. The prices haven't changed since at least 2008.

Also on the menu: There are daily specials to go with the usual burgers and salads, a full ice cream selection. The feature dessert item seems to be the Suicide Twister. The drive-thru window sells coffee in the morning. The menu used to have a note reading "we sell farm raised steaks!"

The PC Dog: This is a cheese stuffed hot dog wrapped in bacon:
The Chili Cheese Fries: these came in a little bowl. For a small extra price you can get lightly battered "Goldies Fries".
Service: Its table service with mostly old ladies waiting tables. There is a walk-up window and drive-thru for ice cream orders. In the mornings this place serves coffee, PC PERK, from the drive-thru window.

The Fried Cauliflower: I never forget the vegetables.
Ambiance: Its not much from the outside, but the interior is brighter with the classic ice cream shop look, and specials written on a chalkboard. There are a few booths and tables, plus a counter for seating. When the weather is good you can sit at picnic tables outside. Since the IPPA award last fall, its been tough to get a place to sit.

Final Thoughts: I put this place on my own list of the best tenderloins near Des Moines after trying the two sandwiches that were tenderloins with toppings. I've seen the owner a few times running around the kitchen, and understand he is an advocate of small towns in Iowa. As a general rule, I think you get a better sandwich experience in the small town cafes and places like this then at any big or expensive restaurant in Des Moines. I recommend picking up the Magg Combo to anyone on the road to Pella.

Update April 2011:
Goldies was featured on the second season of IPTV's Iowa's Simple Pleasures, the above screengrab is the former owner and founder, Golda.
Check out the video here.
Or visit the show page:
http://www.iptv.org/simplepleasures/default.cfm

The Sandwich Shop, Smitty's in Albia

2010-05-16T15:10:00.002-05:00

I've been to some low-key places in my lifetime of eating well, but some places are more low-key than others. This place is humble in its exterior, without a proper name visible from outside. The only lure to the non-local is the words "Sandwich Shop" beneath a Pepsi logo on an aged sign. The locals claim this is the best tenderloin in Iowa, so I had to check it out.

Location: 14 Benton Ave. W in Albia (population 3,706), Monroe County, Southern Iowa.

Directions: This place is just off the main square in Albia.

The Tenderloin: I think they make these in batches during the lunch rush, because they had mine ready in about thirty seconds. The large bun was not toasted. The meat was warm and steamy, and tender with bright white color. The downside is the breading had seperated from the meat entirely, coming off the meat in several places. This one gets a break because of the low price, its one of the better ones you can get for less than four dollars. Overall 7.0 out of 10.

Price: $3.75

Also on the menu: Its a short menu with burgers, beefburgers, and shakes.

Service: I went to the counter, but I think there is table service too. I think the owner was behind the counter when I was there. There is a drive-thru window for ordering from the alleyway.

Ambiance: This is a small town diner. There are booths and a counter for seating.

Final thoughts: This place in Albia with a sign that just reads "Sandwich Shop" has an affordable, if unexciting, tenderloin to offer. I haven't found another good tenderloin in Monroe County, or anyplace else near here.

Dairy Mart in Glidden

2010-04-27T13:47:00.004-05:00

From the outside, Dairy Mart has all of the looks of a classic Lincoln Highway roadside Ice-Cream shack. The signs covering the building mention homemade tenderloins at least three times in large letters. This was not the kind of place I could just drive past. According to Wikipedia, Glidden is the hometown of Merle Hay, the man the mall in Des Moines was named after. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of a giant rooster across the parking lot.

Location: Google maps only lists a post office box, but one online index says 325 E 9th, but its on Highway 30 in Glidden, (population 1,253) in Carroll County, Western Iowa.

Directions: This is on the road to Carroll. Its on the south side of the highway, just east of town. Look for the rooster, or the giant ice-cream cone on top of the building.

The Tenderloin: This was a pretty good size, about eight ounces after cooking, for the price they ask for. The grain of the pork loin was still present after tenderizing, the whole thing just wasn't that tender. The thin pork bent upwards and extended just beyond the bun. The signs advertise this as a great homemade tenderloin, but its more of a value model based on my sample. Overall 7.0 out of ten.
Price: $4.19

Also on the menu: Broasted Chicken, Burgers, and a full ice-cream and malt dessert selection. I suspect the Triple Veggie Burger is just three hamburgers topped with vegetables.
Service: There is table and counter service inside, and a walk-up window during the summer.

Ambiance: The owner takes good care of this place to keep it looking like a classic Lincoln Highway stop for food and ice-cream. The inside is a little cramped with smaller tables and seats, but that is just how authentic roadside places are.
Final thoughts: The Dairy Mart is a well-maintained and classic-looking ice-cream stand beside the Lincoln Highway. The tenderloin is homemade, but not really anything special. This place is worth stopping in for the Ice-Cream or other menu items. There are a few restaurants in Carroll I need to check out on my next trip to this part of Iowa.

