George’s is in on of those seemingly thousands of identical strip malls that dot the north side of Indy. It appears they have patio seating during warm weather.  Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly hostess, and shown to our table. We were meeting a friend…who also does reviews….for a dual review.  He had already arrived and had his iced tea, so we sat and visited a bit before ordering our meal.

Right off the bat, George’s gets very high marks for their service.  Since we were visiting with a dear friend, we sat and chatted for a bit before actually starting to peruse the menu. Our waitress did a fine job of balancing the line between attentive and hovering.  Never did we feel rushed, but when we wanted to order, she was there promptly.

George’s has a wonderful menu, and, although it looks a bit fancy, they have a wide range of prices…from a couple of sandwiches in the 6-9 dollar range with a side, to steaks and seafood in the 20 dollar per meal range.

I, of course, chose the tenderloin, which is hand breaded on site.  It looked really outstanding!  It’s large without being overwhelming, and it’s not pounded out paper thin, leaving the meat thick enough to really get the flavor of it.  I’ve touched on this before, but so many breaded tenderloins are pounded SO thin that one can’t distinguish between the taste of the breading and the taste of the meat.  That’s certainly not the case here.

First bite, the flavor of the meat was outstanding.  Nice, tender, and moist, just like it should be.  The breading was very good, yet fell short of remarkable. It had a decent flavor, but could have benefited from some seasoning.

However, there was a bit of a problem with this sandwich.  Within the first 3 or 4 bites, the sandwich and breading became soggy. One of the signs of a truly great tenderloin is that the breading retains its crunch throughout the life of the sandwich, and this one certainly didn’t.

Still, it was a good tenderloin. I’m going to give it 3.5 out of 5 bites…above average but not great.

Holly chose the grilled fish tacos, and she reported that they were exceptional.  They are served with modest toppings and nice sized, flaky pieces of fish, along with a dollop of fresh salsa on the side. You get your choice of side with this entree and she chose the green beans.  Cooked al dente with a light, garlicky flavor, they were a nice compliment to the piquant tacos.

As an appetizer, we chose breaded mushrooms.  As a general rule, we’ve found that you just never know what you’re going to get with breaded mushrooms unless you ask first, but since everything else we’d had here was above average, we decided to take a chance.  These are some of the most outstanding breaded mushrooms we’ve ever tasted!  For starters, they are made with whole, FRESH mushrooms.  Not jarred…not marinated in a salty brine…FRESH.  And they didn’t pick the tiniest mushrooms either.  Our order contained premium medium to extra large ‘shrooms!  The breading was tender, flaky and crispy – and they were served nice and hot with not one, but two dipping sauces…a horseradish cocktail sauce and ranch dressing.  We would make a return trip in a heartbeat JUST for the breaded mushrooms!

Overall, George’s was a very, very good experience.  The service, atmosphere, and food are well worth returning for, and often.

For a review of their burger…and other insights, please visit my co-reviewer’s blog at www.thegimpgoesshopping.wordpress.com

George’s Neighborhood Grill is located at 6935 Lake Plaza Drive in Indianapolis.  You can visit them on the web at:www.georgesneighborhoodgrill.com.

I’m going to qualify this a bit.  I believe these are the top 3 tenderloins in Indy (out of those I’ve tried, anyway).  These all have 5/5 ratings, but they’re all a bit different.  In addition to the tenderloins being different, all three venues are different, so I’m going to talk a bit about each specific venue.

Please note that I am putting these in alphabetical order.  They’re ALL outstanding and I really can’t rate one over the other.

The Aristocrat.  For those who don’t know, the Aristocrat recently suffered a devastating fire, but they are rebuilding and are slated to re-open in the spring of 2012.

The Aristocrat has long been one of my favorite restaurants in Indy.  It’s a nice, non smoking pub that features live music on an irregular basis.  There is bar and dining room seating, as well as a delightful atmosphere.  Service has always been outstanding, and I can honestly say I’ve never even been the slight bit disappointed there.  These folks have been around for years, and they know what they’re doing.  If you’re not a tenderloin fan, there are plenty of other options on the menu, from burgers to steaks to salads and just about everything in between.  They also have a Sunday Brunch that folks rave about, but I’ve not tried it myself.

