Tenderloin earns Johnson County eatery an award

A restaurant in eastern Iowa’s Johnson County is getting national recognition for its inexpensive yet delectable eats.Jim Joens of Solon has run Joensy’s for 20 years and built his reputation on the pork tenderloin. The March edition of Food and Wine magazine ranks Joensy’s number-32 on its list of America’s 75 best food buys in the category of meals under ten dollars. Joens says the national ranking was a shock. He says they had no idea anyone was coming. Joens says his trademark sandwich is about the size of a hubcap. He says “a lotta’ people have learned to eat ’em by either folding them over or eating around the edges first.” For the price, he says the sandwich absolutely lives up to the sign out front which reads: “Home of the biggest and best pork tenderloin in Iowa.” The breaded pork tenderloins are five bucks each, seven in a basket, while the more “heart-healthy” grilled versions are a dollar cheaper. Joensy’s eatery has also been featured in Midwest Living Magazine, The Boston Globe and the Wall Street Journal. He says patrons have included: former University of Iowa coaches Dan Gable and Hayden Fry, former C-B-S newsman Charles Kuralt, and former astronaut and U-S Senator John Glenn.