Kelly's Little Nipper in Des Moines

2010-04-18T16:24:00.001-05:00

Sometimes known simply as Kelly's, or Kelly's Bar on Grand. This pub 'n grub in the Mexican Main Street of East Grand Avenue serves up big portions of greasy food at low prices for a working class crowd.

Location: 1701 East Grand Ave. in Des Moines.

Directions: If you get off the freeway around E. 14th and find Grand Ave. Kelly's is on the south side of the street.

The Tenderloin: This sandwich starts with about twelve ounces of pork loin, so size is not an issue here. Its pounded to get soft without being too thin. The breading is thick and crunchy, crumbs scatter all over the place. Soft edges of the sandwich are pulled off easily. Meat is white inside throughout. Served with the fixings on a large portion of soft bread cut in front of you. Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.95

Also on the menu: The specialy is the one-pound sausage sandwich, there is also something named the Killer Burger. Onion Rings are hand breaded.

Service: you can wait at a table or booth, but its faster to go straight to the counter. Everything goes through the same tiny grill, so it can take up to half an hour to get your food at busy times.

Ambiance: This bar has been in operation for a long time, I think the sign says since 1929 or something. the age shows in the woodwork and the decades-old beer advertisements. There are booths, tables, and a counter to eat and drink. There is a picnic table in back for when the weather is warm.

Final Thoughts: This stretch of East Grand is packed with authentic Mexican restaurants, Kelly's is like a hold out here that has been around for a long time. Don't let the humble exterior fool you, this is a great place for greasy grub. Since Micheals in Beaverdale closed, this may have found itself in the rare company of the best tenderloins in the city of Des Moines.

Bonaparte Retreat in Bonaparte

2010-03-31T10:41:00.010-05:00

Bonaparte is a small town in Southeast Iowa, and is part of the Historic Villages of Van Buren County. Van Buren County places limits on things like commercial signage, and the villages are maintained by residents to reflect the areas heritage from a time when the Des Moines River was busy with commerce, and mill towns dotted the landscape. The building that now houses this restaurant was once a grist mill powered by the river, making flour for larger markets. The town was known as Meek's Mill before being incorporated as Bonaparte.The Bonaparte Retreat has been featured in Midwest Living and The Iowan magazines.

Location: 731 1st St. in Bonaparte (population 458), Van Buren County, in Southeastern Iowa.

Directions: Bonaparte is best reached by taking Highway 2 across Southern Iowa. County Road W40 takes you 2 miles north into town. You can also take the scenic route by driving County Road J40 from Keosauqua. Its only two and a half hours drive from Des Moines.

Online At: http://bonaparteretreat.com/

The Tenderloin: This one had a shape like an oven mitt when I unwrapped it. Your get decent thickness in the cut of pork, but the meat only slightly extends beyond the bun. Softness is above average, and the meat comes apart easily. Breading adds some crunch, but not much in the way of seasoning. Served with your choice of fixings on a sesame seed bun. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price:$4.25 a la carte, a good value.

Also on the menu: the lunch menu is small but it has some fried vegetable appetizers along with the usual salads and sandwiches. The Dinner menu has steaks and seafood, and homemade pies for dessert.

Service: Its table service, and takes a while for food to be prepared. Watching a lady use the giant antique cash register is a plus.

Ambiance: The building oozes with atmosphere in its natural lighting and antique furnishings. There is a great view of the river, but tables near the windows fill up fast.

Final Thoughts: The setting in a historic building in the best kept historical towns in Iowa with the high ceiling of the mill, and relics of its prior incarnation, is great. Although on my next visit I will probably be to try some of the other cuts of meat on the dinner menu. I still maintain the best tenderloin I have found in Van Buren County is at Misty's Malt Shop just up the road in Keosauqua. This was a good value in a nice small town.

Roadhouse Bar & Grill in Fort Dodge

2010-03-14T21:46:00.010-05:00

I was surprised when a website told me a new restaurant in Fort Dodge had put a super-jumbo tenderloin on the menu. It claimed to serve a full pound size tenderloin. This had previously been a size only offered at the St. Olaf Tap in Northeast Iowa. The local paper tells me that the owner of this place promotes Country music concerts, and an outdoors multimedia project including a television show, radio, and magazine. The Roadhouse Bar & Grill offers more opportunity for tie-in events.

Location: the address is listed at 217 S 25th St, inside the Crossroads Mall in Fort Dodge.

Directions: This place has two entrances at the northeast corner of the Mall, you get there by taking the Business Route of Highway 20 which is 5th Ave South in Fort Dodge.

