Kerp's Pub in Carroll, Iowa

*whiskey

Kerp's Tavern does not look like much from the outside, just a sign reading KERPS FOOD COLD BEER DRINKING WISKEY. I couldn't find much about this place on my internet searches. A recent tip on foursquare about homemade tenderloins here put this tiny bar on my radar for my next stop in Carroll.

Location: 223 E. 5th St. in Carroll, on the Lincoln Highway in Western Iowa.

Directions: This is on the east side of the main business area, get here from Highway 30 and turning south on Clark or Court streets
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The Tenderloin: this one was not big upon initial inspection. It had been butterfly cut yet the loin meat was extra thick. The juiciness was above average and the grain of the meat was only partly broken by the tenderizing. Breading had some salt and pepper and a crisp exterior. Served on a steamy warm bun, this was good bar food. Overall 7.9 out of ten.

Price: $4.50 a la carte

Also on the menu: Its a real basic bar food menu with low prices. There are burgers and fried stuff, and pizzas with names like "Pizza Lovers" and another pizza that claims to have nine meats piled on top. Daily specials are just $6.00

Service: Its small town bar service from the counter, I guess there is table service too. I think the other people here were regulars and the waitresses made conversation.

Ambiance: This is a low key bar with a dark interior, beer signs and sports stuff on the walls, and a pool table in the back. There is seating at the bar or tables.

Final Thoughts: I think I had tried tenderloins at a sports bar and an ice cream fountain in Carroll over the years and neither seemed worth writing about. I wouldn't put this one on the same level as the places farther south on Highway 71, but it a good tenderloin at a good price in an unexpected place. 

The Hub Towne House in Burlington, Iowa

I was looking at the website of the Burlington Hawkeye newspaper and found an article about an old restaurant being brought back to life with new owners or refurbishings. The Town House menu claims the family restaurant has been in business since 1947. I don't know the details of who has relaunched this place or how much has changed, but they claim to have the "Towne's Best Tenderloin" so I had to make a stop.

Location: 112 N. Main St. in Burlington, Des Moines County in Southeast Iowa.

Directions: Its the last exit before the bridge over the river, on the east side of downtown Burlington.

Online at: facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: Described on the menus as the Towne House Tenderloin, The pork loin was cut wide open before intense tenderizing and the butterfly shape was clearly visible. The breading formed a darker golden brown color, and had a seriously salted and seasoned breading with good crunchy texture. The trim job that left too much fat in the meat, and the super thin parts that dried out left this feeling like it could have been better. Overall 7.2 out of ten.

Price: $7.99 with a side of fries:

Also on the menu: The menu is huge with steaks, pizzas, pastas, burgers, fried foods, sandwiches, and salads. I think the reopening has added some new stuff like Buffalo Chicken Empanadas or giant homemade tacos.

Service: There is table and bar service. I was in a hurry and the place was too dark for photos, so I had to grab the sandwich to go.

Ambiance: The outside looks old, like the vintage decades old signage in a yellow and blue color scheme. The interior was recently renovated with a long bar area, flatscreen televisions, and tables for groups.

Final Thoughts: My guess is that people with a last name of Towne must like to name their restaurant the "Towne House." By extension, calling a homemade tenderloin "Townhouse Tenderloin" makes sense too. I wonder if any other places are doing this?

Legal Limit Pub in Boone, Iowa

I've driven through Boone once or twice but rarely made it North from the main intersection with the freeway or the Dutch Bakery on the South edge of the downtown area. The Legal Limits won an honorable mention in the 2011 Best Tenderloin Contest held by the IPPA. This meant I had to drive up north of Mamie Eisenhower to check this bar out.

Location: 702 Allen St in Boone, Iowa, about an hour drive north and west from Des Moines.

Directions: You drive up Story St from the 4 way stop on Highway 30, through downtown, and turn right on Allen St.

Online at: Facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: This tenderloin combined the giant crunchiness and moist softness that many purveyors strive for. The breading formed a hard crunchy and salty layer above the meat that took a delicious dark brown hue. The pork loin was thick and juicy, consistent throughout and well trimmed of fat. Served on a giant buttered and toasted bun with your choice of fixins. Overall 8.2 out of ten.

Price: $8.25 in a basket with a side, I went with the seasoned waffle fries..

Also on the menu: There is a full breakfast menu in the morning, then later burgers, fried snacks, sandwiches, and an Over The Limit Burger. They added some gigantic burger eating challenge recently.

Seasoned Waffle Fries

Service: The bar area is small with a register for takeout. Its table service for the rest of the dining area. Things just were not happening very quickly during my two visits.

