Iowa’s Favorite Pork Tenderloins, According to Iowa Road Trip Followers
There are certain food debates in Iowa that people take very seriously.
Pizza? Absolutely. Donuts? Definitely. But pork tenderloins? That might be one of the most Iowa conversations you can have.
I recently asked Iowa Road Trip followers this simple question:
The best pork tenderloin in Iowa is at ______.
The responses came pouring in from all over the state. Some people had one clear favorite. Others gave a full road trip list. A few said “my house,” and honestly, we respect that answer too.
For this list, I counted the restaurant and small-town spots that were mentioned most often by Iowa Road Trip followers. This is not a formal judging contest — it’s a crowd-sourced list from people who know, love, and travel Iowa.
Top 10 Pork Tenderloins in Iowa, According to Iowa Road Trip Followers
- Dairy Sweet — Dunlap
- St. Olaf Tavern/Tap — St. Olaf
- Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe — Prairie City
- Darrell’s Place — Hamlin
- PrairieMoon on Main — Prairieburg
- Foxy’s Chill & Grill — Central City
- Peru Bar & Grill — East Peru
- AJ’s Saloon — Mount Sterling
- Smitty’s Tenderloin Shop — Des Moines
- Tojo’s Bar & Grill — Jamaica
Other Iowa Pork Tenderloin Recommendations
Below is a larger list of highly recommended pork tenderloin locations. As always, hours, menus, ownership, and locations can change, so double-check before making a special trip.
Allamakee County
Spillway Supper Club — Harpers Ferry
Address: 112 N 3rd St, Harpers Ferry, IA 52146
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/SpillwaySupperClub/
Audubon County
Darrell’s Place — Hamlin
Address: 4010 First St, Hamlin, IA 50117
Online Address: https://www.darrellsplaceiowa.com/
Feed Mill Restaurant — Audubon
Address: 2079 Highway 71, Audubon, IA 50025
Online Address: https://www.waspystruckstop.com/the-feed-mill-restaurant/
Black Hawk County
The 1854 — Gilbertville
Address: 1406 5th St, Gilbertville, IA 50634
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/The1854Gilbertville/
Other Place — Waterloo
Address: 360 E Ridgeway Ave, Waterloo, IA 50702
Online Address: https://theotherplace.com/locations/
Boone County
The Lucky Pig — Ogden
Address: 113 W Walnut St, Ogden, IA 50212
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/LuckyPig.Ogden/
Bremer County
Bent’s Smokehouse & Pub — Readlyn
Address: 209 Main St, Readlyn, IA 50668
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/Bents-Smokehouse-Pub-100055548890073/
Buena Vista County
Buffalo Ridge Cafe — Alta
Address: 3 N Main St, Alta, IA 51002
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/Buffalo-Ridge-Cafe-100060215268079/
Carroll County
Brothers on Main — Carroll
Address: 529 N Main St, Carroll, IA
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/brothersonmain/
Cliff’s Place — Manning
Address: 417 Main St, Manning, IA 51455
Online Address: https://cliffsplacemanning.com/
Cerro Gordo County
Other Place — Clear Lake
Address: 200 Highway 18 W, Clear Lake, IA 50428
Online Address: https://theotherplace.com/locations/
Clayton County
St. Olaf Tavern/Tap — St. Olaf
Address: 106 S Main St, St. Olaf, IA 52072
Online Address: https://stolaftavern.com/
Clinton County
Chuckies — DeWitt
Address: Food trailer / verify current location before visiting
Online Address: https://www.chuckiesllc.com/
Stouts Irish Pub — Clinton
Address: 2352 Valley West Ct, Clinton, IA
Online Address: https://stoutsirishpub.com/
Dallas County
Dexfield Diner & Pub — Redfield
Address: Verify current status before visiting
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/DexfieldBlueDevils/
Des Moines County
Buffalo Tavern — Burlington
Address: 2016 S Main St, Burlington, IA 52601
Online Address: https://thebuff.net/
Floyd County
Pub on the Cedar — Charles City
Address: 101 N Jackson St, Charles City, IA 50616
Online Address: https://www.thepubonthecedar.com/
Franklin County
Willie’s — Hampton
Address: 10 1st St NW, Hampton, IA 50441
Online Address: https://www.hamptoniowa.org/connections/81283-willies-restaurant/
Grundy County
The Landmark Bistro — Grundy Center
Address: 725 G Ave, Grundy Center, IA 50638
Online Address: https://thelandmarkbistro.com/
Guthrie County
Tojo’s Bar & Grill — Jamaica
Address: 408 Main St, Jamaica, IA 50128
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/Tojos-Bar-Grille-100057502836796/
Hamilton County
Grid Iron — Webster City
Address: 1121 E 2nd St, Webster City, IA
Online Address: https://gridirongrillia.com/
Hardin County
Firehouse Saloon & Grill — Eldora
Address: 1202 19th St, Eldora, IA
Online Address: https://www.firehousesaloonandgrill.com/
Harrison County
Dairy Sweet — Dunlap
Address: 118 Iowa Ave, Dunlap, IA 51529
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/DunlapIowaDairySweet/
Iowa County
Hometown Cafe — Millersburg
