The Office in Lenox Iowa

The Office is a small bar and restaurant on the main street of Lenox in Southwestern Iowa. The sign says "Try our Famous Tenderloins", and the IPPA named them a finalist for last years Tenderloin award.

Location: 122 N. Main St in Lenox, Taylor County in Southwestern Iowa.

Directions: you take Highway 34 from Creston and turn south on the County Road with the big Lenox sign.

Online at: facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: The first thing you notice is that this thing is huge. Its at least ten ounces before breading and frying. The butterfly cut and pounding had turned this into two big thick portions of pork loin with a thin area in the middle. The thick parts were juicy and the thin areas dry. The breading had a lot of seasoning salt that left a taste in my mouth. The trimming job left some hunks of fat on the edge. The overuse of the salt and the hunks of fat held this from being rated higher, its still a very good tenderloin. Served on a toasted flour dusted bun with your choice of fixings. Overall 8.5 out of ten.

Price: $6.45 for a sandwich this big its like they are giving it away.

On the menu: the names have office themes like The Secretary and include burgers and steak dinners.

Service: Its table service with one person serving all the tables when I was in.

Ambiance: The layout is odd with two storefronts and you have to walk into the dining area then into the bar to get service.

Final Thoughts: I hadn't eaten a super jumbo tenderloin as big as this in a while. The nearby Elm's Club in Creston is the local legend with the IPPA Tenderloin Award and recognition from the Iowa Beef Council for their burger. The Office in Lenox compares very well.

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.

 

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.

J & K Diner in Laurel, Iowa

A tiny hand painted sign grabbed the corner of my eye while driving through tiny Laurel, reading Diner Open. I figured it was worth a stop, I could have sworn this place had a different name the last time I came through, but that was a while ago. The J & K Diner is relatively new, and had a daily special board visible from the road telling me Liver and Onions were the special.

Location: 203 S Main St. in Laurel, Iowa, Marshall County just north and east of the Des Moines area.

Directions: Laurel is the town on the road between Newton and Marshalltown, and J & K Diner sits right on the State Highway that takes everyone through the town.

The Tenderloin: The first thing I noticed was the steam from the meat rising through the breading. This was a juicy cut of pork loin, but just a bit smaller than what some other places serve. The meat was tenderized and bright white in the middle, with grey meat on the outside. Parts of the edges had some tiny bits of fat that didn't take away from the great texture of the meat. The breading was just more crackermeal. Served on a toasted Kaiser Bun. Overall 7.2 out of ten.

Price: $5.25 a la carte

Also on the Menu: The menu has the basics like burgers or sandwiches and fried stuff, with a loomeat hamburger named the Mustang Burger, and full breakfast service in the morning.

Service: There was a high school aged waitress and I think the owner was doing the cooking. Each were making conversation with the customers.

Ambiance: I think the blinds that read Sue's Halfway Cafe were left here by the last tenant, the walls are decorated with signs with bad jokes like Beware Of Wife written on them. There is an old counter fixture and tables for seating.

Final Thoughts: Its always good to see a new place open in a small town when driving through for the last time. J & K and its tenderloin didn't blow me away, but it seems like a perfectly good place to stop for a snack in the small town of Laurel.

Flatheads in St. Anthony, Iowa

Flatheads seems to be aimed at the angler end of the outdoors spectrum with its fish sign and interior decorations. When I sat at the bar the first thing the bartender recommended was the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. There is also a framed newspaper article on the wall from when the IPPA gave this sandwich an honorable mention in their annual contest in 2008.

Location: 104 W 3rd St St Anthony in Marshall County, Central Iowa.

Directions: I think its the only place to eat in St. Anthony, its on the north end of the old main street, visible from the county road.

Online at: Facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: First things first, the portion here is big, easily over the eight ounces most places refer to as "jumbo". The butterfly cut of pork loin had been pounded out wide, but was still soft when bitten into. The breading was seasoned with salt on top and had a great texture. Served with your choice of fixings on a corn dusted Kaiser bun.Overall 8.4 out of ten.

