OT - Tenderloins

[Davydd]

Sorry, but I'll have to disagree with you on that one. We think Sahm's tenderloins are delicious and Sahm's is in our top three (along with Dawson's).

I've had the Sahm's tenderloin. I've had Dawson's. I've had Green Street. And I have had the Flag Room. I've had most of the best tenderloins all over the state of Indiana that have been recommended. Sahm's is middle of the road. Not bad. Not great. I'm sorry. That's just the way it is and Sahm's is certainly no tourist or visitor destination. If you had to stick around the north side, Plump's Last Shot, Daddy Jacks, Muldoons and Nickel Plate were all better than Sahm's in my opinion. Maybe I got one on a bad night, which can happen, but it was nothing special. There are too many places to try and too little time to do so, so I won't be going back to give them another chance.

[Maynard111]

I agree with Davydd on Sahm's, good enough but nothing special IMO.

It's too bad that The Red Onion is no longer open.

[ZUL8TR]

You mention Nickel Plate. It took me three tries to finally get a good one there. The previous two were overcooked.
Daddy Jacks didn't rate a 2nd chance after the initial experience.
The last t-loin I had at Green Street was overcooked, but I've had some really good ones there, so I wrote it off as a bad day.
We live in Indy, so we are lucky to be able to eat at all these different places as often as we want and we've seen both good and bad days.

Related note: We ate at a restaurant this past Friday while down at Barber for the race. Excellent food and service. We decided to go back the next night and boy did they blow it. Yes, restaurants can have an off-night or off-dish. So just because someone had a great or horrible meal at a place, doesn't mean the next person will have the same experience.

At no point have we said Sahm's is the be all, end all of tenderloins. Hence the reason we plan to go to Dawon's, then wander across the street to tour the new Dallara building.

[MoparsRule]

Enjoy this video while you can because Apple's MobileMe website hosting is going away June 30.

Racing Around Indiana - Making a Brickyard Crossing Tenderloin

[PHJIndy]

I've had the Sahm's tenderloin. I've had Dawson's. I've had Green Street. And I have had the Flag Room. I've had most of the best tenderloins all over the state of Indiana that have been recommended. Sahm's is middle of the road. Not bad. Not great. I'm sorry. That's just the way it is and Sahm's is certainly no tourist or visitor destination. If you had to stick around the north side, Plump's Last Shot, Daddy Jacks, Muldoons and Nickel Plate were all better than Sahm's in my opinion. Maybe I got one on a bad night, which can happen, but it was nothing special. There are too many places to try and too little time to do so, so I won't be going back to give them another chance.

The current loin at the Flag Room is much better than their previous loin. It actually has more meat than breading.

[Davydd]

This one wasn't in the Flag Room but in the banquet rooms at Brickyard Crossing. This was a special order 5 years ago and a bit bigger than your average Indy tenderloin.

[Davydd]

I agree with Davydd on Sahm's, good enough but nothing special IMO.

It's too bad that The Red Onion is no longer open.

The Red Onion tenderloin was pretty special. It was probably one of the few places that served a tenderloin with a made on premise fresh bun. The bun was much larger than any commercial bun you could buy which kind of disguised how big the tenderloin was.

[ZUL8TR]

The Red Onion in El Cerrito, CA serves a pretty tasty burger.

[MoparsRule]

Friday night at The Oaken Barrell in Greenwood.... a most excellent moist & tender loin indeed!



http://www.oakenbarrel.com/menus.php

[ZUL8TR]

Stopped in Dawson's this past Saturday. Exactly what was expected. Yummy.

[PHJIndy]

Stopped in Dawson's this past Saturday. Exactly what was expected. Yummy.

It's always good!

[Jason]

I had one in Indy's Family Restaurant in Martinsville a few weeks ago. It was horrible. I actually did throw up a little bit as we got up to leave. Was glad we were right by the door.

Jason

[MoparsRule]

I had one in Indy's Family Restaurant in Martinsville a few weeks ago. It was horrible. I actually did throw up a little bit as we got up to leave. Was glad we were right by the door.

Jason

Well that's certainly not a ringing endorsement!

[Frank Capua]

I flew in this moring and had a late lunch at Dawson's on Main... AWESOME!

It tasted so good I can't even describe it... I cherished every bite.

[ZUL8TR]

I flew in this moring and had a late lunch at Dawson's on Main... AWESOME!

It tasted so good I can't even describe it... I cherished every bite.

I was there again this past Wed. I kept thinking I'd order something different. I didn't.

[Frank Capua]

I was there again this past Wed. I kept thinking I'd order something different. I didn't.

I've never been able to bring myself to ordering anything else... except for once when I was there a couple years ago to watch the Japan race and it was late enough that the kitchen was closed so we ordered their Bar Pizza... it was the best bar pizza I had ever tasted. I was expecting something that had been frozen but it was much better than that.

[Frank Capua]

Took my Mom over to Dawson's on Sunday but forgot they were closed on Sunday... so we went to Grindstone Charlie's off of Lynhurst.