Address: Verify before visiting
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1095952910512440/
Jasper County
Double D’s Bar & Grill — Reasnor
Address: 306 Broad St, Reasnor, IA 50232
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/Double-Ds-BarGrill-Of-Reasnor-61580443498990/
Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe — Prairie City
Address: 304 W 2nd St, Prairie City, IA 50228
Online Address: https://www.goldiesicecreamshoppe.com/
Johnson County
Cracken’s Grill — Iowa City
Address: 2221 Rochester Ave, Iowa City, IA 52245
Online Address: https://crackensgrill.com/
Jones County
Legacy Lanes — Monticello
Address: 901 N Birch St, Monticello, IA 52310
Online Address: https://legacylanesiowa.com/
The Grove Bar & Grill — Scotch Grove
Address: Verify before visiting
Online Address: https://thegrovebarandgrill.com/
Kossuth County
The HandleBar — LuVerne
Address: 15 Dewitt St, Lu Verne, IA
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-HandleBar-and-Restaurant-100063772710802/
Linn County
Blind Pig — Cedar Rapids
Address: 3325 Center Point Rd NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Online Address: https://blindpigcr.com/
Foxy’s Chill & Grill — Central City
Address: 347 E Main St, Central City, IA 52214
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/FoxysChillnGrill/
Kula’s It’s Just Sauce — Walker
Address: 114 E Greene St, Walker, IA 52352
Online Address: https://kulasitsjustsauce.com/
PrairieMoon on Main — Prairieburg
Address: 103 E Main St, Prairieburg, IA 52219
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/PrairieMoonOnMain/
Sally’s — Springville
Address: 263 Broadway, Springville, IA 52336
Online Address: https://sallysonbroadway.net/
Madison County
Peru Bar & Grill — East Peru
Address: 113 Brown St, Peru, IA 50222
Online Address: https://www.exploremadisoncounty.com/dine_drink/peru_bar_grill/
Palo Alto County
Silver Lake Bar & Grill — Ayrshire
Address: 1501 Silver Lake Ave, Ayrshire, IA 50515
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/Silver-Lake-Bar-Grill-100064654075338/
Polk County
B&B Grocery Meat & Deli — Des Moines
Address: 2001 SE 6th St, Des Moines, IA 50315
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/KillerDeli/
Brick Street Cafe/Pub — Bondurant
Address: 1102 Washington St, Bondurant, IA
Online Address: https://thebrickstreetcafe.com/
Kelly’s Little Nipper — Des Moines
Address: 1701 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50316
Online Address: https://www.kellyslittlenipper.com/
Machine Shed — Urbandale
Address: 11151 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322
Online Address: https://machineshed.com/urbandale/
Smitty’s Tenderloin Shop — Des Moines
Address: 1401 Army Post Rd, Des Moines, IA 50315
Online Address: https://smittystenderloinshop.com/
Pottawattamie County
Home Team Cookout — Council Bluffs
Address: 3150 24th Ave, Council Bluffs, IA
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/Home-Team-Cookout-100075982968526/
LPL’s Restaurant & Pub — Council Bluffs
Address: 1707 Harry Langdon Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/LPLs-Restaurant-Pub-100063588009736/
Sugars Lounge & Diner — Council Bluffs
Address: 2725 E Kanesville Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/Sugars-Lounge-and-Diner-100063808472410/
Scott County
Stouts Irish Pub — Bettendorf
Address: Verify exact location before visiting
Online Address: https://www.stoutsirishpubbettendorf.com/
Story County
Dublin Bay — Ames
Address: 320 S 16th St, Ames, IA
Online Address: https://dublinbayames.com/
Tama County
Murph’s Creamery & Grill — Toledo
Address: 105 US-30, Toledo, IA 52342
Online Address: https://murphscreamerygrill0015.s4shops.com/
Van Buren County
AJ’s Saloon — Mount Sterling
Address: 101 Elm St, Mount Sterling, IA 52573
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/ajssaloon/
Wapello County
Chommy’s — Eldon
Address: 115 4th St, Eldon, IA 52554
Online Address: https://www.chommys.com/
Webster County
Stumpy’s Bar & Grill — Duncombe
Address: 423 Main St, Duncombe, IA 50532
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/stumpysbarandgrill/
Woodbury County
Walker’s of Salix — Salix
Address: Verify before visiting
Online Address: https://www.facebook.com/p/Walkers-of-Salix-100056302975936/
Final Thoughts
One of the best things about asking Iowans for food recommendations is that the answers almost always turn into a road trip list.
Some of these places are longtime tenderloin legends. Others are small-town stops that locals clearly love. And a few are the kind of places you might not find unless someone specifically tells you, “You have to try this.”
So the next time you’re crossing Iowa and looking for a classic pork tenderloin, this list is a pretty good place to start.
And if your favorite didn’t make the list, that probably just means we need to keep eating.