Price: $5.75

Also on the menu: The menu is large with fish like Walleye or Catfish sandwiches, burgers, pizza, a fish fry and a taco night. I think they added a gigantic tenderloin with toppings sandwich named Sasquatch.

Service: I just sat at the bar and had the bartender take care of me on both of my visits.

Ambiance: This is a small town dive bar with wooden board siding, beer signs, outdoors stuff, antlers, and a bar and tables for seating.

Final Thoughts: I love visiting small town bars when I know a big juicy tenderloin is found inside.  Flathead isn't that far off the State Highway or the roads leading to Marshalltown. Its a great stop when driving through this part of Central Iowa.

Racers in Sexton, Iowa

Wikipedia has Sexton, Iowa listed as a ghost town with an old grain elevator remaining. That is odd because I remember not just the grain elevator but also a handful of houses. I also remember stopping by a roadhouse named Racers with a giant menu and wall-to-wall racing decorations.

Location: 1826 Highway 18 in Sexton, unincorporated township outside Algona in Kossuth County, Northern Iowa.

Directions: Its in "downtown Sexton" which means the one cross street along Highway 18 between Algona and Britt.

The Tenderloin: Exceptionally thick and juicy, barely tenderized meat to chew through slowly. The trim job left some bits of fat out inside. The outside is a thin batter with deep amounts of black pepper and spices. The battered tenderloins have a way of locking in juices and this one is no exception. Served on a toasted bun. Overall 7.8 out of ten.

Price: $6.95 with a side of fries

Also on the menu: The menu is big with all the usual fried stuff and bar fare. They also bake Stone Willy brand pizzas. There are a bunch of things with intentional misspellings like Wingz and the creatively titled RUEBENZ BALLZ appetizer.

Service: Each of my visits has had one person running the bar and tables while another person cooks. Its just regular bar service.

Ambiance: This is a racing bar with beer signs and racing posters covering the walls in every direction. The lights are dim, neon beer signs, and there are flatscreen televisions to watch.


Final Thoughts: Its always nice to find something good to eat while driving through a small town. Its a good thing they had a sign reading Homemade Tenderloins, it makes my job easier when deciding where to stop.

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.

Deano's Place in Rome

Every year I like to save money on my European vacation by visiting places like Moscow, Rome, New London and two places in Iowa named Paris. Deano's was a small town hole-in-the-wall cafe in nearby Lockridge before moving along Highway 34 to the small town of Rome. Its as if all roads lead to Deano's in this tiny town.

Location: 503 S. 3rd St. in Rome (population 113), Henry County in Southeast Iowa.

Directions: Take Highway 34 about seven miles West of Mt Pleasant, and turn north onto a road that turns into 4th St. in Rome, Deano's is a block over to the East.

The Tenderloin: This sandwich was a big enough to fill a to-go bag, and heavy with a thick triangle shaped pork loin inside the soft bun. The breading was a great crunch with just a little seasoning. Parts of the thinner edges of the meat turned a little tough in the cooking process and were a little dry. Most of the sandwich was pull-apart tender. Served with all the fixings, overall 7.4 out of ten.

Price: $4.50 a great value.

Also on the menu: The menu has a drawing of a cow on the front but I forgot to take notes on what else they serve. If I had seen something unusual I probably would have remembered.


Service: I was in during the off hours and went to the counter, then had my order in just a few minutes.
Ambiance: Outside looks as plain as any place I've been to anywhere. This is a large restaurant area with tables and booths and two bulletin boards with all the town news and businesses in one place.


Final Thoughts: I came, I saw, I ate a gigantic tenderloin at a rock bottom price at Deano's Place in Rome. There is only one other place to eat in Rome, so when in Rome, do as the Romans do and eat at Deano's Place.

Westy's Sports Bar & Grill in Thornton

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.