Online at: http://www.fdroadhouse.com/

The Tenderloin: Listen on the menu as The Big Country 1 lb. Tenderloin (Huge - Bring a friend!). First things first, this thing is big. It may not have been a full sixteen ounces before breading and frying, but it felt huge and was filling. A big problem with giant tenderloins is getting the huge cuts of pork to stay consistently tender and moist after cooking. The giant cut of meat just gets too tough, dry and chewy. The breading added more than enough crunch, but most of the flavor came from the red onions underneath the bun. Some more seasonings could raise the score, but it also needs to be more tender. Overall 6.5 out of ten.

Price: $8.99 with a side of fries. Sometimes it will be on special for a dollar less with a soft drink.

Service: Its table service at the booth seats, or you can sit at the bar.

Ambiance: This location used to be a Cactus Bob's Tex-Mex restaurant, so there is wood paneling with signs. The new ownership has put up pictures of country music acts.

Also on the menu: There are burgers, the nachos look special, and the "self proclaimed best wings in the Midwest"

The naked grilled Garlic Parmesan Wings:

The lightly seasoned fries with rosemary side:
Final Thoughts: I hope this place sticks around because the wings were good. You can check out a YouTube video from a wing eating contest captured by the local paper. On my next trip through Fort Dodge, I will try to make it to the often recommended Community Tap & Pizza and try their tenderloin.

Millerton Cafe in Millerton

2010-02-27T16:50:00.004-06:00

A dining guide for Wayne county told me to check out this cafe with a humble exterior in the small town of Millerton. I think this place was named Rose's Cafe before a renovation a year ago, and there seems to be only one other business open in town. A January day with a combination of freezing rain and dew known as Hoar Frost meant my photos were particularly colorless.

Location: 11 Highway J-22 in Millerton, population 53, in Wayne County, Southern Iowa.

Directions: The cafe is on the main street through town, County Road J-22, reached by State Highway 14 between Chariton and Corydon.
The Tenderloin: Breading was golden brown with just enough flavor to compliment the meat. The pork was steamy warm and soft to the touch. It was thicker on one side, but tender throughout. Served with fixins on a toasted bun. Overall 8.0 out of 10.
Price: $4.95

Also on the Menu: The menu is small and keeps is simple with burgers, pies and daily specials.

The Chili Cheese Fries were a nice big gloppy mess:
Service: Table service with a couple waitresses running around. I think the owner was working the counter.

Ambiance: This is a recently renovated and redone small town cafe with booth seats in one room and another dining room with tables. I think half the town was inside the cafe when I stopped in.

Final thoughts: Finding a good tenderloin in a small town always makes a sandwich lover feel good about taking detours from the beaten path. This place could use a sign on the highway, because Millerton is a small town.

Schera's Restaurant in Elkader

2010-02-06T13:25:00.005-06:00

When the Iowa town of Elkader was platted in 1846 in a small river valley surrounded by hills, it was named after Abn Al-Qadir, who was leading Algerian resistance to French Colonial rule at the time. That historical footnote was enough to encourage a multicultural couple, including the son of a former Algerian diplomat, to visit this small town in the bluff country of northeast Iowa while on their way to Cedar Rapids. The two loved the town and the people here enough to move from Boston to start Schera's Restaurant and Bar on the main street of Elkader.

Location: 107 South Main St in Elkader (population 1,656), in Clayton County in Northeast Iowa. Its about sixty or seventy miles from the "big cities" of Dubuque, Cedar Falls, or Cedar Rapids

Directions: Elkader is where Iowa Highway 56 meets Iowa Highway 13. The roads in this part of Iowa bend around the hills and you can't just see a town under a water tower from ten miles away. Follow the signs for the Business District from either State Highway.

Online at: http://www.scheras.com/

The Tenderloin: The first thing I noticed was the size and classic triangular pork loin cut shape with some good thickness and golden brown exterior. The meat is warm, moist, and soft enough to tear easily. This is served with chopped red onions and romaine lettuce, better than most other places. They didn't go crazy with any special or strong seasonings in the breading here, but there is a good crunchy texture. Served on kaiser bun. Overall 8.0 out of 10.

Price: $7.00 with choice of side.
Also on the Menu: The menu is split between American food like hamburgers and Mediterranean staples like a gyros platter. The specialty is the Algerian dishes, like the Chicken B'Stilla pictured below. Its made from ground chicken, onions and seasonings, stuffed in phylo dough, then fried and topped with sprinkled cinnamon. The staff explains to patrons that the most common spice in Algerian cuisine is cinnamon, and I don't think anything here is really spicy.

Chicken B'Stilla appetizer $6:
Service: Its table service, when I visited one of the owners was walking around the place asking patrons how things were.

