Dairy Sweet

Awarded the Best Tenderloin award by the Iowa Pork Producers’ Association in 2005, Dairy Sweet is a small mom-and-pop operation on Dunlap’s main drag. After winning the coveted prize, the number of visitors to the Dairy Sweet multiplied, until they sold 6,000 sandwiches in 2006 and 12,000 the year after. The sandwich is certainly worthy of the praise that has been bestowed upon it. The tenderloin itself is thickly cut and covered in a crispy, gnarled crust. Unlike those thin, perfectly symmetrical tenderloins, this sandwich is like a snowflake — no two are ever the same.

The cheeseburgers are a carnivore’s delight: hand-formed, slider-sized patties packed to the thickness of a steakhouse-style burger. We haven’t made our way deeper into the menu yet, which includes the regular assortment of fried foods (onion rings, mushrooms, chicken tenders), sandwiches, and hot dogs — primarily because the tenderloin is a must-have with every visit. We were always a little envious of those Dunlap denizens who used the laundromat across the street, for they had the opportunity to indulge in one of Iowa’s best BPTs between wash and dry cycles any time they had a craving!