Restaurant Review: Mr. Dave's In North Manchester, Indiana

Mr. Dave's in downtown North Manchester, Indiana, has earned nationwide reviews for its in-house-cut pork tenderloin sandwiches.

Since my family hails from the North Manchester area, and I was raised hearing of the storied Hoosier delicacy, I decided to try my first breaded pork tenderloin sandwich on a recent trip back to the area. While many northeastern Indiana restaurants serve a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, I decided to try Mr. Dave's version first to see if the sandwich was truly deserving of all its hype.

The pork tenderloin sandwich ($4.29) is now not only served breaded but also grilled for the more health conscious. On this outing, my mother and I ordered the breaded version, while my cousin and uncle opted for the grilled. We had them topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise - except for mine. I don't eat tomatoes.

These tenderloins truly justified pork's claim as "the other white meat." They were low in fat, and Mr. Dave's version was well seasoned, tender, and large - the patty overhung the bun substantially in both the breaded and grilled versions. The breaded version closely resembled good German Wiener Schnitzel, just served on a bun.

We also ordered fried mushrooms. While their uniformity would indicate that they came prepackaged, frozen, these were still some of the best fried mushrooms I have ever eaten. Large button mushrooms were covered with a substantial, but not overbearing, breading and fried hot to the center but were not greasy. We also shared an order of onion rings. The rings were whole onion, not diced, lightly breaded, and also fried perfectly, obviously in fresh oil.

The restaurant is now run by Mr. Dave's son, Kevin Clapp, and his wife Tina. Tina waited on us at the counter, while Kevin manned the grill and grease. A couple of young girls took orders at the drive-up window and kept the restaurant seating area immaculate.

The restaurant offers other sandwiches including cheeseburgers and hamburgers, and all are cooked to order. Onion rings are made from full rings (not diced) of sweet Vidalias, and homemade soup is served in the winter months. Soft serve ice cream is available for those with a sweet tooth. The draw, however, is the breaded pork tenderloin.

I give the restaurant 5 stars for food, service, and cleanliness. Next time you are in the northeast Indiana area (Fort Wayne is about a 30 mile drive), stop in at Mr. Dave's. You'll be glad you did.