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    Gramma's Kitchen & Checkered Flag

    3.8 (167 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Gramma's Kitchen & Checkered Flag Photos

    Business Info

    GRAMMA'S KITCHEN & CHECKERED FLAG ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Touristy
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials

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    LaCora H.

    Popped in for a take out order and was happy to get food that tasted like it was from grandma's kitchen. The BLT was packed with fresh, thick cut bacon. The bread was toasted and the veggies were crisp. The loaded potato skins were good... the (maybe bbq) sauce was a bit of a surprise which wasn't terrible, just different. Inside is very 80/90s ish....comfy and cozy.

    A sea of honey mustard dressing accompanied the salad.
    Dustin H.

    When you claim to have the "Best Breaded Tenderloin in Iowa" there is no question I am going to have to confirm and confirm I did. The damn sandwich is about as perfect as you can hope for. That said, based on my wife's salad, I would suggest only ordering the tourist-focused items, with "As featured on the travel network" listed alongside its on the menu, as I get the sense Gramma serves up a few misses along with the hits. We enjoyed the service, and the friendly break from the madness that is the Iowa 80 truckstop across the street, which has, arguably, one of the worst restaurants in the state. Long story short, get the breaded tenderloin sandwich and enjoy your life.

    Gramma's tenderloin.  A work of art.
    Peter T.

    If you've ever driven across Iowa on Interstate 80 (Mainstreet USA), you've either stopped at this exit or at least noticed the signage for "The World's Largest Truck Stop."  Yep, it's at this exit.  But that's not where I stopped this trip, I stopped across the road at Gramma's Kitchen because two years it ago, it made the list of the best tenderloins in the state, according to the Iowa Pork Producers. So what exactly is a tenderloin?  It's a boneless pork chop, smashed with a hammer or other blunt instrument until it's enlarged and very thin, the drenched in a coating or batter, deep-fried, plopped onto a bun entirely too small for the piece of meat, and dressed up with pickles, onions, and occasionally mayo. I opted for tots on the side, pickle was included, a damn fine one, too, crispy half-sour. The sandwich was perfect, crispy coating, but the meat was still juicy inside. Bakery-style bun, soft yet substantial enough to hold the ample cut of meat. The tots were piping hot, right from the fryer, and lightly seasoned.  I hated "baked" tots, not crispy enough.  If your tot hasn't got crunch, why get them? The restaurant has an attached bar with an abbreviated menu, and throughout the building are Iowa souvenirs as well as some preserves and the like. As is my habit, I grabbed a colorful souvenir magnet, even tho I have no place to put them anymore, my frig is stainless steel. Start planning your next road trip.  Oh, almost forgot, you don't have to get the tenderloin battered and fried, most places will happily grill one for you instead

    Turkey dinner w/mashed potatoes.
    Mark O.

    Greeted immediately upon walking in. Server was friendly and checked in regularly. Salad bar is currently operational with appropriate sanitation measures--gloves and sanitizer. One suggestion: Use the spoons that identify dressings. Couldn't tell if one was blue cheese or ranch...and wasn't going to run the risk. Nice, thick slices of turkey. Homemade mashed potatoes. Definitely worth stopping off.

    Pork tenderloin sandwich
    Vin S.

    I went here because it was close to the I-80 truck stop and supposedly had a good pork tenderloin sandwich. It was pretty good. The next day, the sandwich had lost all of its poignancy (see: archaic use of poignant).

    salad bar and corn beef and cabbage soup
    Michelle J.

    This place was fantastic the service was very friendly and quick and the food was delicious! They also have great looking desserts I got a huge cookie to take home. We will stop here again when we are traveling.

    Brisket bacon barbecue cheddar burger

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    "Dedicated to the American Farmer." That is The Machine Shed's creed…read more Today (August 1st 2025) my wife and I stopped in for lunch, and I'm glad we did. It was our first visit so we weren't sure what to expect. I now know you can expect: friendly service, reasonable prices, and good food. When you walk in the front door it is a little confusing. There is a gift shop, and the restaurant is past the gift shop; but the hostess stand is in the gift shop. You also pay your dinning bill at the gift shop counter. The gift shop got very congested, but it was not a big deal and won't impact my rating. We started with a cup of French Onion Soup. It was very good, they top it with some thin french fried onions which was a nice twist. It has been awhile since I've been in Iowa and I was craving a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. The sandwich was good but not up to Iowa standards. I'm accustomed to a breaded pork tenderloin that is pounded nice and thin and is way bigger than the bun. This was not pounded thin. It was a thick cut of meat. But, I repeat it was good. My fries were delicious. My wife had the Classic Burger and it was excellent. She said her sweet potato fries were good (I did not try them). Service is friendly, and prices are reasonable. One word of caution: If you are on a road-trip and hoping for a quick stop (as we were) be warned it won't be quick. Everything is made from scratch, which is great, but it definitely takes longer. If you are in Davenport and looking for good food at reasonable prices you might want to stop by The Machine Shed.

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