For a lot of people in Elkhart County, Wakarusa is the small town you pass when travelling from the city of Elkhart to Nappanee. On State Road 19 you have a gas station to your left and an RV factory to your right while passing a bank and trying to dodge the buggies. Doesn’t seem like much unless you take the detour a mile west to traverse through the old downtown and see the true Wakarusa skyline… ok… more like a skydot, but you get the picture. There was an era where the commercial center of towns would die off when the main road bypassed the downtown. Now-a-days you see places purposely reroute the traffic away from main street to get a more small business / pedestrian friendly vibe to the old ornamental portion of the village (Goshen). Wakarusa already has its main street off the beaten path and created an authentic quaint little town. So, what does Wakarusa mean? Most people tell you it is a Native American word for “knee-deep-in-mud”. As I did some research (OK… looked stuff up on Wikipedia) it seems to have been named after the Wakarusa in Kansas which was named after the Wakarusa river… in Kansas. Apparently, a Native American was riding a horse through that river and shouted out “Wakarusa!” This translated to “thy-deep” as she was measuring the depth of the river (up to her thy). Well, there aren’t any rivers near Wakarusa now, but plenty of horses galloping around as well as one of the best tenderloins to be found in Elkhart County.
The Tenderloin
A few times The Shortstop Inn has popped up on my radar over the last couple years. The main reason it took me so long to get out there is that the tenderloin is only served on Thursdays and usually run out before dinnertime. So, when they moved the Tenderloin Thursday to Friday because of Thanksgiving, I had an extra item to “give thanks” when eating my turkey the day before. We took a small trip on Black Friday to avoid the crowds at the stores to spend some time in Wakarusa and The Shortstop Inn. Had only the Pilgrims eaten fried pork tenderloin back in The Mayflower days, President Biden would be pardoning a pig instead of a turkey down at the White House every year. A feast was consumed as three large tenderloin sandwiches arrived on the table. The breading was flakey and buttery with a slight salty seasoning. The meat was thick and tender. Even the bun was soft on the inside and toasted on the bottom. It doesn’t get much better than this as the plates were wiped clean and only crumbs remained at the end. We talked with the owner and they get only 40 of these for the week. It usually gets pretty crowded for lunchtime and every once in a while a few may be left over for the dinner crowd. But waiting for diner is a gamble I would suggest you do not take. The place has a sports bar type vibe (duh… Shortstop Inn) and allows family dining. Karaoke is set up in the corner for the late night crowd, and the place gets packed when the local high school advances in the playoffs and it is shown on TV there. I really like this tenderloin. If I were to make a “best of” list, this would be near or even at the top.
The Town
The Garage Coffee Shop opened up last year in the old Wakarusa garage building. They’ve converted the old garage and furniture warehouse into a nice comfy hangout spot just off the main street. You can come and enjoy a locally brewed coffee while conversing at one of their tables or wonder in-front on a couch. There is also a small meeting room on the side for getting together a small group during open hours. I stopped in for lunch and got their sticky ham and cheese sandwich. It’s not just your usual melted cheese on warmed ham; they add a sweet glaze of brown sugar and washester… warchester… (googles it, copy and paste) Worcestershire Sauce that adds that extra kick to a lunch favorite. It made a pleasant early lunch before heading out for more to do in the town.
The Wakarusa Dime Store has its roots in a department store that was established on the site in 1907. Eventually a candy store developed out of that and is still open today for customers to walk in and pick out their favorite treats. Whether new confections like Harry Potter Frogs and Warheads or old classics like nonpareils and taffy, anything you want or remember is in the store. They are famous for their jumbo jelly beans. The original is black licorice, but I went with the more contemporary cherry ones. They have a thick crust, but yield to that classic gooey jelly bean flavor.
Grandma’s Pantry is a local grocery store that takes you back to the way things used to be. With locally grown produce and fresh baked goods you can’t go wrong picking up groceries in this place. They offer a variety of candies, spices, grains, and just about everything separated out into nice plastic containers. If you are looking for a specialty jam or preserve or even a unique flavored pop (sassafras anyone?), this is the place to check out.
No visit to Waky is complete without a visit to Cook’s Pizza. They’ve been serving up pizza on the corner of Waterford and Elkhart for over 50 years! (How is 1971 50 years ago?) Located in the old bank, it was even frequented by Chicago Bear legend Gale Sayers during his time living in town. We stopped in on a Wednesday night and my family was able to get a table of four for a pizza dinner. Our tastes in pizza are different, but we were able to order a medium pepperoni with half mushroom for the wife and oldest, I got a small sausage, and the youngest got a burger (as most 10-year-olds, they have to be different). What wasn’t scarfed down was finished the next day on leftover night. There was a constant stream of locals coming in for a quick bite or some take-out to bring home. It is a treasure for the people in the small town to have a local long time pizza place in an old building on the main street.
Frisbee golf in late November? With all that climate change it seems like some people are reaping the benefits. I was able to head out to Wakarusa Memorial Park where they’ve laid out 9 holes next to the school and on a sledding hill. At the front there is a nice memorial to our fallen soldiers everyone should pay tribute to. Although windy that day, I was able to get the disk to cooperate and navigate most of the fairways. There are not many trees and they leave holes wide open, so it is good for the beginners. The holes up and off the sledding hill give a nice challenge as well as nice views of the farmlands and town below. It is worth going to, if not for the Frisbee golf, but the short hiking trails to get some fresh air.
Wakarusa is a small town just off the beaten path, and I think they like it that way. But make sure while traveling down that busy road, to once in a while take a detour and check out some of the local places. They will be friendly, you will eat well, and if lucky, sink your teeth into one of the best tenderloins in the state.
No leftovers with the tenderloins!
by Michael Tomko
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