Readlyn
Readlyn, IA · Food & Drink
travelmag.com
The Old-Fashioned Iowa Bakery That Locals Want To Keep Secret
Keeping a good bakery secret sounds easy enough, until someone brings home a box of donuts that everyone suddenly wants to know about. That’s pretty much the problem with this little spot in northeast Iowa, where getting there early can make all the difference. I kept hearing about people...
cbs2iowa.com
TreeHaus to hold ribbon cutting in downtown Waterloo
WATERLOO, Iowa — TreeHaus will celebrate its arrival in downtown Waterloo with a free ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 28. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the coffee shop, 223 W. Fourth St. It’s open to the public, and attendees can meet the TreeHaus team and explore the space.
Cedar Rapids Gazette
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...
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
cbs2iowa.com
Hometown Eats: Grumpy's Roadhouse in Waverly
Grumpy's Roadhouse in Waverly is more than a restaurant... it's a gathering spot for the community. Grumpy's has all of the typical American fare, serving up wings, burgers. pizza, and Philly cheesesteaks. Homemade fried pickles are a staple on the menu with raspberry sauce on the side (they say don't...
cbs2iowa.com
A bittersweet goodbye for Marion’s West End Diner
MARION, Iowa — The West End Diner will serve its last meal Sunday, Nov. 8, after seven years in business. The restaurant announced the closure in a Facebook post, thanking the West End community for celebrating milestones and sharing everyday meals with the team. “When we opened, we simply...
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Fork With It closes downtown Cedar Rapids restaurant after rebranding attempt
CEDAR RAPIDS — A downtown Cedar Rapids restaurant is closing several months after an attempt to rebrand. Fork With It owner Desiree DeMaria announced the closure of the restaurant at 415 Third St. SE, effective immediately, on Oct. 7. The restaurant opened as a rebranding after The District CR closed in May . The District, first opened in July 2024 , renovated the former Hawk’s Nest Sports Bar and Taboo Nightclub Lounge into a triplex concept offering a speakeasy, sports bar and Cajun-Creole fusion restaurant. Fork With It transformed the upscale fusion into a more casual concept with a “come as you are approach,” and more affordable menu. The Chunky Potato , a loaded baked potato ghost kitchen concept, was opened by DeMaria and business partner Steve Wing under Fork With It’s kitchen in September. That menu, available for pickup and delivery via third-party services, will remain open. DeMaria said Fork With It’s closure comes after rising food costs, inflation and operating expenses made it infeasible to continue without taking on additional debt. “I want to make one thing very clear: changing from The District CR to Fork With It was not a bad decision, nor is it the reason