Kelly's Little Nipper in Des Moines

Sometimes known simply as Kelly's, or Kelly's Bar on Grand. This pub 'n grub in the Mexican Main Street of East Grand Avenue serves up big portions of greasy food at low prices for a working class crowd.

Location: 1701 East Grand Ave. in Des Moines.

Directions: If you get off the freeway around E. 14th and find Grand Ave. Kelly's is on the south side of the street.

The Tenderloin: This sandwich starts with about twelve ounces of pork loin, so size is not an issue here. Its pounded to get soft without being too thin. The breading is thick and crunchy, crumbs scatter all over the place. Soft edges of the sandwich are pulled off easily. Meat is white inside throughout. Served with the fixings on a large portion of soft bread cut in front of you. Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $4.95

Also on the menu: The specialy is the one-pound sausage sandwich, there is also something named the Killer Burger. Onion Rings are hand breaded.

Service: you can wait at a table or booth, but its faster to go straight to the counter. Everything goes through the same tiny grill, so it can take up to half an hour to get your food at busy times.

Ambiance: This bar has been in operation for a long time, I think the sign says since 1929 or something. the age shows in the woodwork and the decades-old beer advertisements. There are booths, tables, and a counter to eat and drink. There is a picnic table in back for when the weather is warm.

Final Thoughts: This stretch of East Grand is packed with authentic Mexican restaurants, Kelly's is like a hold out here that has been around for a long time. Don't let the humble exterior fool you, this is a great place for greasy grub. Since Micheals in Beaverdale closed, this may have found itself in the rare company of the best tenderloins in the city of Des Moines.

Bonaparte Retreat in Bonaparte

Bonaparte is a small town in Southeast Iowa, and is part of the Historic Villages of Van Buren County. Van Buren County places limits on things like commercial signage, and the villages are maintained by residents to reflect the areas heritage from a time when the Des Moines River was busy with commerce, and mill towns dotted the landscape. The building that now houses this restaurant was once a grist mill powered by the river, making flour for larger markets. The town was known as Meek's Mill before being incorporated as Bonaparte.The Bonaparte Retreat has been featured in Midwest Living and The Iowan magazines.

Location: 731 1st St. in Bonaparte (population 458), Van Buren County, in Southeastern Iowa.

Directions: Bonaparte is best reached by taking Highway 2 across Southern Iowa. County Road W40 takes you 2 miles north into town. You can also take the scenic route by driving County Road J40 from Keosauqua. Its only two and a half hours drive from Des Moines.

Online At: http://bonaparteretreat.com/

The Tenderloin: This one had a shape like an oven mitt when I unwrapped it. Your get decent thickness in the cut of pork, but the meat only slightly extends beyond the bun. Softness is above average, and the meat comes apart easily. Breading adds some crunch, but not much in the way of seasoning. Served with your choice of fixings on a sesame seed bun. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price:$4.25 a la carte, a good value.

Also on the menu: the lunch menu is small but it has some fried vegetable appetizers along with the usual salads and sandwiches. The Dinner menu has steaks and seafood, and homemade pies for dessert.

Service: Its table service, and takes a while for food to be prepared. Watching a lady use the giant antique cash register is a plus.

Ambiance: The building oozes with atmosphere in its natural lighting and antique furnishings. There is a great view of the river, but tables near the windows fill up fast.

Final Thoughts: The setting in a historic building in the best kept historical towns in Iowa with the high ceiling of the mill, and relics of its prior incarnation, is great. Although on my next visit I will probably be to try some of the other cuts of meat on the dinner menu. I still maintain the best tenderloin I have found in Van Buren County is at Misty's Malt Shop just up the road in Keosauqua. This was a good value in a nice small town.

Roadhouse Bar & Grill in Fort Dodge

I was surprised when a website told me a new restaurant in Fort Dodge had put a super-jumbo tenderloin on the menu. It claimed to serve a full pound size tenderloin. This had previously been a size only offered at the St. Olaf Tap in Northeast Iowa. The local paper tells me that the owner of this place promotes Country music concerts, and an outdoors multimedia project including a television show, radio, and magazine. The Roadhouse Bar & Grill offers more opportunity for tie-in events.


Location: the address is listed at 217 S 25th St, inside the Crossroads Mall in Fort Dodge.


Directions: This place has two entrances at the northeast corner of the Mall, you get there by taking the Business Route of Highway 20 which is 5th Ave South in Fort Dodge.


Online at: http://www.fdroadhouse.com/


The Tenderloin: Listen on the menu as The Big Country 1 lb. Tenderloin (Huge - Bring a friend!). First things first, this thing is big. It may not have been a full sixteen ounces before breading and frying, but it felt huge and was filling. A big problem with giant tenderloins is getting the huge cuts of pork to stay consistently tender and moist after cooking. The giant cut of meat just gets too tough, dry and chewy. The breading added more than enough crunch, but most of the flavor came from the red onions underneath the bun. Some more seasonings could raise the score, but it also needs to be more tender. Overall 6.5 out of ten.

Price: $8.99 with a side of fries. Sometimes it will be on special for a dollar less with a soft drink.