The lightly seasoned Buffalo Fries side dish:

Ambiance: The building is a main street storefront with high ceilings, with tables, booths, and a bar for seating. The wood panelled walls have vintage pictures of Elkader, Abn Al-Qadir, and Algeria. I think they may have a patio facing the Turkey River in back when the weather warms up. The connected storefront beside the restaurant was being used as retail space when I visited.

Final thoughts: Its no understatement to say a restaurant like this is uncommon in small town Iowa, and Schera's is definitely a special place. The story behind how the owners came to Elkader and decided to stay here was documented in detail in news clippings on their website, but the site is being redone right now. The owners have been dedicated enough to this place to restore the building after after a devastating flood in 2008. I get the idea that people travel from up to 40 miles away to visit this restaurant, and for good reason.

Uptown Cafe in Audubon

2010-01-30T15:10:00.005-06:00

The locals in Audubon are divided over who has the better tenderloin in town, the Chatterbox Cafe or the Uptown Cafe. I was lucky enough to try both in my travels through Western Iowa. The sign in front of the Uptown Cafe reads HOME COOKIN', and lists tenderloins, and that is always a good omen.

Location: 320 Broadway St in Audubon (population 2,382), in Western Iowa. Its just about 90 minutes from Des Moines.

Directions: The main drag is Highway 71, turn onto the main street Broadway, this place is on the north side of the road.
The Tenderloin: I walked in here at about 1:55 PM, just before closing time. I think they cook may have rushed this thing through the fryer. The breading on one side wasn't fully cooked and was mushy upon biting. This is one of the thicker tenderloins I have found in Western Iowa. The large bun disguises how large this tenderloin is. Served with your choice of fixings on a buttery toasted bun. Overall 7.0 out of 10.

Price: $4.00 and a little extra to go.

Also on the Menu: They serve a full breakfast menu and the regular sandwiches for lunch.

Service: I came in just before the place closed, but I think its table service.

Ambiance: This is a main street small town diner with tables for seating in a large dining area.

Final thoughts: Highway 71 in Western Iowa passes from Atlantic to Exira, then through Hamlin and north to Audubon and beyond. In about a 25 mile stretch there are great tenderloins at the Farmer's Kitchen in Atlantic, the Red Barn in Exira, Darrell's Place in Hamlin, the Chatterbox Cafe and Uptown Cafe in Audubon. Further north is the Corner Station just outside Templeton. Each place has a great tenderloin, and a visitor really can't go wrong when passing through. While passing through Audubon it is difficult to miss Albert the Bull:

Gateway Market and Cafe in West Des Moines

2010-01-14T21:30:00.009-06:00

The Gateway Market is a high-end grocery store with the best selection of rare cheese and wine, and local meat and produce. It has classes and cooking events listed on its website. Its founder, local super-chef George Formaro, recently had two of his restaurants finish in the top three of a local best restaurant poll. His success has brought countless praise from far and wide, getting the offerings from the Gateway Market Cafe mentioned in Esquire and Bon Apetit magazines. In addition to that, he eats tenderloins and serves them at his restaurants. I had to make it to the new location of Gateway Market in West Des Moines to check out his take on this sandwich.

Special note: I ate this at the Gateway Market West location, but right now its only listed on the online menu for the Des Moines location. So if you take the directions, you won't find a tenderloin sandwich when you get there, at least for now.

Location: 520 Market St in West Des Moines, inside the Villages at Ponderosa development.

Directions: Take the Mills Civic Parkway exit from I-35, turn north on 60th St.

Online at: http://gatewaymarket.com/

The Tenderloin: First things first, I usually prefer giant messy and greasy tenderloins to these types of small gourmet sandwiches. I think the Augusta in Oxford did a better job with high-quality ingredients. I hope the breading close-up pictures come through with good resolution, because its finely applied with visible seasonings and no extra grease or chunks falling off. The presentation is about as good as you could ask for, with sliced pickles and shredded lettuce, and bumps the score up a little. Served on a fresh bun from Formaro's South Union Bakery. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $7.95 a la carte.
Also on the Menu: The Gateway Market has a wide selection of high end stuff, freshly prepared Ramen Noodles, BBQ smoked sandwiches, gourmet burgers, and fish tacos. The west location has a pizza oven.

Service: Well groomed servers take your order at the counter and bring your food to your table.

Ambiance: This place is right at home in the affluent and luxurious side of West Des Moines. There are huge windows with a view of a fountain from the dining area.

Final thoughts: My previous entries have been about the typical small town pub and grubs like the Peru Bar and Grill, or Fat Randi's in Van Meter. The Gateway Market is close to a polar opposite of those two places, and its located not too far away. I like to think of the Breaded Pork Tenderloin as the people's sandwich. This upscale form of the sandwich isn't my thing, and I usually get the fish 'n chips when I visit.
Update: It has come to my attention that two of Formaro's restaurants do serve tenderloins. I think he also once gave an interview to the Des Moines Register claiming to frequent tenderloin establishments like George the Chili King and B&B Brocery and Deli. I went ahead and cut and pasted some descriptions from the respective menu pages.

