Pork Tenderloins

Lindy Gertie's in Morris, Illinois has hand-made (in house), monster 'loins. A little thinner than some, but with an excellent breading and big as a pizza. $8 gets you one with fries, a pop and a cup of their famous chili. Mile-marker 112 on I-80 about 17 miles west of I-55. You won't be disappointed.

I was watching the promo for the new season of United States of Bacon, it looks like the host is eating The Jethro, at Jethro's in Des Moines. Its a tenderloin topped with pulled pork, ham, and bacon. There is a promotional photo with the host standing next to a giant uncut pork loin at The Machine Shed also.

Went to Brown County, IN this weekend.  I specifically avoided the Abe Martin Lodge's version of the BPT, having previously had it and didn't much care for it.  This time we stopped in at Gnaw Bone.  It was super thick, juicy, tender and for only 7 bucks.  My wife declares it the best tenderloin she's ever eaten.  She got the jr. for $4.  Mine was good, a bit lean on the toppings, no toasted bun, no tomato, served with homemade chips which I generally don't care for.  Sorry no pics.  IMO a very good BPT to get if you're in the area, a Top 10 for certain, but not a Top 5 on my list.
 

We will be heading out soon for Texas in our RV. I have two tenderloins in sight in Texas and will also be going through Iowa and Missouri on the way down and back. One restaurant is right on the Rio Grande River and border.

Davydd


We will be heading out soon for Texas in our RV. I have two tenderloins in sight in Texas and will also be going through Iowa and Missouri on the way down and back. One restaurant is right on the Rio Grande River and border.

 
DavyDD:  Sounds like a great trip.  I spent quite a bit of time in SW Texas on the border towns.  Which restaurant on the river and border?
 
Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

Paul,
The Riverside Club in Mission, Texas. I've known about it for years but have never gotten down there. Some RVers we met in Talkeetna, Alaska who write a blog on their travels posted a picture of their tenderloin on my Facebook page.
 
We plan to kind of bum around for a couple of months in Texas and maybe even go over to Arizona and New Mexico. We'll start out at South Padre Island to meet some friends staying in a condo there and then travel about and come back to South Padre Island in April for a Class B camper van social with several people we've met from around the country. We'll get back home around May 1, regroup and then head for the Indy 500. Busy spring in the RV.
 
So besides Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana will be part of the spring tenderloin tour. Then later this summer we have a tenderloin in sight in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Davydd,
 
Christy's Tasty Queen, in Kansas City, KS, is a reasonable detour off of I-35, and one worth making.
 
I highly, highly, HIGHLY (that's three "highlys", four if you count that last one) recommend a stop there on your journey.  I was introduced to Christy's by my BIL a couple of years ago.  Since then we have made it a point to stop there on every one of our subsequent KC visits.
 
Christy's serves a brilliant BPT!  Immense in area, but still thick enough to hold in all its juices and remain tender.  On my last visit, I tried folding the BPT in half in the bun in order to make it more manageable.  Indeed, it mostly managed to fit inside the bun, but then, getting my mouth open wide enough to accommodate the sudden height of the sandwich became an issue.  It was a good problem to have.
 
There is one potential drawback at Christy's: They have no indoor eating area.  If Kansas City were having a milder winter, I'd say sit at one of the picnic tables outside (We did that on our first visit when temps were in the 40s and 50s and there wasn't a flake of snow to be found), but I think you might be overwhelmed by this season's snow and cold.  Christy's BPT is so good though, it is worth eating in your car and risking a glob of your preferred condiment hitting your shirt.
 
BTW, Christy's normal BPT condiment compliment is mayo, lettuce, and pickles.  Last time I was there, I asked for them to make one up like a Hamburger; ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onion, and found that to be more to my liking.
 
Have a great trip!
 
