Dari Barn Sweet Shop in Grinnell

Just down the road from the liberal arts college is the Dari Barn. This ice cream stand carries on the great tradition of barn-shaped dessert stands that have lines stretching in front during the summer months.

Location: 1810 6th Ave in Grinnell, Iowa.

Directions: Drive east on Highway 6 from downtown Grinnell, look for barn-shaped building.

The Tenderloin: After ordering, I was asked If I wanted "everything" on the sandwich. What I got was a whole garden of veggies between a large bun. The pork loin is cut fresh, and was nice warm and crispy, but way too small. The bun was not toasted. This is a thin cut of pork loin dwarfed by the fixings and bun. 5/10.

Price: $3.97

Also on the menu: a large selection of ice-cream favorites, soft-serve, frozen yogurt, fried stuff, baked potatoes, hot dogs, and sandwiches. "More than malts" indeed.

Service: You order from a small window and talk to a teenage kid, who gives you a number to wait for.

Ambiance: Classic small-town ice-cream stand. Picnic tables for sunny days, and a gravel parking lot.

Final Thoughts: I think the reputation of this sandwich preceded my trip and led to disappointment. The thin cut of pork loin is the most boring form of tenderloin sandwich. This is a nice place for dessert, but skip the tenderloin.