Service: Its table service at the booth seats, or you can sit at the bar.


Ambiance: This location used to be a Cactus Bob's Tex-Mex restaurant, so there is wood paneling with signs. The new ownership has put up pictures of country music acts.


Also on the menu: There are burgers, the nachos look special, and the "self proclaimed best wings in the Midwest"

The naked grilled Garlic Parmesan Wings:

The lightly seasoned fries with rosemary side:
Final Thoughts: I hope this place sticks around because the wings were good. You can check out a YouTube video from a wing eating contest captured by the local paper. On my next trip through Fort Dodge, I will try to make it to the often recommended Community Tap & Pizza and try their tenderloin.

Millerton Cafe in Millerton

A dining guide for Wayne county told me to check out this cafe with a humble exterior in the small town of Millerton. I think this place was named Rose's Cafe before a renovation a year ago, and there seems to be only one other business open in town. A January day with a combination of freezing rain and dew known as Hoar Frost meant my photos were particularly colorless.


Location: 11 Highway J-22 in Millerton, population 53, in Wayne County, Southern Iowa.


Directions: The cafe is on the main street through town, County Road J-22, reached by State Highway 14 between Chariton and Corydon.
The Tenderloin: Breading was golden brown with just enough flavor to compliment the meat. The pork was steamy warm and soft to the touch. It was thicker on one side, but tender throughout. Served with fixins on a toasted bun. Overall 8.0 out of 10.
Price: $4.95

Also on the Menu: The menu is small and keeps is simple with burgers, pies and daily specials.

The Chili Cheese Fries were a nice big gloppy mess:
Service: Table service with a couple waitresses running around. I think the owner was working the counter.


Ambiance: This is a recently renovated and redone small town cafe with booth seats in one room and another dining room with tables. I think half the town was inside the cafe when I stopped in.


Final thoughts: Finding a good tenderloin in a small town always makes a sandwich lover feel good about taking detours from the beaten path. This place could use a sign on the highway, because Millerton is a small town.

Schera's Restaurant in Elkader

Updated April 2012, scroll to the bottom to look at my second visit:


When the Iowa town of Elkader was platted in 1846 in a small river valley surrounded by hills, it was named after Abn Al-Qadir, who was leading Algerian resistance to French Colonial rule at the time. That historical footnote was enough to encourage a multicultural couple, including the son of a former Algerian diplomat, to visit this small town in the bluff country of northeast Iowa while on their way to Cedar Rapids. The two loved the town and the people here enough to move from Boston to start Schera's Restaurant and Bar on the main street of Elkader.


Location: 107 South Main St in Elkader (population 1,656), in Clayton County in Northeast Iowa. Its about sixty or seventy miles from the "big cities" of Dubuque, Cedar Falls, or Cedar Rapids

Directions: Elkader is where Iowa Highway 56 meets Iowa Highway 13. The roads in this part of Iowa bend around the hills and you can't just see a town under a water tower from ten miles away. Follow the signs for the Business District from either State Highway.

Online at: http://www.scheras.com/

The Tenderloin: The first thing I noticed was the size and classic triangular pork loin cut shape with some good thickness and golden brown exterior. The meat is warm, moist, and soft enough to tear easily. This is served with chopped red onions and romaine lettuce, better than most other places. They didn't go crazy with any special or strong seasonings in the breading here, but there is a good crunchy texture. Served on kaiser bun. Overall 8.0 out of 10.

Price: $7.00 with choice of side.
Also on the Menu: The menu is split between American food like hamburgers and Mediterranean staples like a gyros platter. The specialty is the Algerian dishes, like the Chicken B'Stilla pictured below. Its made from ground chicken, onions and seasonings, stuffed in phylo dough, then fried and topped with sprinkled cinnamon. The staff explains to patrons that the most common spice in Algerian cuisine is cinnamon, and I don't think anything here is really spicy.

Chicken B'Stilla appetizer $6:
Service: Its table service, when I visited one of the owners was walking around the place asking patrons how things were.

The lightly seasoned Buffalo Fries side dish:

Ambiance: The building is a main street storefront with high ceilings, with tables, booths, and a bar for seating. The wood panelled walls have vintage pictures of Elkader, Abn Al-Qadir, and Algeria. I think they may have a patio facing the Turkey River in back when the weather warms up. The connected storefront beside the restaurant was being used as retail space when I visited.

Final thoughts: Its no understatement to say a restaurant like this is uncommon in small town Iowa, and Schera's is definitely a special place. The story behind how the owners came to Elkader and decided to stay here was documented in detail in news clippings on their website, but the site is being redone right now. The owners have been dedicated enough to this place to restore the building after after a devastating flood in 2008. I get the idea that people travel from up to 40 miles away to visit this restaurant, and for good reason.
Update April 2012:

A little over two years since the initial write-up, I was able to get back to Schera's in Elkader with my camera in tow for a follow-up. The menu seems to have undergone some changes with more bar food and a Sunday Brunch and Late Night section. The most impressive thing about my return trip is that this place has been operating since 2006 now.

