Shakespeare's Pub & Grill in Iowa City Iowa

I had known about Shakespeare's for a long time, its been serving locals and townies on the East Side of Iowa City forever. Isn't it crazy how the dive bar on the east side with the busy parking lot seems to have the best tenderloin I've found in Iowa City. I have a couple more places over here to check out since I never made to to Iron Hawk before they closed last year.


Location: 819 S 1st Ave in Iowa City

Directions:I always get lost on this side of Iowa City, Shakespeare's is just a few blocks north of the old mall.

Online at: website is HERE.

The Tenderloin: The meat inside was a thick cut of soft white pork loin. The batter formed a thick and crispy layer that included many pieces that stuck out for extra crunchiness. There was one little dark spot in the meat that I hope doesn't appear on other sandwiches they serve. This reminded me of battered loins from The Elms Club in Creston or Gramma's Kitchen in Walcott. Served on a very soft toasted bun with your choice of fixings. This was a nicely battered loin Overall 8.2 out of ten.

Price: $9.50 with fries.

Also on the menu: There are daily specials and the menu is bar food like burgers, sandwiches, and fried appetizers.

Service: There is bar service with wait staff slowly working through the crowded room.

Ambiance: the pub describes itself as an "East side watering hole", and the interior is dark with beer signs and a pool table and the bucket seats at the bar felt like they were decades old. I appreciate the font on their sign.

Final Thoughts: Blow, blow, thou winter wind. Thou art not so unkind, As man's ingratitude.

Dexfield Diner and Pub in Redfield, Iowa

Noticing a pork tenderloin served hot beef style, with mashed potatoes and gravy, on the menu made this place a must stop on my latest trip through Redfield.

Location: 904 1st St in Redfield, Dallas County, just West of Adel in Central Iowa.

Directions: Redfield is on Old Highway 6 just a few miles West from Adel, it can also be reached from Exit 100 off of I-80 to the south.

Online at: Website with menu is HERE.

The Hot Tenderloin: This came to my table in the shape of an ice cream sundae, like the meat sundaes that get served at the state fair. I asked the waitress if the tenderloins were made here and was given the response that they were breaded here. Fair enough, the breaded tenderloin at the bottom of this was tenderized well but still thick. This could have used some slices of bread to absorb some of the gravy. The mashed potatoes and gravy were piled high but just weren't special, I got no taste of any pork in the gravy and the potatoes were just scoops of the same stuff you can find anywhere.

Price: $8.99

Also on the menu: Its a small diner and pub menu with burgers, sandwiches, prime rib, and some healthy options like salads or wraps. There was a special cooler filled with homemade pies that looked delicious.

Service: The place was not two busy but there were two servers working the tables and a cook in the back.

Ambiance: This is a very clean space with booths, tables, and a bar for seating. The high ceilings were typical of an old Main St building. The walls were covered in memorabilia of the local high school football team, including a shrine to a State Championship in 1974, and some Northwest Missouri State stuff as well.

Final Thoughts: The height made for good presentation, but I would get the regular tenderloin next time I am here.

Kerp's Pub in Carroll, Iowa

*whiskey

Kerp's Tavern does not look like much from the outside, just a sign reading KERPS FOOD COLD BEER DRINKING WISKEY. I couldn't find much about this place on my internet searches. A recent tip on foursquare about homemade tenderloins here put this tiny bar on my radar for my next stop in Carroll.

Location: 223 E. 5th St. in Carroll, on the Lincoln Highway in Western Iowa.

Directions: This is on the east side of the main business area, get here from Highway 30 and turning south on Clark or Court streets
.

The Tenderloin: this one was not big upon initial inspection. It had been butterfly cut yet the loin meat was extra thick. The juiciness was above average and the grain of the meat was only partly broken by the tenderizing. Breading had some salt and pepper and a crisp exterior. Served on a steamy warm bun, this was good bar food. Overall 7.9 out of ten.

Price: $4.50 a la carte

Also on the menu: Its a real basic bar food menu with low prices. There are burgers and fried stuff, and pizzas with names like "Pizza Lovers" and another pizza that claims to have nine meats piled on top. Daily specials are just $6.00

Service: Its small town bar service from the counter, I guess there is table service too. I think the other people here were regulars and the waitresses made conversation.

Ambiance: This is a low key bar with a dark interior, beer signs and sports stuff on the walls, and a pool table in the back. There is seating at the bar or tables.

