Get Your Hoosier Specialty at Lumpy’s

As we were leaving for home after a couple days in Richmond, Indiana, we knew we'd need a bite to tide us over for the ride. We'd had lunch the day before with the executive director of the Richmond/Wayne County Indiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, Nancy, and she threw out a few possibilities, but as soon as I heard the words "pork tenderloin," I knew I'd found my place. I'm a big fan of breaded pork. I honestly didn't know until just a couple years ago what a phenomenon the food is in the Hoosier state. Although I live less than 5 minutes from the Indiana border, it just doesn't seem to be very prominent in the Northwest corner of the state. The more I've traveled around Indiana and met other foodies, I've learned that pork tenderloin is pretty much their signature state sandwich.

I've been a lover of breaded pork by a different name for years. My favorite German food is schnitzel and pork tenderloin is basically the same thing, except rather than serving it on a platter with sauerkraut or fried potatoes or pickled red cabbage with slices of lemon, they put it on a bun and it becomes a "pork tenderloin sandwich." 

Some restaurants in Indiana serve bigger ones than others. I've seen pictures of places that make them so big they belong on a pizza pan. Nancy told me they served big ones there that were really good. So, on we went to Lumpy's in Cambridge City as we headed for home.

Lumpy's is one of those old-school diners with no-frills tables and booths and counter stools with a full menu of classics that just makes you feel warm inside. They close mid-afternoon and are open for breakfast and lunch. One of the boys opted for breakfast and another had a club sandwich, with tater tots as the side. Hubby got a pony shoe. That's another regional favorite of mine that I was introduced to in Springfield, Illinois. it's a hamburger on Texas toast topped with French fries and cheese sauce.

It was nice to get out of the car and sit down for a filling meal before the rest of our trip home. They had a small or big tenderloin and I went for the big one. It spilled way over the bun and was perfectly cooked. I've occasionally had pork tenderloin that was overcooked and just hard to cut into and eat. That was definitely not the case here. It was tender and delicious with just enough crunch. It was just a cute place to hang, too, where you could tell everyone seemed to know everyone. The waitresses chatted with customers and served up their "regular" order. 

It's in a small town, but not hard to find, so if you're traveling I-70 in the eastern part of Indiana, it's worth a slight detour to have a good meal and dig into one of those giant pork tenderloin sandwiches.

Lumpy's 

20 S. Foote St.

Cambridge City, IN

765-478-6510