Culinary Trails
Tenderloin Trail
All featured sites of the Tenderloin Trail are nominated by members and have met the trail guidelines of the Indiana Foodways Alliance. The following is a debut list that will be expanded as sites are assessed. Times and menus are subject
to change.
We recommend that you use an Internet mapping service for the detailed directions you might need to find the recommended restaurants and businesses.
Click here to download a PDF file of the trail information.
The Red Onion
3901 W. State Route 47 317-758-0424
Sheridan, IN 46069 http://www.redonion.us
The story is all about the local Hoosier food at the Red Onion, which is located in a non-descript strip mall. The giant breaded pork tenderloins on delicious handmade 7-inch buns are incredibly tender and flavorful - so is the Reuben, served on its own locally baked marble rye. Kielbasa corn soup, flavorful salad dressings and all kinds of sandwiches and entrees are made in the scratch kitchen behind the pleasant open dining rooms and bar. The Banks family usually has a crowd for dinner, so there may be a wait, but foodies make this a stop on their way to Chicago and other cities, and find it is worth the wait. Open Mon.-Sat. 11 am-10 pm, Sunday 11 am-9 pm. $$
Nickel Plate Bar & Grill
8654 E. 116th St. 317-841-2888
Fishers, IN 46038
Located along the Nickel Plate railroad tracks in an historic house with train memorabilia and a lively local atmosphere, the Nickel Plate is a Fishers landmark just a few blocks from I-69. Friendly staff members offer comfort food and sandwiches on a glass porch or a warm wood paneled dining room and bar. The oversized pork tenderloin, big burgers and fish sandwiches are favorites, along with homemade soups and salads. Open Mon.-Thurs. 11 am-11 pm, Fri.-Sat. 11 am-midnight, Sun. 11 am-10 pm. $$
The Ice House
1412 W. Kem Road 765-664-6646
Marion, IN 46952 http://theicehousebarandgrill.com
Since 1988 Steve Roesly, or "The Ice Man" as he is famously known in Marion, has presided over this comfortable local gathering place in a strip mall. Family chili and batter recipes are fiercely guarded, but the atmosphere is friendly and open, with intimate booths or tables for a crowd. The Ice House is known for prime rib, filets, chicken livers and Lori Salad on an extensive menu. The "Love Me Tenderloin" is oversized and can be ordered fried with Ice's secret breading, or grilled. The drunken fish sandwich is another favorite - the cod is dense, dipped twice in a light spicy beer batter. Hot fudge sundaes and cheesecake are signature desserts. Located near the corner of State Roads 9 & 37. Open Mon.-Sat. 11 am-11 pm, Sunday 11 am-10 pm. $$
Lemon Drop Restaurant
1701 Mounds Road (Rt. 32) 765-644-9055
Anderson, IN 46012
The 52-year-old Lemon Drop is the oldest restaurant in Anderson. The Lemon Drop’s French fries have been voted best fries in Anderson in the Herald Bulletin’s “Best of Anderson” contest, and the tenderloin sandwich really is tender, with a light breading. Also known for burgers, malts and shakes, the little Lemon Drop seats 29 in a 1950s atmosphere, complete with Rockola juke box, a toy train that runs around the ceiling border, and a basket of lemon drops on the counter. The friendly staff is mostly college students, with Bill Pitts, the Drop’s proprietor usually manning the grill. Open Mon.-Sat. 10:30 am to 9 pm. Hours may vary seasonally. Located just a few blocks south of Scatterfield Road (Rt. 9). $
Nick's Kitchen
506 N. Jefferson 260-356-6618
Huntington, IN 46750 http://nickskitchen.net
Home of the breaded pork tenderloin since 1908, this downtown diner is filled with friendly local regulars from 6 am to 2 pm daily. Owner Jean Anne Bailey bakes all the pies and marinates the giant tenderloins overnight to give them their famous juicy tenderness. This is the starting place of our tenderloin trail, since Nick's claims the honor of serving the first breaded pork tenderloin sandwich from a street cart in downtown Huntington. Business was soon good enough to move into a fine brick building on Jefferson Street, and Nick's has been at its cozy location ever since. Sugar cream and black raspberry pie are dessert favorites, and sausage gravy is served over biscuits or potatoes on an extensive breakfast menu that also features Belgian waffles. Very reasonably priced sandwiches, salads and hand-dipped milkshakes round out the lunch menu. The ½ pound Quayle Burger with fries, name after Vice President Dan Quayle, is the most expensive menu item at $7.95. Open Mon.-Sat. 6 am-2 pm. Wi-Fi wireless Internet available. $
Auburn's Town Tavern
1343 S. Main St. 260-925-0555
Auburn, IN 46706
