Nick’s

Decided to try this place with my family. First time here and it was great! I loved the atmosphere and our server, Damion, was so funny and nice. The king size tenderloin was HUGE! It was also very tender and delicious. They made the onion rings fresh and they were perfect! We tried their new Chicken Philly and it was amazing! The chicken was tender and the cheese was melted perfectly. Overall a great place to come to and will definitely return!

Our first visit was on a Sunday afternoon and not too busy of a day as we entered. We were told to seat ourselves when we entered and the only open table was dirty. The sodas were very flat. The one server seemed like he was ran pretty thin. As the manager was bussing the tables and directing people to seat themselves.
My wife and I decided to split a king-​size tenderloin. Midway through eating across from each other I pulled a hair out of my mouth. Was on my second bite when my wife said what on earth is that. The long 12 inches of dark hair was enough to loose our appetites. As the server asked if we wanted another sandwich our reply was a no thank you. How could we eat another after that?
After receiving our bill it was discounted 20percent. I did not make a scene and offered to pay for the other items on my tab. But to pay for a sandwich that was held together by the cooks long hair was wrong. Discount or not. The manager yelled to the kitchen that they should wear hairnets that it was disgusting that the hair was found. Then argued with the to server fixed the bill after 15 minutes waiting. As the lady behind me was waiting to order complaining about being hung up on while ordering 3 times.
Finally I was on my way out the door as I was stopped again and asked my name so the manager of the day could offer me a free meal the next time I come in. He said just mention we talked and he will take care of it.
I feel things should be handled better since this seems to be one of many problems occurring at this restaurant. Maybe we’ll go back to Smitty’s if we crave a tenderloin on the southside.

Please note that I am giving them 5 stars because this place is great for what they are trying to be — not the fanciest or best food in town but the best tenderloin spot and great diner. After nearly 40 years living in Des Moines, I came across Nick’s Tenderloins the other day. I had some time to kill over on the southside and even though I wasn’t hungry, I wanted a drink and I called to see if they had a bar and they did. So, I stopped in and bellied up to the bar for a cocktail. As they serve Pepsi, I chose to have a Dewar’s on the rocks. I totally get that Coke is pricier but man oh man, I just hate it when places don’t serve it. I pulled up Unilocal as I sat there and read so many reviews singing the praises of the tenderloins at Nick’s. Well, as an Iowan I suddenly felt obligated to place an order. Damian was the guy pretty much running the show and he took my order for a tenderloin, fries and fried pickles. I asked for the order to-​go as I was just waiting for a friend to get off work and didn’t plan to eat at all let alone gobble it down there. When the order was ready, I took one look at the fried pickles and just had to have some right then. They were FANTASTIC! The breading was unlike anything I had ever had before on a pickle. When my friend and I got to the tenderloin we were both very pleased. The meat was thick and juicy!!! Oftentimes, places smash the heck out of the meat patty and it gets very dry. The fries were great also — the oil must be filtered frequently as they had a very delicate and clean taste to them. I must comment on the service — Damian was fantastic. He was efficient and friendly — he had a great rapport with every customer in the restaurant. Being a manager in food service for 20+ years, I pay close attention to customer service and he was great — if anything, he was too eager but hey, that is much better than the alternative! I am very happy I had the Nick’s experience and wish I lived or worked closer so I had a reason to stop in again soon.

Forced to come back by business partner. Made sure bill was correct that’s for sure. Tenderloin was pretty good. Nice and thick not pounded out. Onion rings are on the large size. Doesn’t look like they let lady on my last visit operate the til any longer, good for them. She’s still not a nice person barely smiles and no greeting from her. Might come back we’ll see.

I’m a transplant from California, and in the 5 years I’ve been here, I haven’t eaten a tenderloin from a tenderloin shop.
I decided to take out my trusty Unilocal app and go to the shop with the pretty pictures since the exterior of these local spots are a bit intimidating.
There’s plenty to love here at Nick’s.

OMG. My favorite Iowa feel good cuz you’re back home food is a breaded irk tenderloin sandwich. My college friend Melissa Petty brought me here when I came to visit her. This was the best tenderloin sandwich I have ever had. The atmosphere is great and the staff was excellent. Having lunch with my friend was an even added plus.

I have eaten here a million time over the years and cannot honestly think of one complaint! The tenderloins are thick meaty and delicious! A perfect ratio of breading and meat in my opinion even though my chief complaint about tenderloins has always been about the buns! Why can’t anyone purchase buns to fit the tenderloin??? The tenderloin comes in two options here, King or Queen, RIP to the JR. I don’t suggest going King unless you are a large man splitting the sandwich or starving!!! You will be sorry you tried to stuff yourself to that level!!! N E who, onward and upward, Nicks italian sausage sandwich is to die for!!! It is now my favorite sandwiches in the world but I do not recommend it if you don’t like things spicy. I get it with the grilled onion, peppers and marinara. Wonderful!!!
Their fries and onion rings are exactly what you expect from a fast food restaurant but nothing to write home about, I go strictly for the sandwiches but the service has always been pretty good.
In conclusion, I strongly recommend! Go on!!! Get yours today!!!

Love the tenderloins and the italian chicago beef sandwich with giardanara and sauce to dip. Fries are good with ranch. Not a fan of the mushrooms or onion rings.

I remember when this place started they were in a trailer further down on Army Post, sold them on weekends. But then they opened in a true restaurant.
These tenderloins are the best. They are thick, whole pieces of meat, not parts and parts. That said, like other food cooked in oil, it is best hot right from the fryer. All oil fried food loses it tastes after cooling down. (It’s no different than McDonald’s fries.). So eat it there or very soon after.
Two people can easily split one tenderloin. We split one and without even asking they bring two plates. Good fast service.
The onion rings are delicious too. There are lots of them in a regular order, most couples or even four people would only need a half order. Remember you have a big honking tenderloin coming so save some room.
That’s all we have had there.

Let me start with saying I generally do not like pork at all but the Unilocal reviews convinced me I needed to try one of their tenderloins. Oh my goodness thank you other reviewers! I had the king size Italian tenderloin. It was a huge breaded piece of meat with marinara and mozzarella cheese. Also had a half order of onion rings, they were ok, nothing special.
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because we had a little kid with us and they don’t have kid size drinks and the service could have been better.
I don’t live around here but if I’m ever back in Des Moines, I’ll be back for sure. Just without a young one.

Praise: This is a solid neighborhood restaurant that we go to regularly. The tenderloins are to die for. They are thick and juicy and always cooked to perfection. The king tenderloin is massive indeed, don’t be afraid of getting a queen instead gentleman because those are huge and filling as well. I love love LOVE their cheese balls. White cheddar cheese, small portion with thin breading. Really, the best fried cheese curd in Des Moines outside the state fair in my opinion. The onion rings are thick cut and well done. The service is fast and very competent. The food comes out promptly and the place is clean but simple.
The bar/​drinks are really well done. We have ordered mixed drinks there before and they were generous and well made.
Yes, they are better than Smitty’s, by a long shot. But that is just my opinion. The real determining factor here is do you like a very thin tenderloin that is pounded out or do you like it really thick. In my opinion Smitty’s are so think they tend to be dry and even though they are not heavily breaded the breading is mostly what I taste. These are super thick and juicy and have a good breading to meat ratio if what you really want to taste is the meat.
Criticism: I like that they have a small menu, but I would like a couple more non-​fried sandwich or meal options. Sometimes the fried food gets a little overwhelming and there is a pretty small selection of items that don’t get cooked in deep fat. The breaded mushrooms are ridiculously large. A friend ordered them and got 4 huge white mushroom caps that she had to cut with a fork to eat. The breading to mushroom ratio and the doneness of the mushrooms suffered because of the size. These are pretty minor criticisms though. Over all we plan to continue make Nicks a regular part of our dining out.

Great tenderloin. It is a staple in Iowa. The only reason it didn’t get four stars is because I prefer Smitty’s!

We ordered two queen Italian tenderloin and a mixed fries and onion rings. Very good but portions are huge. We should have split the tenderloin. We would order a side of marinara sauce next time for dipping. Service was great and cute waitress. Onion rings and fries perfect. We will be back! We are going to miss pork tenderloins when we leave Des Moines.

Excellent food and service. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive. We split a king tenderloin and probably could have split a queen since we got a basket of fries and fried pickle spears. We told the waitress we were splitting the tenderloin so it was brought out that way with all the fixings for both halves. I loved that the tenderloin was not thin but was thick. The fried pickles were amazingly good. I would recommend this to others and dine here again.

Best tenderloin sandwich you can find outdside of Chicago! Friendly servers, bar atmosphere, excellent food, great value. I eat here every time I’m in town. the tenderloins are thick, juicy and delicious. If you don’t want the breading and deep frying, get the grilled King. ½ and ½ fries and onion rings are good for sharing. The Italian beef sandwich is excellent, but a little too «wet» for me. I order it dry with au jus on the side. The side salad and cole slaw are both crisp and tasty. You can’t go wrong with anything on this menu. Eat here! You’ll be glad you did.

Best tenderloin I’ve had in Des Moines! Clean, casual, great food and friendly staff. The huge stick figure sign eating a tenderlion just cracks me up! Simple but to the point… exactly Nick’s!
Choose between a 4oz and 6oz Queen and King Tenderloin, however, the 6oz was way bigger and glad I split amongst friends. Also, had the mild beef sandwich which was spicy, can’t imagine the hot.
«Half fries /​half onion rings» listed on the menu, they’ve read my mind!
Great prices and fast services, will definitely be going again on my way to/​from the airport!

First time here but was brought in by my father who raved about the tenderloin. Started with fried pickle spears and onion rings. The half order of the rings and pickles was enough for 4. Then I ordered the queen tenderloin and it came out hot and with the extra pickles I asked. I’m just recently enjoying tenderloins but have to say it was really good. Bigger than the bun and thick meat. My dad ordered the king which he cut in half and doubled his sandwich! My boyfriend ordered the Italian and it was good too! It reminded Me of a parmesan chicken. The whole meal was great. First impression was busy place, fast and hot! Wish they were closer to home!

Just got their food brought to me at work by my fiancé and I am ready to review! I am going to answer the question most people are wondering, YES their tenderloins are better than Smittys in my opinion.
I got their Queen tenderloin and want to tell everyone it is definitely enough to satisfy your hunger. The tenderloin is juicy and meaty, which means it doesn’t just feel like eating the breading. At first I just got their food because I wanted to try their tenderloin, but now I will probably return and try their other sandwich items.
I also got an order of fries and half order of onion rings. They were okay, let’s just say I would never come here solely for these side items.
I am now excited to come and see how their other items taste!

We moved to Iowa 4 years ago and quickly learned that Iowa is somewhat famous for the pork tenderloin sandwich. I have fallen in love with this fried and frittered piece of pork and in my opinion Nick’s has a great sandwich.
Available in two sizes (Queen or King; queen size is pictured) and a little thicker than your average PT. The breading is a mix of flour and corn meal and is light and crispy. The bun is sturdy enough to handle this massive tenderloin along with all of the topping you desire (myself I like ketchup, mustard, pickles and onions). At $ 5.25 for the Queen size this is also a bargain!

Great place for a classic tenderloin. Simple menu, decent prices. Fries and onion rings are average — the real gem is the Queen Tenderloin.