It’s been way too long since I’ve wandered off the beaten path to find myself a small Iowa town with a terrific restaurant…until last Saturday afternoon….My three kids and I decided to take a little drive from Mount Vernon to Prairieburg, Iowa in hopes of having a wonderful burger and just some overall wonderfully prepared food and we were not disappointed!

Prairieburg is not too far from Central City and Monticello and sitting right on the main drag is Prairie Moon on Main(103 East Main St.). I’ve been seeing photos of this place and it’s food for a while now and finally decided to give it a shot. Their burgers always look amazing, they were voted 2020 best pork tenderloin in Iowa, and their Saturday night prime rib special always looks mouth watering.

Owned by Loren Lacy and his wife, this is the perfect place to bring your family, stop for a cold one after work, or indulge in a big Friday Fish Fry or Saturday night prime rib special.

APPS: My kids and I all ordered something different so we can try and share as much as possible. We started with a the pickle chips…now, I love fried pickles, but I’ve been picking about ordering them if they are not fried pickle chips because a spear upon your first bite, pulls the whole spear out and you end up burning your face. Like the spear, don’t like the burn…so pickle chips are the way to go and these were hand battered and delicious.

TENDERLOIN: The 2020 winner, so a lot of pub on this sandwich. What I enjoyed most about it this tenderloin is that it wasn’t pounded out super thin just to cover the whole plate…don’t get me wrong, it’s plenty big, but the tenderloin itself was still thick and juicy and the breading had the perfect amount of seasoning. An excellent pork tenderloin sandwich, and served on brioche which is always a plus!

BURGERS: My son and I decided to get a little funky with our burger orders as Prairiemoon has a great list of options for burger lovers. Instead of our typical bacon cheeseburger or mushroom swiss, we went with the Hawaiian Hottie and the Wasabi Burger. The Hawaiian Hottie was a perfectly cooked burger (medium), cheddar cheese, sautéd pineapple, jalapeno and mango mayo on a brioche bun. I initially thought it would be too sweet, but the heat from the jalapeno and flavor of the burger cut through the sweetness and the combo end result was a delicious, sweet and savory burger.

The Wasabi Burger…I’m a big fan of wasabi and will try it in anything that it’s been incorporated into to. A once again, perfectly cooked burger on brioche, add to that pepper jack, sautéd onions and jalapeño’s and bunch of wasabi mayo and you have a burger I will be craving constantly….add some crinkle cut fries or portabella fries to the basket and you have yourself a wonderful meal.

DRINKS: No tap beer but a cold bottle of Miller High Life was the perfect option!

SIDE NOTE: I’ve not had their prime rib on Saturday nights but I’ve heard nothing but good things!