Home of the Hershburger, this family-owned traditional tavern offers lots of choice on its breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Weekly specials include fried fish, chicken, ribs, steaks, and prime rib on Saturday night. The breaded pork tenderloin is billed as "Our Huge Famous!" and it is. State Fair corn dogs and macaroni and cheese are featured on the children's menu. Most items are available for carry-out. Open Monday-Saturday 6 am-10 pm. $$
Cricket's Tavern
120 W. Seventh St. 260-925-9980
Auburn, IN 46706
Cricket's has been an Auburn bar since before Prohibition, and the historic building started life as an 1890 saloon. Chuck Blevin's grandfather bought the Cricket in 1955, and the regular lunch crowd has included judges, businessmen and police officers for generations, enjoying beef & noodles over homemade mashed potatoes, BBQ hog wings (pork shanks) shrimp, fish, grilled or traditional giant breaded pork tenderloins and prime rib sandwiches. The warm wood floors and tin ceiling give this "home of the Cricket Burger" that historic touch, but the service and atmosphere spell fun and comfort. Open Mon.-Sat. 8:30 am-1:30 am. $
Triple XXX Family Restaurant
2 N. Salisbury St. 765-743-5373
West Lafayette, IN 47906 http://www.triplexxxfamilyrestaurant.com
Triple XXX is thought to be the oldest drive-in in Indiana and is located "on the Hill" near Purdue University's Campus. This Purdue favorite started life as a root beer stand, serving the famous Triple XXX Root Beer in 1929. Part of the original structure is still in use today. Beloved menu items include the handcut pork Leroy Loin, served on a toasted sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato and Miracle Whip, buttermilk biscuits and gravy made with local sausage, the 100% sirloin chopped steak sandwiches, spicy curly fries and the flaky-crusted fruit and cream pies baked on the premises. Retro counter seating gives customers a ring-side view of the prep area and grills. Full breakfast menu, kids menu, ice cream and dinner platters are also available, along with the famous root beer, of course. Open 24 hours, Monday through Saturday.
The Chocolate Moose
101 N. Main St. 765-468-7731
Farmland, IN 47340
This old-fashioned soda fountain and grill is the heart of Farmland, where owners Gary "Moose" and Karen Moore greet their customers, and high school kids get their first jobs. The handbreaded pork tenderloins are cooked to perfection on the grill with a flat iron – not deep fried, and they are served on a 5-inch bun with homemade potato "chips" and coleslaw. The pork comes from the local Farmland meat locker. Fish and seasoned chips are another specialty at the Chocolate Moose, along with homemade soups, salads and sandwiches. Desserts include apple dumplings and fruit cobblers, served with Atz Premium Ice Cream from Kendallville. Ice cream flavors include cherry mousse, moose tracks and seasonal favorites like pumpkin, peppermint and black walnut. Flavored cokes, sodas and phosphates are fountain favorites. Open daily 11 am-9 pm and until 10 pm on Fri. & Sat. $$
Hinkle's Hamburgers
206 S. Adams St. 812-339-3335
Bloomington, IN 47404
Since 1930 students and local folk can still count on the beef for the hamburgers being freshly ground every morning and the pork tenderloin being hand cut and tenderized at Hinkles. These tenderloins are dipped in egg and well-seasoned breading before being deep-fried. The tenderloins are even good cold! Hinkle's uses local meats for its sandwiches and homemade chili, and the Clark family, the present day proprietors, also makes potato salad, cookies, pie, cobblers and cakes in the open stainless steel kitchen at the end of the long red counter. A hand-dipped milkshake and a side of onion rings or baby cakes make perfect partners to the famous Hinkle burger (served with grilled onions and dill pickles), the fish, chicken or tenderloin sandwiches. Open Mon.-Sat. 10 am- 4 pm. $
Nick's English Hut
423 E. Kirkwood 812-332-4040
Bloomington, IN 47404
Nick's has been a beloved hang-out for locals and students for 81 years. Voted Bloomington's Top Independent Restaurant, the English-style pub's partners support local farms and businesses for most ingredients. Nick's signature items include a substantial breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, great stromboli, subs, an original recipe chili and Nick's Sticks - a grilled skewer of bourbon beef or teriyaki chicken and vegetables served with bleu wasabi and jasmine rice. Southern Indiana farms are the source for the 1/3 pound Angus beef burgers and elk burgers. Chef Dave's homemade desserts change seasonally, and an extensive beverage and bar menu includes local brews. Open Mon.-Sat. 11 am-2 am. Sun. noon-midnight. $$
Pete's Duck Inn
721 W. Walnut St. 765-789-8488
