One of the most mouth-wateringly delicious contests in the state of Iowa is heating up at the right time. The contest launched in April, and now, five finalists have been revealed.

It's the annual "Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin" contest held by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. Per The Des Moines Register, the Iowa Pork Producers Association, also known as simply "Iowa Pork," has been doing this since 2003. Each year, they honor a restaurant serving the best breaded pork tenderloin in the state. All the way back in 2003, Darrell's Place in Hamlin, IA won named in the first contest.

The Ground Rules:

Since April, people have been voting in droves for restaurants all across the state they believe do pork tenderloin the best. The contest does have a few rules, which in turn eliminate some businesses from competing:

  • Pork tenderloins must be hand-breaded or battered
  • The restaurant serving the pork tenderloin must be open all year long
  • The restaurant serving the pork tenderloin must have it on the menu as a regular item
  • No food trucks
  • No concession stands
  • No seasonal eateries
  • No catering businesses

There's also a fascinating wrinkle this year; one that has never happened before. Of the five finalists, two of the restaurants are located in Monticello, making the competition particularly spicy this year.

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The Five Finalists in the Contest:

The five restaurants competing for the title of "Best Pork Tenderloin in Iowa" are:

The Market at the Tap was also one of the 10 finalists for the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen's Association's 15th annual Iowa's Best Burger contest, per The Des Moines Register.

Kelsey Sutter, marketing and programs director for the Iowa Pork Producers, commented about the uniqueness of having two establishments in the same town competing for the title:

That’s good news for the folks of Monticello and Jones County that they have multiple options for delicious pork tenderloins right there in town. It’s very rare to have two finalists from the same town in the same year. In fact, it’s never happened in the history of this contest, dating back more than 20 years. - Kelsey Sutter, per The Des Moines Register

Last Year's Winner:

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Last year, Cliff's Place in Manning, IA was named the eatery that serves the best breaded pork tenderloin.

Cliff's Place has been going strong since 1977. Owned and operated by brothers Jon and Jim Waterbury, Cliff's Place got its name from their father, the restaurant's founder, who passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2007, per The Des Moines Register.

It's stories like these that get told with a wonderful contest like this.

Photo Credit: DarcyMaulsby, Getty Images + Canva
Photo Credit: DarcyMaulsby, Getty Images + Canva
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What Does the Winning Restaurant Receive?:

532 restaurants all across Iowa were nominated over the last several months. The judges tried out 40 contenders, five of each in eight districts, to narrow down the count to five, per The Des Moines Register.

The winning restaurant receives the following:

  • $500 cash prize
  • A commemorative plaque
  • A banner to display in their restaurant
  • Statewide publicity

The runner-up wins $250 and a plaque from Iowa Pork as well.

The winner of the "Best Pork Tenderloin in Iowa" contest will be announced later this month to celebrate October Pork Month. For more information, visit Iowa Pork's website. Find the list of past winners here!

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