Menlo Cafe in Menlo Iowa

I had driven along the White Pole Road without ever really knowing the significance, just wondering why the poles were painted white. The road connects five small towns close to the interstate in West Central Iowa. On the main drag through Menlo, the coffee cup painted on the window is an indication that the Menlo Cafe is the local gathering place for small town people wanting a big breakfast.

Location: 502 Sherman St in Menlo, population 352, about forty miles west of Des Moines in Guthrie County.

Directions: Menlo is along a stretch of State Highway 925 known as White Pole Road, and is about 2 miles off of I-80. Menlo Cafe is along the main street through town.

Online at: no website for the Menlo Cafe, but check out the White Pole Road.

The Tenderloin: The sandwich felt like six or seven ounces of pork when I lifted it up. The meat inside was bright white and moist throughout. The fine textured breading had a light yellow color and just a touch of seasoning. Served on a huge flour-dusted bun with your choice of fixings, overall 7.8 out of ten.

Price: $6.00 with ridged potato chips.

Also on the menu: This place does breakfast six days a week, including a Sunday buffet. The usual burgers and sandwiches are here, along with daily specials. My research leading me to this place led me to believe there would be butterscotch pie on the menu. But the dessert board had only slices of cake


Service: There were a couple kids waiting tables when I was in. Each table had a pitcher of water frequently refilled.

Ambiance: This is a main street small town cafe that has been redone over the years and just looks out of date. The seating area is large and can accommodate groups.


Final Thoughts: The Menlo Cafe gives people the small town Iowa cafe experience in a place not far from Des Moines. If you want a more impressive tenderloin, you have to drive further west to get to the award winning places out that way.

Shack's Lounge in Bayard

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.

PJ's Drive-In in Panora

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.

44 Drive-In of Panora

Highway 44 brings a small but steady stream of traffic to the area of Panora and nearby Lake Panora. The location on the west side of Panora means that the tourism traffic to the lake never reaches this place. The 44 Drive-In is an old-fashioned small-time burger joint just off this rural route. I may have rolled through town during the slowest time of year.

Location: 104 NW 5th St. in Panora, population 1,175, in Guthrie County, about 50 miles west of Des Moines.

Directions: Take Highway 44 through town, the 44 is on the north side of the street on the west side of Panora.The Tenderloin: This is full-sized piece of pork loin. It has been pounded into a half-moon shape. It has the typical breading and average thickness. The "large" size sandwich sticks out just beyond the bun. There is modest amount of moisture inside. Served with the fixings on a large, toasted bun. 6/10

Price: $5.50, or $4.00 for small size. Grilled tenderloin also available.

Also on the Menu: Homemade Chili, onion rings, ice cream sundaes, and the house special is the "44 Burger". Service: A counter inside and window outside give you access to the skeleton staff working here. You pick up your food after your number is called.

Ambiance: The busted-up sign tells you this place is a dive. The driveway isn't paved, there is dust all over the picnic tables in front. The inside is clean but the decorations are nothing special.

Final Thoughts: This may not be the best homemade tenderloin in Panora. It may not even be the third best in this small town of many tenderloins to be detailed later. But it is a homemade in Iowa, so it gets documented here.

Tojo's of Jamaica

I rolled into Jamaica expecting reggae music and Lion of Judah flags waving around main street. It wasn't quite like that, there was a lonely dog walking through the middle of main street, and a couple cars parked outside this place. Jamaica is another small Iowa community with a single "pub & grub" that serves a giant tenderloin. Tojo's is run by a lady named Tommie Jo, and her place has a beach house theme and tons of fried food.

Location: 408 Main St. in Jamaica (population 237) is in the northeast corner of Guthrie County Iowa.

Directions: Take Highway 141 about 8 miles west from Perry, then north on county road when you see "Welcome to Jamaica" sign.

The Tenderloin: This is a big cut of pork, but not totally trimmed of fat. The pork is thick and tender with plenty of steamy moisture kept inside. There is a good crispness to the breading, a sign this was in the fryer for just the right amount of time. Served with all the fixings on a toasted and dusted bun. 8.5/10

Price: $6.75

Also on the menu: a selection of fried stuff and other bar food favorites.

Service: I think the owner took my order and cooked the food while serving a couple other people there at the time.

Ambiance: This is well lit for a pub. There a brightly painted walls covered with signs for beer and Nascar stuff. There are plenty of seats, tables, booths and a bar. The beach theme is nice.

Final Thoughts: Jamaica is not the tropical paradise that its sign may imply. The tenderloin could have been made in heaven. Its big and tasty, and this town may be the eastern edge of the serious tenderloin region in west-central Iowa.