Eating in at the Legal Limit

Ambiance: This is a dive bar in every way. The plastic furniture, the outdated beer signs, the video games, the graphic posters from the drink distributors covering every empty inch of the interior.

Final Thoughts: Sometimes you can't judge a book by its cover. The Legal Limit looks like an absolute dive with the tackiest decorations and worst furnishings of almost any place I've visited. The tenderloin is the best I've found in the Boone area. Its worth stopping in, even if you don't want to stick around for long.

Joensy's in Iowa City

Is there any single tenderloin place more legendary than the original Joensy's in Solon? These people had been promoting their claim to the Biggest and Best Tenderloin in Iowa for as long as anyone can remember. The other locations have been thriving for years in Cedar Rapids and Center Point, operated by members of the Joens family. The old location was a true small town dive that I always had on my list of places to visit eventually. Its closure came as a surprise, I had only visited the Center Point location and hadn't made revisiting enough of a priority. The convenience of the Iowa City location made a visit incredibly easy while driving through Eastern Iowa.

Location: 2563 N. Dodge St in Iowa City in Eastern Iowa, its just 9 miles south on the road from the original location in Solon.

Directions: This is just a half a block off the Interstate at the Highway 1 North Dodge St. exit north of Iowa City.

Online At: Facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: This is big but it felt like just over the usual eight ounces that most places pass off as a "jumbo" tenderloin. The very white meat is meticulously trimmed of all fat in my sandwich, while also a consistently tenderized and thin meat texture.. The interior would best be described as "steamy" but not juicy while very hot. I really couldn't taste anything in the breading, it was thick in parts where the dryness and crumbliness became a factor. Served on untoasted bun with basic fixings free. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Sandwich Menu

Price: The Large Tenderloin is listed at $9.50 but that is with fries and a choice of toppings. The plain giant tenderloin by itself was $7.00

Toppings?

Also on the menu: The Tenderloins are available grilled or breaded and with a giant choice of topping which don't look all that special. I understand the need to upsell and get more revenue per item but these topping just didn't look worth trying. There are also salads, steak and shrimp baskets, and other sandwiches.

Service: I walked in at lunch time and there was some quick table service. The counter is an option for to-go orders.

Ambiance: Strip mall ambiance with tables and booths for seating. The walls had mostly sports themed or beer graphics.

Final Thoughts: Joensy's goes way back, and its Solon location was a destination for Iowa City and Cedar Rapids people for years. The claim of Biggest and Best Tenderloins drew plenty of visitors but I don't know how many were regulars or just passers by. Its almost a sign of the times that a microbrewery could afford to buy out their old building, raze it to the ground, and construct a new one in its place. The attentive manager told a few patrons about Hawkeye football players stopping in recently, that might explain some things.

Classic Deli & Ice Cream Shoppe in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Iowa, the Community of Flags, the town with a sign on the Interstate that people mistake for a borough in New York City. The Classic Deli aims to recreate the old roadside Ice Cream Shoppe experience along old Highway 6 in Brooklyn. I think this place only opened in 2012, a recent comment told me to check out this place and its tenderloin sandwich.

Location: 120 N. Jackson St. in Brooklyn, Iowa just an hour west of Des Moines.

Directions: Jackson St is the Main St. reaching town from Highway 6, or you can get here from I-80 and taking county roads.

Online at: facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: Listed as The Low Rider on the menu, the description claims this is cut fresh and pan fried to order. Only a handful of places make the pan fried claim, and nothing on the menu here is deep fried. The breading was crispy and flaky in some areas, and warmed to a "toasty" texture without much flavor in other parts that turned a deep black. The juiciness was great, and every part was thick with pork and juice. Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $7.00 with a bag of potato chips.

Also on the menu: The full ice cream menu and deli sandwiches and paninis make up most of the menu. They don't just churn out the usual fried stuff. Check out the Pie Board for homemade pies:

Howdy!

Service: I think there is table service but I just grabbed takeout from the counter.

Ambiance: This is an old Main St building that was renovated and reopened in 2012. There is a long counter along with tables for seating. High ceilings, old fixtures, and Grant Wood prints on the walls make this place look good.

Final Thoughts: The Insterstate offramp for the Brooklyn exit used to have an old fashioned service station and a diner named Brooklyn 80. It had been there for a long time but I never got around to making a stop. One day it was gone and replaced with a new gas station that since shuttered its doors, so I never made it there. Its always great to see a new place open up in a town you've driven past over and over again before. 