Albany, IN 47320
Traveling along Route 67, you'll see a gray roadside building with a smiling duckling on an elevated sign - that's Pete's Duck Inn, a fine example of traditional Hoosier cuisine. If its Thursday, Greg will be slow grilling ribs out back for the daily special, and on Wednesdays all-you-can eat frog legs are featured. Pull right in and find a seat in the dining room or on the bar side, which allows smoking. Phil (Pete) and Carol Peterson have run the Duck since 1987, and it’s a friendly casual place where good food is taken seriously. The extensive menu says they specialize in pan-fried chicken, charbroiled steaks and chops, but the stuffed shrimp, gizzards & livers, Cajun catfish and salads are worth the trip as well. Pete's Duck Inn is also known for its hefty breaded or grilled pork tenderloin sandwiches. Pete says he doesn't pound them thin because his customers like the predominant taste the premium pork he uses. Open Mon - Fri. 8 am - midnight, Sat. 9 am - 2 am, Sun. noon to 8 pm. $$
Greazy Pickle
211 W. Main St. 260-726-9200
Portland, IN 47371
We don't like the name, but the Pickle has good hand-breaded tenderloins, state fair ribeye sandwiches and bite-sized fritters they call corn nuggets that are creamy on the inside and crisp on the outside. The tenderloins are not pounded thin, so the pork stands up to the seasoned breading. This is a very casual tavern with a bar menu, concrete floor and a pool table in the middle of the room. Open Mon. - Wed. 11 am - midnight, Thurs. - Sat. 11 am - 3 am, Sun. noon - 8 pm. Non-smoking until 9 pm daily.
Tom & Rod's Steakhouse
2 W. Main St. 260-726-8965
Portland, IN 47371
Across the street from the Pickle, Tom & Rod's has been the classic mainstay restaurant in Portland since 1975. The full bar and pleasant, comfortable dining rooms have a slightly masculine air, with photos of local entertainers on the walls. The sandwich and dinner menu is served all day, so the selection includes the Homemade Giant Breaded Texas Tenderloin - a classic wafer thin pork tenderloin in a fine golden breading, flame broiled burgers, broasted chicken, prime rib, steaks, ribs and six tempting shrimp dishes. There is even a pizza menu for weekends. Open 11 am - 10 pm daily.
Jamie's Soda Fountain
3320 S. Lafountain St. 765-459-5888
Kokomo, IN 46901
The red and white interior of Jamie's sports Coca-Cola curtains and decorations, since proprietor Jim Whitehead says the company has been a great supplier through 23 years. The classic soda fountain serves black raspberry Cokes (very Hoosier) and uses Glovers Ice Cream from Frankfort to make the cones, sodas, floats, shakes and sundaes Jamie's has always been known for in Kokomo. The Cokes and fountain drinks are hand-pumped using original 1950's machines. Some of the servers have worked here for 18 years, and Jim says over 200 local kids have had their first jobs here. He named the place for his grandchildren, Jason and Michelle. Jamie's serves daily specials like beef and noodles and ham and beans, and a regular menu of appetizers, sandwiches, soups and salads. The #1 selling basket is the breaded pork tenderloin, made with pork from White's Meat Market and Hoyt's. The signature sandwich is an old-fashioned grilled ham salad, served with homemade macaroni or combination salad. This is a great place to sample some tried and true Indiana favorite foods. Open Mon.-Sat. 7 am-8 pm, Sun. 11 am-6 pm. $
Stories Restaurant
109 E. Main St. 812-663-2114
Greensburg, IN 47240
Lewis and Katherine Storie opened their Main Street restaurant in 1977, and their children, Don, Chuck and Beth have made it as much of a landmark as the tree top county courthouse across the street here in Greensburg. The place hums with conversation as patrons happily tuck into the plate lunches and pies that are better than homemade, thanks to the second generation's dedication to their art. Don's wife, Annie makes all the salads and pan fries the famous chicken, while Chuck's wife, Jane bakes the generous pies: coconut, banana, apple crumb, peach, butterscotch, cherry and graham cracker (a vanilla custard with a golden meringue) that are on the menu daily, plus offering a seasonal pie, such as fresh strawberry for late spring. Biscuits and gravy and hotcakes top the full breakfast menu, and the plate lunch specials come with three sides. Of course, there is a really Big Tenderloin (premium Indiana pork, cut fresh, marinated and breaded) on the sandwich and dinner menu along with roast beef Manhattan, cod fish tails, pork BBQ and burgers, N.Y. strip steak, ham, chicken, shrimp and catfish. Homemade salads, soups and sides round out the classic Hoosier offerings. Open Mon. - Sat. 8 am - 7:30 pm. Closed Sunday.
