Goldie's Ice Cream Shoppe

This place is a must-visit if you crave kind customer service, a simpler venue, and terrific food. Prairie City's gift to all of us! Different types of seating - booths, indoor patio, and the counter. Great food and seriously good ice cream. Drive-through window also. Thanks to Sandy for such great service to us rookies! Loved the pork tenderloin sandwich.

Pulled off 163 on our way to Pella looking for a bite to eat. I was with family from Iowa and as soon as they heard this place serves fried pork tenderloin, they said I had to try it. The staff was immediately welcoming and handed us menus right away. Since it was our first time the waitress guided us through the menu to some of their more popular sides. Before finding a seat I stopped in the restroom and although it was very small, it was clean and well maintained. THE FOOD! The tenderloin sandwich was HUGE, fried to perfection, and very juicy. We got three side orders: the spicy cheese curd bites, Goldie’s fries, and Goldie’s smothered fries with cheese and bacon - all served with homemade ranch. The cheese curds had the perfect amount of kick, and the fries were nice and crispy. Highly reccommend stopping by!

The family and i tried this while on vacation the weekend before Tulip Festival in Pella IA and were impressed with the food but not with the wait time for the food. This restaurant is an order at the counter, then wait for your food type place. We had a table of 4 adults and 1 child and ordered 3 different entrees: 2 tenderloin sandwiches with crinkle cut fries, chili cheese fries, and a kids meal. We also order one strawberry shake. The total wait was probably close to 40min or more. For fried food, I probably wouldn't go again unless I felt like the wait was going to be a lot less. The tenderloin was good, and the fries were crispy and seasoned. Sadly, the wait was just too long for the type of food it is.

Who would have thought an ice cream shop could serve such an amazing pork tenderloin? It was huge and really tasty! The bathroom was very clean, though quite small. While lots of people came in for ice cream, we were there for the pork tenderloin and we definitely weren’t disappointed. Plus, the staff was super nice and welcoming. A surprising but fantastic find!

What a unique place. Home town vibes with great food and staff. Tenderloins were enjoyed by many friends, and I, along with others, found the salads delicious . The ice cream was over the top yummy. We will be back again.

Great tenderloin ,fries, and the icecream is the real topper! Great people as well!

This is a typical mom and pop ice cream shop with better than average food and service. They have a fairly narrow menu but have been really creative with it and make what they make really well.

The tenderloin and ice cream are the best! We drive 40 minutes to come here at least twice a month because it's so worth it! Huge tenderloins! We usually split one and get ice cream. It's the perfect stop after going to Neal Smith wildlife refuge to see the buffalo.

I was passing through town on my way home from visiting with relatives on a Sunday afternoon. As I got close to this location, there were cars parked everywhere and people standing around outside. Of course, I was interested in seeing what all the commotion was about. As I circled around the block I could see that people's vehicles were not just parked in the lot and across the street. They had also parked all the way down the street and around the corner. I recognized the name as a place to get ice cream, and it was a warm day so I decided to stop. They have a drive-thru, a walk-up window, an indoor soda fountain-type seating area, and overflow seating in a large, attached room. I ordered an M&M Twister, which is their version of the DQ Blizzard. It was just as good any other ice cream I've had. I noticed they also serve regular food, and there were people calling in for pickup orders while I waited for my Twister. I would point out that although there were people all around, I was only second in line at the walk-up window. It only took a couple of minutes to get my order, and the 12 ounce "small" Twister I ordered was only $5.00 plus tax. I know I've paid more for less at other ice cream shops. I'll definitely stop in the next time I'm in the area. MaybeI'll try the food there, too. It sure smelled good.

Browsing Prairie City on a weekend evening, we weren't aware of Goldie's, but a terrific visit made us one of its biggest fans. They call themselves "The Biggest Little Ice Cream Shoppe in Prairie City," and they back it up. There is plenty of parking on the property, and they also feature a drive-through. There are options for their patio, booths near the front, and a counter area. We picked the counter and had a GREAT experience. Sandy at the counter was kind to her Golide's rookies and gave us superb recommendations throughout. It was busy but not chaotic. They enjoy a lot of take-out orders, too. I loved my delicious pork tenderloin sandwich, which included crinkle-cut fries. The onions, pickles, and ketchup made it even better! I dipped my fries in their ranch sauce. I enjoyed my partner's potato salad, and her tenderloin strips were darn good. We were full and couldn't enjoy their ice cream, but we checked out their Flavors of the Week for the Spring and will undoubtedly return.

