For those who are always in search of Iowa’s best BPT (breaded pork tenderloin), or for those who just like to visit Iowa restaurants, Road Food Digest has a series for you.
Tenderized pork loins, marinated overnight, battered, fried, and bunned metamorphose into a transcendent meal that can be found all over Iowa, parts of Indiana, and Illinois. History recalls its invention in 1904 at what would become Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington, Indiana. But the Iowan creation myth, according to BPT expert Allen Bukoff, charts its origin from the Czech/Bohemian community in Cedar Rapids as a domestic version of the European breaded schnitzel. Regardless of the source, we present to you twelve chapters of noteworthy BPTs from the Hawkeye State, focusing on those not yet reviewed on Roadfood.com.
The mouth-watering series — complete with pictures — begins in Walcott.
Located at exit 284 off I-80 in the hills just west of the Mississippi River, the Iowa 80 Truck Stop claims to be the world’s largest, boasting 800 truck parking spots, truck superstore, gift shop, food court, showers, theater, and even a dentist. Their BPT came with mayonnaise and pickles standard and was fried to a dark brown color.
The next stop is Carroll:
Denny’s is tucked away in a mostly residential neighborhood and was the very first eatery that was recommended to Amy when she moved here. It’s the type of place that most locals don’t consider to be fancy, but their home-cooked fare is far from simply casual.
Elk Horn, home to the coveted Iowa Pork Producers best rated BPT, comes on day 3:
Larsen’s is a small, family-oriented pub serving “burgers, beer, and beverages,” and their BPT is a real treat. Juicy, tender, and perfectly breaded, the sandwich is served with pickles and purple onions.
Audubon‘s home cookin’ gets served up on day 4:
Chatterbox‘s take is thicker and juicier with a secret weapon: a toasted bun. This gives each bite an added crunch to augment the pork’s golden breading.
Head to Dunlap for day 5:
Dairy Sweet continues to enjoy their peak of approximately 12,000 tenderloins sold each year for the past three years. Big, burly, and totally scrumptious, this BPT is cut in half before serving, which helps in heaving this thick slab of fried pork.
Visit a Fort Dodge tavern for day 6:
Community Tap & Pizza … opened in 1926 and has been serving homemade pizza and huge breaded pork tenderloins ever since.
Visit an unmarked Templeton restaurant on day 7:
There’s a café at the edge of Templeton that doesn’t have a sign out front, yet farmers overtake the parking lot for breakfast, and truckers leave their rigs on the highway’s shoulders for lunch. Located at 18152 Highway 141 at the intersection of Highways 141 and 71, Corner Station is a diner, convenience store, and gas station.
On day 8 — the latest installment of the series — travel to Exira:
Located at 613 West Washington Street just off of Highway 71, the Red Barn may be the smallest café in the area. One server and one cook handle all orders, and their BPT is phenomenal.
The really good news is that there are four more stops remaining in the series. Mmmm. Mmmm. Good.
