MSP-craving breaded fried pork tenderloin sandwich

[KCMPLS]

Last time I had this was more than 10 years ago. Any place in the Twin Cities area that have a good one? Crispy, but not greasy, tender moist meat. Sigh.

[Rheta]

I know that Axels in Loretto used to serve a very good fried pork tenderloin sandwich. I've moved away from the area but they used to have it. It seems like it wasn't on the regular menu, but served as a special. On Mondays as I recall.

[Maggie19]

Culvers is decent... Bunny's is better.

[Davydd]

Here is a list of restaurants that I have had pork tenderloin sandiwiches in Minnesota.

MINNESOTA (33)

5-8 Club, Minneapolis, MN
Adrian's, Minneapolis, MN
Alleygators, Maple Grove, MN
Angry Trout, Grand Marais, MN
Benchwarmer Bob's, Burnsville, MN - CLOSED
Bunny's, St. Louis Park, MN
Buffalo Tap, Savage, MN
Casper and Runyon's Nook, St. Paul, MN
Crystal Cafe, Crystal, MN
Culver's, Navarre, MN
Elsie's - Minneapolis, MN
Grumpy's Downtown, Minneapolis, MN - Off menu?
Ideal Diner, Minneapolis, MN
Jurassic Stand, Minnesota State Fair, MN
Lookout Bar & Grill, Maple Grove, MN
Loon Restaurant - Minneapolis, MN
Lyon's Pub - Minneapolis, MN
Machine Shed, Lake Elmo, MN
Minnetonka Drive In, Spring Park, MN
Ox Yoke Inn, Independence, MN
Park Tavern, St. Louis Park, MN
Peppermint Twist Drive-in, Delano, MN
Pine Cone Restaurant, Faribault, MN
Porky's, St. Paul, MN
Rail Station, Minneapolis, MN
Red Rooster (grilled), Long Lake, MN
Rustic Inn Cafe, Castle Danger, MN
Shamrocks, St. Paul, MN
Slippery's, Wabasha, MN
Snuffy's, Minnetonka, MN - Special sometimes
Sully's, Minneapolis, MN
Tony Jaros, Minneapolis, MN
Wampach's Restaurant, Shakopee, MN

[miki]

This is gold. I and my arteries thank you! LOL

[Bobannon]

Alleygators, Maple Grove, MN, has been closed a while now.

[Davydd]

Yep, Alleygators website is gone. I also heard that Grumpy's downtown quit serving them but have not confirmed it. Once tried I seldom go back having sampled over a 100 BPTs across 15 states. Where do I go back? Every year to Nick's Kitchen in Huntington, IN if I can and Grindstone Charley's in Speedway, IN every Friday night before the Indianapolis 500 race.

[The Dairy Queen]

Am I interpreting this correctly: there's no place in the Twin Cities that does BPT's well enough to get your repeat business?

~TDQ

[Davydd]

Too many to try. In the Twin Cities the Minnetonka Drive In in Spring Park gets my repeat business. It i a true carhop great classic seasonal drive in. Lyon's Pub on 6th also gets my repeat business but since I no longer work downtown I get there maybe twice a year now at most. But the bartender still knows my name. :)

The worst? Porky's without a doubt, yet they are the quintessential image of where you'd think to go for a BPT. If anyone thinks they are good then they haven't tried enough of them to judge.

I haven't been to Mady's yet in NE Minneapolis or Sandy's Tavern mentioned in this thread. When I first started looking in the Twin Cities I didn't think I would have had as much success as I did. Just about every bar/grill, diner and cafe in Iowa and Indiana will serve a BPT but maybe 1 in 10 to 20 here in the Twin Cities.

[Hankdad1]

You might take a look at this website, lots of pork tenderloin sandwich info for MN and surrounding states.

http://web.mac.com/davydd/Site/Pork_T...

[miki]

Wow, I want this person's life. LOL!

I'm still drooling, and I think I gained ten pounds just looking at the photos. (Tender-porn? Loin-porn? Hm, both WAY too creepy.)

My husband was demoing the pork tenderloin at Costco the other day, and a guest told him his restaurant used to serve the breaded kind in a northern suburb years ago, and they went through a lot of it. The place is closed now, and he didn't say the name, but I wonder if one of those on the blog might have been the place.

[Fudist]

I'd rather have a cut from the shoulder, or butt of the pork, the loin is dry and has hardly any fat(flavor) IMO.

[KCMPLS]

It maybe a dryer meat, but the ones I used to have were probably pounded flat prior to breading and frying, and they were as big as a frisbee. Maybe the fact that they were thin ( little over 1/4 inch) make them taste not dry at all. Being deep fried also takes care of the lack of fat part. I've seen thicker and smaller cuts of fried tenderloins in MN but yet to find the "frisbee loin" here in the Twin Cities.

[justalex]

There is this old thread on the subject: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/124644

I remembered it because I love, love love pork tenderloin sandwiches. I look forward to reading about new finds.

[miki]

I grew up in Terre Haute, IN ( I know, Hellmouth), and we used to eat the pork tenderloin sandwiches at Spelterville Tavern, in the dinky suburb of Spelterville (surrounded by strip pits. The restaurant is a bar and a family room.) The tenderloin was so big, you could cut it in half and make two sandwiches. A great deal. Don't know if it's there anymore.

I grew up in deep-fried heaven: tenderloins, mushrooms, chicken.

Culver's doesn't cut it. It's not bad for a quick fix, though.

Porky's is a step up from that. I just love Porky's in the summer. If you've never been there, go in summer, on a Friday or Saturday night..

But Sandy's is the best I've had, up here in the tundra.

[justalex]

I haven't been to Porky's in at least five years but I remember their sandwich was very decent. I'll make it a point to get to Sandy's and check it out. Your post has me craving deep fried mushrooms now...:)

[greghoffman]

I went to school in Terre Haute in the 80's, and we used to eat tenderloins at the Red Onion (or was it Purple Onion? Either way, I don't think it's there anymore...) restaurant. The first time I ordered a tenderloin sandwich there, the plate came out with what looked like only the tenderloin patty itself on it. That is, until I picked it up and found both halves of the hoagie-style bun sitting side-by-side, completely hidden by the patty itself.

I haven't found anything comparable in the Twin Cities, either, but, as mentioned elsewhere, Culvers does for a quick fix, and it's probably more in keeping with my current dietary requirements, size-wise...

[miki]

Omigosh! The Red Onion! That was in the area of Twelve Points, where I grew up. Yep, I've had the tenderloin there. I don't remember how it compared to Spelterville's; I suspect it was probably better. They served something Mexican, too, that my family liked; I don't remember what it was.

[greghoffman]

Yeah, I'd forgotten what they called that area. The last time I went through Terre Haute, I actually made a point of driving past where I thought the Red Onion was, and it wasn't there anymore (or my memory was shot).

And when I didn't order the tenderloin, there _was_ some kind of typically Hoosier-ized "Mexican" dish that was pretty good, too, but I don't remember what it was, either. I seem to remember a large amount of goopy cheese and a heap of shredded iceberg lettuce piled on top, though...

[Davydd]

The Red Onion is in Sheridan, IN north of Indianapolis and is no where near Terre Haute.

[miki]

No, there was a Red Onion in Terre Haute. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the business moved elsewhere, though. Twelve Points was a little depressed and rough, at least back then.

I think the Mexican dish might have been called a Chimichanga, but I'm not sure.

[shoo bee doo]

The one at Porky's on University Avenue is pretty good.

[miki]

I had one at Sandy's Tavern years ago, that I don't remember being greasy.

Here's the link:

http://www.sandystavern.com/

[kevin47]

Double that. Plus it'll only be like four bucks, you're supporting a neighborhood establishment, and it's just plain fun besides.