Claxons Smokehouse in Altoona, Iowa

8th St in Altoona used to be a classic restaurant comparison street with two places serving the same kind of food. Altoona was once divided between Kin Folks patrons on one side, and Claxon's patrons on the other. Time has passed and Kin Folks is no more, and Claxon's has built itself a new building while 8th street has slowly filled with more chain restaurants in between the strip malls.

Location: 3131 8th St SW in Altoona, Eastern Suburbs of Des Moines, Central Iowa.

Directions: You take Hubbell Ave out of Des Moines and turn right at some intersection just beyond city limits to reach 8th St in Altoona.

Online At: Facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: This sandwich and the plate it came on were really heavy, like cargo crane worthy between the huge fries and the sandwich. The problem with the meat was that it had been cut into a large portion but hadn't been tenderized or pounded out to soften the inside. Biting into this was tough and chewy compared to nearly every other tenderloin out there. Served on a giant flour-dusted bun that may be better suited to large amounts of smoked meats and dripping bbq sauce. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: Its $9.99 with one side, but the menu said another side was just $2.00 more for a total of $11.99 and then I couldn't help myself from trying two sides after reading that. Funny how that works.


Also on the menu: The menu is big and based on smoked meats first with other options added to round it out for other tastes. The ribs were listed as one of the 100 Things to Eat in Iowa Before You Die by the Des Moines register back in 2006. I was impressed by the slightly misnamed "Fried Corn" side dish. It was corn, but not fried. It had brisket bits that were deeply softened from hours of cooking. A lot of BBQ places in Iowa get away with stiff brisket but this was deeply soft in texture:

"Fried Corn"

Service: I came in on the off hours and just ate at the bar and was attended to with no delay.

Ambiance: This is not Claxon's first building, although I never made it to the old one. This space has high vaulted ceilings and is split between a dining area with tables and booths and wide windows, and bar area covered in sports and beer signs.

Final Thoughts: I was optimistic about my visit to Claxon's but the sandwich only reminded me that tenderizing is an important part of making tenderloins and tenderness is key to their enjoyment. I will probably return to try the ribs or other bbq items soon.

Darrell's Place in Hamlin, Iowa

Darrell's Place is an aluminum siding building with a gravel driveway parking lot and a giant antenna on the roof. Its at the "busy" intersection of highways 44 and 71 in Western Iowa, in a town with less than 300 people. The autobiographical stories on the walls tell of a farmer from near Exira who decided to open this restaurant back in the eighties, and its word of mouth reputation slowly spread throughout the small burgs of Western Iowa.

Location: 4010 First St in Hamlin, Audubon County in Western Iowa.

Directions: Take the Highway 71 exit from I-80 and drive north through Brayton and Exira and find Darrell's place in Hamlin at the intersection with Highway 44.

Online at: facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: The cutting and trim job on the pork loin meat is meticulous and yields a smaller size piece of meat with a juicy and chewy texture. The sandwich feels like six ounces, much smaller than the jumbo loins sold elsewhere. The tenderizing is very consistent so there are no thin drys spots or tougher thick parts. Breading is a super fine and super thin layer of golden yellow with just a touch of seasoning that keeps the steam inside from escaping. Served with pickles and onions on an a small untoasted bun. Overall 9.3 out of ten.

Price: It was $4.25 a la carte the last time I stopped in.

Also on the menu: The menu is big with fried appetizers, sandwiches, burgers and other entrees. But seriously, why bother with anything other than the tenderloin and dessert. I went with the Butterscotch pie picked out from the Pie Board and appreciated the creamy and sweet filling:

Butterscotch Pie

Service: This is a seat yourself table service restaurant, and a couple waitresses are spread throughout the dining area. The small town place gets busy and the food isn't fast, so be prepared for a little wait.

Ambiance: The walls are wood panels covered with everything from t-shirts to newpaper articles about the IPPA award to posters from the local high school sports teams. The seating includes a bar area and tables for groups.

Final Thoughts: The story of Darrell's Place is also the story of the IPPA Best Tenderloin in Iowa Award. The 2003 award was the first one given out, and the IPPA even published a list of places nominated for the award before giving out the top five. That list was the first real guide to finding breaded tenderloin sandwiches, and the IPPA contest with its exposure on rural AM radio still reaches the small town diners more than any modern internet search, newspaper articles, or restaurant review websites like yelp or urbanspoon. I have to wonder if Darrell's Place was the reason they started the award in the first place.

Duncan's Cafe in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Duncan's cafe has been serving up breakfast and diner food in downtown Council Bluffs for a long time. I get the idea that Duncan's sells a lot of tenderloins, some other people were eating them as I walked through the dining area.

Location: 501 S. Main St. in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County in Western Iowa.

Directions: The cafe is at the corner of 5th and Main St. in the old downtown area. You have to enter a hallway area to reach Duncan's.

The Tenderloin: The size was good, this thing dominated the multicolored plate with potato chips. The meat portion would be described as steamy but not moist and definitely not juicy. The breading felt dusty but had a distinct salty seasoning blend. Served on a large toasted bun that felt like the Rotella buns that come from Omaha. Those are good buns. Overall 7.1 out of ten.

Price: 7.00 with fixins and a side of ruffled potato chips.

Also on the menu: The menu is just regular diner food like chicken fried steak or daily specials, with full breakfast options served on big skillets.

Service: Its just table service with a counter for paying the bill and grabbing to-go orders.

Ambiance: The outside of the building is a historic main street facade, but the interior is unsophisticated small town diner with tables and booths and bright colored plates. I almost expected the plates to start beeping and lighting up.The exposed brick walls are covered with just plain random and weird pictures.

Final Thoughts: I have not exactly spent much time in Council Bluffs over the years. I read a local article a long time ago that pointed me towards the Railway Inn and LPL Lounge. I still haven't found a real good one any closer than the Dairy Sweet in Dunlap. My next stop might be a roadhouse in Beebeetown if I can find the time to drive through during the day.

 

Big City Burgers & Greens in Des Moines, Iowa

One of the biggest restaurant trends of the last decade was the proliferation of high end and upscale burger places across the country. It used to be difficult just to find a burger topped with bleu cheese in Iowa, now its on practically every menu. If anything, its difficult to find a good "regular" burger that isn't topped with something exotic or given a goofy name or served in a themed restaurant. I knew BCBG had the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich as a daily special from time to time since they opened. I just happened to notice it on the regular menu on a recent trip to downtown Des Moines.

Location: inside the Capital Square building at 400 Locust St in Downtown Des Moines.

Directions: This is in the southwest corner of the ground floor of the Capital Square Building, accessible from the skywalk.


Online at: website is HERE.

The Tenderloin: First things first, the size of the pork loin meat for the amount they are asking for is a great value. Its hard to find a decent homemade tenderloin downtown for any price. The loin meat is well tenderized and the coating of cracker textured breading has a great crunch. The menu's claim of "fresh ingredients" is not just promotional fluff. The lettuce and tomato are noticeable crisper and fresher than any other place serving tenderloins. The pickles were thick and juicy if that's your thing. But that brings me to another part of this sandwich. Its served "chopped", cut in halt. Why would someone take something that is beautiful and cut it in half? Even with a side of potatoes the presentation of the cut sandwich left so much empty space on the plate. Another problem was the "addition" of the side of honey mustard aioli sauce, this just seemed like a portion of salad dressing. I was under the impression that a confident chef would always serve his food the way he wanted people to eat it. Putting sauce on the side looks indecisive and pointless. At least the "honey mustard aioli" is served in a biodegradable container so after its thrown out it will vanish from the earth with less of a footprint. There are already two different mustard bottles at each table, why add this extra condiment when it isn't any better than the classic mustard described simply as "yellow". Served on a soft and warm toasted potato bun. Overall 7.7 out of ten.

Price: $5.50 a la carte.

Also on the menu: Burgers and Greens name refers to a menu which is mostly burgers and salads. They have unique daily specials and a huge selection of toppings for whatever you order.

Big City Burger

The Big City Burger: I ordered mine in the double size with white cheddar cheese and fried prosciutto. The prosciutto was under the fixins and was crumbled into tiny pieces. The melt job on the cheese was just right. The ground beef was in some thick round patties and cooked a little past medium well. This is a tasty burger.

Big City Fries

The Big City Fries are tossed with olive oil, asiago, and parsley for $3.75

Cheesy Potatoes

 Another side option is the Cheesy Potatoes, with little pieces of fried proscuitto mixed in with seasonings and Swiss cheese. I like the thick chunky potatoes and the cheese was melted with garlic.

This could have been something beautiful.

Service: There is a long counter with an area where you can see the salads being made. They have some high tech system where you take a card and stick it into a machine that tells them where you are sitting and they bring the food to your table. Like most lunch places attached to the skywalk, BCBG has short hours and is only open for lunch on weekdays.

Modern design with green and white color scheme

Ambiance: You have a great modern design with a green and white color scheme and three seating areas, inside and outside. They have another dining area for private parties or catered events. This is the nicest place in the thoroughly drab, terrible designed, utterly awful example of bad architecture known as the Capital Square building.

Its all chopped up.

Final Thoughts: BCBG is operated by some of the most professional restaurant people in Des Moines, and it shows. Lines move fast, food gets out quickly, the design is modern and bright. The toppings for the burgers are clearly fresher and higher quality than nearly any other place I have visited. Long before BCBG occupied this location, there was lunchtime pizza place that also served a tenderloin. I can't remember the name but I never made it in there before it closed. The location above BCBG was home to Stella's Blue Sky Diner, which did great business for a long time before moving to Urbandale and then closing a few years ago.

Apron Strings in Mediapolis, Iowa

I think the Burlington Hawkeye newspaper had a local poll for the best tenderloin in Southeast Iowa a while back. The Apron Strings was one of the nominees, and Mediapolis is conveniently located on the road north from Burlington. Get here early for the breakfast and lunch specials, because Apron Strings closes at two in the afternoon.


Location: 608 Main St in Mediapolis in Des Moines County, Southeast Iowa..

Directions: This is just off Highway 61 on the main drag through Mediapolis, just north of Burlington.

The Tenderloin: I liked the soft homemade bun this was served in. Buns don't have to be toasted if they are soft yet firm enough to hold up the sandwich. This tenderloin had a good eight ounces of well trimmed pork loin. The meat was well trimmed and bright white inside. Overall 8.4 out of ten.


Price: $4.95


Also on the menu: There is a full breakfast service along with "noon specials" for lunch. I think they claimed to have homemade cole slaw for a side.

Service: There are two dining areas with table service as well as a counter area. I grabbed my loin to go and paid at the counter.

Ambiance: This place has a very rustic atmosphere with tiny tables and booths. Wood paneled walls with aprons set the tone.


Final Thoughts: I love pulling up to small town diners with vintage soda logo signs and superlative claims of culinary excellence. Be sure to check out my list of other tenderloin places along old Highway 61 on the list I've compiled HERE.

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.

Postscript: Suburban Restaurant in Gilbert, Iowa

The Suburban Cafe had been serving up homemade American comfort food for fifty years now. Its a significant milestone that few places reach, and few communities can claim a place like this one. The facebook page announced a closing on October 31, and KCCI reported a closing date of Novermber 16th soon after. Visiting the restaurant in its last week meant being greeted with a placemat with this message:

Location: 17029 Highway 69 North in Gilbert, just north of Ames in Central Iowa.

Directions: You can take Grand Ave. north from the mall in Ames, and come from Highway 69 to Gilbert Corner just outside Gilbert.

Online at: Looks like their website is down, but their Facebook page is HERE for now.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

The Grilled Tenderloin: This is the winner of the 2004 IPPA Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Contest, the only year where the contest was about grilled tenderloins. This had a great light brown color from the grill and just a pinch of seasoning on the surface. The fat wasn't completely trimmed on mine, but the tenderizing had mad a nice chewy texture. Served on a toasted bun with all the fixins.

Breaded Pork Tenderloin

The Breaded Tenderloin: What set this breaded tenderloin apart was the layer upon layer of crunchy textured breading. The pork loin meat was always bright white on the inside, cut and trimmed well but not especially juicy.

Tenderloin Melt

The Tenderloin Melt: This was served in toasted white bread with grilled onions and melted cheese. I've had melted sandwiches with breaded pork tenderloins in a couple places and I don't think it adds much to the product.

Price: $8.50 for the grilled loin, and $9.50 for the breaded loin each with a side.

Pie Board

Also on the Menu: The specialty is fried chicken, but there are daily specials like hot beef sandwiches or chicken fried steak. The homemade desserts are listed on a Pie Board by the door, including triple layer cakes, brownies and cream pies. I was able to grab a slice of the Peach Pie topped with whipped cream on my last visit:  

Peach Pie

Service: Its table service with attentive staff and a counter to pay next to the front door.

Ambiance: The building is an classic roadside cafe. The old lights and unique fixtures add to the atmosphere and family photos cover the walls along with antiques and news articles. The wide window view of the highway and cornfields was obscured be a neon Budweiser sign. There are tables for seating and it gets crowded in the middle of the day.

Final Thoughts: I have to admit I was a little slow in getting around to writing about Suburban Restaurant. I always seemed to be driving past in the late afternoon when the restaurant was closed. The midday sun always cast some awkward shadows that made the exterior pictures look bad. I just didn't get it together until the place had already announced they were closing. Places like this never actually get replaced and they never last forever anyway. Ames has been a consistently tough place for me to find what I am looking for, but I hope to have something new to blog about from Ames soon enough.

Its all over.