This is simply listed on the menu as Hamburger, and is priced at $7.00 with a little extra for your choice of cheese. There were two 1/4 pound patties with melted provolone. While other parts of the menu are only lightly seasoned, the ground beef here is mixed with salt and pepper and a little extra to give it a serious punch of flavor while eating. The beef had a nice dark char on the edges. Served on a homemade Kaiser Bun.

The Bourek: This appears on many Bosnian restaurant menus in Des Moines, but those places serve it like a pie or pizza slice. Scera's Bourek was only lightly seasoned inside but the phyllo casing reaches a great brown color with great flaky crunchy texture.

The interior looks like it has seen a number of small changes, probably done over time. The decorations still include pictures of Elkader and flags from Algeria. Now there are more beer signs and works from local artists hanging on the walls. A robot sculpture now greets patrons next to the daily specials on a chalkboard.

Uptown Cafe in Audubon

The locals in Audubon are divided over who has the better tenderloin in town, the Chatterbox Cafe or the Uptown Cafe. I was lucky enough to try both in my travels through Western Iowa. The sign in front of the Uptown Cafe reads HOME COOKIN', and lists tenderloins, and that is always a good omen.


Location: 320 Broadway St in Audubon (population 2,382), in Western Iowa. Its just about 90 minutes from Des Moines.

Directions: The main drag is Highway 71, turn onto the main street Broadway, this place is on the north side of the road.
The Tenderloin: I walked in here at about 1:55 PM, just before closing time. I think they cook may have rushed this thing through the fryer. The breading on one side wasn't fully cooked and was mushy upon biting. This is one of the thicker tenderloins I have found in Western Iowa. The large bun disguises how large this tenderloin is. Served with your choice of fixings on a buttery toasted bun. Overall 7.0 out of 10.

Price: $4.00 and a little extra to go.

Also on the Menu: They serve a full breakfast menu and the regular sandwiches for lunch.

Service: I came in just before the place closed, but I think its table service.

Ambiance: This is a main street small town diner with tables for seating in a large dining area.

Final thoughts: Highway 71 in Western Iowa passes from Atlantic to Exira, then through Hamlin and north to Audubon and beyond. In about a 25 mile stretch there are great tenderloins at the Farmer's Kitchen in Atlantic, the Red Barn in Exira, Darrell's Place in Hamlin, the Chatterbox Cafe and Uptown Cafe in Audubon. Further north is the Corner Station just outside Templeton. Each place has a great tenderloin, and a visitor really can't go wrong when passing through. While passing through Audubon it is difficult to miss Albert the Bull:

Gateway Market and Cafe in West Des Moines

The Gateway Market is a high-end grocery store with the best selection of rare cheese and wine, and local meat and produce. It has classes and cooking events listed on its website. Its founder, local super-chef George Formaro, recently had two of his restaurants finish in the top three of a local best restaurant poll. His success has brought countless praise from far and wide, getting the offerings from the Gateway Market Cafe mentioned in Esquire and Bon Apetit magazines. In addition to that, he eats tenderloins and serves them at his restaurants. I had to make it to the new location of Gateway Market in West Des Moines to check out his take on this sandwich.

Special note: I ate this at the Gateway Market West location, but right now its only listed on the online menu for the Des Moines location. So if you take the directions, you won't find a tenderloin sandwich when you get there, at least for now.

Location: 520 Market St in West Des Moines, inside the Villages at Ponderosa development.

Directions: Take the Mills Civic Parkway exit from I-35, turn north on 60th St.

Online at: http://gatewaymarket.com/

The Tenderloin: First things first, I usually prefer giant messy and greasy tenderloins to these types of small gourmet sandwiches. I think the Augusta in Oxford did a better job with high-quality ingredients. I hope the breading close-up pictures come through with good resolution, because its finely applied with visible seasonings and no extra grease or chunks falling off. The presentation is about as good as you could ask for, with sliced pickles and shredded lettuce, and bumps the score up a little. Served on a fresh bun from Formaro's South Union Bakery. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $7.95 a la carte.
Also on the Menu: The Gateway Market has a wide selection of high end stuff, freshly prepared Ramen Noodles, BBQ smoked sandwiches, gourmet burgers, and fish tacos. The west location has a pizza oven.

Service: Well groomed servers take your order at the counter and bring your food to your table.

Ambiance: This place is right at home in the affluent and luxurious side of West Des Moines. There are huge windows with a view of a fountain from the dining area.

Final thoughts: My previous entries have been about the typical small town pub and grubs like the Peru Bar and Grill, or Fat Randi's in Van Meter. The Gateway Market is close to a polar opposite of those two places, and its located not too far away. I like to think of the Breaded Pork Tenderloin as the people's sandwich. This upscale form of the sandwich isn't my thing, and I usually get the fish 'n chips when I visit.
Update: It has come to my attention that two of Formaro's restaurants do serve tenderloins. I think he also once gave an interview to the Des Moines Register claiming to frequent tenderloin establishments like George the Chili King and B&B Brocery and Deli. I went ahead and cut and pasted some descriptions from the respective menu pages.

From Centro:
From Django: