Killduff
Killduff, IA · Food & Drink
travelmag.com
This Iowa Italian Spot Serves Enormous Portions That Keep Thrifty Families Coming Back
Spaghetti arrives in a bucket here. Not a bowl, not a platter, but an actual bucket built to feed the whole family. The meatballs keep the theme going strong. They can measure two to three inches wide, which is closer to a baseball than a garnish. Then there is the...
familyvacationsus.com
The Des Moines Register
Meet the Iowa restaurant serving the state's best pork tenderloin
The breaded pork tenderloin is practically Iowa's state sandwich, with every roadside diner, sports bar and even some fine-dining establishments offering their own versions. This year, a casual, family-friendly American bar and grill in Carroll, Iowa, can claim to have the best in the state. On Oct. 15, the Iowa Pork Producers Association named Wasted Grain Bar & Grill in Carroll the 2026 Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin winner, rising above 464 nominated restaurants and four other finalists during Porktober, National Pork Month. Wasted Grain’s winning tenderloin didn’t begin in a kitchen. It began in a memory — one rooted in rural Iowa, in the kind of small‑town diner where the bun barely contains the golden, crisp cutlet beneath it. Co‑owner Cory Handlos grew up eating tenderloins at Darrell’s Place in Hamlin, the inaugural winner of the Iowa Pork Producers Association’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin contest back in 2003. That sandwich, he said, set the bar. More than two decades later, the tenderloin inspired by those meals has earned the same title. A hometown favorite, rebuilt from memory Handlos and his wife, Missy, opened Wasted Grain on Mother’s Day 2023 knowing a tenderloin had to be on the menu, and it
familyvacationsus.com
Regulars Judge Every Other Sauce Against The Spaghetti At This Beloved Iowa Italian Restaurant
A truly memorable red sauce can make you pause between bites just to savor what is left on the fork. At Marino’s Italian Restaurant in Johnston, Iowa, diners often praise rich marinara, satisfying pasta dishes, and the welcoming feel of a small, family-run restaurant. The spaghetti may set a...
Only In Your State
The Oldest Restaurant in Iowa Burned Down Twice and Never Closed
On Christmas Eve 2007, a gas explosion and fire destroyed a beloved restaurant on a bluff above the Mississippi River. The community rallied and rebuilt it, and then, just 10 months later, another fire burned it to the ground again. Most businesses would have called it quits. Instead, Breitbach’s Country Dining rebuilt a second time, […]
travelmag.com
Warm Up This October With A Massive BBQ Steak At This Cozy Iowa Spot
I could smell the smoke before I even made it through the parking lot, which felt like a pretty good sign for dinner. Inside, this Iowa spot keeps things casual with big booths, plenty of room, and a menu built around smoked meat. Then the steak arrived, broad enough to...
The Des Moines Register
3 Des Moines restaurants serving global comfort food worth trying
Across the Des Moines metro, some of the most soulful meals come from kitchens shaped by migration and tradition. These restaurants aren’t chasing trends or courting hype; they’re cooking the food of home — dishes that carry stories, techniques and flavors passed down through families and across continents. The service is warm, often familial, and the menus reflect the culinary identities of the owners. These places offer global comfort foods such as Burmese coconut chicken soup, Ethiopian Doro Wat and Puerto Rican mofongo. Try one of these immigrant‑driven gems worth seeking out. Gursha Ethiopian Grill Gursha’s dining room blends Ethiopian warmth with modern simplicity using soft lighting, earth-toned walls and the unmistakable aroma of berbere drifting from the kitchen. Staff explain dishes and encourage diners to share at this counter-service restaurant. The doro wat is the star — a slow-simmered chicken stew with hard-boiled eggs served atop pillowy injera. Its deep red color hints at the spice and comfort within. Eating here feels like being welcomed into someone’s home, where meals are meant to be shared. Details: Gursha Ethiopian Grill, 2316 University Ave., Des Moines, 515-630-1077, gurshaiowa.com . MinGaLaBar Burmese Restaurant MinGaLaBar’s dining room in Urbandale is modest, bright and
Fabulous Iowa
Erin Swisher’s Five Stops for the Perfect Night Out in Des Moines
From must-visit hotspots to local favorites, this Erin Not Karen night out promises good times, a few questionable decisions, and plenty of Des Moines memories. The post Erin Swisher’s Five Stops for the Perfect Night Out in Des Moines appeared first on Fabulous Iowa .
familyvacationsus.com
Iowa Locals Keep Coming Back For The Pork Tenderloins At This Old School Cafe
Some restaurants win people over with shiny signs and fancy plates, but Smitty’s Tenderloin Shop does it with a crispy sandwich bigger than the bun. This old school Des Moines cafe has been feeding hungry locals, road trippers, zoo visitors, and tenderloin hunters for years. People talk about the...