MANNING, Iowa — Looking for the best breaded pork tenderloin in Iowa? Cliff's Place in Manning has you covered.
Cliff's Place won the annual Iowa's Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin contest, presented by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA).
The small town restaurant beat out four other finalists: runner-up The Roadhouse (Orange City), Stumpy's Bar & Grill (Duncombe), Spillway Supper Club (Harpers Ferry) and Tojo's Bar & Grille (Jamaica).
The sandwich at Cliff's Place begins with 6 ounces of pork "sliced from a never-frozen boneless loin" and tenderized to perfection, according to a press release.
From there, the tenderloin is hand-breaded to order and fried to a golden brown. Cliff's Place keeps it simple, serving the tenderloin with pickles and a Rotella's Italian Bakery bun.
"We don't glorify anything on it," owner Jim Waterbury told IPPA. "It's all about the pork—that’s what we want you to taste.”
That simplicity is what earned the sandwich high marks from the judges, including Chef Phil Carey.
“The breading just complemented the pork so well, and the tenderloin didn’t overwhelm the bun,” Carey told IPPA. “It was a perfect combination, juicy to the final bite, and a very enjoyable sandwich to eat.”
Cliff's Place typically serves 70 tenderloins a week. but that number is expected to skyrocket. IPPA reports winning restaurants can sell up to 10 times more sandwiches in the month following the award announcement.
But while the restaurant welcomes newcomers, community members will know Cliff's as a local staple: Cliff and Vicki Waterbury, Jim Waterbury's parents, opened the restaurant in 1976.
Jim and his brother Jon took over the restaurant in 2008 after their father died, but their mom still works daily at the restaurant.
Cliff's Place will have a plaque and large banner to display their achievement, plus a $500 award.
IPPA says the organization "received a record of more than 9,000 nominations for 774 restaurants this past spring."
Last year's winner was Lid's Bar & Grill in Waukon.
