It’s Time to Nominate Your Favorite Iowa Tenderloin in 2026

Iowa's annual Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest is underway, and it's time for you to send in your nominations!

How Do I Nominate a Restaurant?

On April 15th, the Iowa Pork Producers Association officially began taking nominations for Iowa's Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin in 2026. The organization has been highlighting Iowa's most delicious tenderloins since 2003, announcing the winner at the start of Pork Month each October.

Nominating your favorite Iowa tenderloin is a quick and easy process, but, there are some rules you should know before you choose your restaurant. Those rules include:

• The restaurants must have year-round, regular hours and have a pork tenderloin sandwich on their regular, daily menu - "Food trucks, concession stands, seasonal establishments, and catering businesses are not eligible"
• Tenderloins can be either either bread crumb-style or battered & fried (pork fritters do NOT qualify)
• Nominations can't be submitted by the owner/operator of the restaurant
• Any 1st place winning restaurant is ineligible from the competition for the 5 years following their win

Unlike Iowa's Best Burger Competition, you can only send in ONE nomination for Iowa's Best Tenderloin, so choose wisely! Nominations MUST BE SUBMITTED HERE by Monday, June 1st at 11:59 p.m.

What Happens Next?

One the nomination period ends, the Pork Producers' website says that the competition is narrowed down to "the top 5 restaurants with the most nominations from each of [the] eight IPPA districts." Then, the top 40 restaurants are judged by IPPA members/affiliates around the state and they select a top 5.

Once the top five are chosen, a panel selected by the Restaurant and Foodservice Committee will judge the top five, naming a 1st place and 2nd place winner. The 1st place winner receives a plaque, an outdoor banner, and $500, while 2nd place receives a plaque and $250. The remaining three each receive a small plaque to display in their restaurant. As we previously mentioned, the winners won't be announced until October.

Who Are the Previous Winners?

In 2025, Hometown Heroes in Grinnell was the first place winner, and second place went to The 1854 in Gilbertville. The remaining top five were:

• Dexfield Diner & Pub, Redfield
• Sugar’s Lounge & Diner, Council Bluffs
• Walker’s, Salix

Who will you be nominating in 2026? Let us know in the comments or by sending us a message on our station app!

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READ MORE: Who Has the Best Burger in Iowa? Here are All the Winners