Railway Inn Council Bluffs

It appears the full name is Dan and Jami's Railway Inn. Its in a tough industrial neighborhood beneath the busy main thoroughfare of Council Bluffs. This bar and grill won a readers poll in the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil a couple years ago for the best tenderloin in town.

Location: 112 S. 15th St. in Coucil Bluffs, in Pottwattamie County, about 2 hours from Des Moines or 10 minutes from Downtown Omaha.

Directions: It appears on a map like its just off Highway 6/West Broadway, however, you have to weave around some sidestreets and get under a bridge that goes over the railroad tracks. Just make sure you are on the east side of the tracks when you get off the highway.

Online At: http://www.railwaycb.com/

The Tenderloin: From above, this took the classic triangle 'loin shape with little arms sticking far from the bun, from the side it was uneven in thickness. This is at least eight ounces of pork before preparation. The breading delivers plenty of crunch. Served with all the fixins on a well-toasted bun. Overall 7.5/10.

Price: $5.95 with homemade fries.

Service: I was there around lunch time and it looked like just one guy running the bar, the grill, and waiting tables. He seemed to have a good relationship with what appeared to be many regulars and an overall older crowd.

Ambiance: Its the usual pub and grub with railroad signs, and beer posters hung on the walls in a dimly lit interior with the usual bar gaming machines. There are tables and booths, and outdoor seating when the weather is good enough for beach volleyball.

Also on the Menu: Its typical bar food, with the usual fried suspects, the specialty is the huge Railway Burger, and the homemade hand-cut fries are good too.

Final Thoughts: From the outside it looks humble, with the puddles in the parking lot and sand blowing around in the wind. But this unpretentious place is definitely worth the short drive on Highway 6 from downtown Omaha.

Grumpy's in Chariton

If a restaurant has a hand-painted sign advertising a tenderloin, i guess its a good bet that the tenderloin will be homemade as well. The window claimed "Tacos and Lots More" so I figured it was worth a try. This little place looked like it was once the location of a small-town coffee shop. It was just one tiny room with a door into a kitchen.

Location: 114 S. Grand. St. in Chariton, in Southern Iowa. Its just off the square to the southeast.

Directions: Chariton is about 50 miles south of Des Moines. You can take I-35 south to Highway 34 West, or take Highway 65 south from the Eastside of Des Moines.
The Tenderloin: This sandwich wasn't exactly creating with take-out service in mind. The wrapper barely fit around the whole sandwich, but I didn't mind. The bun was more like a joke, it was just a dry roll that barely held its own part of the tenderloin. The meat just stuck so far from the roll. The soft and steamy inside was falling from the breading in some parts. The tenderizing made for an uneven sandwich with some parts much thicker than others. Overall 8.0 out of 10.

Price: $4.99, with fixins. Fifty cents extra for a second bun, its like a plate-splitting fee at a fancy restaurant. Half-size tenderloin also available.
Also on the menu: Small-town Mexican menu with tacos, a Red Taco, and smothered burritos in addition to sandwiches and ice-cream.

Service: Well, the lady took my order then disappeared into the kitchen just behind a door, I heard the tenderloin hit the fryer immediately.
Ambiance: The small interior had a few tables to sit at, the walls were covered with patriotic stuff and HS sports posters. I think a patio opens up when the weather is better.

Final Thoughts: I had been frustrated in some of my trips through Southern Iowa before. But this is up there with other super-jumbo tenderloin I've discovered around Iowa. The whole thing is just massive.

Mary Jo's Hobo House in Britt

While driving through northern Iowa, I found a whole restaurant dedicated to hobos. Its across from the old movie theatre turned into a museum to Hobos. This owner-operated cafe had to be place for a tenderloin.

Location: 72 Main Ave S in Britt, Iowa (population 2,052) about 122 miles north of Des Moines.

Directions: You take the state Highway 18 to get to Britt, and turn south on Main Street. The Hobo House is across the street from the Hobo Museum. Both are located just south of the business district, by the train tracks.

The Tenderloin: This seemed to feel like the typical 8-ounce jumbo tenderloin upon lifting. It had a shape like a big bent rectangle. The meat was barely tenderized and had minimal trimming of fat. The grain of the pork loin was felt while chewing. The breading had enough seasoning to make the whole thing interesting. Served with choice of fixins on a toasted bun. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $5.25, with fixins and side item.

Also on the menu: a full breakfast, burgers, and a "hobo philly" sandwich.

Service: Its table service, there weren't any other customers when I arrived early for lunch.

Ambiance: The walls are covered with picture of hobos and railroad junk. Many photos are autographed by members of the Hobo Hall of Fame, which I guess is in the museum nearby. For a place dedicated to hobos, it was perfectly clean and well-lit inside.

Final Thoughts: I guess this tenderloin was rugged and unsophisticated like the travelling clientele that come here each summer for the National Hobo Convention.

Town House Supper Club Comes to Des Moines

This is just a mini-review of the Town House Supper Club Mobile unit which is in Des Moines for an unspecified period of time. My original write-up of the Town House Supper Club in Wellsburg can be found here:

http://des-loines.blogspot.com/2008/01/townhouse-supper-club-in-wellsburg.html

Location: The parking lot of a pawn shop at SE 2nd and Army Post Rd, near South Ridge Mall.


Important note: The stand is only scheduled to be open from 11am to 7pm from Monday to Wednesday.

The Tenderloin: Its the same as the original up in Wellsburg. Its big and tender with bread crumbs falling everywhere.

Price: available from $4 to $6

Also on the menu: nothing, pretty much just tenderloins with bags of chips and drinks.

Ambiance: There are picnic tables behind the stand, Army Post Road is always busy and loud.