Buddy
 
Christy's Tasty Queen
1405 S. 55th St., Kansas City, KS 66106
(913) 287-2800

you won;t be sitting outside anytime sone. another 15inches of snow coming our way.

kennyb


you won;t be sitting outside anytime sone. another 15inches of snow coming our way.

You can keep that AWFUL four letter word, we will stick to our 2+ inches of RAIN!

Davydd


Paul,
The Riverside Club in Mission, Texas. I've known about it for years but have never gotten down there. Some RVers we met in Talkeetna, Alaska who write a blog on their travels posted a picture of their tenderloin on my Facebook page.

We plan to kind of bum around for a couple of months in Texas and maybe even go over to Arizona and New Mexico. We'll start out at South Padre Island to meet some friends staying in a condo there and then travel about and come back to South Padre Island in April for a Class B camper van social with several people we've met from around the country. We'll get back home around May 1, regroup and then head for the Indy 500. Busy spring in the RV.

So besides Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana will be part of the spring tenderloin tour. Then later this summer we have a tenderloin in sight in Hagerstown, Maryland.

 
DavyDD:  I have been through Mission several times.  A very fertile part of TX particular south of the border.  Whole lot of produce raised in that part of the country.  Unlike the rest of TX, apparntly they get a lot of precip.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Davydd


Paul,
The Riverside Club in Mission, Texas. I've known about it for years but have never gotten down there. Some RVers we met in Talkeetna, Alaska who write a blog on their travels posted a picture of their tenderloin on my Facebook page.

We plan to kind of bum around for a couple of months in Texas and maybe even go over to Arizona and New Mexico. We'll start out at South Padre Island to meet some friends staying in a condo there and then travel about and come back to South Padre Island in April for a Class B camper van social with several people we've met from around the country. We'll get back home around May 1, regroup and then head for the Indy 500. Busy spring in the RV.

So besides Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana will be part of the spring tenderloin tour. Then later this summer we have a tenderloin in sight in Hagerstown, Maryland.

 
DavyDD:  I have been through Mission several times.  A very fertile part of TX particular south of the border.  Whole lot of produce raised in that part of the country.  Unlike the rest of TX, apparntly they get a lot of precip.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

BuddyRoadhouse


Davydd,

Christy's Tasty Queen, in Kansas City, KS, is a reasonable detour off of I-35, and one worth making.

I highly, highly, HIGHLY (that's three "highlys", four if you count that last one) recommend a stop there on your journey.  I was introduced to Christy's by my BIL a couple of years ago.  Since then we have made it a point to stop there on every one of our subsequent KC visits.

Christy's serves a brilliant BPT!  Immense in area, but still thick enough to hold in all its juices and remain tender.  On my last visit, I tried folding the BPT in half in the bun in order to make it more manageable.  Indeed, it mostly managed to fit inside the bun, but then, getting my mouth open wide enough to accommodate the sudden height of the sandwich became an issue.  It was a good problem to have.

There is one potential drawback at Christy's: They have no indoor eating area.  If Kansas City were having a milder winter, I'd say sit at one of the picnic tables outside (We did that on our first visit when temps were in the 40s and 50s and there wasn't a flake of snow to be found), but I think you might be overwhelmed by this season's snow and cold.  Christy's BPT is so good though, it is worth eating in your car and risking a glob of your preferred condiment hitting your shirt.

BTW, Christy's normal BPT condiment compliment is mayo, lettuce, and pickles.  Last time I was there, I asked for them to make one up like a Hamburger; ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onion, and found that to be more to my liking.

Have a great trip!

Buddy

Christy's Tasty Queen
1405 S. 55th St., Kansas City, KS 66106
(913) 287-2800

If Christy's Tasty Queen is a seasonal place we may not be able to stop on the way down but could on the way back toward the end of April. No problem with no indoor eating area. We bring our own.

They're open year round.  Only their outdoor seating area is seasonal.
 