You can see the original Aristocrat review at:

http://breadedtenderloin.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/the-aristocrat-indianapolis-broad-ripple/

C. R. Heroe’s Family Pub.  I’m not sure, but I believe C R Heroe’s was one of the first to bring the “family pub” concept to the area, and it’s served them well.  No matter what age you are, you can have fun and a great meal here.  The restaurant is nicely decorated, the staff is friendly, and the portions are ample.  A couple of things to try:  the garlic mayo…I wasn’t so sure about it, but, WOW…that is some good stuff.  Also, the Italian Beef sandwich is, according to those in the know, the best around.  It’s also a very good place to watch a ball game, and they always have something special going on there.
You can see the original C. R. Heroe’s review at:

http://breadedtenderloin.wordpress.com/2009/12/10/c-r-heros-family-pub-fishers-indiana/

Jimmy B’s.  Jimmy B’s is the place where it all started.  If you’re looking for classy dining, let me tell you right off…this isn’t the place for you.  But if you’re looking for the quintessential neighborhood bar…with good food….you won’t go wrong here.  It’s 21 and over, and smoker friendly, but if you go during off peak hours you’ll be OK.  The tenderloin has to be eaten to be believed, the burgers are quite good, and Holly raves about the chicken quesadillas.  The waffle fries are perfect, and it’s one of the best places in town to people watch.
You can see the latest original Jimmy B’s review at:

http://breadedtenderloin.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/jimmy-bs-home-place-indianapolis-indiana/

And, there you have it – my top 3 out of my first 100 reviews.  Stay tuned for number 101!

It’s been a great 100.  I’ve been interviewed by some podcasts, magazines, radio stations, and more, and have enjoyed every minute of it.  And I look forward to the next 100!

When I was approaching number 100, there really was no question as to where I wanted to go.  Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington, Indiana, is the generally accepted home of the breaded tenderloin (although a couple of other places argue that claim), so off to Huntington we went.

If you want to read a bit about the restaurant and history, you can go to www.nickskitchen.net.

Nick’s is your typical small town diner.  I was struck upon entering just how sparkling clean it was…it looked like everything had been freshly scrubbed and clean. The walls have dozens, if not more, pictures of local history.  This being Dan Quayle’s hometown, there are many photos of him, including a couple of him at Nick’s, where he announced his candidacy. While we were there we heard someone ask the waitress “Do you remember when Danny Quayle was here??”…

One thing I’ve found out about tenderloins in doing these reviews is how loyal folks are to them.  I’ve had views from all over the world, both from transplanted Hoosiers and from folks who have either had a tenderloin while passing through, or who have heard about them from relatives or friends here.  Nick’s menu says the same…and they SHIP their tenderloins, all over the world!  Yes, we tenderloin lovers are passionate.

Nick’s menu has pretty much standard diner fare, with a few exceptions.  Goulash was the lunch special yesterday, and Holly had something I’m not sure I’ve ever seen on a diner menu, but more about that later.

Of course, I chose the breaded tenderloin.  This was what I had driven 90 minutes for, to have the one that “started it all”, as the menu says.

Well…as you can tell by the picture…it might as well have been a pre-processed fritter.  Matter of fact, I’m not sure it wasn’t! But, to be fair, I’m not sure it was, either.  We’ll just stick with it looked and tasted like a fritter and let you all make your own judgement. Being a devoted tenderloin connoisseur….about all I can say about it is that it was edible.  The bun WAS nicely toasted and it was dressed as I requested…but that’s pretty much it.  I’m going to give Nick’s breaded tenderloin a 1 out of 5 bites.  Just edible.

The onion rings were OUTSTANDING and I wouldn’t hesitate to get them again.

