Little Bohemia Cedar Rapids Hot Loin of Pork

Little Bohemia Neighborhood Bar & Eatery has slowly been renovated, restored, and reopened since the Great Flood of 2008. The bar began serving beer again in late 2010, along with part of their food menu. They brought back the fried food a few months later in 2011. Grant Wood drank here, Marvin Cone painted a picture of the building, and visitors to Cedar Rapids Czech Village have been stopping into Little Bo's for years now.

Location: 1317 3rd St SE in Cedar Rapids, Southeast of Downtown and a few block from the Czech Village. Its a sign of the times that a new bar & grill has opened across the street, along with an antique store on the opposite corner.

Directions: Its at the corner of 3rd St SW and 14th Ave SE, which is across a bridge from 16th Ave SW the main drag through the Czech Village area.

Online at: FACEBOOK PAGE.

The Hot Loin of Pork: This is described on the menu as a breaded pork loin, served with homemade mashed potatoes, sliced bread, and pork gravy. The freshly ground black pepper gave just the right amount of extra spice and texture to the creamy gravy and potatoes. The bread absorbed the gravy but so did the breading on the loin. The pork gravy on the breaded loin made this a great dish. The uneven surface of the bar meant the gravy moved around while I was positioning the dish to take photos. Overall 9.0 out of ten.

Price: $8.49
Also on the menu: There is a breaded tenderloin, made rite, and the Goulash is the special. Most of the menu is taken up by standard bar food like wings and fried stuff along with Czech beers. According to a newspaper article, the previous owner had served pig ear and snout sandwiches. It might be time to bring those back.Service: I came in during the off hours, and only an off duty employee and the owner were there. They warmed up the fryer to make the loin.
Ambiance: The bar is in a historic building which has housed a bar or restaurant since it was built around 1883. The beer signs and Czech puns are mixed with antiques with wood furniture and fixtures.
Final Thoughts: I don't have anything to compare the reopened places in this neighborhood with what the area was like before the flood. The nature of the neighborhood has changed, there once were thousands of people living in historic homes nearby. Now local pubs and restaurants have to promote themselves as destinations for people living in the suburbs or the corridor.

Al's Blue Toad in Cedar Rapids

Driving down the main street of the Little Bohemia neighborhood in Cedar Rapids brings a visitor past several small businesses with signs in Czech. I never got around to trying any tenderloins here before the big flood came through. Over the years since 2008 many businesses have reopened, while others have decided to make major changes or move on. The owner of the old Zindrick's Restaurant used the time after the flood to reorganize and remake the restaurant. The space is now home to both the Blue Toad, and the adjacent space is now the Red Frog operated by his sister.

Location: 86 16th Ave. SW in the Czech Village area of Cedar Rapids.

Directions: The closest exit from 380 is at Wilson Ave, I think there are signs pointing the way to the Czech Village area.

Online at: website is here.

The Tenderloin: Described on the menu as the Cajun Breaded Tenderloin. It felt like they took and regular tenderloin and tossed it in a mix of cajun seasonings. It tasted like a lot of salt on the outside of the breading. The white pork meat had been pounded into a butterfly shape visible in the pictures. Edges of the sandwich easily tore off the center and felt soft while chewing. The seasoning overpowered the breading but had some great spiciness, the Cajun mayo was good for the thick cut fries. Served with all the fixins on a soft toasted bun. Overall 8.2 out of ten.

Price: $8.55 with fries and slaw.

Also on the menu: Czech stuff including roasted pork loin, goulash, or chicken paprika. Along with bar foods like burgers, sandwiches and salads.


Service: It was table service with a bar area that looked busy.

Ambiance: Its a modern bar restaurant with flatscreen televisions and tables or booths for seating. Beer signs illuminate the blue interior along with natural light.

Final Thoughts: I had only visited the Czech Village a couple times prior to the flood, so I can't say whether the places reopening here restore the neighborhood to what it once was. The Little Bohemia district was once a neighborhood with small businesses catering to people living nearby. Today it is a destination for people from other parts of Cedar Rapids or the Eastern Iowa Corridor. My next stop in this area will be Little Bohemia Bar, a place whose kitchen has slowly expanded its selections since reopening a year ago and is serving a tenderloin once again.

Westside Maid Rite in Cedar Rapids

Special Note: This review is for Westside Maid Rite in Cedar Rapids, not for any other Maid Rite anywhere else. They are not all the same.

Maid rite is a chain, but it has a unique franchise structure. There are new Maid Rites in distant cities or new development areas with rigorous product homogenization. Then there are owner operated "heirloom" Maid Rites, most easily identified with a proper name in front of the name. These ones often have been run independently by the same family for decades, and often deviate from the regularity of fast food franchises. Some heirloom Maid Rites get tired of paying the franchise fee and just take down their sign and repaint in any color but red and white. The vast majority of all these places serve up a frozen tenderloin.

I knew that any Maid Rite location could serve a handmade tenderloin, but had never heard of one until reading an ad in Tidbits Newspaper where Westside Maid Rite advertised a half pound tenderloin, clarifying that it was the "biggest & best in town" and "hand made daily". I really can't tell if this location is run by the same folks who run the other one in Cedar Rapids, or the one in Marion. The Marion Maid Rite on the other side of town serves a "homemade giant iowa tenderloin" which they describe as "Best One Around!" along with homemade onion rings and pies.


Location: 621 1st Ave SW just outside downtown Cedar Rapids in Eastern Iowa.


Directions: First Avenue is the main drag through town if you are going east or west on Highway 151, or you can just find it by taking 1st street from downtown and looking for the small red striped shack.

The Tenderloin: The first thing I noticed was a huge appendage of soft pork meat sticking out on one side. The whole sandwich is a big soft piece of pork with crunchy cracker-like breading that reached a good golden brown color. Its not thick, but is a little steamy inside. Served on a soft, very soft bun. Condiments were tucked under the meat and made a mound of onions and ketchup. This is an uncomplicated sandwich. Overall 7.4 out of ten.

Price: $4.79 a good value

Also on the menu: There is the usual Maid Rite stuff, like Maid Rite sandwiches, chicken sandwich and bowls of chili. This location also serves goulash, roast pork, and has a waffle breakfast on Sundays.


Service: Counter service with food brought to your table.
Ambiance: The dining area is small with booth seating and pictures of the flood and rebuilding effort.


Final Thoughts: Cedar Rapids is a proud town that takes its tenderloins seriously. I know I am not really doing this town justice by starting out here. The Westside Maid Rite is just one of several places which have reopened since the flood. I also made it to the Czech Village to try Al's Blue Toad, and I will try to make it to Little Bohemia when they get their deep fryer running again.