Iowa Tenderloin Trail

[LSGiant]

Just when you thought you had every T-shirt you ever needed.

https://www.iowapork.org/tenderloin-trail/

[Cruzin]

I bet Frump has already finished this challenge a few times

[Frump]

I've been to a few of those. #7 is my favorite. If you go to #2, go hungry and order the "Pork Tenderloin Royal", and maybe bring a couple friends to help you eat it. In Elk Horn #12 is supposed to the be the gold standard of Iowa Pork Tenderloins, but the half dozen times I have stopped there they were not open (the owner's apparently just open when they want to - they are old). Darrell's Place in Hamlin, IA and the Red Barn in Exira's Cheese Hog and Heifer are also very good. The Red Barn isn't s pretty place, but there is a certain level of anticipation after a lady with the thick German accent takes your order and goes to back, and the next thing you hear is someone hammering away on a piece of pork.

Look at top 5 finishers the last few years - https://www.iowapork.org/wp-content/uplo...s-List.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_tenderloin_sandwich

There were a lot of good places along the Mississippi River too. Some of the ethnic Bohemian and Belgium bars in Davenport and Moline are pretty good too.

[LSGiant]

One of the ADVrider guys has asked them to make stickers as well as T-shirts. She said they would work on it. One is only and hour or so from the Bonzai so I think we will begin the quest.

[Lapchik]

#7 is a must!

[Sleddog]

I think the only one, on the list, I've been to is #7....it was pretty darn good!

[Frump]

Last night a group of us rode a round about loop over to to Dunlap. The owner of the Dairy Sweet asked us to vote for the Dairy Sweet on the 10Best website for the best Iowa Tenderloin - https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/bes...n-in-iowa/



(Upper left corner is missing because I started tearing into it before I remembered to stop and take a photo.)

[Frump]

Picked up 2 more this weekend. So far Dairy Sweet is still my favorite, but Breitbach's is a close second. Big Jim and Original Randy liked Belmond best.

#14 Belmond Drive-In Tenderloin. The owner asked if her's was best, I had to tell her the truth... it was good, but I liked somone's better.


#5 Breitbach's Tenderloin, Balltown, IA. Waitress said they pound these out with their fists with plastic gloves on, no hammers or pounding machine used.

[theemightyorbit]

Food for thought...

1) Best breaded pork tenderloin contest winners, all the way back to 2003...

https://www.iowapork.org/filesimages/Ten...20List.pdf

I've had the 'Big One' in St. Olaf. It was pretty darned good.

2) The Tenderloin Trail thing has a v2.

It started last October.

https://www.iowapork.org/community/conte...loin-trail

[Lapchik]

Jones County Local in Anamosa is my favorite. I don't think they ever won. It was a destination while the motorcycle museum was open, but it [museum] closed in September 2023. There's a lot of Grant Wood stuff out that way also, and some short caves and hikes to explore in Wapsipinicon park right on the edge of town.