From Centro:
From Django:

Peru Bar and Grill in (Old) Peru

2009-12-31T18:00:00.002-06:00

I had heard there was a small town pub and grub in not so far away Peru, and that it served a homemade tenderloin. A recent trip to Madison County meant I could make it down the county roads to this small burgh.

A special note about unincorporated community of Peru, it is not to be confused with the township of Peru in Dubuque County. Neither is it to be confused with the South American country of Peru. But together with the incorporated town of 153 people next door known as East Peru, the area around here is sometimes referred to simply as Peru. During my visit I did not have time to verify correct pronunciation, but I assume it is to be pronounced like "pee roo". Wikipedia tells me Old Peru had an operating Post Office from 1853 to 1903. The google maps profile had ads for "Peru Holidays Packages" and "Thousands of Brides from Peru", I assume they are referring to the South American country with the same name.

Location: google says the address is 113 Brown St. on the main street with two or three occupied buildings in Old Peru, about 45 minutes from Des Moines in Madison County.

Directions: East Peru is on County Road G68, sometimes listed as Peru Road. You can reach Peru Road by taking I-35 to the Truro exit, or taking State Highway 169 south from Winterset.

The tenderloin: The from the bar area you can see the lady working the bar and waiting tables hand breads these things to order in a small kitchen. The hand breading and tenderizing means the thickness varies significantly, with folds and crunchy parts found in each bite. Each tenderloin seem to form a giant cup-like shape that holds the fixins under the toasted bun. Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.75

Also on the menu: you can get an unbreaded tenderloin, or usual bar foods like burgers, pizza or fried stuff.

Ambiance: This is a dive bar with the regular beer posters on the wall, there is a big banner that reads "Welcome Hunters". Some fly traps were hanging from the ceiling, but those types of things add "flavor" to a place like this. Seating is available at the bar or at tables, or there is a picnic table across the street.

Service: When I visited it looked like one hard-working lady waits tables, tends the bar, runs the kitchen, and operates an antique cash register. She seemed to know the local regulars well.

Final thoughts: This may be the closest authentic small town pub and grub with a homemade tenderloin to Des Moines. The travel on the winding county roads in rural Madison County makes the trip feel longer than it truly is. The fact that this area is not on the trail of the covered bridges probably means that few visitors make it out here.

Shack's Lounge in Bayard

2009-12-15T18:05:00.006-06:00

So I pulled off the highway in Bayard and the main street was mostly barren save for one place with several trucks parked outside. Seriously, every car parked on Main Street was right in front of Shack's Lounge. That is always a good sign. This was a place nicknamed The Loin Shack, it has a website claiming "with loins like ours they are always good", and a locally famous pork tenderloin on the menu.

Location: 306 Main St in Bayard, Iowa (population 536) in Guthrie County, about an hour and a half northwest of Des Moines.

Directions: Its just three blocks up main street from Highway 141.

Online at: http://www.amshacks.com/
The Tenderloin: You get an above-average size piece of moist tenderized pork loin here. The lady managing the place tells me this is made with her own special combination of seasonings in the breading. Served with all the fixings. This is a solid tenderloin, overall 7.5 out of 10

Price: $4.25 a la carte, or a dollar more in a lunch special with choice of side.

Also on the Menu: The usual bar foods with fried chicken and burgers.
Service: Its seat yourself at booths or at a bar, there were a few waitresses working several tables each. I came in at a busy time, so it took a while to order and then for the tenderloin to cook. I think the owner was working the bar and waiting tables.

Ambiance: This is a typical small town Iowa pub and grub with beer posters all over the wood-paneled walls, it was exceptionally busy with locals at the noon hour. The dim lights meant my photos were didn't do the sandwich justice. There is a banner with the words Loin Shack in big letters.

Final thoughts: I can safely say that this is the best place to eat while in Bayard.

Fat Randi's in Van Meter

2009-11-30T18:15:00.003-06:00

Van Meter is a small town of 866 people just outside West Des Moines, its most famous for being home to former major league pitcher Bob Feller and there is a billboard on the freeway advertising his "museum". You can see the town by looking past the gravel pit south of the freeway. An honorable mention in the top five tenderloins in Iowa in 2007 meant that I had to make the trek almost 10 minutes from West Des Moines to check out this sandwich.

Location: 405 Grant St. in Van Meter, just 8 miles beyond West Des Moines, in Dallas County.