Well worth the drive! Amazing food and great service! They really go the extra mile to make your experience a great one! You gotta try the tenderloins ! The best around anywhere! And if it's on the menu, get a Dutch letter twister ! They add almond to the soft serve on this one! And they make their own custom flavor of the week soft serve in addition to the regular flavors ! They also have daily enter specials too... Don't miss this place!

I've written a few reviews over the years... Here on Yelp and on other platforms. I've realized I have an unconscious bias when places seem to be overhyped. I think this probably developed after being let down quite a few times. Especially with "award winning" restaurants... Goldie's Ice Cream Shoppe won the best tenderloin back in 2009 on the Iowa Pork Producers Association's Tenderloin Trail. And when you have a discussion about breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches in a 100 mile radius of the metro... Goldie's gets brought up in probably the first two minutes. And then again every few minutes throughout the duration of the conversation... Well I've lived in the metro since about 1992...and until today...still hadn't made the relatively short trip to Goldie's. I was trying to figure out what to do today. My kids are with their mom. The gf is working. One thing we probably can all agree on is how beautiful this weekend has been! Blue skies and 85+ F days... Too nice to sit around in an apartment. I looked over Goldie's Facebook page and saw that you can place an online order using Toast Takeout. The estimate on the completion of an order is between 15 and 20 min. I live in Clive near 86th Street. Not far west, but far enough... About 35 min away. I queued everything up on Toast and set the GPS. When I was about 10 min out from Prairie City I punched the Go button in Toast. One breaded pork tenderloin (mustard, pickles, and onion), an order of spicy cheese curds (with blue cheese), and a large ice tea. $18 and change before tip. The time on my order for pick up was 218 PM. I pulled into their gravel parking that surrounds the building at about 210 PM and headed inside at about 215 PM. Kind of a between peak meals time on a Sunday. The seating in the main area appeared to be classic diner style. A counter with probably 10 stools. A few booths along the windows. It sounded like there was a larger patio area, but I didn't poke my head in. There are a few picnic tables available outside. I'm not sure exactly how many people were working today, but there were at least four younger people working the front. It was busier than I expected. I approached the front counter and a young lady greeted me right away. I let her know my name and that I'd placed an online order. She smiled, looked the order up, and let me know she was going to go grab it. She was back in a minute. I thanked her and headed to the car. I don't mind eating by myself around others, but it varies day to day... I don't know Prairie City, but I thought it probably wouldn't be too hard to find someplace nearby to eat and it was way too nice to eat inside. A couple blocks away I found the Grace Alive Church. I glanced past their parking lot and I could see some picnic tables near some trees. Perfect! I pulled in and grabbed a seat and hit play on Steve-O's Wild Ride podcast with Ronda Rousey. The tenderloin and cheese curds looked good... Golden brown (obviously fresh oil) and no oil pooled up in the to go container (drained properly). The moment of truth... The first bite! Cooked perfectly. Not too thick and not too thin. I like a thicker tenderloin, but not a pork chop on a bun, and this one did not disappoint. The breading had a mild seasoning to it. Not cajun...just seasoned. Everything was fresh and hot. the curds still had their cheese pull intact. The spicy cheese curds are really good, but don't expect to to be knocked to the floor. "Spicy" is subjective. Frank's hot sauce is spicier imho. Probably exactly where they need to be for the core market. If you want SPICY try the cheese curds at the Millstream Brau Haus in Amana IA where they use jalapeno and ghost pepper... When it comes to tenderloins... Did it meet the hype? Today it did. I was very happy to not be let down again. It's a really good representation of an Iowa breaded pork tenderloin! I could definitely see this tenderloin being at the top of the heap on any given day. Tenderloins are funny. Pork has it's own distinctive taste, but it's not a strong flavor. For me the trick to a good tenderloin lies in the preparation. Quality of the meat, thickness, tenderization, seasoning of the breading, freshness of the oil, the draining of the oil, and freshness of the bun... Goldie's checked all the right boxes for me today. Well done! Your mileage may vary. I picked a great day for a small road trip and found a perfect place pull over, take a seat, and enjoy my meal. 70ish min round trip... It was good enough that I'd do it again. Next time I might only eat half of the sandwich and swing into Over The Top in Pleasant Hill on the way home. Word of warning... Watch out for speed cameras in Prairie City. A while back I got hit on the highway on the way home from a fishing tournament on Red Rock. I hear they have one in town too.

This was a fun experience- great tenderloins and even better ice cream. The ice cream shakes were excellent

Fantastic experience! Pork Tenderloin sandwich is the best I have had !! Malts nice addition Staff was on top of taking care of all customers- dine in carry out drive up and taking call in orders. Impressed at how efficient they were- thank you for a great lunch.