I feel like I still owe her a good Tenderloin... she said her's was okay but my half was hammered to mush.

[Davydd]

We took our first RV trip this season and drove down to Van Buren, Missouri in the heart of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways on our way to a Class B Social rally with others from Wisconsin, New Jersey, Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Arizona, Kansas, Ohio and Minnesota.

On our way we stopped at Smitty's Tenderloin Shop in Des Moines, Iowa and tried their tenderloin. Smitty's would be be described as an "Iowa Skinny". The Iowa skinny's meat is pounded very thin usually less than a 1/4" thick and is fried with a more finely textured breading. When bitten into it is rather crispy and is generally drier than most other tenderloins. This is an oft mentioned Iowa favorite but it has never won an award from the Iowa Pork Producers Association.



Our next stop was the Jolly Cone in Van Buren, Missouri. It is a walk-up to a counter with outdoor seating and primarily an ice cream shop. They served what would be better termed a fritter of constituted pork. Nevertheless the taste was fine. I'd put it a notch above the fritter served at the Mug n' Bun in Speedway, Indiana.



On our way back north we detoured to Bonnots Mill, Missouri near Jefferson City to seek out the Missouri Pork Board's 2009 best breaded pork tenderloin sandwich at Johnny Mac's Bar and Grill. Bonnots Mill is a small town at the terminus of a dead end road of about 8 miles on the Osage River. You are not going to just pass by it on the way somewhere. We tried to stop on our way down but found they were only open Thursday through Saturday from 3 PM and on. This time we timed it to arrive right at 3 PM on Thursday. The sandwich was a deserving winner - thick, moist and tender. Missouri holds no back seat to Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Note the Indianapolis 500 banner on the wall.



Finally we stopped in La Crosse, Wisconsin. We went to Rudy's Drive-in in La Crosse. Rudy's is an old fashion 50s style drive-in complete with carhops in pink poodle skirts delivering your window tray while on roller skates. That's the experience. Unlike similar drive-in restaurants this tenderloin was a true tenderloin and above average. Not a fritter. Rudy's is an inexpensive stop and a favorite place to take our grandsons.



This was our first trip of the season and just a warmup. Our main tenderloin tour trip is next month where we are heading to Washington, DC and back through Indianapolis for the Indy 500. If our schedule clicks we could end up sampling tenderloins in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Virginia, and an outside possibility in Ohio. Definitely Indiana.

[Truth Detector]

Friday night at The Oaken Barrell in Greenwood.... a most excellent moist & tender loin indeed!



http://www.oakenbarrel.com/menus.php

You didn't call to tell me you were in town???

EATING A TENDERLOIN?????

[Truth Detector]

I had lunch at Edward's Drive In yesterday. Company was good, onion rings were great, tenderloin...not so much.

[PHJIndy]

I had another tasty loin at Grindstone Charley's in the Speedway Shopping Center.
There's a special on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays.

[pdas1996]

I wanna try the track's BPT so bad.

[Davydd]

I wanna try the track's BPT so bad.

Ummm....

[Frank Capua]

Stopped at White Castles last night after the Pacers game... just made me what to get back over to Dawson's.

[Tree0404]

a new restaurant just opened up on the square in downtown noblesville called "conner street pub & eatery"

tenderloin was excellent.

also they have sun king, flat 12, and triton beers on tap

[ZUL8TR]

a new restaurant just opened up on the square in downtown noblesville called "conner street pub & eatery"

tenderloin was excellent.

also they have sun king, flat 12, and triton beers on tap

I was wondering what was going on with that space. Matteos was supposed to go there. That obviously changed.
http://currentnoblesville.com/order-up

[Frank Capua]

Went back to Dawson's on Tuesday and tag-teamed a Tenderloin & Rings with my Mom this time. Only this time I still came away feeling stuffed. Must have been the Rings since I normally get their coleslaw with my half of the sammich... but Momma likes her Rings.

Three years and 90 pounds ago I did my tour of Central Indiana in search of the Ultimate Tenderloin but now I'm perfectly content... I've done my due diligence and am confident that the ultimate Tenderloin in Central Indiana comes out of the kitchen at Dawson's on Main.

Now off to find the Ultimate Rib.

[Davydd]

I've got a planned trip to Nick's Kitchen in Huntington, IN next Wednesday, May 9th for lunch on my way to DC.

[Maynard111]

I've got a planned trip to Nick's Kitchen in Huntington, IN next Wednesday, May 9th for lunch on my way to DC.

Are you coming South down I69 when you leave Huntington?
I work right off the SR22 exit at Gas City.
Hint hint.

[Davydd]

I think I'll be coming across 30 from Indiana Dunes State Park to Huntington and then will head over into Ohio toward Cleveland somewhere as I hope to meet with the owner of a new Class B RV manufacturer startup the following day. That's what I've got laid out so far. Indiana Dunes SP is one of my favorite stops. If we stop there then I may make it to a restaurant near Ottawa, IL off I-80 for lunch on Tuesday. A pork tenderloin sandwich of course.