St. Olaf Tavern — Restaurant in St. Olaf

I am going to have to come clean about being a food critic, I am just not that critical. I lack discernment, I am simply too positive, liking almost everything. This was brought into sharp focus by the tenderloin at the St. Olaf Tavern. It was delicious, but then again, most of the pork tenderloin sandwiches I eat are. I get a lower quality one here or there, too thin, too much breading, etc. But overall, I always wolf down this particular sandwich with great gusto and delight. Like many Midwesterners, I have a particular affinity for the pork tenderloin sandwich (PTS? ‘loin?, let's go with ‘loin, it sounds less like a condition). I have been savoring the ‘loin since birth apparently, as I can't even remotely remember the first one, or a time when it wasn't a favored menu choice. So I feel we need to look further than the fundamentals. Yes, it was breaded properly. It was seasoned well, and it was fried expertly, the St. Olaf staff make a damn fine ‘loin. What then is there to discuss? Plenty. Not only have the cooks at this fine establishment honed their craft to produce an absolutely top shelf sandwich, but they make them in sizes! This is such a fine idea that I have a hard time believing that I have not come across it before in my long history with this legendary sammie. But it is true, at the St. Olaf Tavern, one can get three different sizes, a four oz, an eight oz, and a 16 oz. Always in the past, one gets one size of ‘loin, huge. The bigger the better seems to be the thinking of most sandwich makers. Look on any page or site devoted to this dish and you will see enormous sandwiches, like the size of a 10½ inch dinner plate (or in some cases the formidable charger which rings in at 14 inches). But a smaller sandwich? Perish the thought! How is one to enjoy such a massive sandwich if one isn't a competitive eater? I'll give you a clue, you can't. We all have our own strategies, eating nothing but the meat, chomping around the edges until, when one finally gets to the bun, and one is too full to continue. Or the popular method of cutting it into a bun-sized piece, leaving a troubling piece of ‘loin, as although it is enough for a second sandwich, does not reheat well. Splitting it between two diners, with a second bun, is also a much employed technique, but this partitioning seems like an inadequate fix, much like post-war Germany. There is no need for any of this if one dines at St. Olaf, pick the bun-sized 4 ouncer, and you have the perfect sandwich structure we all love, each bite encompassing both meat and bun. I'll admit another thing, I am a bit of an iconoclast in that I occasionally enjoy cheese on my 'loin, which I did on this occasion. Along with grilled onions, another departure that will make purists cringe. The sandwich was a delight, a perfectly made ‘loin, that fit the bun like a glove, topped with a lovely, melty square of peperjack cheese, and further embellished with onions that had been grilled to the perfect level of mellow caramel brown. I would love to say that I savored this masterpiece slowly, but of course, I did not. I also had a side of batter coated french fries, which I somehow still think of as being “new-fangled”. The fries were portioned properly as well, a reasonable helping and not some plateful more suited to a group. I enjoyed this pork tenderloin sandwich, which isn't surprising. I also finished it, which...

This place is one of 5 nominated for Best tenderloin in Iowa for 2022. The restaurant is located in a huge building downtown. Built in 1908 and was previously a hardware store. New owner renovated it into a bar and grill. Nice sized patio next door. Plenty of parking out front. A few steps out front. I ordered one of five choices of tenderloin. I decided on the middle size one. Although it didn't come with a side, you can still order one if you like but I wouldn't. These sandwiches are huge. Mine arrived with extra veggies on a toasted bun. It took me about 45 minutes to eat it. So delicious and crispy. I ordered a Pepsi as well. So good I ordered another one so my family could try it. Very delicious. Professional and courteous staff. Nice portions. Very reasonable. Plus they serve Pepsi products. That alone is rare. Having never before been here this place is awesome. Nice people. Great food. Stop by sometime and see for yourself. Only come hungry. They do take cash and cards. IF you're still hungry for desert they had ice cream sandwiches for 50 cents the day I visited. In my opinion it's worth stopping for food...

In the area for a weekend trip and found this gem via maps. Warning: DO NOT be fooled by the normal stereotype of small-town (St Olaf is population 143) OR the word ‘Tavern’ (think ‘bar and grill’). Checked out the menu listed online as we drove. Had the Hubs at the “Uff Da Hamburger Steak” and a side of Chicken Gizzards! Of course, I had to go for “The area’s famous Pork Tenderloin Sandwich!”, proclaimed the best in NE Iowa. Well, we were not disappointed. AND, the place was PACKED! Great food, good service and atmosphere, and...