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.

Short Stop in New London

The Short Stop in New London is a small town drive-in just off the state highway in Southeast Iowa. A local newspaper article tells me that this place serves over a hundred of these a day during the busy summer months. The owners have help promotions giving one lucky person a free tenderloin every month for a year, but it always seems to happen when I am not in town.

Online at: It looks like somebody set up a facebook page when they sold their 50,000th tenderloin HERE.

Location: 600 East Main St in New London, Henry County, Southeast Iowa.

Directions: Its on the Eastern edge of town, Main St. has an exit from Highway 34.


The Tenderloin: The meat portion was huge, feeling like at least twelve ounces. The shape was about halfway between an oval and a rectangle. Breading had a huge amount of crunch and eating this sandwich sent crumbs flying everywhere. The meat was moist and a bit darker than some other loins, pounded thin and the ratio of meat to breading was a little lean. Served with all the fixins on a corn dusted bun. Overall 8.5 out of ten.


Price: $4.75, also available grilled,a good value.
Also on the Menu: Full breakfast with biscuits and gravy, an ice-cream menu, and lunch with sandwiches, burgers, and fried stuff too. The Elk Burger is the Henry County specialty.

Service: Its a walk-up with a window to put your order in.
Ambiance: Its a small town drive-in with a small dining area inside, with picnic tables outside and a big gravel parking lot.


Final Thoughts: From the sign on the wall, it looks like they have sold more than a few of these in the past few years:

Butch's River Rock Cafe in Oakland Mills

More than one person has recommended me to locate a bait shop in a small unincorporated township outside of Mt. Pleasant. For a long time Oakland Mills store was a cafe in an old railroad depot building, and a general store with live bait being made for catfish. Just a few years ago the owner retired and a cook from Mt. Pleasant took over the location. Some changes have been made, and while live bait is no longer sold, they still make the tenderloin from scratch right here. The mailbox in from still reads Oakland Mill Store in big letters. The new sign with a catfish claims "Dam good food", and "Were here to feed ya, not fatten ya up".

Location: 1529 253rd St in unincorporated community of Oakland Mills in Henry County, just five minutes drive from Mt. Pleasant in Southeastern Iowa.

Directions: You reach Oakland Mills by going south on Franklin from Old Highway 34, or take Jefferson St. south from Mt. Pleasant. The Cafe is across from the dam, good luck. The Tenderloin: This is a very large slice of pork loin pounded into the usual tenderloin shape clearly filling the plate. The thickness varies, so it was probably pounded by hand. The breading tasted like cornmeal with only the slightest seasoning. There was plenty or pork hanging over the bun. Overall 7.75/10.

Price: $4.25, a la carte,a good value, served with a steak knife. Also on the menu: Homemade pies are the specialty, so are burgers including an elk burger and hamburger salads.

Service: Its seat yourself with a busy waitstaff, one had a shirt with the definition of the word "tenderloin" printed on the back. Ambiance: This is a small old building that has been renovated a couple times to expand the dining area. The booths and tables are small, so is the counter. Outdoor seats are available also. There is no longer fish bait or live worms right next to where everyone eats.

Final Thoughts: From the cafe you will hear the century-old dam that once powered the mill serving a prosperous community. While the mill closed a long time ago, it looks like the fishing and outdoor activities bring their share of visitors to Oakland Mills. The road from Mt. Pleasant has some new houses and is paved the entire way to the main intersection of the small community. I may never know how this new cafe compares to the old Oakland Mills Store, or its tenderloin. But the place was filled with locals when I stopped in, many were getting the tenderloin.

Porks in Winfield

Any place with a giant pig on the sign, on the menu, and everywhere else is a good hint of either BBQ or pork tenderloin inside. I was led here by reading Essential Iowa's suggestions. The Full name of this place is Pork's Hometown Restaurant, and it seems to be popular with the locals.

Location: 118 S. Locust St. in Winfield (population 1,131) in Henry County, in Southeast Iowa.

Directions: Winfield is on the not-so-beaten path between Wapello and Mt. Pleasant. Pork's is on the main street, County Road W66 just north of State Highway 78.
The Tenderloin: The first thing that hits you is the massive size of this thing, it must be at least 12 ounces of pork here before breading. The whole thing has good consistent thickness and is tender to the point of falling apart as you lift the edges. The crunchy breading separates from the pork inside easily, with big crumbs falling everywhere. Tiny chunks of fat weren't trimmed before cooking. The size makes this thing an incredible value and excellent sandwich experience. Served with fixins on untoasted bun. Overall 8.5/10

Price: $5.50 Extra bun is 85 cents, like the plating fee at fancy restaurants.
Also on the menu: As the only place to eat in a small town, there's a little bit of everything. Steaks, fish, burgers, salads, daily specials, and a full breakfast menu are on offer.

Service: Table service with attentive waitress.

Ambiance: Tables and booths to sit, a private room for parties, and various junk on the walls including pig images everywhere.

Final Thoughts: Literary types may remember Bill Bryson visiting here in the travel novel The Lost Continent. Winfield is the home of Bryson's grandparents, and he visited as a child. He returned in 2006 with a British television crew, and the Winfield Historical Society documented his visit in pictures and it looks like he had time to visit Pork's:

http://www.winfieldhistoricalsociety.com/billbrysonmtpnews.htm

Bryson told the Mt. Pleasant News "To me, Winfield was the perfect little place," Bryson said. "To me, this was as good as life could be. Ball games, church socials and the like all contributed."