Final Thoughts: There is no real clarity to how long this stand will be here, but if it gets enough business it may stay open more days of the week. The Townhouse people are not shy about putting their mobile unit so close the the Southside institution of Smitty's down the street.

Tenderloin Emergency: Michael's in Beaverdale to close

Beaver Avenue was once the main route from downtown Des Moines to places north and west. Now its still a busy street with a neighborhood filled with small store, bars, and restaurants. The local paper broke the news today that Micheal's Restaurant and Lounge was closing this weekend. This total bummer was confirmed by a waitress inside.

Location: 4041 Urbandale Ave. half a block off Beaver Avenue in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines.

Directions: Drive up Beaver Avenue and turn east on Urbandale, you can't miss it.
The Tenderloin: This tenderloin was rated 2nd in the state by the IPPA in 2008, the highest ranking ever for a tenderloin from Des Moines. It was consistently rated among the top in Des Moines. My sources tell me this is similar to the original IPPA winning tenderloin served at Darrell's Place in Hamlin, only much bigger. That is reflected in the fine breading and thorough trim job, there is no fat at all in the tender moist pork. Served on a lightly toasted onion bun with all the fixins. Overall 8.5 out of ten.

Price: $8.59 with choice of side.
Also on the Menu: The tenderloin was the highlight of a large menu with pasta, pizza, and burgers. Poor Michael's Pizza shares the building and does to-go orders.

Service: The hostess will seat you in the dining area, or its seat yourself at the bar or in the lounge. Everyone was in a sour mood since the closing was announced.
Ambiance: Its a low-key lounge with dim lights and a bar area with a few TVs to look at. The dining area is quieter.

Final thoughts: This place will be missed. For emergency tenderloin cravings in Beaverdale, I'm not really sure. Porky's Drive-In had a sign reading "homemade is back", possibly referring to the return of homemade tenderloins that were replaced by frozen disks there several years ago. However, Porky's hasn't been open since last fall. Maybe another place in Beaverdale will add a tenderloin to its menu soon.

Porks in Winfield

Any place with a giant pig on the sign, on the menu, and everywhere else is a good hint of either BBQ or pork tenderloin inside. I was led here by reading Essential Iowa's suggestions. The Full name of this place is Pork's Hometown Restaurant, and it seems to be popular with the locals.

Location: 118 S. Locust St. in Winfield (population 1,131) in Henry County, in Southeast Iowa.

Directions: Winfield is on the not-so-beaten path between Wapello and Mt. Pleasant. Pork's is on the main street, County Road W66 just north of State Highway 78.
The Tenderloin: The first thing that hits you is the massive size of this thing, it must be at least 12 ounces of pork here before breading. The whole thing has good consistent thickness and is tender to the point of falling apart as you lift the edges. The crunchy breading separates from the pork inside easily, with big crumbs falling everywhere. Tiny chunks of fat weren't trimmed before cooking. The size makes this thing an incredible value and excellent sandwich experience. Served with fixins on untoasted bun. Overall 8.5/10

Price: $5.50 Extra bun is 85 cents, like the plating fee at fancy restaurants.
Also on the menu: As the only place to eat in a small town, there's a little bit of everything. Steaks, fish, burgers, salads, daily specials, and a full breakfast menu are on offer.

Service: Table service with attentive waitress.

Ambiance: Tables and booths to sit, a private room for parties, and various junk on the walls including pig images everywhere.

Final Thoughts: Literary types may remember Bill Bryson visiting here in the travel novel The Lost Continent. Winfield is the home of Bryson's grandparents, and he visited as a child. He returned in 2006 with a British television crew, and the Winfield Historical Society documented his visit in pictures and it looks like he had time to visit Pork's:

http://www.winfieldhistoricalsociety.com/billbrysonmtpnews.htm

Bryson told the Mt. Pleasant News "To me, Winfield was the perfect little place," Bryson said. "To me, this was as good as life could be. Ball games, church socials and the like all contributed."

Baker's Food & Fuel Des Moines (now defunct)

How could I forget this place on the road to Norwalk. Sure, it closed in late 2007, and could have used any publicity it could get. Rumour was this place was operated by some people connected to a major high-end restaurant chef in Des Moines. I probable should have added this review a long time ago. Watching tenderloin serving establishments close brings me no shortage of heartache.

Location: listed as 1643 R63 Hwy in Norwalk, this is right on the off ramp from the southern Highway 5.

Directions: You could get there by going south on 9th St in Des Moines or by taking the turnoff from the loop highway south of town. Look for the giant FOOD and FUEL sign.

The Tenderloin: I was greeted by a printed sign on the swinging doors advertising homemade tenderloins. This was a great hunk of darker pork meat with great taste that came apart easily. There were a couple places where the fat wasn't trimmed off, but the great variance in shape and thickness made it all good. Served on a large untoasted bun. The fixins bar for patrons bumped up the score with banana peppers and jalepenos in addition to the usual toppings. Overall 7.5 out of ten.

Price: $4.25, with fixins bar.

Also on the menu: Large menu included Grinder Sandwiches, "Hawg Wings", gizzards and pizza kept under hot lamps.

Service: You pick up your food from the counter, the fixins bar is behind you. You could call ahead to order pizza. When I found the hot food cabinet sans Tenderloins, the lady working the register agreed to make one. She then took three tenderloins with very different shapes out of the freezer storage. I got one fresh hot one, the other two sat under the heat lamp.

Ambiance: This was a spacious and well lit gas station with TVs stuck on the country music channel and a nice bulletin board.

Final Thoughts: Its a shame this place had to close. The tenderloin is about the best that you would ever be able to find with a tank of gas. I probable should have added this review way back before it closed, but I figured it was a case of better late than never. When places serving tenderloins disappear, it reminds me to keep supporting the small places that make eating tenderloins so much fun in the first place.