The Other Place in Clear Lake, Iowa

The Other Place is one of the most successful restaurant chains ever conceived in Iowa. The initial locations in the Cedar Falls and Waterloo opened in the seventies, then Mason City and Clear Lake in the eighties. Finally expanding to Kansas City and later Central Iowa in the past decade. The locations have stayed in business for decades, and the older ones look more like old pizza parlors from the outside. The Other Place in Clear Lake also suffered a grease fire in its kitchen in January but reopened just three weeks later.

Location: 200 Highway 18 West in Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County in Northern Iowa.

Directions: Its just a mile off I-35 taking the Highway 18 exit through Clear Lake. Its hard to miss the gigantic building.

Online at: website for the chain  with locations and menus is HERE.

The Tenderloin: Taking the bun off the top reveals some marks that look like this was in storage for a while. The breading was more of a fine layer than anything crunchy, once again little seasoning save some visible black pepper flakes. The meat had been tenderized thoroughly and pounded into a large triangle shape. This is one of the better chain restaurant tenderloins out there, and clearly hand breaded. Served on a gigantic bun with more than enough vegetables on the side. Overall 7.5 out of ten.

Price: $8.75 with a side, but its a special on Thursdays for $7.45

Also on the menu: Like most chain sports bars the menu is huge with lots of stuff they might not be particularly good at making. There are soups and baked sandwiches, wings, fried appetizers, pastas, and their pizza is overloaded with cheese and toppings. The Mexican section even includes the "Biggest Burrito in Town", is that a realistic claim in Storm Lake, Iowa?

The sides available include homemade chips that were good salty crunchy things that paired well with ketchup:

Service: I was in during the off hours in the middle of the day, no wait for a table and nothing to complain about.

Ambiance: This is a very modern and new sports bar with a gigantic dining area and at least twenty televisions tuned into sports. There is a bar area, takeout counter, and outside patio space for special events and barbecues. The whole place is just huge.

Final Thoughts: The Clear Lake and Mason City area has a lot of choices for dining. While The Other Place isn't the best its still a good choice for groups or families who need a large menu and tons of televisions. Just across the street is the honorary Buddy Holly Place and the lake isn't far away.

Rich's Muskie Lounge in Ventura Iowa

I always associated Muskies with Muscatine in Eastern Iowa. I guess this fish is everywhere. Ventura is a small town right next to Clear Lake. Its population swells in the summer as visitors from the area move into tightly packed houses next to the lake. Please note, Muskie Lounge and many others in town are open only seasonally. Driving through in winter will only find a CLOSED sign and an empty dock.


Location: 702 E Lake St. in Ventura, on Clear Lake in Cerro Gordo County in Northern Iowa.


Directions: Lake St rings around Clear Lake and is reached by taking Highway 18 past the city of Clear Lake into Ventura. Look for the giant carved Muskie fish in the parking area.

The Tenderloin: The rich, buttery, toasted french bread is what sets the tenderloin here apart. There is something about a soft and fine white bread that makes is a good bun for breaded pork tenderloin. Its right up there with the classic corn-dusted Kaiser bun or the flour-dusted Rotella buns in Central Iowa.  I would not be surprised if the same breading was used in the fried fish the Muskie Lounge cranks out. The meat here felt like untenderized but well trimmed portion of the darker side of pork loin. This was juicy and chewy in texture. Overall 7.8 out of ten.


Price: $7.50

Also on the menu: the specialty is the nightly fish fry including all you can eat Alaskan Walleye, but there is a large menu including the usual fried stuff, the Muskie Burger, and Torsk.


Service: Its local old ladies running the show, not especially fast but nobody is in a hurry at these lakeside places. They get really busy during the summer season and don't always do carryout.

Ambiance: There is a dining area inside with mounted muskie fish and angling themed decorations and large booth seats with views of Clear Lake, or you can eat outside or even on a boat during the season.


Final Thoughts: The Clear Lake area always seems to have a good vibe in the season. People from the area come here to have a good time and relax, and I've enjoyed eating my way through the tenderloins in the area. I found an alright sandwich at The Other Place down the road.  I have had PM Park, on the other side of the lake, on my list for years now. I just never seem to get there when its open, but maybe I can make it there next season.

Little Chicago Pizza & Gyros in Mason City

After repeated trips to Mason City, I felt the need to update my post about the Suzie-Q Cafe. Then a recent Urbanspoon comment left by user reviewer named Jim made me consider trying another Spic-N-Span tenderloin just a block down the street in Mason City. Little Chicago Pizza and Gyros gives little indication that there is any tenderloin inside. The menu board doesn't even list the tenderloin, its only on the folding takeout menu. I think I read in the newspaper website that Little Chicago took its Spic-N-Span batter recipe from the owners of Sluggo's, which occupied the same space, but now I can't seem to find the article.


Location: 11 2nd St NE in Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, in Northern Iowa.


Directions: Its right in the middle of downtown Mason City, about 8 miles from I-35, Highway 65 is the north-south street on either side.

The Tenderloin: This is described on the menu as "Spic-N-Span style", dipped into their special batter. I have to make it clear that I didn't do any side-by-side comparison with the Suzie-Q, but this tenderloin was in batter without any kind of spicy note. It felt more like classic seasoning salt mix. What stood out was the softness and juiciness of the loin inside. The steam in the pork meat and the tenderizing made the whole sandwich soft. Served on a kaiser bun with your choice of fixins, Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.29 also available "Gangster Style" with fries in a combo for a little extra.

Also on the menu: Burgers, pizza, they have a spinning cone of Gyro meat, and other Italian sandwiches.


Service: Just basic carry-out service, nothing to write home about.

Ambiance: I walked in the door and saw the counter and just a couple tables and a cash register counter in front of the kitchen and menu board. Their facebook page shows a dining area but I must have missed it.The classic gyro meat supplier poster with the Greek woman looks out the window, and patriotic posters cover the interior walls.


Final Thoughts: I may need some locals from Mason City to help me out here with some questions I have after eating here. Was there once a diner named the Spic-N-Span in downtown Mason City, in the area that is now a downtown mall? What happened to that place, did it close over 30 years ago and people still want Spic-N-Span tenderloins? Are there more Spic-N-Spans out there for me to try?

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.

Colony Inn in Ventura

When one travels into the northern regions of Iowa, or further into Minnesota, the pork tenderloins are more likely to be battered instead of breaded. The attraction of Clear Lake means many people visit this area in the summer, and there are plentiful dining options near, or on, the lake. Ventura probably sees its population swell during the summer as people visit the lake. When driving into Ventura, the sign for this place near the entrance to town reads Colony Inn Restaurant and Lounge.

Location: 104 N Weimar St in Ventura (population 670), in Cerro Gordo County, about two hours drive north of Des Moines in northern Iowa.

Directions: You take the Clear Lake Highway 18 exit West from I-80. Turn south at the sign for Ventura and find the old main street behind the grain elevators.

Online at: http://www.thecolonyinn.com/

The Tenderloin: First things first, this one was huge, and it looked really good with the fixins on the side of the giant plate. It felt like at least twelve ounces before battering and frying. The big letdown was the lack of any seasoning in the batter. The meat was beaten a little too much, leading to a limp flopping sandwich. It has tons of natural pork taste in the bright white meat locked in by the battering and frying process, but not any other flavor on top of it. Overall 7.5 out of ten.

Price: $9.75
Also on the menu: A big menu with steaks, salads and burgers.

Service: Its table service, I visited when it wasn't busy.
Ambiance: This place has a hunting lodge style dining area with wood paneling and pictures of game animals. There are booths and a bar to eat at. There is a lounge area in the next room, somewhere is a banquet hall in this large building.

