Ford's Pub & Grill in Eddyville, Iowa

A review on Urbanspoon recommending the tenderloin at this small town brought Ford's Pub to my attention a few years ago. The sign reads "The Place to Meet and Eat!" and has a graphic of a beer mug and a burger.

Location: 603 Main St in Eddyville in Wapello County between Ottumwa and Oskaloosa in Central Iowa.


Directions: Eddyville is reached from Highway 163 and Fords pub can be found by taking the offramp and finding the corner of seventh street and Main.

The Tenderloin: The crackerlike breading formed a consistent and thin layer of crunchiness to the entire loin. It took a nice shade of golden brown on each of my visits. The trim job wasn't perfect, but that didn't bother me this time. The inside was warm and juicy white loin meat. The cut of loin meat took a roughly triangular shape. Overall 8.1 out of ten.

Price: $5.50 a la carte

Also on the menu: This was mostly the usual bar food of burgers and fried stuff, one of their burgers is named the Oinker Burger.

The Whole Hog: I tried this a while back, a breaded tenderloin topped with sliced ham, bacon, melted cheese, and barbecue sauce. Served on texas toast, this was worth the extra two dollars if you are really hungry.

Service: It was bar service and I just stayed at the bar on my two visits.

Ambiance: this is a large bar and grill for a small town like Eddyville. The walls are covered in beer signs or various sports gear including a large area dedicated to Oskaloosa native Tyler Sash.


Final Thoughts: I could not help but notice the miniature dirt racing track next door to Ford's Pub. Its like a dirt track that people race stock cars on, but its really tiny. Do they race bumper cars on it? My internet searching only brought me to a drag strip outside of town.

Gasthaus Bar in Cherokee & the Wholly Pig

I went into The Gasthaus expecting an authentic German restaurant, or guest house, tucked into Western Iowa. Its turned out to be more of just a small town bar and grill. I was really hoping to get a chance to practice sprechen zie Deutsch, but it just wasn't meant to be. The Gasthaus won an Honorable Mention in the 2010 IPPA Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Contest.

Location: 214 W. Main St in Cherokee, Western Iowa.

Directions: Its right on Main St. in Cherokee and just half a block West of Highway 59.

Online at: Facebook page is HERE.

The Wholly Pig: This is described on the menu as their award winning tenderloin topped with sliced ham, bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion.The tenderloin and breading was already salty enough before the ham and cheese were piled on top. Juice from the pork loin combined with the bacon added a decent richness and fattiness that most breaded loins don't have. The cheese was just regular sandwich topping.

Price: $12.49 with a side of fries, the regular tenderloin with fries is $8.29

Also on the menu: No real German food but there are eclectic choices like German titled burgers named Heidelburger, Wurzburger, Burgermeister, Duesenburger or Hindenburger, seafood and steaks, even Mexican food.


Service: It was seat yourself and table service when I stopped in. Not much else to say here.

Ambiance: This is a small town main street bar with walls filled with old signs and antiques. There is a bar area and small booths for seating.

Final Thoughts: I always have to think about whether its worth loading up on the toppings and whether I will ever make it back to try the basic sandwich. So many places are putting the same thing on top of their tenderloins, I just wish someone would put something a little more interesting.

Wellmans Pub on Ingersoll and the Fatboy Tenderloin

Wellmans Pub is a neighborhood bar that has been on Ingersoll for as long as I can remember. I could have sworn I came here once for a special Garlic Chicken Pizza when this place was a little different. The people who own this place operate a few other bars, and I think they changed chefs and started a new menu here recently. Wellman's Pub on Ingersoll is related to Wellman's Pub & Rooftop, the trendy dance club and singles bar in West Des Moines.


Location: 2920 Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines


Directions: Its right on Ingersoll Ave under the big sign.


The Fatboy Tenderloin: I can't remember the menu description but this thing came out sd a tenderloin with a layer of sliced ham, two slices of cheese and a pile of onion rings on top. There was a small container with what seemed like a special sauce for the onion rings. The tenderloin underneath it all felt like a good eight ounces, and was pounded out into a butterfly shape. The breading tasted like regular bread crumbs without seasoning. The onion rings, combined with sliced red onions on top meant lots of onion taste in this sandwich. Served with all the fixings on a toasted bun.

Price: $9.99 with a side, the Sweet Potato Fries in the pictures were a dollar extra. Still a good value for so much food.
Also on the menu: There is a Cajun seasoned tenderloin, as well as burgers, salads and other stuff.


Service: I came by during the off hours and there were more servers than people. I think the patio are gets filled during the summer.
Ambiance: I could have sworn this place was renovated at some point not too long ago. The old sports stuff seemed to have moved, it was more exposed woodwork in booths with a full bar and patio seating in warm weather.

Final Thoughts: Does this sandwich make any sense on any level? A tenderloin topped with ham, cheese and onion rings? I like having a tenderloin available on Ingersoll more than just about anybody else, but I think I will stick with a regular size sandwich next time.

No Name Cafe in Promise City

Promise City may have the most optimistic name in all of Southern Iowa. I had looked in every restaurant in the nearby metropolis of Corydon, but found no notable tenderloins. A trip to Seymour meant I had to drive past this cafe twice. The owner's of the No Name Cafe refurbished a vacant building and now operate the only restaurant for several miles around. Sure, they had a hand-breaded tenderloin. But further down the menu was a colossal pork sandwich that I could not refuse.


Location: 101 N Center St in Promise City (population 105) in Wayne County, Iowa. Located between Corydon and Centerville.


Directions: Take Highway 2 East from I-35, past Leon and Corydon. The cafe on the main street, the only busy street in town, facing the parking lot the the community center.
The Tyson Whole Hog Tenderloin: I ordered this and sat down for a while as it cooked. Soon I heard the younger waitress asking the other what to do with a sandwich that wouldn't fit in the to-go container. I took it without closing the lid over, because I had what I wanted. This was a big sandwich packed with pork. The tenderloin was hand-breaded, tenderized at the local meat locker. It was much thicker in the center with good chewy consistency. the ham was thick and moist, the bacon was fatty and good. The two slices of cheese tasted like Kraft singles, but were melted just right to make the meats stick together. All served on a bun that was cold, but the bun was just an edible napkin here.


Price: $6.50, regular tenderloin $4.50, "Cajun Tenderloin" also available for $4.75.
Also on the menu: Full breakfast, with burgers and sandwiches. Today's special was sweet-potato fries.


Service: Seat yourself wherever you want, I think this was a husband and wife operation, with a twenty-something daughter who helped with working the tables.
Ambiance: The Cafe itself was about as humble as its name implied.There were tables, booths, and a counter for seating. The high ceilings of the old building were nice, good natural light come through the windows.


Final Thoughts: This is a dangerous sandwich. I eventually recovered from eating this gigantic hunk of hot pork. These sorts of things are just goofy additions to the menu for people who can't get enough. I do not recommend eating a sandwich like this while driving. Its best enjoyed in an environment where a heart attack can be treated promptly.