Directions: You take the freeway past the Jordan Creek exit, and turn south to drive past the gravel pit. This pub and grub is next to an auto shop on the old main street in behind the Casey's in Van Meter.
The Tenderloin: This one has a nice golden brown color in its fine layer of breading. The meat is nice, juicy and thick.The first time I ordered one it came with an onion ring on top, but I haven't been given one on my subsequent trips. There was a leaning tower effect with all the toppings. Overall 8.0 out of 10

Price: $7.00 with a side.

Also on the menu: A typical pub and grub menu with fried stuff, burgers, and frozen pizza. The specialty is the Fat Randi burger with fresh ground beef.

Service: Table and bar service. The lady that owns and manages the place, Randi, isn't really fat.
Ambiance: Its a small town bar with tables to eat at and Tv's. The walls are covered with cheap beer puns like "liquor in front, poker in the rear" on painted signs.

Every year the cities of West Des Moines and Waukee seem to creep farther west, and since the new mall was built this town seems closer to Des Moines than it used to be. Van Meter may be turning into a bedroom community for people who work in West Des Moines, but Fat Randi's is an authentic small town pub and grub with a good tenderloin.

Colony Inn in Ventura

2009-11-10T23:59:00.001-06:00

When one travels into the northern regions of Iowa, or further into Minnesota, the pork tenderloins are more likely to be battered instead of breaded. The attraction of Clear Lake means many people visit this area in the summer, and there are plentiful dining options near, or on, the lake. Ventura probably sees its population swell during the summer as people visit the lake. When driving into Ventura, the sign for this place near the entrance to town reads Colony Inn Restaurant and Lounge.

Location: 104 N Weimar St in Ventura (population 670), in Cerro Gordo County, about two hours drive north of Des Moines in northern Iowa.

Directions: You take the Clear Lake Highway 18 exit West from I-80. Turn south at the sign for Ventura and find the old main street behind the grain elevators.

Online at: http://www.thecolonyinn.com/

The Tenderloin: First things first, this one was huge, and it looked really good with the fixins on the side of the giant plate. It felt like at least twelve ounces before battering and frying. The big letdown was the lack of any seasoning in the batter. The meat was beaten a little too much, leading to a limp flopping sandwich. It has tons of natural pork taste in the bright white meat locked in by the battering and frying process, but not any other flavor on top of it. Overall 7.5 out of ten.

Price: $9.75
Also on the menu: A big menu with steaks, salads and burgers.

Service: Its table service, I visited when it wasn't busy.
Ambiance: This place has a hunting lodge style dining area with wood paneling and pictures of game animals. There are booths and a bar to eat at. There is a lounge area in the next room, somewhere is a banquet hall in this large building.

The menu here tells me this tenderloin once nearly won a best tenderloin in the state award. But their new website doesn't have it listed on the menu. Maybe its because the sandwich page hasn't been uploaded yet, but I don't know. The people who operate this restaurant also run the kitchen at the seasonally-opened PM Park on the opposite side of Clear Lake. Next on my list in Ventura is the Muskie Lounge with lakeside boat service. The Suzie-Q Cafe in nearby Mason City serves a battered loin with a lot more flavor mixed in. Further west in Algona I found a good breaded tenderloin. Either way, this area has plenty of good tenderloins.

PJ's Drive-In in Panora

2009-10-23T14:22:00.006-05:00

The location at the end of the Raccoon River Valley Bike Trail and the nearby Lake Panorama mean Panora gets more visitors than the average small town in Iowa. This means more diverse dining options, a near fully-occupied downtown, but most importantly more good tenderloins. So a couple years ago I picked up a Smoke-Free Dining Guide to Western Iowa, and this place was listed as specializing in homemade tenderloins. I had to check it out.

Location: 600 E Main St. in Panora Iowa, in Guthrie County about an hour west of Des Moines.

Directions: This place on the east side of Panora has a big green sign in front on Route 44, the main drag through town.

The Tenderloin: The first thing you notice is the unusual cut, with small connective thin part in between a couple thick round chunks of pork. The breading is thick with little dots of black pepper visible. There was a some untrimmed fat on the edges but most of the pork was steamy and delicious. Served on a toasted bun. Overall 7.5/10

Price: $3.75 a la carte, a good value for an average-size tenderloin sandwich, or in a special with side and drink for $6.50. Also available grilled.

Also on the menu: the typical diner stuff like burgers and salads, there is a special Friday Night Fish Fry. This is the Cole Slaw:
Service: There are a lot of people moving around the kitchen here, its counter service with food brought to your table.

Ambiance: This place looks dull from outside but the interior is brightly lit and has a big mural of the bike trail covering a wall. There are tables inside and covered picnic tables for outside when the weather is good.

Final Thoughts: This place has a welcoming ambiance and is a great place to visit while passing through Panora. Its the best tenderloin I have found in Panora, after trying the Coyote Grill and 44 Drive-In already, the next place on my list is the restaurant at the Panorama National just north in Lake Panora.

