J & K Market in Centerville Iowa

I have to thank one of the comments on my last post from Centerville recommending this place. The J & K has been open since 1970 on the north side of the Centerville town square. Its clearly a family run place with pictures on the walls and newspaper articles detailing the history of J & K Market.


Location: 113 W Van Buren St in Centerville, Appanoose County, Southern Iowa.


Directions: Its on the northwest side of the ginormous town square in Centerville.

Online at: website is HERE.

The Whole Hog: Whenever I see a tenderloin loaded up on topping I have to grab it. The bacon, ham and cheese didn't make the sandwich great but were juicy and savory on top of the tenderloin. The breading was a simple seasoning mix with a great crunchy texture. The best part here was the soft tenderized and well trimmed pork loin. Overall 8.5 out of ten.


Price: $4.50 for the Whole Hog, the regular jumbo tenderloin is $3.50, fries are a dollar more. They are treating the entire town like family members with these prices.

Also on the menu: Part of the menu refers to J & K as home to the "Original  Woppers" which are a list of deli sandwiches. There are burgers, other fried stuff and specials that round out the menu.


Service: Casual deli counter service to get your order in, then pay at the front counter. The owners do local promotions on a local radio station and youtube videos with the daily specials. I think they also do boat tours of Lake Rathbun.

Ambiance: The J & K is an old grocery store in the town square. The aisles are not wide and the handwritten graphics cover large parts of the walls and windows. There are a couple tables and three chairs outside for seating.


Final Thoughts: The immediate comparison for me is to B & B Grocery in Des Moines.For some reason on my last trip through here I saw more than one storefront graphic advertising "jumbo tenderloin" sandwiches. With other restaurants in town using the exact same verbiage, "homemade jumbo tenderloin", I wonder if J & K supplies these for them. Either way, the prices are absolutely rock bottom for good hand-breaded tenderloins in any small town in Iowa.