The Valley Inn

I have been to this restaurant only once...so far, but am giving it 5 stars just for their tenderloins.  This is a diner/family type restaurant, no frills.  The owner was there and very friendly as were all the wait staff.  It was busy on a Sunday around noon.  They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner but close at 2 pm on Sundays.  Now, back to the tenderloins...they are huge, but not pounded so thin that there is no meat left like you get some places.  The crust is crispy and perfectly seasoned, really it was the best tenderloin I have ever had and I am not exaggerating.  I will definitely be going back.

The Valley Inn is unpretentious.  What it does is traditional Midwestern/American fare: tenderloins, pork chops, walleye, along with the diner usuals: breakfasts and burgers.  The portion sizes tend to be generous: come hungry!  The prices are typical for the area, which means ridiculously cheap if you're from a large urban area, and about right if you're from a more rural area.  

Breakfast and lunch are definitely their strengths.  We've been liking their omelettes recently.  The corned beef hash omelet is a nice house specialty.  The omelettes are not thick, but they are large and satisfying.

Their dinner menu is rather limited, but breakfast is available all day, and if all you want for dinner is along the lines of a hamburger, you'll probably be satisfied.  I was not a fan of the walleye special.  If you order it, be sure to take advantage of the salad bar: the walleye special comes with no vegetable sides.  In this case, the cornmeal coating was salty, and the fish had been fried too long: a tender fillet had become a salty, somewhat fishy cracker.  Maybe you'll have more luck.

That one experience aside, the food is good, for what it is.  And it isn't trying to be any more than what it is.  If you're passing along 29 on your way south or north, and you feel a little hungry, stop in and enjoy some of the real thing.

Best tenderlions ever.  Almost forgot ....best cooks, waitresses, patrons.... = )  Worth the visit.   They just don't have Pepsi...ugh