Buddy

I find the best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich in the Kansas City Area to be at Jerry's Café on the southeast corner of 103rd and State Line Rd. Jerry is a former butcher who used to own the Woodsweather Café in the West Bottoms. The BPT sandwich is $6.99 by itself, or $8.99 with fresh cut French fries and a drink. I've been to Christy's but I prefer Jerry's. Jerry's also has the benefit of being easier to get to if you are passing through town. Just take the State Line Rd exit off of I435, turn north, turn right into the first strip mall (Watt's Mill) before you come to the light. It is toward the east end of the mall. An added advantage is that it is just a couple doors down from Jasper's Italian Restaurant considered by many food publications to be one of the 50 best Italian Restaurants in the nation.
 
CNW
 
P.S. He is open 6am-3pm daily and everything on the menu is excellent.

 
Enjoyed "The Hoosier Tenderloin" yesterday at The Aristocrat Pub located on N. College Ave. in the SoBro district of Indianapolis.
http://aristocratpub.com/Home.html
 
It was pounded a little thin for my taste but was still moist, tender, and flavorful. There actually is a bun in the picture.
 

CNW
I find the best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich in the Kansas City Area to be at Jerry's Café on the southeast corner of 103rd and State Line Rd. Jerry is a former butcher who used to own the Woodsweather Café in the West Bottoms. The BPT sandwich is $6.99 by itself, or $8.99 with fresh cut French fries and a drink. I've been to Christy's but I prefer Jerry's. Jerry's also has the benefit of being easier to get to if you are passing through town. Just take the State Line Rd exit off of I435, turn north, turn right into the first strip mall (Watt's Mill) before you come to the light. It is toward the east end of the mall. An added advantage is that it is just a couple doors down from Jasper's Italian Restaurant considered by many food publications to be one of the 50 best Italian Restaurants in the nation.

CNW

P.S. He is open 6am-3pm daily and everything on the menu is excellent.

Don't know how I missed this when it was originally posted, but I'm glad I caught today.  I've heard good things, both about Jerry's and Woodsweather Cafe.  I've always meant to try them, but never had the right timing or opportunity when we were in town.  I'll need to make a special point of getting over there next time we we visit.
 
Thanks for the reminder, CNW.
 
Buddy

gregs - that's one amazing looking pork tenderloin platter!!!  The place looks like fun, too.

BuddyRoadhouse

CNW
I find the best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich in the Kansas City Area to be at Jerry's Café on the southeast corner of 103rd and State Line Rd. Jerry is a former butcher who used to own the Woodsweather Café in the West Bottoms. The BPT sandwich is $6.99 by itself, or $8.99 with fresh cut French fries and a drink. I've been to Christy's but I prefer Jerry's. Jerry's also has the benefit of being easier to get to if you are passing through town. Just take the State Line Rd exit off of I435, turn north, turn right into the first strip mall (Watt's Mill) before you come to the light. It is toward the east end of the mall. An added advantage is that it is just a couple doors down from Jasper's Italian Restaurant considered by many food publications to be one of the 50 best Italian Restaurants in the nation.

CNW

P.S. He is open 6am-3pm daily and everything on the menu is excellent.

Don't know how I missed this when it was originally posted, but I'm glad I caught today.  I've heard good things, both about Jerry's and Woodsweather Cafe.  I've always meant to try them, but never had the right timing or opportunity when we were in town.  I'll need to make a special point of getting over there next time we we visit.

Thanks for the reminder, CNW.

Buddy

Buddy, Davy has eaten at Jerry's in the previous incarnation when it was actually in the West bottoms, courtesy of this thread:
 KCRag Forum • View topic - Help davydd find the best breaded Pork Tenderloin in KC!

Not anything super special, but the Other Place chain of sports bars has two locations in Suburban Kansas City area. One of their owners is a former UNI Panther and KC Chiefs player from a long time ago. This is the loin from their Clear Lake location:

 
 
There is a new restaurant started by a Des Moines native restauranteur with an British Gastropub meets Iowa comfort food theme named Pig & Finch in the Suburbs of KC somewhere, but they don't have a tenderloin on the menu.

