When searching for the next town on this blog I usually consult a log I have of tenderloin restaurants based on either recommendations or compiling “the best of” lists off the internet. But, sometimes, I just want to go visit the town and have to research on my own to find a halfway decent tenderloin. Logansport sits right in the middle of where I live now, Goshen, and where I went to college, West Lafayette. In the last 18 years I've driven through there probably 30 to 40 times and have never stopped to explore or even get a bite to eat. I found myself really excited to get out there and see what the town has to offer. I was able to really enjoy my afternoon there and found some fun things to do, as well as lucking out and happening on one of the great tenderloins in Indiana.
The Tenderloin:
All those years of driving through the downtown streets of Logansport (when not taking the shortcut) I have gone right past the sign for the Old Style Inn. It always caught my eye with the “Old Style” being one of the more popular beers in the Chicagoland area and I always seemed to have found it in my Grandpa’s basement fridge. While doing research, I found that the old dive bar on 6th street had in the past few years expanded to a full restaurant with family dining and top notch food options. With a tenderloin on the menu and a bunch of good food reviews I found off “the internets”, I took a gamble and scheduled a trip out there to sample it. The decision paid off as it was a high quality and unique take on the fried breaded tenderloin. The first thing you notice is that it is square shaped. I’m not sure where they find these pigs with a tenderloin shaped like a box, but it reminds me off the patty of a fish sandwich. Even the beer batter they fry it with is reminiscent of a fish fry. The sandwich, though, was the farthest thing from eating a “McFish”. It was thick and large, not crazy large, but big enough to outsize the average. The crispiness of the beer batter was not too thick and gave a nice crunch before biting into the tender meat. Paired with buffalo sauce, it made an awesome lunch before starting on my day. You probably won’t find The Old Style Inn on any Indiana top tenderloin lists, but it deserves to be up there. And now, when I travel down to Purdue, I have a nice place to stop halfway and get myself a good meal.
The Town:
About a block away from the Old Style Inn is a record store, or as they refer to it - Record Farm. In the back is an arcade with tables and a bar. This section, called Bonus Pints, contains about 15 old-school arcade games and 4 pin-ball machines. Most cost only a quarter and some are even set on free-play. There is no carnival type, ticket dispensing, wallet emptying, whack-a-mole or ski-ball here; just a line of cabinets against the wall that you can show off your joystick skills. This is the way arcades used to be and the first time I really felt like I was in one since I was a kid. It even kept the interest of my 10-year-old son for over an hour hovering from game to game. The small bar contains many local microbrews and a root beer on tap and serves up a small menu of food. The place it set up well and makes a nice place to hang out for a couple of hours, or late into the night.
Since 1948 The Sycamore Drive-In has been dispensing ice cream in the residential area east of downtown. With a car line halfway around the block and three windows at the walk-up busy, you can tell where the Loganportians like to get their ice cream. My banana milkshake was outstanding with giant pieces of banana within creamy, milky ice cream. My son was impressed with his Oreo Bubba, which is similar to a winter storm type ice cream concoction from a chain restaurant. The pieces were so large he could see the white cream inside the cookie. It was a hot day, and it was nice to cool off with a long time drive-in favorite.
With the arcade we saw a renovation of amusement from the late 20th century. Logansport also houses a renovated aspect of amusement popular in the late 19th century, the Cass County Dentzel Carousel. Located inside a building at Riverside park, you can enter and ride the marry-go-round for only a dollar. First located in Ft Wayne, it was moved to Logansport in the 1920’s. Over the years it was moved a couple times, again, within the city. Age and poor condition caused it to be shuttered until the community was able to raise funds and restore the icon. An enclosure was built in the 1990’s where it sits today in a climate controlled environment to enjoy at all times of the year. During the ride, if you sit at the outer row of the menagerie, you can grab for the brass ring. Most are steel rings, but if you happen to get the brass one (and hold onto it) you get a free ride. This thing moves pretty fast too, not enough to make you sick, but enough to make it a pretty pleasurable attraction, even for the older folk. The carousel is not located on any major road, so It is kind of hidden away in the town, but it is a must see if passing through the area.
We stayed in Riverside Park for a while after the carousel. There was a nice hiking path along and across the river. The Eel River and River Bluff Trail is a multi-mile path that runs on both sides of the Eel. A pedestrian bridge allows you to easily get across to the other side of the river. There are various stopping points and viewing areas to get a look at the park and at the tributaries that run out of the main waterway. A small miniature golf course also resides in the corner by the entrance to the park. It is only 9 holes, but for two dollars it is well worth putting through the greens. It is actually maintained really well and contains a couple of motorized obstacles such as bowling pins that move up and down and the iconic rotating windmill.
I have discovered that Logansport is no longer just a pass-thru town on the way to another destination. Whether you pump a couple quarters in a pin-ball machine, get an ice cream, or ride a 100 year old carousel, it is worth a stop to take a break. Don’t forget... you can also get a darn good tenderloin there too.
The "old" Old Style Inn sign is still up too, you just have to go to the back to see it.
by Michael Tomko
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