Butch's River Rock Cafe in Oakland Mills

2009-10-01T19:15:00.005-05:00

More than one person has recommended me to locate a bait shop in a small unincorporated township outside of Mt. Pleasant. For a long time Oakland Mills store was a cafe in an old railroad depot building, and a general store with live bait being made for catfish. Just a few years ago the owner retired and a cook from Mt. Pleasant took over the location. Some changes have been made, and while live bait is no longer sold, they still make the tenderloin from scratch right here. The mailbox in from still reads Oakland Mill Store in big letters. The new sign with a catfish claims "Dam good food", and "Were here to feed ya, not fatten ya up".

Location: 1529 253rd St in unincorporated community of Oakland Mills in Henry County, just five minutes drive from Mt. Pleasant in Southeastern Iowa.

Directions: You reach Oakland Mills by going south on Franklin from Old Highway 34, or take Jefferson St. south from Mt. Pleasant. The Cafe is across from the dam, good luck. The Tenderloin: This is a very large slice of pork loin pounded into the usual tenderloin shape clearly filling the plate. The thickness varies, so it was probably pounded by hand. The breading tasted like cornmeal with only the slightest seasoning. There was plenty or pork hanging over the bun. Overall 7.75/10.

Price: $4.25, a la carte,a good value, served with a steak knife. Also on the menu: Homemade pies are the specialty, so are burgers including an elk burger and hamburger salads.

Service: Its seat yourself with a busy waitstaff, one had a shirt with the definition of the word "tenderloin" printed on the back. Ambiance: This is a small old building that has been renovated a couple times to expand the dining area. The booths and tables are small, so is the counter. Outdoor seats are available also. There is no longer fish bait or live worms right next to where everyone eats.

Final Thoughts: From the cafe you will hear the century-old dam that once powered the mill serving a prosperous community. While the mill closed a long time ago, it looks like the fishing and outdoor activities bring their share of visitors to Oakland Mills. The road from Mt. Pleasant has some new houses and is paved the entire way to the main intersection of the small community. I may never know how this new cafe compares to the old Oakland Mills Store, or its tenderloin. But the place was filled with locals when I stopped in, many were getting the tenderloin.

Sugar Shack in Altoona

2009-09-27T16:25:00.002-05:00

The Sugar Shack is an ice-cream place in an old shopping center in the older part of Altoona. I often imagine these place as being filled with sugar-charged little kids screaming at each other. Its usually not my cup of tea, but a homemade tenderloin on the menu made this a place for I had to visit.

Location: 100 8th St SE in Altoona, just east of Des Moines.

Directions: 8th Street is the main drag through the suburban community of Altoona, you can take Hubbell Avenue in Des Moines to reach it.

The Tenderloin: This one had good size and clearly stuck out from the bun. The white meat was pounded thin, but was close to the "pork jerky" level of toughness. The edges were especially dry, perhaps it was overcooked. This gets a slight deduction for the cold bun. Overall 6.0/10.

Price: $5.25 .

Also on the menu: Full ice-cream menu with burgers and other junk food.

Service: Its counter service with the whole show run by teenagers when I visited.

Ambiance: This is a family friendly ice-cream place with bright colors and tacky 50's decorations that look like they were bought at the mall.

Final Thoughts: This might be the most family-friendly tenderloin place in Central Iowa. Its the only homemade one I have found so far in Altoona, although I may have to try Claxon's Smokehouse or the Prairie Meadows Concession Stand to see if they serve homemade tenderloins.

Augusta Restaurant in Oxford

2009-09-07T14:51:00.005-05:00

The Iowa Pork Producer's Association releases an award for the best tenderloin each year, and this place won in 2008. Many agree that this is probably the best of all the tenderloins to win the annual award for "best tenderloin". Its at a place founded by a couple of Louisiana natives who moved to Iowa after Hurricane Katrina. Oxford was once "famous" for the book The Oxford Project, which took photos of the people here in 1985 and then again in 2005. Now its home to a great tenderloin.

Location: 101 S. Augusta Ave. in Oxford, Iowa (population 705 in 2000 census). Its about 15 minutes west of Iowa City.

Directions: You can take I-80 from Iowa City or Highway 6 from the Coralville Strip to reach the county road that forms Augusta Ave., the main street through Oxford.

Online At: http://www.augustarestaurant.net/

The Tenderloin: The size is probably just under the super-jumbo average of about 12 ounces, stretching across the takeout box. But this doesn't mean a sacrifice of quality for size. A theme here is high-quality ingredients. The bread crumbs are huge and get separated from the loin easily. Its a great cut of poirk loin, well tenderized yet firm and bright white inside. Served on a fresh toasted bun with tomato, mayo, and red onions. Overall 9.5/10.