I grew up in Davenport, Iowa and we often went to the Dairy Queen at Five Points. I have memories of them serving very good pork tenderloin sandwiches there, wrapped in foil, but have been unable to find confirmation so far.
 
 (DQ was rather different then too, I think, or at least that one was; it had the feel of a local joint instead of the soulless Grill 'n' Chills that seem to now dominate.)

It looks super special to me!  I love this concept of extreme pork tenderloins on normal buns.
 

trzhotel


Not anything super special, but the Other Place chain of sports bars has two locations in Suburban Kansas City area. One of their owners is a former UNI Panther and KC Chiefs player from a long time ago. This is the loin from their Clear Lake location:



There is a new restaurant started by a Des Moines native restauranteur with an British Gastropub meets Iowa comfort food theme named Pig & Finch in the Suburbs of KC somewhere, but they don't have a tenderloin on the menu.

We headed south in our RV March 1st and now in hindsight we were fortunate to miss most of the Midwest nasty winter. On our way south we did stop at Nick's in Des Moines, Iowa for a luncheon tenderloin.

We drove on to Kansas City and for dinner we went to the High Noon Saloon & Brewery in Leavenworth, Kansas. You don't have to get too far out of the Midwest area of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri before they start calling the sandwich differently. Despite the western themed restaurant, they called this a Schnitzel Sandwich.

We made it to South Padre Island for a few days and then followed the Rio Grande River toward Big Bend National Park with a stop in Mission, Texas on the way at the Riverside Club right on the edge of the Rio Grande. There outdoor deck is right on the water and they serve a traditional Midwest tenderloin that was outstanding. We were so close to Mexico I probably could have frisbee tossed this one across the river. I have now had maybe the southernmost tenderloin and the northernmost tenderloin (Rusty's in Palmer, Alaska) and the northernmost lower 48 tenderloin at Trail Center on the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota (10 miles from Canada border).

My next tenderloin was at Prejean's in Lafayette (Carencro), Louisiana. Prejean's is a Cajun/Creole restaurant so this breaded pork tenderloin was Cajun seasoned and served on a Po'boy bun. The tenderloin fits the bun, not a Midwestern hangover kind. Also, this one was not on the menu as served. I asked for the addition of fried oysters and fried crawfish tails. There's nothing quite like this anywhere else. Loved it.

We are back in South Padre Island and will soon be heading home to Minnesota so tenderloin opportunities will open up again on our way. Then in May it is on to Indiana.

Davydd


On our way south we did stop at Nick's in Des Moines, Iowa for a luncheon tenderloin.

How would you rate Nick's tenderloin?  Pretty good?  Or something farther to either end of the scale?
 
SW 9th St. has a number of places that've caught my eye as potential RF-style stops, from tenderloins to coney dogs to eggrolls to tacos to pizza.  Weather permitting, I hope to check it out when I'm there next week.

I can't help wondering why this is called a tenderloin when it is cut from the loin, not the tenderloin.

Maybe because it's "tenderized" by pounding them out to a thinner larger size? The ones I had in college in NE Iowa in the 1960's were as hard a a rock! But that was dorm food!

Not all are cut from the loin though most are. I make my own from tenderloin and I have had a few in restaurants cut from the tenderloin. The Prejean's sandwich may very well have been from a tenderloin. You would be hard pressed to know the difference other than size. It is the tradition tenderizing that gives it its name.

To my knowledge, nobody on this site has reviewed more pork tenderloin sandwiches more that DavyDD.  I would take his advice anywhere.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Nick's is pretty good. The onion rings are outstanding. I would put Nick's way above nearby Smitty's. in other words I would go back to Nick's but trying Smitty's was a one time thing just to say I did it despite all its rave reviews.