10th St. Station in Ft Madison, Iowa

The newspaper clippings on the side of the wall indicate that 10th St. Station was once one of the oldest Maid Rite franchises. Ft Madison is not far from where Maid Rite started, and the building is old, continuously serving lunch for over seventy years.

Location: 616 10th St in Ft. Madison in Lee County far Southeastern Iowa.

Directions: This is best reached by taking the Business 61 Route through town and turning north on 10th St.

The tenderloin: This was listed under a section marked "Award Winning" on the menu. I felt a little bit of juiciness when I bit the meat portion. The breading had no discernible taste and did not stick close to the meat. The whole sandwich felt like it had been in the freezer a little too long. Served on an untoasted loosemeat burger bun with your choice of fixins. Overall 6.5 out of ten.

Price: $5.50, also available in small size. I think the menu listing the price was out of date, my total with fries was about seven dollars.

Also on the menu: This is a former Maid-Rite franchise, so there are loose meat sandwiches, and some Mexican items like fried tacos or enchiladas. They had some pies on the pie board.

Service: Its counter service with payment at the register.

Ambiance: The building is old, the fixtures are old, its like stepping back in time. Seating is at a classic u-shaped counter.

Final Thoughts: The tenderloin at 10th St Station was not good enough to make me forget The Fort Diner or some other places in this part of Iowa. But I do like visiting the old former Maid Rites, and this is one of the oldest hamburger places in Iowa.

Jerry's Main Lunch in Burlington, Iowa

The sign still lists an five digit phone number from forever ago, and the media reports Jerry's has been open since 1946. Jerry's Main Lunch has been featured recently in Edible Iowa River Valley, the Burlington Hawkeye newspaper, and WQAD television in the Quad Cities in a feature about landmark restaurants.


Location: 501 S Main St. in Burlington, Des Moines County in Southeast Iowa.

Directions: You have to take Main St south from downtown and Jerry's is on the West side of the street.

The Tenderloin: The crackerlike breading expanded from the loin meat and left an empty space that made the sandwich look bigger. It felt like a good seven ounces of pork, and the meat was steamy and hot. There was a hint of black pepper on the outside. Served on a soft toasted bun with your choice of fixins. This was more about the experience of eating in a classic old diner than the actual breaded pork tenderloin. Overall 7.2 out of ten.

Price: $4.70 also available in smaller size.

Also on the menu: the specialties are the Breakfast Mess and the Jerry Burger, the menu is mostly standard diner fare with daily specials and homemade pies.

Service: Its counter service and the food is made right in front of you.

Ambiance: Its a brick diner building from almost seventy years ago with fourteen seats on an L-shaped counter. The walls are covered with photos or old newspaper stories, and you can buy a t-shirt while you are here.

Final Thoughts: There aren't many places with as much history or family tradition as Jerry's Main Lunch. I think the family were talking about furniture when I stopped in during the off hours. When I see Jerry's thriving it makes me surprised that nobody is trying to make it work at the old Valentine Diner parked beside the river in Muscatine. Just a reminder you can see my list of tenderloins near Highway 61 HERE.

Steve's Place in Burlington, Iowa

Steve's Place has a sign that claims it is "The place to be!" Although I would not have entered based on the message on the sign, but the print ad reading "our homemade tenderloins are great" made this stop necessary. This bar on the edge of the downtown area of Burlington is a real dive, a dive among dives.

Location: 852 Washington Ave in Burlington, Southeast Iowa.

Directions: You can get here by taking the Main St exit from the state highway and turning on Washington St.

The Tenderloin: I had to grab one to go because there was no light inside the bar. This felt like six ounces of in a shapeless form in a delicious golden brown color. The tenderized meat did was a bit limp and seemed to flop over the toasted bun. The breading had little seasoning and steam from the meat took away any kind of crunch. This was still a decent dive bar tenderloin. Overall 7.5 out of ten.


Price: $4.50 a great value.


Also on the menu:  mostly the usual fried stuff you find at every bar,  along with steak and burgers. I think Thursday is taco night.


Service: I think the grill is only open from five to nine in the evening. You need to sit at the bar to get service.

Ambiance: This is a dive bar decorated with photos of Marilyn Monroe and figurines of knights in suits of armor. The building is old and the bar fixtures are showing their age. There was a crowd of people standing outside the door smoking.


Final Thoughts: I've had tenderloins at several places in Burlington so far and none have stood out or above the Short Stop in New London or the Apron Strings in Mediapolis. My next stop in Burlington will probably be at Jerry's Main Lunch on Main Street.

Breitbach's Country Dining in Balltown, Iowa

How many restaurants can claim they won an IPPA Best Tenderloin Award and its just a footnote to their history? Breitbach's has a legend which has developed over time after multiple fires have leveled the building. In 2009 Breitbach's was named an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation. Breitbach's is also featured in a recent documentary titles Spinning Plates, alongside Alinea Restaurant in Chicago, which I have not yet seen.