Appanoose Rapids Brewing in Ottumwa

The number of craft breweries in Iowa has grown over the years, and several operate restaurant pubs in towns small or large. These brew houses are popping up here and there and everywhere. Many rehabilitate huge historic Main St. spaces into upscale dining and drinking destinations. Its not a mistake when the same business model works in nearby Knoxville and Albia along with other places across Iowa.

Location: 332 E Main St in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Directions:  reach Main St by turning off the viaduct just north of the river.

Online At: Website is HERE

The Tenderloin: A little crown on the menu meant this was a house specialty. The meat was in the classic pounded out triangle shape cut of pork loin. One side was twice as thick as the other, but this was juicy throughout. The breading could best be described as flaky and had a good crunch quotient. I couldn't remember any distinct flavor to the seasoning, but it had a golden brown color. Served on a toasted bun with all the fixings. Overall 7.2 out of ten.

Price: $8.95 with a side of perfect crisp beer battered fries, the crown on the menu means its their specialty.

Also on the menu: The brewpub menu is eclectic with the usual burgers, pasta, and salads but some inspired stuff like thai wanton tacos.

Service: There is table service available but I just ate at the bar.

Ambiance: The renovation of the historic building to open the brewery restaurant is impressive. The ceilings are high, the lighting is good, and foreign liquor posters hang from the walls. There is seating in the back and a bar service area near the entrance.


Final Thoughts: My internet searching indicates there was once a place named Ellis' that served tenderloins in Ottumwa. I guess its long gone by now. My next stop here will probably be Noe's Bar on the south side of town.

TC's Point After in Dewitt and Chuckie's Tenderloin Truck

Storefront on Old Highway 61

This is an entry about one tenderloin sold in two places. It all started in Dewitt, Iowa, along Old Route 61 at TC's Point After. Its a small town sports bar with a large menu. It sounds like Chuckie sold his stake in TC's Point After in order to take his tenderloin truck to locations far from Clinton County, Iowa. Its been spotted in Denver, San Diego, and at Cactus League baseball spring training sites in Arizona. A recent spotting at the Iowa State Fair meant I could get a chance to try the mobile version. This is also the first homemade pork tenderloin I've found at the State Fair, most concessions use the awful half-pound frozen fritters.

Location: 719 6th Ave. in Dewitt, Clinton County, Quad Cities area in Eastern Iowa.

Directions: Its on Old Higway 61, the original main street through Dewitt, now you have to take a turn off the State Highway to drive up along 11th St to reach 6th Ave.

Online At: you can try to follow TC's or the mobile trailer at their facebook page HERE.

Outside the Point After in Dewitt

Chuckie's Famous Tenderloin: The video interviews with Chuckie include references to "special flour" and 14 seasonings inside the batter itself. There is a lot of depth in the texture of the batter, this can be seen by the little dots or different seasonings. Chuckie even calls his center cut of pork loin the "ribeye of the tenderloin". The tenderizing is done "fresh" at the mobile trailer, and I take this to mean they cut and mechanically tenderize it to order. The loin is not big, it feels like six ounces. The result of the preparation is a great subtle breading flavor with nice soft white pork loin. This is a good sandwich served on an untoasted bun. Overall 9.1 out of ten.

Wrinkles of flavored batter

Price: Vending fees and other things affect the prices at any truck. From a video on the QC news website shows a setup in San Diego, California with the tenderloin being sold for ten dollars a la carte. At the Iowa State Fair it was $8.00 for a tenderloin with waffle fries. The picture below is from a while ago at TC's Point After, so don't get angry if its gone up.

Its Good!

Also on the menu: The sign outside TC's Point After reads Steaks and Prime Rib along with Food and Spirits. The menu is huge with burgers and daily specials. The truck was literally just tenderloins and waffle fries.

Food Truck Setup at Iowa State Fair

Service: Just regular sports bar service in Dewitt, I grabbed the loin to go. The truck looks like a two person operation when I visited during a slow time.

At the 2013 Iowa State Fair

Ambiance: The Point After in Dewitt is a very clear Chicago Cubs and local teams sports bar. It has dated woodwork and old fixtures, thankfully covered by sports junk. Its pretty dark inside, so pictures were impossible. I think they do group tours to visit the Cubs in Chicago.

In a basket with waffle fries.

Final thoughts: This is a sandwich that travels well. I mean it gets around more than any other tenderloin. I know some small town cafes will have mobile trailers for local county fairs or dirt track racing nights. These rarely leave the State of Iowa. I can say with some confidence that Chuckie will be back at San Diego Chargers home games this fall. I would guess they would be available for events in the Southern California or Arizona area too.

That is one happy pig.