History and Culture by Bicycle: Search for the Best Loose Meat

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Search for the Best Loose Meat - The Garden Cafe

The Garden Cafe claims to be the Home of the Ye Old Tavern since 1926. How ever this is a misnomer. The Ye Old Tavern was the original restaurant in the building The Garden Cafe now occupies. The Garden Cafe has not been around in this location since 1926. The Ye Old Tavern restaurant is also where the loose meat was first created and was called the Ye Old Tavern Tavern.. The year of 1926 is also a misnomer because the sandwich was actually created in 1924. The original recipe has been lost to time, so calling the Ye Old Tavern is also a misnomer. Some may consider these misnomers to be "false advertising".

The Garden Cafe does offer both dine in an carry out orders plus they have a drive up window. With the exception of modern roofing and siding the outside design has remained largely unchanged and there is plenty of off street parking. The interior is a very nice, clean and pleasant atmosphere. Patrons wait to be seated and are seated right away. The service is excellent, prompt, courteous, professional and friendly.

The Sept. 2012 issue of Food Network Magazine listed The garden Cafe's tavern sandwich as the best in Iowa. The article was not able to be found online, just this: The Garden Cafe The article must have been in hard copy only. This article: These loosemeats have staying power speaks of someone the owner of The Garden Cafe knew that stated the recipe now used is very close to the taste of the original tavern.

There is also a You tube video of how The Garden Cafe makes their tavern sandwiches:

While it does not appear The Garden Cafe's tavern sandwiches are made the traditional way of steaming the beef as they are supposed to be made, this may upset and frustrate loose meat sandwich purists, the sandwiches are indeed loose meat's. But they do toe the line with adding ketchup, mustard and another type of sauce as they cook the meat.

The sandwich is served on a corn dusted bun that is toasted, making the bun unique. No condiments are put on the sandwich. It is up to the consumer to add them if he or she wishes. It does come with pickles on the side. The heal of the bun does get a bit mushy. The sandwiches are not portable in the sense they could easily be consumed in a moving vehicle. Too much meat would fall out if trying to do so. The flavor was very good. It was lacking in the slightly greasy flavor which may be because of the sugar added to the recipe. The flavor was well blended. One part of the flavor did not over power another.

The biggest loss in points is because of the misnomers with claiming The Garden Cafe is home to the Ye Old Tavern since 1926. The year is wrong and the original recipe is lost. A few points are lost because the heal of the bun becomes mushy in the middle, there is not enough of the slightly greasy flavor, plus it is not truly steamed as a loose meat purist would like.

Total points: 94. I will return to The Garden Cafe and continue to enjoy their tavern sandwiches.