Location: The address is listed as 563 Balltown Rd. in Sherrill, but its in the small unincorporated community known as Balltown. Its near the intersection of Breitbach Road and Balltown Road, at the top of a hill with a handful of buildings making up Balltown.


Directions: You are probably visiting here from Dubuque, and then take Highway 3/Route 52 to Sherrill Road which changes into Balltown Road and leads into Balltown. You can also take James Road north from Richardsville and bear north as it turns into Horshoe Road.

Online at: Website is HERE.

The Tenderloin: I have had battered tenderloins at plenty of places and this seemed to have a little bit of a salty aftertaste. This was pounded out wider than any of the other battered loins I have tried as well. You get a huge amount of soft crispy batter to go with the very tender and bright white pork meat underneath. Served with all the fixings on a toasted bun. Overall 9.2 out of ten.

Price: $6.25 a la carte

Also on the menu: The menu is really simple midwestern food like burgers or fried chicken, and sandwiches like ham and cheese or a patty melt. There is a buffet service for lunch and a weekend breakfast buffet.

Service: I ate at the bar but there is a dining area with table service.

Ambiance: The building has been rebuilt more than once, but has the character of a rebuilt historic building. The woodwork and paintings on the walls of the nearby panorama look great. There is also a beer garden area outside for when the weather is warm.

Final Thoughts: Breitbachs claims in Spinning Plates trailer that they may serve up to two thousand people in a single Sunday between the Brunch or Breakfast buffet. Getting that kind of a following to travel from Dubuque is a mighty task that requires no shortage of consistency and quality for decades. It was fun to drive up and down the tiny hills leading into Balltown, and I hope to be able to do so again someday.

 

Apron Strings in Mediapolis, Iowa

I think the Burlington Hawkeye newspaper had a local poll for the best tenderloin in Southeast Iowa a while back. The Apron Strings was one of the nominees, and Mediapolis is conveniently located on the road north from Burlington. Get here early for the breakfast and lunch specials, because Apron Strings closes at two in the afternoon.


Location: 608 Main St in Mediapolis in Des Moines County, Southeast Iowa..

Directions: This is just off Highway 61 on the main drag through Mediapolis, just north of Burlington.

The Tenderloin: I liked the soft homemade bun this was served in. Buns don't have to be toasted if they are soft yet firm enough to hold up the sandwich. This tenderloin had a good eight ounces of well trimmed pork loin. The meat was well trimmed and bright white inside. Overall 8.4 out of ten.


Price: $4.95


Also on the menu: There is a full breakfast service along with "noon specials" for lunch. I think they claimed to have homemade cole slaw for a side.

Service: There are two dining areas with table service as well as a counter area. I grabbed my loin to go and paid at the counter.

Ambiance: This place has a very rustic atmosphere with tiny tables and booths. Wood paneled walls with aprons set the tone.


Final Thoughts: I love pulling up to small town diners with vintage soda logo signs and superlative claims of culinary excellence. Be sure to check out my list of other tenderloin places along old Highway 61 on the list I've compiled HERE.

The Hawkeye Restaurant in Keokuk

I don't make it to Keokuk often, its more like a stop on the way to St Louis or parts further south for most Iowans. The pork tenderloin sandwich from Hawkeye Restaurant was mentioned at some point in USA Today as one of the best sandwiches in America.

Location: 105 North Park Drive in Keokuk, Lee County in far Southeastern corner of Iowa.

Directions: This is just off Highway 61 on the State Highway 218 route on the north end of town.

Online at: website is HERE.

The Tenderloin: This was visually appealing with a great golden brown color and wrinkles of fried breading. The meat was tenderized and included some darker sections and small bits of rendered fat. Juiciness was above average with steam arising from the sandwich. Served on a large toasted bun overall 7.9 out of ten.

Price: $7.49 with a side for dinner.


Also on the menu: The gigantic menu includes steaks, seafood, pasta, and a "create-a-gumbo" option. You can take home their house sauces by purchasing at the front counter.


Service: There is table service but I just grabbed takeout from the front counter.

Ambiance: The popularity of the Hawkeye meant they outgrew their old location in a historic building in downtown Keokuk. The current location is huge but a little too much like a generic chain restaurant with a fake fireplace and countless rooms for dining and a bar area.


Final Thoughts: The Hawkeye Restaurant is the southernmost stop so far in the history of this blog. This starts my new route of Highway 61 tenderloins along the coast of Eastern Iowa. Just up the road are great tenderloins in Mediapolis, Augusta, Ft. Madison, Walcott, Davenport, Dewitt, and Balltown.

