It is important to have goals when writing a blog. Without them, writing could just form a hodge-podge of random places and locations. You could also tail off from producing material as the end wouldn’t be clear and motivation would wane. A goal I set for this blog is to visit, eat a tenderloin, and write about every county seat in Indiana. Granted, not every great tenderloin place is in a seat, as some of my articles are written about other Indiana towns, but it gives me some extra options and ideas I may not have found. Williamsport is the county seat of Warren County which is the 3rd smallest county population-wise in Indiana. When you search for restaurants in Williamsport on Tripadvisor, it apologizes and states it doesn’t have any. Searching for “food” on Google maps will give you a hot-dog place and a BBQ stand that may have a tenderloin, but is only open for lunch on the weekdays, which makes it practically impossible for me to visit. So right across the river in another county lies a slightly larger town called Attica. Luckily they have a very nice restaurant that serves a traditional fried breaded tenderloin and has ties to both Attica and Williamsport, so this will be a combo article consisting of both towns.
The Tenderloin:
Robie’s sits right off the main street of the city of Attica. The two story gray building has both family dining and a bar. According to the story on the menu, Robie grew up in an apartment over a restaurant owned by his parents in Williamsport. The restaurant closed, but later in life Robie bought his own place across the river in Attica. Since 1988 you can get the some of the area’s best onion rings and tenderloins here. The sandwich came out battered and fried with a fresh bun. It wasn’t too big as you could eat it with the bun, but it was thick and had a nice crispness with every bite. The crust does not stick to well to the pork, but it gives it a unique bite and allows more of the hot sauce to get into nooks and crannies of the loin that it usually wouldn’t access. The kids meal is very unique too. The guy on the package looks like it is gobbling up my son’s cottage cheese. It kind of freaked him out a little, but we had a good laugh with it. It was a nice friendly place to stop and eat, I’d recommend you do if in the area.
The Town(s):
As downtown resurgence is just beginning in both Williamsport and Attica and with the rural location of the main streets, your options are limited, but we managed to wander into a few places. The Blue Elephant is right on the man intersection of 2nd and Monroe St. It is an antique store and you can find a lot of old furniture and tools. You can also venture to “old town” right off the Wabash River. Being called Williamsport, you would think there would be a place for boats to arrive and depart. Although not utilized as much now then at the beginnings of the town, you can still walk to the riverside and get right up to the banks of the old highway on the river. Over in Attica you can find a Carnegie Library that is still in use. Constructed in 1904 and added onto a hundred years later, you can wander around the hallways and enjoy the old architecture.
One of the coolest places we hung out at was the arcade called Pinball on Perry. It contains mostly pinball machines with a few arcade and Carnival games in the back. You have a large selection from classic machines to newer ones that take your picture for the high-score board. Most of your major movies have a themed game like Jurassic park and Star Wars. After going through a roll of quarters we couldn’t resist plopping down another 10 bucks for a roll and getting the three for two deal.
The attraction that lured us the most to the Williamsport/Attica area was the highest waterfall in Indiana, Williamsport Falls. Parking in the back of a hot-dog stand, the trail starts at the viewing area next to the crest of the falls. You hike downward along the trail until you get to the stream, which in then you can venture along the river to get to the base. Make sure you continue hiking until the stream becomes easily accessible. My son and I got to the point where there was a small hill we had to climb down (and then up) to get access. Continuing the hike downstream, after climbing the access, 20 ft away we found an easier route; it would have saved us some anguish in getting dirty from climbing those roots on the ascent. Now, just because it is the highest waterfall in Indiana it doesn’t mean it is the largest waterfall in Indiana. The waterfall was basically a trickle that day. When mentioned the waterfall to the people of the town, they seemed a little embarrassed and reminded us that its height is what makes it so special. Nevertheless, it was cool to hang out in the cavern under the falls for a while. The trail at the falls was enjoyable to hike along too. There are train tracks that go along the high above the trail and a frisbee golf course too.
Even is the smallest counties in Indiana, you can find fun things to do and cool places to explore.Williamsport/Attica may not be your final destination, heck it may not even be on the way, but it makes a fine detour whether you enjoy antique stores, pinball machines, old architecture, riverbeds, tall falls, or a fine tasting breaded fried pork tenderloin sandwich.
Kids Meal at Robie's, the cottage cheese was devoured twice
by Michael Tomko
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