One of the many suggestions on my pre-tenderloin tour post on facecrack was this one from Mele Davis:
I put that suggestion in my back pocket and since yesterday was Veterans Day, I thought this would be a great week to go visit the AmVets Post 64 in downtown Peoria and try a tenderloin. And so it’s off we go!
Off we go in search of tenderloin number ten on a cloudy, grey Friday afternoon. Once this post is over we're halfway through our twenty tenderloin tour. Time flies when you're eating breaded pork tenderloins!
Here we are at AmVets Post 64. I've driven by here many times, but I always thought it was a private place that you had to be a member to enter...
But as you can see, I was wrong, it's open to the public for lunch daily, Monday through Saturday.
Check out the daily specials. On Tuesday you can get the tenderloin and fries for just five bucks. Sadly today is Friday, as usual, my timing stinks.
Let's go down the stairs and check this place out.
Wow, it's a really big room down here and there's a huge horseshoe bar over there.
Here's some of the regulars hanging out on a Friday afternoon at the bar. There's a friendly vibe in here.
Lori, the cute daytime bartender in here serves me up an iced tea with a great smile. After she served up the iced tea, she called someone over to the bar...
It's Mele Davis who sent in the facecrack suggestion to come here! Pretty smiles are in abundance here! Mele has worked here for a couple of years and told me that AmVets has been in this location since 1969. And they're not only open for lunch, the bar is open most evenings. I need to stop back soon for one of my two beers posts.
There's a large dining area opposite the bar with tables and padded stools to sit and dine at.
As you can see, the bar is well stocked.
Here's the trio of taps available at AmVets.
A shuffleboard table lines the front wall opposite the bar.
Budweiser Veteran's themed art hang on the walls in here.
The AmVets logo is featured on the carpet runner in the front of the room.
Meanwhile, back at the bar...
The table is all set and it appears that tenderloin time is near!
And here it is topped with onions and a side of waffle fries. It looks nice and porky!
I added some mustard and pepper and check it out, this is one delicious breaded pork tenderloin. The breading is really crunchy and it's a thick and juicy tenderloin, which is just the way I like them! It's delicious.
Mele pointed out this woman, who was eating down at the end of the bar...
This is Cindy who's the manager of AmVets Post 64. Cindy's been the manager here for about two years.
Here's Larry who's a cook here and did an outstanding job with today's tenderloin!
There's a table over here that has complimentary cookies to enjoy after lunch, how cool is that?
I got a chocolate chip cookie. If you squint at this and look at it just right, it appears to be a Cardboard Box Man Mutation. I quickly ate him after this frightening discovery.
After lunch Mele took me upstairs to show me The Freedom Ballroom, here we are at the door to the ballroom.
Wow, what a gorgeous room! Check out the high ceilings and the elegant chandeliers hanging down from them. You can rent this space out for a wedding reception, holiday party or a business dinner. Call 309-453-2056 for details about renting the room.
The windows here have been renovated and plaques are placed below them telling you who donated money for the renovation. This one was donated by Tim Herold and MBIP pal, Bill Ordaz who gave us a tour of the Grand Army of the Republic Hall a couple of months ago.
Check out the view from up in here, hello downtown Peoria!
Okay, fast forward to a day later and it's time to give the remaining tenderloin the warmed up leftover test.
The bun's a little limp, but the breaded pork tenderloin has been topped off with the traditional Kathy Cleveland mustard and it tastes great. If you're like me and didn't know the AmVets Post 64 was open to the public for lunch and for drinks evenings, you should really check it out. There's daily lunch specials and free cookies! Thanks to Lori and Mele for a fun afternoon! We'll see you all tomorrow!
Tenderloin Rating
Three Porky Pigs, they serve up a juicy and flavorful tenderloin and you can get one for five buck with fries on Tuesdays, what a deal!
AmVets Post 64
237 NE Monroe Street
Peoria
309-453-2056
Related Posts: Tenderloins @ Schooners, Bemer’s Village Inn, Sky Harbor, Kenny’s Westside Pub, Hello It’s Me (Tenderloin at Sam Wong’s), The Boar’s Nest, Donnelly’s Pub, Perdue’s Grill and Midway Duck Inn.