Delicious tenderloin and apple crumble shake so yummy. Solid food, consistent, great service. Love this place!

Its located in a small town outside of Des Moines. Ice cream shop with a little cafe inside. Came here specifically for the Pork Tenderloin sandwich. They have other menu items and a daily special menu too. Pork tenderloin was really good imo. It was lightly battered not overly thick but also the right texture to it. Lightly seasoned and not over whelming so you could always add more if you wanted to. Tenderloin is twice the size of the bun here. Overall really good compared to the chain of C restaurants. Ice creams shakes etc is what they are also known for. Even though there was a cold front in and with the winds chills making it -8 or colder people were still coming in or drive thru for ice cream! Yes! Dont have to worry about it melting on the long drives if you are far away in guess lol. Yeah I was a nut and got a small kids size too

Of course the ice cream is Amazing. Have a bite before dessert tue food is great too. The people behind the counter are just as amazing as the ice cream. Atmosphere has always been mellow when I've visited.

Had a monday off so we decided to take a drive to Goldies, been wanting to try this place for a while after several recommendations. We walked in at around 1pm and were surprised to find the place was busy. A new patio has just been built outside with plenty of seating, so we ordered and went to a seat. Our orders of tenderloins were delivered in around 10 min flat. Very quick service we were not prepared for! Anyway, the tenderloins were good, juicy and med. thickness with a light crunchy breading. Lots of optional pickles and onions were included. Cheese curds were very good also. I think my tenderloin could have used a bit of salt to bring out the flavor but I was so hungry it was mostly gone before I realized it. Seems this is a popular little spot in small town Iowa, with a familiar scene to us that have lived in one.

This wasn't the 1st time we went there and the food I can say definitively that it is just not good. The tenderloin albeit super sized it was cooked old oil and it was over fried and dry. The hamburger was way over cooked and dry plus the bun was stale and the put so much mustard on the burger it was dripping off the sides and the one bite I had was so dry I could barely choke it down. The cheese curbs were ok but that was the highlight. All I can say is shame on you for serving this quality of food. If we hadn't gone through the drive-thru we probably would have returned it. I think we should have stuck with the ice cream cause the food was less than delicious...

We love popping in ice cream as we go back and forth from Des Moines and Pella. Great food; love the ice cream treats. Recently they were running out of vanilla soft serve and were very apologetic about it. I personally took it as a great sign. They are selling a lot of ice cream in JANUARY because the product is so good. Stop in. Get a treat. It's worth it. Maybe one of the best kept secrets in the area.

Voted Iowa's best tenderloin, we had to try and it was very tasty! The spicy cheese curds were fire!

The food is usually fabulous. Staff always welcoming. However today our chocolate peanut butter shake had zero chocolate in it. And even missing chocolate, the peanut butter wasn't even blended into it all the way. Always double check your to go order. Cherry crumble pie crust was a little chewy. Otherwise, I've always liked the pie. One of best tenderloins and they have never been a disappointment. Extremely tender today. The chicken dumpling soup was delicious.

Wow, wow, wow! If you haven't tried this place you MUST! Pork tenderloin sandwich was made for a giant and tastes like it was made for a king. DELISH!

Colossal breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches, lovely ice cream and shakes. Good burgers and effervescent staff. This place is an Iowa icon.

Fabulous fried pork tenderloin sandwich. Best I've tasted in the Midwest. Seven layer salad was great! What a surprise!

I can't find anywhere near Cedar Falls that has old fashioned pizza burgers. Goldies has them! They are so good they take me back to the school lunches many years ago ! The ice cream is delicious

Dutch letter ice cream treat is a dream. It's the perfect combination of flaky pastry + almond paste + frozen goodness. The owner, Brad, is a total sweetheart. He knows every customer by name and story and takes the time to connect personally with everyone who steps hoof onto this Prairie City turf. Definitely make the time for this while in Iowa ! XOLO

Great food. Great service. If only you could have blocked the sun with a cloud. Thanks. We'll be back!

We love Goldie's the food and service is always great! It's a great spot to have in a small town where we don't have a lot of "eat out" options.

Waste of money. Over 9 dollars for a Hoagie Sandwich n fries. Definitely not worth pulling off the road for ever again

Goldies's has won best tenderloin many times. I can see why!! Love tenderloin strips with honey mustard and their onion rings! Many food choices and ice cream is pretty tasty too.