Final Thoughts: I think I had tried tenderloins at a sports bar and an ice cream fountain in Carroll over the years and neither seemed worth writing about. I wouldn't put this one on the same level as the places farther south on Highway 71, but it a good tenderloin at a good price in an unexpected place. 

Legal Limit Pub in Boone, Iowa

I've driven through Boone once or twice but rarely made it North from the main intersection with the freeway or the Dutch Bakery on the South edge of the downtown area. The Legal Limits won an honorable mention in the 2011 Best Tenderloin Contest held by the IPPA. This meant I had to drive up north of Mamie Eisenhower to check this bar out.

Location: 702 Allen St in Boone, Iowa, about an hour drive north and west from Des Moines.

Directions: You drive up Story St from the 4 way stop on Highway 30, through downtown, and turn right on Allen St.

Online at: Facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: This tenderloin combined the giant crunchiness and moist softness that many purveyors strive for. The breading formed a hard crunchy and salty layer above the meat that took a delicious dark brown hue. The pork loin was thick and juicy, consistent throughout and well trimmed of fat. Served on a giant buttered and toasted bun with your choice of fixins. Overall 8.2 out of ten.

Price: $8.25 in a basket with a side, I went with the seasoned waffle fries..

Also on the menu: There is a full breakfast menu in the morning, then later burgers, fried snacks, sandwiches, and an Over The Limit Burger. They added some gigantic burger eating challenge recently.

Seasoned Waffle Fries

Service: The bar area is small with a register for takeout. Its table service for the rest of the dining area. Things just were not happening very quickly during my two visits.

Eating in at the Legal Limit

Ambiance: This is a dive bar in every way. The plastic furniture, the outdated beer signs, the video games, the graphic posters from the drink distributors covering every empty inch of the interior.

Final Thoughts: Sometimes you can't judge a book by its cover. The Legal Limit looks like an absolute dive with the tackiest decorations and worst furnishings of almost any place I've visited. The tenderloin is the best I've found in the Boone area. Its worth stopping in, even if you don't want to stick around for long.

Flatheads in St. Anthony, Iowa

Flatheads seems to be aimed at the angler end of the outdoors spectrum with its fish sign and interior decorations. When I sat at the bar the first thing the bartender recommended was the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. There is also a framed newspaper article on the wall from when the IPPA gave this sandwich an honorable mention in their annual contest in 2008.

Location: 104 W 3rd St St Anthony in Marshall County, Central Iowa.

Directions: I think its the only place to eat in St. Anthony, its on the north end of the old main street, visible from the county road.

Online at: Facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: First things first, the portion here is big, easily over the eight ounces most places refer to as "jumbo". The butterfly cut of pork loin had been pounded out wide, but was still soft when bitten into. The breading was seasoned with salt on top and had a great texture. Served with your choice of fixings on a corn dusted Kaiser bun.Overall 8.4 out of ten.

Price: $5.75

Also on the menu: The menu is large with fish like Walleye or Catfish sandwiches, burgers, pizza, a fish fry and a taco night. I think they added a gigantic tenderloin with toppings sandwich named Sasquatch.

Service: I just sat at the bar and had the bartender take care of me on both of my visits.

Ambiance: This is a small town dive bar with wooden board siding, beer signs, outdoors stuff, antlers, and a bar and tables for seating.

Final Thoughts: I love visiting small town bars when I know a big juicy tenderloin is found inside.  Flathead isn't that far off the State Highway or the roads leading to Marshalltown. Its a great stop when driving through this part of Central Iowa.

The Tender Trap in Burlington, Iowa

The Tender Trap had a drawing of a raccoon on the front of the menu, and its not the first place with racoon graphics where I have stopped in for a tenderloin. I get around Burlington often, and this place was near the top of my list for a recent visit.

Location: 2222 Summer St in Burlington, Des Moines County, Southeast Iowa.

Directions: Just fly in on your private jet because its right by the airport.

Online at: Tender Trap used to have a website with a menu, pictures, and mail order but it isn't there anymore.

The Tenderloin: The heart of the sandwich was a giant triangle of tenderized pork loin. It easily filled the takeout package it had been stuffed into. Interior meat was juicy. The crackermeal breading had been fried to a deep golden brown with great crunchiness and crumbs spreading everywhere. Served on a large toasted bun. Overall 8.2 out of ten.