Holly had a Portabella Po’ Boy.  Gotta love fried mushrooms!  These were big strips of portabella fried to a golden brown and served on a toasted bun.  That much alone sounded delicious. Although it was advertised to have “roasted red peppers, lettuce, and Italian dressing”, it arrived differently. She requested no lettuce and the dressing on the side, which they got right.  But the red peppers were not roasted – they were raw.  And the mushrooms were covered with shredded cheese. The menu said nothing about shredded cheese on the sandwich.  Had she known that it came with cheese she would have ordered that on the side as well. She said that even though it was not quite what she expected, it was still tasty.  However, she observed freshly formed hamburger patties being constructed in the kitchen (which is fully visible from the dining room), and decided that when they visit Nick’s again, she would definitely order one of those!

If you go to Nick’s and Sugar Cream Pie is on the menu for the day, do NOT hesitate to order it.
I would turn around right now and drive and hour and a half for another piece of that pie..it truly WAS that good, and they’re made in house.

All in all…Nick’s was a good experience.  We’d certainly go back, I just wouldn’t order the tenderloin again.

Nick’s is located at 506 N Jefferson in Huntington, Indiana

I gotta say, it takes guts to name your establishment after a lost cause…so kudos to the owners for doing this!

The decor is what I would call “funky”.  All kinds of art on the walls, exposed pipes and vents in the ceiling, it made me feel like I was stepping back into the 70′s….and I liked it.  And the owner gets even more kudos because it’s LOCAL art.

The menu was VERY eclectic and diverse.  If you go and aren’t sure what you want, plan on spending a few minutes perusing the menu, for there’s some for just about every taste.

We chose an appetizer, a Korean noodle dish called dukboki.  I have to admit I was skeptical when Holly ordered these….I said “I’ll try one” but in my mind I thought “I’m not going to like these”.  Folks, these were over the top outstanding.  They had the PERFECT mix of heat and flavor…without one overpowering the other.  I HIGHLY recommend these.

Of course, I chose the breaded tenderloin for my meal.  It’s billed as “Indy’s Worst Tenderloin”…again, a move that is either crazy or a sign of genius…and, in this case, a little bit of both.

The breading, while not quite traditional, is very, very good.  Nice and crispy, flavorful, and, most importantly, it holds its crunch throughout the life of the sandwich…not a hint of sogginess here!  The breading is certainly a 5/5.

The meat itself is quite flavorful, however, I WILL say it was just a touch on the dry side.  Not a lot, but enough to fall short of perfect.  The taste was outstanding and it was nice and tender, though…so not a MAJOR shortcoming.  When I took my first bite, the meat was a bit thinner than I prefer, but it was thicker on the other side of the sandwich.  That, my friends, is the true mark of a hand-pounded, hand breaded sandwich…not something pressed in a factory.

The bun, again, was OUTSTANDING.  Perfectly toasted, and the perfect complement to an already fine sandwich.  I’m going to give The Sinking Ship’s breaded tenderloin a 4.5 out of 5 bites…only the dryness of the meat made if fall short of perfection.

For my side, I had tater tots and they were perfectly crisp and tasty.  I don’t know why more restaurants don’t offer this option as a side!

For her meal, Holly chose a half sandwich and soup combo – ½ grilled provolone on rye and a cup of homemade vegan chili.  She said they were quite tasty.  Along with her meal, she had a Founders Holiday Stout, which she also enjoyed.

The Sinking Ship is located at 4923 N College in Indianapolis, and you can find them online at www.thesinkingship.com.  It is a 21 and over, smoker friendly venue.

The Ram is a chain that is celebrating their 40th anniversary…honestly, I had no clue they’d been around that long!  Part sports bar, part micro brewery, part restaurant, all those separate parts work together in a casual, friendly atmosphere that made for a very pleasant date night for Holly and I.

The menu is quite large and varied…and…it’s almost overwhelming.  If you didn’t know what you wanted for supper, you could spend some time reading the menu and there certainly is something on there for every taste.

