11th St Precinct Bar in Davenport Iowa & Grilled Tenderloins

The 11th St. Precinct Bar & Grill won an award for best tenderloin in the Quad Cities a couple years ago. The newspaper running the competition included grilled and breaded tenderloins from all parts of the Quad Cities area. There is a large golden pig trophy wedged between two flatscreen televisions behind the bar area marking their triumph. 


Location: 2108 East 11th St on the intersection with Mound St in Davenport, Quad Cities, Eastern Iowa.

Directions: This is technically in East Davenport a small commercial area of renovated historic buildings just off the River Road between Davenport and Bettendorf.

Online at: Website is HERE.

The Tenderloin: Listed on the menu as the "famous" half pound jumbo grilled tenderloin. The first thing that sticks out is the great color on this grilled loin. The alternating white of the pork loin meat checkered with the grill marks and seared edges. It has a great charred surface with just a bit of seasonings added during the grilling process. The texture of the pork loin is firm on the outside but chewy in texture, just the right amount of time on the hot grill. Served on a buttered and toasted bun. This is the best grilled loin I've eaten so far.

Price: $8.50 with a side.

Also on the menu: The grilled tenderloin is the star of the menu with its own section, its local awards are highlighted on the menu and other graphics There are other choices like specialty pizzas, pasta, burgers and bar food fried appetizers.

"The Big Kahuna" Spicy Pepperjack Bacon Tenderloin: Fitting for a sandwich with seven words in the title, this had layers of Hoagie Roll, Grilled Pork Loin, Pepperjack Cheese, Bacon, Spicy Giardiniera dressing, lettuce, onions, tomato, and lettuce. The star of the sandwich is the sliced grilled pork loin. The Spicy Giadiniera with peppers packs an acidic and spicy punch that you just don't find in most sandwiches in Iowa. I would love to say that this sandwich is some meaningful meeting of Iowa and Chicage style sandwiches, but its more of just a combination of ingredients that kinda works together.

Price: $9.75 with a side for lunch.

Service: I just sat at the bar and the bartender took care of my order and made conversation with some of the regulars.


Ambiance: This has been a bar and grill for decades but was renovated recently with modern fixtures and flat screen televisions. There is a bar area and seating space, big windows facing the street and an area for live bands on weekends.

Final Thoughts: The online reviews of the 11th St Precinct seem to have a few things in common. The new renovation is just like every other new bar built anywhere, and the grilled tenderloin is the tastiest sandwich of its kind by any estimation. There are other grilled tenderloins in the Quad Cities area, but driving across one of the bridges into Illinois is not on my list of things to do. I will eventually get around to stopping by The Filling Station in Davenport and TC's Point After in Dewitt to try their breaded tenderloins sooner or later.

Big Muddy's Bar and Grill in Burlington

The local paper had a poll for Best of Burlington a few years ago, and Big Muddy's was listed in the category of Best Tenderloin. I had been around downtown Burlington before, but had never made my way up Front Street before. This place reopened after the floods of 2008, and draws in crowds with its river view and high end atmosphere.

Location: 710 North Front Street in Burlington, Southeast Iowa.

Directions: This place is underneath the gigantic bridge between a hill and the Mississippi River, take N Front street from downtown and park across the street.

Online at: they have a facebook page here.

The Tenderloin: Picking up the sandwich, it felt like about seven ounces after cooking. The meat was a medium thickness butterfly cut with a few marks from being stored for a long time. The breading was a thin and fine layer that had just a little seasoning but a good golden brown color. This was a truly okay breaded pork tenderloin. Served with all the fixings on an un-toasted bun. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $7.99 with a side, I chose the homemade chips.

Also on the menu: The menu is big, with steaks, sandwiches, seafood, homemade chips, other fried stuff, even frog legs.

Service: Its table service with a bar as well. I came during the off hours so the place was nearly empty and I had a good view even though I was by myself.
Ambiance: This is a large riverfront building with natural light pouring in from the patio area. Its on the high end of places in Burlington or Southeast Iowa, the building might be an old railroad building with the high ceilings and exposed brickwork.

Final Thoughts: I run into plenty of places recommended in local publications Reader's Polls or Best Of.... lists, and find many to simply be the busiest places in town. Big Muddy's looks like it has plenty of food on the menu, but calling this tenderloin "the best" misses the mark. I wish I had ordered the frog legs or fish entrees. I also checked out El Taco Casa nearby based on the same poll and was just not impressed with their frequently recommended tenderloin. On my next visit to Burlington I plan on checking out Uncle Ronnie's in West Burlington or the Tender Trap on Sumner St in the south side of town.

If you are visiting Burlington, be sure to check out Snake Alley, it is the crookedest street in all of Iowa: