Dairy Sweet, located in Dunlap, Iowa, and owned by Lori and Greg Thomsen, has claimed the title of Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin in 2024, and the Thompsons collected $500.
This marks a triumphant return to a legacy that began in 2005 when the restaurant first won under the ownership of Lori’s parents. Lori and Greg purchased Dairy Sweet from her parents in 2013 and made a strategic move to Main Street, allowing her to not only enhance the restaurant’s visibility but also its reputation for serving some of the finest pork tenderloins in the state.
The Iowa Pork Producers Association conducts the Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest each year. This spring, the IPPA garnered nearly 6,000 nominations from 532 restaurants across the state. Dairy Sweet is the first restaurant to win the title more than once in the 22-year history of the contest.
This year’s runner-up is Ruby’s Bar & Grill of Stuart, Iowa. The owners will receive a $250 prize along with a plaque from the IPPA.