Darrell's Place in Hamlin, Iowa

Darrell's Place is an aluminum siding building with a gravel driveway parking lot and a giant antenna on the roof. Its at the "busy" intersection of highways 44 and 71 in Western Iowa, in a town with less than 300 people. The autobiographical stories on the walls tell of a farmer from near Exira who decided to open this restaurant back in the eighties, and its word of mouth reputation slowly spread throughout the small burgs of Western Iowa.

Location: 4010 First St in Hamlin, Audubon County in Western Iowa.

Directions: Take the Highway 71 exit from I-80 and drive north through Brayton and Exira and find Darrell's place in Hamlin at the intersection with Highway 44.

Online at: facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: The cutting and trim job on the pork loin meat is meticulous and yields a smaller size piece of meat with a juicy and chewy texture. The sandwich feels like six ounces, much smaller than the jumbo loins sold elsewhere. The tenderizing is very consistent so there are no thin drys spots or tougher thick parts. Breading is a super fine and super thin layer of golden yellow with just a touch of seasoning that keeps the steam inside from escaping. Served with pickles and onions on an a small untoasted bun. Overall 9.3 out of ten.

Price: It was $4.25 a la carte the last time I stopped in.

Also on the menu: The menu is big with fried appetizers, sandwiches, burgers and other entrees. But seriously, why bother with anything other than the tenderloin and dessert. I went with the Butterscotch pie picked out from the Pie Board and appreciated the creamy and sweet filling:

Butterscotch Pie

Service: This is a seat yourself table service restaurant, and a couple waitresses are spread throughout the dining area. The small town place gets busy and the food isn't fast, so be prepared for a little wait.

Ambiance: The walls are wood panels covered with everything from t-shirts to newpaper articles about the IPPA award to posters from the local high school sports teams. The seating includes a bar area and tables for groups.

Final Thoughts: The story of Darrell's Place is also the story of the IPPA Best Tenderloin in Iowa Award. The 2003 award was the first one given out, and the IPPA even published a list of places nominated for the award before giving out the top five. That list was the first real guide to finding breaded tenderloin sandwiches, and the IPPA contest with its exposure on rural AM radio still reaches the small town diners more than any modern internet search, newspaper articles, or restaurant review websites like yelp or urbanspoon. I have to wonder if Darrell's Place was the reason they started the award in the first place.

Corner Station in Templeton

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.

Farmers Kitchen in Atlantic

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".

Chatterbox Cafe in Audubon and the Hamburloin

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.

Dairy Sweet in Dunlap

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.

Larsen's Pub in Elk Horn

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.

The Red Barn in Exira

After reviewing by backlog of tenderloin visits and pictures, I noticed a striking omission. Western Iowa along I-80 has a dense cluster of five small cafes serving award worthy tenderloins. Is there something in the water here? Perhaps. Between Kimballton, Elkhorn, Atlantic, Exira, and Hamlin are enough great tenderloins to satisfy any craving.

Location: 613 W Washington St, Exira, Iowa, population 810, about halfway between Des Moines and Omaha.

Directions: Take the Highway 71 exit, and go north from I-80. This cafe is on the secondary highway outside Exira, about six miles north of the Interstate.

The Tenderloin: This one looked good and tasted good. The tenderloin was good size and extended far beyond the bun. The fine breading had few crumbs and no grease. The white meat inside was tender and soft. Served on a toasted bun with optional fixins, they loaded mine with onions. Overall 8 out of 10.

Price: $3.45, fixins $0.25 more, still a huge bargain also available grilled.
Also on the menu: Fried chicken, sandwiches and a full breakfast menu.

Ambiance: Its the inside of a mobile home. There are not nearly enough seats for people who want to dine here. Dust from the busy grain bin outside left a layer of stuff on my car and clothing. Locals gossip with employees in the small quarters that resemble a person's kitchen. Other patrons were ordering the tenderloin as well.

Service: One server and another cooks, both never far from the patrons.

Final Thoughts: This is a place that should have a price for locals and another one for tourists. Its just not fair that out-of-staters could enjoy a tenderloin this good for less than three and a half dollars. This dive serves a tenderloin equal to any of its neighbors in this serious tenderloin region of Western Iowa.