Price: $9.00, served with hand-cut fries or sweet-potato chips. Its still not the most expensive tenderloin in Iowa.
Also on the menu: There is a full homemade Cajun menu including Crawfish Beignets fresh cut steaks.

Service: Its only table seating inside with wait staff that must come from across the corridor area.
Ambiance: You pass through a curtain to enter a dimly lit dining area with Louisiana color scheme of purple with accents of green and gold.

Final Thoughts: This place is close enough to the population centers in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids to have this kind of place in such a small town. Having a couple of migrants from Louisiana come here and make the best tenderloin ever kind of pokes a hole through any logic in the idea that only Iowans can make these things right.

You can also check out this video from the Daily Iowan about the Augusta:

Sally's Old Fashioned Hamburgers Des Moines Skywalk

2009-08-30T13:58:00.004-05:00

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

2009-08-15T17:01:00.003-05:00

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.

Larsen's Pub in Elk Horn

2009-07-26T16:06:00.006-05:00

Most people learn about Elk Horn when driving past signs on the Insterstate for the Historic Danish Windmill and Museum. This town gets its fair share of tourists to take the freeway exit and check the place out. Many visitors see the huge parking lot at the Danish Inn and Buffet and don't travel any further into town to get something to eat. They would be missing out on an IPPA Best Tenderloin in Iowa from 2007 in Larsen's Pub and Catering just a few block north.

Location: 4206 Main St in Elk Horn (population 649) in Shelby County, in Western Iowa.

Directions: Take the Highway 173 exit north from I-80 between Des Moines and Omaha. The Pub is right on the main street a few blocks past the Windmill and Museum, maybe seven miles off the freeway.
The Tenderloin: What makes the tenderloin here so special is the great thickness and special blend of seasonings in the breading. This is one of the thickest tenderloins that both maintains is shape and is soft and moist inside. Parts of the tenderloin are thicker than others, nearly all fat is trimmed off. The The breading forms a darker brown layer over the pork with black pepper and other flavors. The overall score has to be reduced for the untoasted bun, a 8.0 out of 10.

Price: $4.79, with fixins.
Also on the menu: The menu has burgers and the usual fried stuff with homemade sides.

Service: It was table service with an overworked guy waiting tables, tending bar, and cooking.
Ambiance: Typical pub and grub interior with beer signs, seating at tables and booths or a bar. The crowd seemed to have many regulars or lifers who all seem to want a tenderloin, I assume its these people who gave the place the nickname "The Nut Hus" as the sign implies.

Final Thoughts: This is the second of the Western Iowa Tenderloin Trail entries, which will include stops in Dunlap, Hamlin, Audubon, and Atlantic in addition to the Red Bard in Exira I wrote about earlier. The award-winning tenderloin is perfect to handle the hunger accumulated while watching the hour-long documentary about windmills and browsing the deep selection of Danish junk at the museum.

Kalme's Store and Restaurant in St. Donatus

2009-07-12T19:27:00.004-05:00

St Donatus is a spot on the map with a little dot accompanied by the colored text "Picturesque Luxembourger Village". The "village" looks like its only about five buildings, but they do look very nice, especially if you're driving through in the fall. This is in a hilly area near the big river, so the drives are always nice.

Location: 100 N. Main St in St. Donatus (population 249) in Jackson County, near the top of the nose that is formed by the border of Eastern Iowa. Its about 15 minutes from Dubuque or 30 minutes from Galena, Illinois.

Directions: This is right on the main street Highway 52 that runs through town.

Online At: http://www.gehlenhouse.com/ is the online home of both the restaurant and the guest house is the historic buildings across the street. The website claims to offer special rates to outdoorsmen and fishermen passing through.
The Tenderloin: This is not the typical breaded pork tenderloin for a couple reasons. The first is that it isn't deep fried, its pan-fried with only a small amount of breading that gives it a different texture and very little grease. Second, its made with a special steak seasonings made here that give it a whole new flavor. Its not crunchy, and there is quite a salty taste to the whole thing. There is a great browning to the white cut of pork loin. Overall this is worth checking out, a 7.5 out of 10.

Price: $3.99, with fixins.
Also on the menu: This place falls into the trap of offering a big menu of ordinary dishes to a small town. There are a couple interesting Luxemburger twists, like homemade sausage, veal schnitzel, sauerkraut pizza and meats with their custom seasonings.

Service: Its table service in the dining area, there is also a bar area.
Ambiance: Its a historic building that has been remade several times, keeping the appearance of an Inn from the old country. You must walk past gas pumps to get in, then proceed past some grocery shelves and a bar to the dining area.

Final Thoughts: I can speak with good authority that this is the best place to eat in St. Donatus. Back when I could afford to travel overseas, I made my way to Luxemburg, and can say that this small town in bluff country is about as close as it gets in Iowa to the real thing