The menu here tells me this tenderloin once nearly won a best tenderloin in the state award. But their new website doesn't have it listed on the menu. Maybe its because the sandwich page hasn't been uploaded yet, but I don't know. The people who operate this restaurant also run the kitchen at the seasonally-opened PM Park on the opposite side of Clear Lake. Next on my list in Ventura is the Muskie Lounge with lakeside boat service. The Suzie-Q Cafe in nearby Mason City serves a battered loin with a lot more flavor mixed in. Further west in Algona I found a good breaded tenderloin. Either way, this area has plenty of good tenderloins.

Suzie-Q Cafe in Mason City

Updated 2012: scroll to bottom of post for updates from subsequent visits!



This is a small boxy diner, in a building originally built by Valentines Manufacturing in Wichita, Kansas and loaded on a train to be brought to its location just north of the central loop in Mason City. The place isn't big, but its hard to miss with its bright paint job and busy front door.

Location: 14 2nd St NW in Mason City. Just north of downtown loop. Halfway between Des Moines and Minneapolis, about a two-hour drive.

Directions: Exit I-80 and drive past miles of sprawling retail development to get to downtown Mason City and find this place one block off of busy loop area.

The Tenderloin: The Spic 'n Span tenderloin is advertised on the front door of the Suzie-Q, they definitely want people to try it and get hooked. This is a battered piece of bright white pork meat. The batter has a touch of black pepper that hits your tongue upon breaking past the flaky layer to the pasty warm underneath. It just has tons of flavor. The batter has large amounts of grease, but the nice warm bun keeps your hands clean. The pork is nice and firm inside, with moisture held in during preparation. This is a great tenderloin. 9/10

Price: $5.35, or in meal for $6.75.

Also on the menu: full breakfast and omelet choices, and their self-proclaimed best burgers in town.
Service: Two people were working inside. The food is cooked right in front of you. Take-out window not in service when I visited.

Ambiance: Nine stools are provided for sitting, with little space for standing. There is a busy atmosphere with cramped quarters and constant movement of patrons and staff. Everything can be smelled from the stools. The staff were very familiar with the patrons during my visit.

Final Thoughts: While visiting the Music Man Theatre and Frank Lloyd Wright building, this place is perfect for a quick bite. My informants tell me that battering of tenderloins, or nearly anything else, is more common north of the Minnesota border. This place certainly does their tenderloin right, its a can't miss sandwich while in the northern part of the state.

Update 2012:

Some things have changed since my initial write-up in 2008, but a lot more has stayed the same. The guy that runs the Suzie-Q Cafe is still doing magic tricks and cooking sandwiches to order in the middle of the day. The Suzie-Q added evening hours but I think the extra staff just don't give the same service. If you walk in here and the extroverted magician isn't in, maybe its better to come back another time.

The biggest addition to the menu is the Spic-N-Span Melt, which takes the same battered spicy tenderloin and adds grilled onion, melted cheese, and toast to add even more flavour to this sandwich:

The thing I've learned from subsequent visits is that this place is run by a perfectionist who is constantly making small changes or adding things to the menu. Burgers are always hand pattied, and there was once a machine for making curly fries to order.

This was a special Tender Bender Burger, with a grilled tenderloin over a hamburger, served on the same tasty bun. I don't think its on the regular daily menu:

The Suzie-Q has always had taken breakfast seriously, but I rarely get to eat breakfast. I can thank my busy morning for that. I was able to grab an omelet platter here once, it was made from several eggs wrapped around bacon and sausage, topped with cheese. Served with hash browns and toast for less than seven dollars if I remember correctly.

The biggest difference is what downtown Mason City is like compared to 5 years ago. I remember looking at the Frank Lloyd Wright hotel downtown and thinking "this is it?" But after an impressive renovation the hotel is jaw-dropping. Both the Park Inn Hotel and the Stockman House are worth the ten minute drive off Interstate 35 by themselves. The center of Mason City no longer feels like a bunch of empty buildings and a dead mall. The Suzie-Q itself might be getting a makeover someday too.