Northeast Iowa is home to this year's best breaded pork tenderloin
The judges have spoken. Fans of breaded pork tenderloins can head to northeastern Iowa for the 2022 rendition of the best sandwich in the state.
The thick version at Lid’s Bar & Grill in Waukon earned the Iowa Pork Producers Association's prize for the best in the state. This year marks the 20th anniversary for the contest.
Waukon natives Dan and Kelly Liddiard opened their restaurant inside a former car dealership in July 2020, naming it for a shortened version of their last name.
“The tenderloins are actually fairly thick, so you can taste the pork instead of just breading,” Dan Liddiard said.
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The one-third-pound tenderloin uses pork from Quillin’s Food Ranch in Waukon that starts by being tenderized twice. The restaurant then uses fresh meat, which is hand breaded in milk that’s then dredged through seasoned breading before it’s deep fried. Lid’s serves its breaded pork tenderloin with lettuce and mayo on a bun baked at Quillin’s that’s lightly buttered and then toasted. Crinkle-cut fries round out the dish.
One judge, chef Phil Carey from Ankeny, admired the sandwich’s pork-tenderloin-to-bun ratio. His assessment found “great pork flavor, with a wonderful breading that greatly complements the overall sandwich.”
In early October, the Iowa Pork Producers Association named five finalists from across the state. Judges crossed Iowa to try the contenders to determine their favorite.
Before the pandemic, Dan Liddiard ran West Side Auto Sales on the site for nearly a decade. But car sales fell as people drove less, so he decided to reduce his inventory and open a restaurant in a portion of the space. He converted a part of the shop, showroom and office into a restaurant with a drive-thru despite having no previous experience in the food-service industry. Now diners can shop for a used car while eating a BPT.
“To be nominated for this was absolutely incredible,” Dan Liddiard said in a news release. “To win is 10 times that. It’s pretty great.”
The public responded when the restaurant earned top five recognition. Before earning finalist status, the Liddiards went through about 25 pounds of pork tenderloins a week; now the couple serves 35 to 40 pounds a day.
More:Yes, Iowans love pork tenderloin sandwiches. Here are 20 of the best in the Des Moines metro
The recognition comes with a $500 prize, a plaque, and a large banner to display.
Ludlow’s Steakhouse in Corydon, about an hour and a half south of Des Moines, came in second.
Other finalists include:
Main Street Bar & Grill at 111 Main St. in Messina.
St. Olaf Tavern, 106 S. Main St. in St. Olaf.
5th Quarter Bar & Grill, 420 Mill St., Van Meter.
Find Lid’s Bar & Grill, 1350 Ninth St. SW, in Waukon and Ludlow’s Steakhouse at 112 E. Jefferson St., in Corydon.
The contest started in the spring with fans nominating 449 restaurants from across the state with 4,812 votes. Over the summer, judges tried out 40 contenders, five in eight districts across the state, to narrow down the finalists to the five restaurants with the most votes.
A few caveats the association considers: The pork tenderloins must be hand-breaded or battered. The restaurant also must be open all year long and feature the breaded pork tenderloin on the menu as a regular item.
Food trucks, concession stands, seasonal eateries, and catering businesses are not eligible.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Where to find Iowa's best breaded pork tenderloin sandwich in 2022
