Taylor Huff

July 8, 2025

Tenderloin or Bust: A 4-Day Backroad Binge

Hit Indiana’s backroads on a 4-day tenderloin tour. 10 local spots, no chains, just golden, crispy pork sandwiches bigger than your plate.

Hometown Headlines
Food

Tenderloin or Bust: A 4-Day Backroad Binge

When it comes to iconic eats, Indiana doesn’t mess around—especially when there’s a pork tenderloin sandwich involved. This isn’t just any sandwich. We’re talking about a Hoosier masterpiece: a juicy, crispy, breaded cutlet that’s bigger than the plate it’s served on, tucked inside a modest hamburger bun that’s usually hanging on for dear life. From small-town diners to roadside bars, the pork tenderloin is Indiana’s unofficial state dish and a rite of passage for anyone hitting the backroads. It’s golden, it’s glorious, and around here, it’s basically a food group.

When you take the interstate, you get where you're going. But when you take the back roads? You find things. Brandon Gentry grabbed a couple friends and went to find the best pork tenderloins in Indiana. Ten tenderloins in four days, no chain restaurants and only backroads. Watch the road trip and discover some tenderloin hidden gems!

Here are 10 tenderloin spots to hit up on your next road trip! 

  1. Weenee World (New Castle)

  2. Waylon’s Bar (Marion) 

  3. Kermit's Food Shop Bar & Grill  (Andrews) 

  4. Nick's Kitchen (Huntington)

  5. Brewery Lodge (Michigan City)

  6. Three Sheets Bar & Grill Inc  (Michigan City)

  7. One Eyed Jack's (Winamac)

  8. The Sixth Street Dive (Lafayette)  

  9. Shipley’s Tavern (Madison)

  10. Hinkle's Sandwich Shop (Madison) 

Tenderloin or Bust: A 4-Day Backroad Binge

When it comes to iconic eats, Indiana doesn’t mess around—especially when there’s a pork tenderloin sandwich involved. This isn’t just any sandwich. We’re talking about a Hoosier masterpiece: a juicy, crispy, breaded cutlet that’s bigger than the plate it’s served on, tucked inside a modest hamburger bun that’s usually hanging on for dear life. From small-town diners to roadside bars, the pork tenderloin is Indiana’s unofficial state dish and a rite of passage for anyone hitting the backroads. It’s golden, it’s glorious, and around here, it’s basically a food group.

When you take the interstate, you get where you're going. But when you take the back roads? You find things. Brandon Gentry grabbed a couple friends and went to find the best pork tenderloins in Indiana. Ten tenderloins in four days, no chain restaurants and only backroads. Watch the road trip and discover some tenderloin hidden gems!

Here are 10 tenderloin spots to hit up on your next road trip! 

  1. Weenee World (New Castle)

  2. Waylon’s Bar (Marion) 

  3. Kermit's Food Shop Bar & Grill  (Andrews) 

  4. Nick's Kitchen (Huntington)

  5. Brewery Lodge (Michigan City)

  6. Three Sheets Bar & Grill Inc  (Michigan City)

  7. One Eyed Jack's (Winamac)

  8. The Sixth Street Dive (Lafayette)  

  9. Shipley’s Tavern (Madison)

  10. Hinkle's Sandwich Shop (Madison) 

Tenderloin or Bust: A 4-Day Backroad Binge

When it comes to iconic eats, Indiana doesn’t mess around—especially when there’s a pork tenderloin sandwich involved. This isn’t just any sandwich. We’re talking about a Hoosier masterpiece: a juicy, crispy, breaded cutlet that’s bigger than the plate it’s served on, tucked inside a modest hamburger bun that’s usually hanging on for dear life. From small-town diners to roadside bars, the pork tenderloin is Indiana’s unofficial state dish and a rite of passage for anyone hitting the backroads. It’s golden, it’s glorious, and around here, it’s basically a food group.

When you take the interstate, you get where you're going. But when you take the back roads? You find things. Brandon Gentry grabbed a couple friends and went to find the best pork tenderloins in Indiana. Ten tenderloins in four days, no chain restaurants and only backroads. Watch the road trip and discover some tenderloin hidden gems!

Here are 10 tenderloin spots to hit up on your next road trip! 

  1. Weenee World (New Castle)

  2. Waylon’s Bar (Marion) 

  3. Kermit's Food Shop Bar & Grill  (Andrews) 

  4. Nick's Kitchen (Huntington)

  5. Brewery Lodge (Michigan City)

  6. Three Sheets Bar & Grill Inc  (Michigan City)

  7. One Eyed Jack's (Winamac)

  8. The Sixth Street Dive (Lafayette)  

  9. Shipley’s Tavern (Madison)

  10. Hinkle's Sandwich Shop (Madison) 

Written By:

Taylor Huff

Written By:

Taylor Huff

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