 

11th St Precinct Bar in Davenport Iowa & Grilled Tenderloins

The 11th St. Precinct Bar & Grill won an award for best tenderloin in the Quad Cities a couple years ago. The newspaper running the competition included grilled and breaded tenderloins from all parts of the Quad Cities area. There is a large golden pig trophy wedged between two flatscreen televisions behind the bar area marking their triumph. 


Location: 2108 East 11th St on the intersection with Mound St in Davenport, Quad Cities, Eastern Iowa.

Directions: This is technically in East Davenport a small commercial area of renovated historic buildings just off the River Road between Davenport and Bettendorf.

Online at: Website is HERE.

The Tenderloin: Listed on the menu as the "famous" half pound jumbo grilled tenderloin. The first thing that sticks out is the great color on this grilled loin. The alternating white of the pork loin meat checkered with the grill marks and seared edges. It has a great charred surface with just a bit of seasonings added during the grilling process. The texture of the pork loin is firm on the outside but chewy in texture, just the right amount of time on the hot grill. Served on a buttered and toasted bun. This is the best grilled loin I've eaten so far.

Price: $8.50 with a side.

Also on the menu: The grilled tenderloin is the star of the menu with its own section, its local awards are highlighted on the menu and other graphics There are other choices like specialty pizzas, pasta, burgers and bar food fried appetizers.

"The Big Kahuna" Spicy Pepperjack Bacon Tenderloin: Fitting for a sandwich with seven words in the title, this had layers of Hoagie Roll, Grilled Pork Loin, Pepperjack Cheese, Bacon, Spicy Giardiniera dressing, lettuce, onions, tomato, and lettuce. The star of the sandwich is the sliced grilled pork loin. The Spicy Giadiniera with peppers packs an acidic and spicy punch that you just don't find in most sandwiches in Iowa. I would love to say that this sandwich is some meaningful meeting of Iowa and Chicage style sandwiches, but its more of just a combination of ingredients that kinda works together.

Price: $9.75 with a side for lunch.

Service: I just sat at the bar and the bartender took care of my order and made conversation with some of the regulars.


Ambiance: This has been a bar and grill for decades but was renovated recently with modern fixtures and flat screen televisions. There is a bar area and seating space, big windows facing the street and an area for live bands on weekends.

Final Thoughts: The online reviews of the 11th St Precinct seem to have a few things in common. The new renovation is just like every other new bar built anywhere, and the grilled tenderloin is the tastiest sandwich of its kind by any estimation. There are other grilled tenderloins in the Quad Cities area, but driving across one of the bridges into Illinois is not on my list of things to do. I will eventually get around to stopping by The Filling Station in Davenport and TC's Point After in Dewitt to try their breaded tenderloins sooner or later.

Fat Annie's Augusta Tap in Augusta, Iowa

The sign reads Giant Tenderloins, the name on the sign is Fat Annie's Augusta Tap, and I just had to stop in during my last visit to Southeast Iowa. Fat Annie's is not related to Fat Randi's in Van Meter, nor is Augusta to be confused with the Augusta Restaurant in Oxford.

Location: Its on the busy intersection of Augusta Main Road and Augusta Mill Road, beside the Skunk River in the unincorporated township of Augusta in Des Moines County, Southestern Iowa.


Directions: The closest town is Wever, but most people are driving along Highway 61 between Burlington and Ft. Madison. Take Highway 61 to State Highway 16, then go north on County Road X-38 which runs over a bridge into Augusta.

The Tenderloin: This was a huge sandwich, weighing well more that the 8 ounces that many places give me. the sandwich was almost too big to get a picture from my car as the sun was setting. The meat was tenderized well and a little piece on the edge fell off when I unwrapped the tin foil. Most of the sandwich was thick and closer to moist than juicy. Breading had a cracker crunch and left crumbs everywhere. The kaiser bun just couldn't handle the wight of the oversize sandwich and fell apart. Overall 7.5 out of ten.

Price: $6.00

Also on the menu: the regular fried food and bar staples are here in abundance, including burgers and fried chicken. Fat Annies is close to the Big River, and serves carp and catfish like other bars in this area.

Service: Typical small town bar style, with bartenders making small talk with regulars who seemed to have been there forever.

Ambiance: There is the usual old wood paneling, booths, dark atmosphere, beer signs, and outdoors photos. But the wall seems to be covered with carpet fragments cut into a large geometrical mural then stapled to the wall. The bar area and back seem to be covered in floor lamination, the whole place just boggles the mind.

Final Thoughts: Augusta looks like an old mill town, and Fat Annies seems to be the oldest building close to the river. The ambiance of the historic building seems to be lost with the latest renovations. I've seen some small town dive bars in my time but this place is epic.I took photos and notes about the tenderloin but all that I can remember is the decorations of the interior.