Knowing they had a breaded tenderloin on their menu, I knew immediately that’s what I wanted.  However, upon reading the description, I realized it wasn’t a “traditional” tenderloin as many of us Hoosiers know it.  That said….be forewarned, I’m not going to rate this on my traditional 0-5 scale…which is the same thing I’ve done with some other non-traditional tenderloins.

The breading is really, really outstanding.  It’s infused with 71 Pale Ale, and nice extremely crunchy and tasty.  I really like the breading a lot!  I had a delightful visit with the chef after our meal, and when he told me how many ingredients were in the breading, I was stunned.  He’s obviously done his homework and has came up with a wonderful breading.

The meat itself fell short of outstanding.  It was too thin for my personal taste, and that wonderful breading almost overwhelmed the taste of the meat.  In addition, they use cubed pork instead of hand cut and pounded tenderloin, so, again it’s not quite traditional.

The sandwich is served on a Kasier roll, with cracked black pepper mayo and a number of other dressings.  Since I saw from the onset that this wasn’t a traditional tenderloin, I opted to get it as dressed from the kitchen instead of my normal mayo, ketchup, and onion only.

And….I’ve got to tell you.  I was skeptical – quite skeptical at first.  But..it works.  All the ingredients put together work quite well indeed.  So, instead of scoring this on my normal scale, I’m going to take a hint from my friends over at wouldibuyitagain.com and ask myself the question:  “Would I buy it again?”, and the answer is yes.  It’s not your momma’s tenderloin….but it’s quite good and I wouldn’t hesitate to get it again.

Holly got the Beer Cheese Soup, (a FourSquare check-in bonus!) and I tried a bit, and it was simply outstanding!  For her entree, she ordered the LoCal Chicken & Shrimp Sauté – an entrée off of their anniversary menu.  This is a grouping of restaurant favorites that have been brought out of retirement for a limited time.  It was nothing short of fantastic.

Our service was outstanding…and in the interest of fairness, I should point out that our server is a musician we are acquainted with.  However, I got to watch him interact with other tables, and all the servers seemed to be on top of their game.  It was a dining experience that was definitely a cut above…matter of fact, I’d rate the whole experience…food, atmosphere, and service, a 5/5.  We’ll be back and be back soon.

A word of advice.  If you like dessert, try the mile high mud pie.  But…if you do….you should bring a large family, or, better yet, a small army.  There’s a LOT of food there!

The Ram is located at 12750 Parkside Drive in Fishers.  The Tenderloin is available ONLY at the Fishers location.  You can find their website at www.theram.com

And, just a closing note.  This is review #99 for me.  I’ve got something VERY special….that involves a road trip…for review #100.  Stay tuned!

Upon entering, I was really surprised at just how large this place is!  From the street, it doesn’t look like it would seat more than 20 or 30 people, but there’s a nice dining room, a nice stage area and a nice bar.  The evening we were there, most of the people were seated at the bar, and for good reason….the bartender was serving as the server for the entire place.

I was pleasantly surprised at just how varied the menu was.  Steaks, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and much, much more.  A several page menu, it took a few minutes to peruse it and make our choices.

Well, actually, it didn’t take me long.  When I saw “hand breaded tenderloin” I knew what *I* was going to get.

When I ordered the sandwich, the server ask me “Do you want the beer breading or the regular breading?”.    Now….here’s a place that obviously takes their breaded tenderloin serious! I chose the beer batter breading, and I’m glad I did.

The sandwich is nice and thick…thicker than all but a couple of tenderloins I’ve tasted.  The meat is moist and tender, with not even the slightest hint of gristle. The flavor is great, and it was done perfectly.

The beer breading is really, really outstanding.  It’s a little thinner than some of the breadings I’ve had, but, in this case, it works, and it works well. It’s so crisp and flavorful that you don’t need a lot of it to make the sandwich really “pop”.  The sandwich was served dressed exactly as I ordered it, the bun was nicely toasted….this sandwich certainly is a 5 out of 5…really, really outstanding.

I ordered onion rings as my side, and they were very, very good also.  I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to get them again.

For her dinner, Holly choose the Lime Glazed Salmon Salad.  It was quite tasty as well.  She also sampled the Dirty Helen Ale and said it was outstanding.

Barley Island is located at 639 Connner Street in Noblesville, Indiana.  It’s an all ages restaurant until the kitchen closes  (“around” 10PM) then it becomes 21 and over.
You can find them online at www.barleyisland.com

The Fort Grille is an interesting place.  It’s nicely decorated with local street signs and other bits of local history, giving it the feel of a small town diner. However, the menu is that of a more upscale restaurant.  Along with burgers and sandwiches, there are a number of Italian dishes, steaks and other items on the ample menu.

I saw they had a breaded tenderloin, and knew that I had to try it.  An interesting aside…they also offer a “breaded chicken tenderloin”.  Being a purist…I chose the pork.

The sandwich is hand pounded and breaded, and the breading was really outstanding.  Nice and crispy, with a very nice flavor.  It’s certainly among the best breading I’ve ever had.

However, the meat is another story.  It was bland and tasteless, and was pounded out far too thin for my taste.  Although the sandwich LOOKED good….it might as well have been a breading sandwich, for that’s all I could taste.

The bun, also, was sub-standard.  Yes, it was nicely toasted.  However, it was stale and hard around the edges. The sandwich was served dressed as I requested with plenty of onion, but, all in all, it was a major disappointment.  I’m going to give it a 2 out of 5…edible, but certainly below average. However, the home made chips I ordered as a side were simply outstanding.

I also ordered a side salad and it was also outstanding.  A nice mix of greens made for a nice start for the meal.

Being a new restaurant, there are expected to be a few glitches in the system, and they all were evident on Saturday night. Holly ordered eggplant parmesan which was on the menu, only to be told by our server that they’ve taken it off the menu.  She ordered chicken marsala, which was very good indeed.

Once we had ordered our meal, a couple was seated next to us, and the waitress started telling them the special of the day, which included a Rib Eye steak special. Our server never said anything to us about the special.  Although I STILL would’ve opted for the tenderloin, it certainly would have been nice to have been made aware of the specials before we ordered.

All said, I DO like this place.  I’ll give them some time to get the glitches worked out of their system and give them another try when I’m through the area.

The Fort Grille is located at 901 E Broadway in Fortville, Indiana.  You can find them online at: http://fortgrille.com/

The Oaken Barrel in Greenwood is a place I’ve been aware of for quite some time now.  It seems to be quite popular, but it seems we rarely find ourselves in Greenwood with any time to spare. This week gave us the opportunity to stop and enjoy a relaxing dinner before taking care of some business in the area.

The restaurant is nicely decorated with posters, prints, and I would call it “pleasantly busy”.  There is plenty of stuff to look it, yet not so much that it’s distracting.

It’s the same with TVs.  There are a few scattered around, but there are ample places to sit and enjoy a conversation without being in sight of a TV. I appreciate this!

The menu is  quite varied, with everything from burgers to pizza to steak  and much more.   And, if you are a beer fan, there are a number of different options available for you.

I wasn’t sure if they even offered a breaded tenderloin, but since they were on the way to where we were going, I decided to give them a try. I saw one on the menu, and asked the waitress “how is your breaded tenderloin” and…this is the FIRST time this has happened….she said “It’s NOT a fritter”.  So…of course, this is what I ordered!

The sandwich is nice sized, although it IS pounded out just a bit thinner than is my personal preference.  But, being  largely a matter of personal preference, that won’t affect the score.

The meat itself is VERY good!  Tender and moist, with a very nice flavor.  Perhaps not the VERY best I’ve tasted, but it certainly ranks up there with the top.

The breading, although very good, leaves a little something to be desired.  Yes, it’s good,  VERY good.  But it is lacking that little extra “oomph” that takes it over the top.

That said, it’s a VERY good sandwich, that falls just shy of the 5/5 rating that is breaded heaven.  The bun is nicely toasted, it was served dressed exactly as I requested, and it’s well above average. I’m going to give it a 4 out of 5 bites, which means that it’s well above average, and I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to order it again on my next stop…and we will certainly be back!

The french fries were among the best I’ve ever had.  Beer battered and done perfectly, you won’t go wrong with  them. Holly chose the broiled seafood platter,which consisted of tilapia, shrimp,and scallops, and raved about how good that was.

Our dinner at the Oaken Barrel was a great experience.  It’s one of those restaurants that we’ll make a point to go to again. Oaken Barrel is located at 50 N Airport Parkway in Greenwood, or you can find them online at www.oakenbarrel.com

Upon entering, it’s a large place, and kind of reminds me of a Denny’s in it’s layout.  Although we arrived at prime lunchtime for the Sunday after church crowd, we were seated quickly and our capable server answered a few menu questions for us.

The menu is quite complete, with a vast breakfast selection, lots of sandwiches, plate lunches, and a variety of Greek food, also.

There is a breaded tenderloin on the menu, and I asked the waitress if it was really a breaded tenderloin, or a pork fritter.  She replied…”It’s a fritter”. It might have been my imagination, but I do believe she said it with regret and wiped a single tear from her eye.

OK, maybe I’m stretching it a bit. However, Carver’s won my business right there.  By being honest with me, they turned what could have been a bad experience and an unhappy customer right around.

SO…I ordered the steakburger patty melt, and it was very, very good indeed.  The meat had a wonderful flavor, the onions were grilled to perfection, and the toast was perfect. With it, I had onion rings…not outstanding, but VERY good, and french onion soup, which was pretty average.  All in all, it was a very good meal.

Holly had a build your own omelette.  Carver’s makes their omelettes with 6(!) eggs, so Holly chose hers half-sized, made with EggBeaters, and raved about how good it was….very light and fluffy.

I would consider the price to be moderate for the amount and quality of food we received, and although I was disappointed that they offer a fritter instead of a tenderloin…the positive experience we received…and the honesty from our server, means we’ll be back!

Carver’s is located at 2270 Chester Blvd in Richmond, Indiana.  I was unable to locate a web site for them.

It’s part family restaurant and part bar.  I’m generally not a fan of those restaurants that can’t seem to make up their mind what they want to be, but in this case, it works pretty well.  The family side is non smoking, but the bar side is smoker friendly, so be aware of that if you’re sensitive to smoke.

The decor is warm and friendly,  although has a “home interior party” feel to it.  There are a few nice local touches, but nothing outstanding.

I would call the service warm and friendly also.  Our server, although quite busy, did a fine job of taking care of us.

The menu has a nice mix of pub fare….burgers, pizza, and so on, as well as a lot of comfort food…chicken and noodles, broasted chicken, meatloaf, and other items that are traditional in the midwest.

I had heard that they had a pretty good tenderloin, so decided to give them a try on a Friday night.

The tenderloin was nice sized, and although it has the appearance of a frozen fritter, that’s not the case.  They are handmade here at the restaurant.

I had really high hopes for the breading….as I was told they use potato chips as a base…but, once again,  those hopes were dashed against the rocks of mediocrity.  The breading was not outstanding  as I had expected.  It wasn’t bad….it just wasn’t especially good.

The meat, too, suffered the same fate.  It was pounded out a little thinner than I prefer, but the taste just wasn’t there.  It was a bit  dry, and although the flavor wasn’t bad, it wasn’t terribly good either.  Just so-so.  I’m going to give the sandwich a 3 out o 5…just average.

The onion rings that I chose to go with my meal were above average, but fell short of outstanding.

Holly chose a grilled chicken salad, and it was, again, OK, but nothing to write home about.

That all said, we WILL return based on the service and prices.  We have it on good authority that the broasted chicken is nothing short of spectacular, and also the chicken and noodle dinner is what dreams are made of…..by all reports, if you want that, you should go for lunch, as they often run out by the time dinner hour rolls around.

The Old Trail Restaurant is located on State Road 38, just East of Highway 69, in Pendleton, Indiana. I was unable to find a web site for them.