Susie's Kitchen in Stanton

Stanton has a sign on the road into town naming itself the "Little White City" and is the birthplace of an actress from Folgers Coffee commercials. The water tower is shaped like a coffee cup with graphics reflecting the Swedish heritage of the town. In more recent times, Stanton has become locally renowned for its Swedish-American Cafe, Susie's Kök or Susie's Kitchen serving up comfort food to travelers along Highway 34 in Southwest Iowa. Susie's Kitchen has been featured in The Iowan magazine and Roadfood among other places.

Location: 404 Broad Ave. in Stanton, Montgomery County in Southwest Iowa.


Directions: The road south from Highway 34 veers to the west and turns into Broad St, leading a visitor right in front of Susie's Kitchen.

The Tenderloin: The owner of Susie's Kitchen explained to me that the tenderloin was made by breading the loin then putting it on top of a flat grill. This is not deep fried or pan-fried like nearly every other place. As a result, the texture of the breading is free of any oil or grease. The color of the breading is a bright white with golden brown and darker marks from the grill. This breading method is clearly healthier than what most other places use. The flavor just wasn't on par with others, and the loin felt a little dry. There just isn't any grease on this whole sandwich. You will notice the butter in the toasted bun. Overall 7.5 out of ten.

Price: $7.00 with a side.

Also on the menu: There is the usual breakfast and lunch with sandwiches. The Fruit of the Forest Pie and other Swedish foods are the specialty.

The Swedish Pancake with Linggonberry Jam were something special. It felt wrong to order just one on the side. These have a fine texture and the jam brings berry flavor over the top. Highly recommended.
Service: The owner of this place was walking between the tables and a local high school aged kid was waiting tables.

Ambiance: This is a small town main street cafe with tiny Swedish designs like what is on the giant coffee pot and lots of wood paneling.


Final Thoughts: Susie's Kitchen served breakfast all day, and in Stanton "all day" means until the place closes at two in the afternoon. Plan on getting here early for the great pancakes and pies. The tenderloin will probably please people looking for a healthier version of the classic breaded pork tenderloin, because its not deep fried.

D & D Bar and Grill Cafe in Villisca

The D & D Bar & Grill was recommended in Iowa: An Explorer's Guide , which can be found here.

The sign reading Homemade Country Cooking greeted me before I walked in the door. Its display of a coffee cup on one side and a beer on another reflects the dual nature of most small town pub and grubs, which have to serve everything a small town populace needs in order to get enough business to stick around.


Location: 307 East 4th Street in Villisca, in Montgomery County in Southwest Iowa.


Directions: You take Highway 71 south from 34 to get to Villisca, and the D & D Bar and Grill is on the south side of the main square.
The Tenderloin: What this tenderloin gets right is the crunchy breading and juicy darker meat. You can see in the close-up the breading is made from cracker meal. The tenderloins here all seem to have the same curved bowl shape. Served on a big untoasted bun with pickles by the side. Overall 8.372 out of ten.

Price: $4.25 a la carte.
Also on the menu: A big menu with most of the hometown cafe basics of burgers and salads. There is a fish fry buffet on special occasions I need to check out.

Service: It seemed like one woman was taking everyone's orders and cooking all by herself when I was in.
Ambiance: Locals pack this hometown cafe that seems to be in a time warp with wood panels and old furniture. The interior is a mishmash of checkerboard ceiling tiles and mirrors. There are tables and a bar for seating. The kitchen is in the middle of everything.

Final Thoughts: I don't get many chances to drive across Southern Iowa on Highway 34. I had tried to visit Susie's Kitchen in nearby Stanton, but always seem to get there when it is closed. The D & D Bar and Grill has much longer hours that make it easier to get in and out. Also, while in Villisca, check out he Axe Murder House just down the street from the D & D: