Vinny's BBQ in Dakota City, Iowa

Pulling Pork Since 2005

Vinny's BBQ in Dakota City has been on my radar since the IPPA named it the first runner-up in their 2012 Best Tenderloin in Iowa contest. The people behind Vinny's BBQ also built the "World's Largest Pork Burger" at the 2012 World Pork Expo in Des Moines. There is a video on youtube of the burger being unveiled from a large cooking pot.

Location: 507 Main St in Dakota City, Humboldt County in Northern Iowa.

Directions: Its right up the road from Rustix in Humboldt, which recently switched to being a reception hall instead of a restaurant.

Online at: Facebok page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: First things first this wasn't especially big or huge and the bun wasn't toasted well. So appearances were not impressive. What really sets this tenderloin apart isn't just the amount of juice, but the flavor in the juice. Any kind of seasoning or marinade must have been tuned to get this to taste "swiney", the unmistakable essence of pork flavor. I don't know how they do it, but the juice tastes more like pork than other tenderloins out there.Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: 5.79 with a side of fries.

Also on the menu: The BBQ section includes smoked meats and ribs, and the sandwiches include a Pork Burger and Pork Chop sandwich.

Smoked Pork Chop, Pork Burger, Pork Tenderloin, I guess they like pork.

Service: There is table or counter service, but I think you always pay at the counter.

Ambiance: This is a Main St. brick building, and it looks like the original counter and booth area has been expanded to include two more table seating areas. The walls are covered with John Deere tractor stuff, kids drawings, and BBQ competition awards.

Final Thoughts: This is a great option for people traveling through now that Rustix has switched to a reception venue.I may have to stop back for the other pork options, because it seems clear these people are passionate about pork.

Its a Pickup Truck crowd.

Smitty's in Des Moines, Iowa

CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, pause for water, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH. This is the sound of eating the King Tenderloin at Smitty's in Des Moines. Smitty's has been featured in Grourmet Magazine, early editions of the Roadfood Book, and KCCI's Cruising for Comfort Food segment. The periodic national exposure means Smitty's is the first place people think of when getting a breaded pork tenderloin in Des Moines.

Location: 1401 Army Post Road on the South Side of Des Moines.

Directions: Its a few blocks from the Airport. The old location was taken out when the runway was expanded years ago.

Online At: Website is HERE.

The King Tenderloin at Smitty's

The Original King Tenderloin: The first thing that gets people here is the size. This is a true half pound or more of tenderized pork loin. It gets pounded out into an extra wide shape that makes the sandwich seem even larger. The breading is a thick layer on either side that has a texture of cracker crumbs on top of cracker crumbs. Biting releases a shattering sensation that sends crumbs spreading in every direction. The thing about the breading is that it is all crunch, little seasoning if any to be tasted beyond a sprinkling of salt after cooking. The King Tenderloin is more about subtle flavor of the pork loin and cracker breading than anything else. I think I saw the fryer set to 325° and the large size of the loin makes for considerable cooking time. The pork meat inside is more steamy and hot than juicy, but very hot when it arrives in front of you. It gets pointed out that Smitty's cooks their tenderloins from the freezer, but a lot of places do this. Tenderloins are made earlier and pulled out to fry when a customer orders one. Judging by the archive newspaper articles on the wall, this has been done for some time. In theory they could run out of tenderloins late in the day with no means of making more. In practice there is a giant freezer with a gigantic stack of King Tenderloins and even more in the storage area. Tenderloins are served on an untoasted bun with basic fixings. Overall 8.0 out of ten.

Price: $7.25 for the large.

Also on the Menu: Diner grill classics like burgers, loosemeat burgers, fries, and shakes. In addition to the King Tenderloin, there are some other tenderloins with small additions like the Veggie Loin or Chili Cheese Loin. The simple flavors are found throughout the menu.

Taco Loin

The Taco Loin has the King Tenderloin topped with chili, cheese, the usual vegetables and a good amount of taco sauce.

Taco Loin inside view

Jack Burger

The only recent menu addition I can remember seems to the the Jack Burger. The description included onion rings and a special "Jack Sauce" that was lightly spicy. I have tried the burgers here once or twice and didn't think they were anything special.

Jack Burger inside

Its hard to pass up the tried and true side dish of Chili Cheese Fries. Accordion cut fries with the usual fast food chili and cheese mixture served with a fork. These came in a basket for $3.50

Chili Cheese Fries

The only side dish with the word homemade in the description is the Homemade Onion Rings.

Homemade Onion Rings

Service: Its table or counter service, not very complicated. A good portion of the customers are visitors from out of town taking photos of the tenderloin, and the waitress offered to hold up the sandwich for me while I was in.

Home of the REAL Whopper! claim is repeated often.

Ambiance: The building has its own charm as a piece of old roadside architecture from decades past. The ceiling is tilted down towards the back like many of these older roadside places. The decorations inside and out make it clear that this is the temple of tenderloins, with the signature sandwich represented over and over again.

I've never called the phone number.

Final Thoughts: A huge amount of the exposure comes from the proximity to the airport where out of towners arrive. People stop in on their way out of town to pick these things up before leaving Iowa. Another element is that people from the South Side seem to think anything from the South Side of Des Moines is the greatest thing on earth. The 'Loin is big and crunchy, also a great value. The facade and interior of the place maintain a classic roadside look that shows the owners care about and take pride in what they are doing.

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 Other Place in Clear Lake, Iowa

The Other Place is one of the most successful restaurant chains ever conceived in Iowa. The initial locations in the Cedar Falls and Waterloo opened in the seventies, then Mason City and Clear Lake in the eighties. Finally expanding to Kansas City and later Central Iowa in the past decade. The locations have stayed in business for decades, and the older ones look more like old pizza parlors from the outside. The Other Place in Clear Lake also suffered a grease fire in its kitchen in January but reopened just three weeks later.

Location: 200 Highway 18 West in Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County in Northern Iowa.

Directions: Its just a mile off I-35 taking the Highway 18 exit through Clear Lake. Its hard to miss the gigantic building.

Online at: website for the chain  with locations and menus is HERE.

The Tenderloin: Taking the bun off the top reveals some marks that look like this was in storage for a while. The breading was more of a fine layer than anything crunchy, once again little seasoning save some visible black pepper flakes. The meat had been tenderized thoroughly and pounded into a large triangle shape. This is one of the better chain restaurant tenderloins out there, and clearly hand breaded. Served on a gigantic bun with more than enough vegetables on the side. Overall 7.5 out of ten.

Price: $8.75 with a side, but its a special on Thursdays for $7.45

Also on the menu: Like most chain sports bars the menu is huge with lots of stuff they might not be particularly good at making. There are soups and baked sandwiches, wings, fried appetizers, pastas, and their pizza is overloaded with cheese and toppings. The Mexican section even includes the "Biggest Burrito in Town", is that a realistic claim in Storm Lake, Iowa?

The sides available include homemade chips that were good salty crunchy things that paired well with ketchup:

Service: I was in during the off hours in the middle of the day, no wait for a table and nothing to complain about.

Ambiance: This is a very modern and new sports bar with a gigantic dining area and at least twenty televisions tuned into sports. There is a bar area, takeout counter, and outside patio space for special events and barbecues. The whole place is just huge.

Final Thoughts: The Clear Lake and Mason City area has a lot of choices for dining. While The Other Place isn't the best its still a good choice for groups or families who need a large menu and tons of televisions. Just across the street is the honorary Buddy Holly Place and the lake isn't far away.

Community Tap & Pizza Ft. Dodge, Iowa

The word "Local Legend" could be used to describe Community Tap and Pizza in Ft. Dodge. Its the place everyone from Ft. Dodge points visitors to, and it has the space to fit the whole town inside. I get the idea its held this position in town for a long time. The entryway near the takeout counter shows no shortage of "Best Of Ft Dodge" awards from the local newspaper.

Location: 2026 5th Ave South in Ft. Dodge, Iowa a little over an hour north of Des Moines

Directions: 5th Ave. S is the Highway 20 Business Route and the main East-West drag through Fort Dodge. Community Tap & Pizza is just south and west of the city center.
 
Online at: Facebook page is HERE.

The Tenderloin: Breading had the usual cracker crunch on the outside, only the barest trace of any seasoning. The pork was a little on the thin side for my tastes yet kept some good chewy softness. Served on a big fresh buttered and toasted bun. Overall 7.0 out of ten.

Price: $5.50

Also on the menu: They deliver pizza and there are other sandwiches to choose from.

Service: There is a take out counter along with separate bar service and table service areas.

Ambiance: This is a small town dive bar pizza place, but its a gigantic one. Dining areas include a bar area, takeout entrance, back entrance, and an outdoor patio area in the summer.

Final Thoughts: Ft. Dodge is a town with no shortage of places with 3 letter words in the name. Its like every single building has letters arranged into BAR, PUB, and TAP. I think my next stop in this area will be Antler's Pub in Clare, recently runner up in the annual IPPA contest.

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.

Town And Country Cafe in Madrid, Iowa

I had known about this tiny cafe on Main St. in Madrid for years but hadn't made it in during business hours until recently. Nothing compares to the wide boulevards and historic architecture of the European capital cities and their eponymous Iowa small town counterparts. The Town and Country Cafe closes at two and does not accept credit cards, so don't show up in the afternoon without cash and expect to find anything.

Location: 213 W 2nd St  in Madrid, Boone County in Central Iowa.

Directions: 2nd St is the old business district just off the main drag through town.

The Tenderloin: This was a big oval of pork meat between a bun. The cut of pork loin was thin with just a minimum of juiciness. The breading had some good crunch, but this didn't take away from parts being just too thin. Served with your choice of fixings on an untoasted bun. Overall 7.1 out of ten.

Price: $4.50 for lunch with a side of ruffled potato chips.

Also on the menu: The menu is simple, with basic sandwiches for lunch and breakfast in the mornings. The Saturday special is homemade Biscuits & Gravy, other daily specials are available for lunch. The place had run out of pies when I stopped in at about 1:30 in the afternoon.

Service: There were four old ladies running the show and they seemed to recognize every person in the room by name.

Ambiance: There is an old counter and some booths for seating. This is a no frills place with pictures of the High Trestle bridge and drawings of Gingerbread Men on the walls.

Final Thoughts: The Saturday morning special of Biscuits and gravy might be a good reason to make it back here. I am slowly getting around to writiing up the places I've stopped at while driving down Highway 210 just north and west of Des Moines. I was at Cole's Ice Cream in the Fall, and I will stop at Lou's Diner in Woodward next.