Price: I think it was $8.50 with two sides thrown in, but my notes are short so don't quote me on that one.


Also on the menu: The menu is huge with the usual fried stuff, chicken tenderloin sandwiches, steaks and prime rib along with daily specials. The special sandwich is The Trapper made with chicken breast, ham, and bacon.

Service: I ordered take-out from the bar the two times I stopped in. Nothing to complain about.

Ambiance: This is a racing themed bar with booths, a bar, and a ton of space for seating. There is a serenity fountain tucked away in one corner, weird.


Final Thoughts: This was better than the other tenderloins in the Burlington area I have already tried. It might take me a while to decide how it compares to restaurants further out in the Southeast Iowa region like Apron Strings in Mediapolis, Short Stop in New London, or the Hawkeye Restaurant in Keokuk.

Dam Bar & Grill in Troy Mills Iowa

One sign claims this bar is home to the finest tenderloins in Troy Mills, another reads The Best Dam Tenderloin in Iowa. It may be referring to the best tenderloin near a dam, or on a dam, or in a town by a dam. There are a lot of dams in Iowa, so this is no small distinction.

Location: 5898 Main St in Troy Mills, an unincorporated community in Linn County, Eastern Iowa.

Directions: Troy Mills is on the road between the towns of Walker and Coggon, not exactly the most well-traveled route. The intersection of County Highway D62 and Troy Mills Rd is about 24 miles north of Cedar Rapids, accessible by county roads with no real direct route from the highway.

Online at: FACEBOOK PAGE

The Tenderloin: I saw the lady in the kitchen grab a rolling pin when I ordered the sandwich.I'm guessing the meat was pressed down before frying to get a good chewy texture. The moisture was good for such a thin tenderloin, and the breading was just a thin coating of golden brown with a hint of pepper. The trim job by whoever cut the meat was impressive, not a hint of fat in a giant loin. Overall 8.3 out of ten.


Price: $8.45 also available in medium and small sizes.

Also on the menu: The bar has drinks with goofy names like Hot Sex and the bartender wears a shirt reading "I had Hot Sex at the Dam Bar." There is the usual fried stuff and burgers, along with a Wing Night and Fish Fry.

Service: I was in during the off hours and there was a lady at the bar and another person cooking. Each were making conversation with the local regulars.

Ambiance: This is a small town bar with an outdoors theme in the decorations along with countless beer signs, some pictures of Troy Mills and sports trophies. There are tables and a bar for seating.


Final Thoughts: I've been to plenty of these small town bars and the Dam Bar was a good clean place with friendly service and a good loin. Its right up there with Butch's River Rock Cafe in Oakland Mills when it comes to eating a tenderloin near a dam.

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.

Elm's Club in Creston

Downtown Creston is a typical regional Iowa town with a big train station and tall buildings like the newly renovated Hotel Iowana. The exterior of The Elms Club gives no hint that any kind of special sandwich lies inside. Walking inside and looking at the menu reminds the visitor that this was a 3rd place winner in a 2003 IPPA Breaded Tenderloin contest. I had been meaning to make it here earlier. A few years ago I came to this place on a Friday night only to find it was a bike night and the kitchen was closed with a bbq smoker selling pulled pork sandwiches outside.


Location: 108 North Elm Street Creston, Union County, south and west of Des Moines.


Directions: The Elms Club is on Elm St in the old downtown area of Creston, north of the railroad tracks and Amtrack Station. Follow the signs from the highway to find the business district.

Online at: A facebook page is HERE.
The Tenderloin: The thick and slightly seasoned batter made several crunchy knots on several edges of the tenderloin. Delicious looking golden brown outside lead to bright white pork inside. The whole sandwich felt heavy, but not too big for small appetites. The juiciness and thick white meat was tasty and just tender enough. This is a good one. Overall 9.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.25, an exceptional value.

Also on the menu: the usual bar food and fried stuff with burgers and chicken fried steak.

Service: Its bar service and the place gets busy for Karaoke and other events.

Ambiance: This is a darkly lit bar with tables, booths, and a counter for seating. The light comes from beer signs and flatscreen televisions. Taking pictures inside the bar were impossible, and most of my photos didn't get the color quite right.

Final Thoughts: The Elms Club in Creston is a low key small town bar with a very good battered tenderloin. Its as the sign reads: Drinks, Food, Pool.