CLIVE, IOWA — Iowa’s beloved Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich is back in the spotlight as the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) narrows its annual competition from 40 contenders to just five finalists. These restaurants now stand among the best of the best, vying for the coveted title of Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin.

2025 Finalists (alphabetical order)

The 1854 – Gilbertville
Dexfield Diner & Pub – Redfield
Hometown Heroes – Grinnell
Sugar’s Lounge & Diner – Council Bluffs
Walker’s – Salix

How the Contest Works:

The public nominates eligible restaurants. To qualify, restaurants must serve hand-breaded or hand-battered pork tenderloins year-round. Seasonal stands, caterers, and food trucks are not eligible. From the 40 top-nominated restaurants across IPPA’s eight districts, mystery diners evaluated sandwiches based on pork taste and quality, physical characteristics, presentation, and experience. IPPA’s Restaurant and Foodservice Committee then selected five finalists. “Our judging process includes a point system with 100 points possible. The area of pork taste and quality is worth 50% of the total where judges are evaluating flavor, freshness, tenderness, moisture and a balance of seasoning,” says Kelsey Sutter of IPPA. “But the first rule I was taught when I took over this contest 14 years ago was there’s no such thing as a 100-point tenderloin!”

Now, a panel of three judges will visit each finalist to determine the first and second place winners. The panel is comprised of a retired chef, a longtime representative of Iowa’s pork industry, and a travel food blogger.

What’s at Stake:

Winner: $500, a plaque, a banner, statewide publicity, and perhaps most importantly: bragging rights that often send tenderloin sales soaring.
Runner-up: $250 and a plaque.
Others in top five: Commemorative plaque.
Nominators of winning restaurant: Entered into a random drawing for $100.

The champions will be announced in mid-October, during Porktober—National Pork Month—celebrating all things pork in Iowa.

Past Winners:

2024 – Dairy Sweet, Dunlap
2023 – Cliff’s Place, Manning
2022 – Lid’s Bar & Grill, Waukon
2021 – Victoria Station, Harlan (closed)
2020 – PrairieMoon On Main, Prairieburg
2019 – The Pub at the Pinicon, New Hampton

See the full list of past winners since the contest began in 2003 at iowapork.org.

Can’t make it to one of these finalists? Try your hand at a Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich at home with IPPA’s recipe and how-to video at https://www.iowapork.org/community/recipes/all-recipes/breaded-pork-tenderloin-sandwiches