The Best Breaded Tenderloin in Iowa Is…

I love breaded tenderloins but have been having some major problems with the way the ones I've been ordering lately have been cooked or haven't been. It may be time to take a road trip to try what's been voted the best tenderloin in Iowa.

Twice in the last several weeks, I've ordered tenderloins at Eastern Iowa restaurants. It should be noted that neither restaurant is in the immediate area of Cedar Rapids or Iowa City. The first time, the restaurant was closing for an afternoon break for its workers soon thereafter. Still, no excuse for how horribly undercooked the sandwich was. I tried only a few bites and decided to take it home for further cooking. It happened to me again Saturday in a different location. This time, I ate a circle around the exterior of the sandwich and left the center behind. I was going to get a takeout box and cook it further at a later time. However, when the waitress saw the leftover's on my plate she exclaimed, "That's unacceptable." I hadn't said a word, nor had anyone else at the table. Away she went with the plate, and my entire portion of the meal was removed from the bill. These two recent experiences have me wondering if I should ever order a tenderloin again and that is not a place I want to go. I LOVE breaded pork tenderloins.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association sponsored a Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin contest and the winning restaurant is the Belmond Drive-In in Belmond, Iowa. The restaurant cooks only 20 to 30 pork tenderloins a day, but I have a feeling that number is about to go up. They serve tenderloins made from hogs raised in the local area that are hand-cut, tenderized, and breaded.

Here're the top five restaurants in the contest:

• #5: The Office in Lenox
• #4: Peru Bar & Grill in Peru
• #3: Recovery Room in Ottumwa
• #2: Three C's Diner in Corning
• #1: Belmond Drive-In in Belmond

Now I love tenderloins, but I'm certainly not going to drive 140 miles to Belmond to get one. Frankly, all five of these locations are too far away to drive to on a tenderloin whim. The closest is Ottumwa, some 104 miles from Cedar Rapids. So, when you absolutely positively have to have a tenderloin, what's your go-to spot?

[via WHO TV]