A friend recommended I stop at Goldie's on my way to Chicago. Not far from I80 so nice place for a break. Had the pork tenderloin and Goldie fries. Tenderloin could have been two meals. Breading was seasoned great and texture was excellent. Tenderloin was just the right thickness. Goldie fries were great. Just a small hometown shop with great food. Excellent friendly service. Will be back when traveling through area.

Stopped as traveling through Iowa. Service was great. We sat on patio. Food was was served quickly and hot! We split the tenderloin and the spicy cheese curds. Excellent.

Goldie's is simply amazing! With simple great fried/cooked food this is a excellent place to venture to. I can see why they were voted best pork tenderloin in the state of Iowa. It's HUGE so good luck eating it all. The burger here is good too, get bacon on it. The Goldie fries are excellent as well as the fries cheese curds! They have homemade ranch too. The thing that sets this place apart is the ice cream part for me. We got a Dutch Letter Twister(seasonal) which if you are a fan of Dutch letters you will be blown away. We also got a Monster Cookie Twister(cookie dough, M&M's, Peanut Butter, Granola), that too was unbelievably tasting. From now on I'm going to compare any blizzards or similar items to these. The place is small but a great fit for a town this size. The service was awesome, it seemed like everybody working was happy and was having fun being there. Will definitely be coming back here.

Indiana guy stopped here on the way out West and glad to report that the award winning breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is worth the detour. Awesome The "twister" ice cream is another winner. Let the battle of the tenderloin continue.

Tiny location; the food is delicious. Serving staff could be a little friendlier. I felt like I was expected to know the menu already, and know what I wanted. I'm not a regular. It was my first visit. It would have been nice to be greeted warmly and told the specials, instead of "do you know what you want?" But the tenderloin was great!

Ice cream was good. I don't understand the tenderloin hype. It was average. Service was great and fast. Outside seating was ok mostly clean. It's run of the mill small town dining.

We were passing through and wanted to try the breaded tenderloin sandwich. We ordered two with two extra buns. The sandwich was delicious, perfectly breaded and well-seasoned. I wish we could get this in New York. Then to finish our meal, we got twisters with the homemade caramel and butterscotch sauce and that was amazing too. My daughter also loved their non-dairy options!!

I have now eaten at Goldie's four times, trying various things. My last stop was a repeat on the tenderloin. Again, I maintain the three star rating. The T-loin is made with real meat, not ground, over tenderized or fabricated. It is reasonably thick and was fried just right so that it was juicy and tender. The big issue is that the pork has absolutely no flavor. You could blindfold a person and they would not know what kind of meat it is. For breeding all of the flavor out of today's pork, the Iowa Pork Producers should be ashamed. The chili on this day was inedible. I left half of it, which I never do. It was over tomatoed, too sour and bitter like they scorched the chile.

Without a doubt. The best Old fashion tenderloin, old fashioned malts and old fashion service in Iowa. We drive 60 miles out of our way just to eat at this restaurant. If you've had a tenderloin here, you know what I mean. If you haven't had one, you need to drive here and experience it yourself, You won't be disappointed.

Tried this for the first time. Very tiny place and packed when I arrived. Tenderloin to go $8 well worth it.

Had a great experience here. Sat up at the bar with the wife and kids. All of the servers treated us just right, and were nice and friendly. All of the food and treats were great!!

We drove through a snowstorm to dine on the pork tenderloin sandwich at Goldie's. It did not disappoint. There is a reason why this was selected as the best in Iowa! The diner is rather small but we were seated quickly and our waitress was friendly and helpful. We of course ordered the tenderloin and it was large, crispy and meaty. I asked for extra pickles and they accommodated. Food was hot and fresh and the fries were excellent as well. We will definitely stop here again if we are in the area!

Great service & reasonable prices! They have the best ice cream around all year long.

I came to Goldies with expectations that they had the best ice cream around. It's been recommended to me specifically for ice cream several times. I was hesitant because I am from Des Moines and its a 30 minute drive in both directions from my house. I wasn't sure it was worth it. Turns out, I was right. While they do have an extensive list of toppings for their ice cream, at the end of the day, it's just soft serve ice cream. I can get that in Des Moines at lots of different places without spending an hour driving for it. After talking to people since my visit, I've learned that people do not just go here for the ice cream, despite the name, but the tenderloins. I don't eat pork, so I cannot speak to that, but I do know that if you're going to drive out there from des moines, save your gas and go to DQ.

Came here to try the pork tenderloin because that is what I do while in Iowa-search for the best one. I gotta say that it didn't disappoint and neither did the ice cream. My daughter got a walking taco that she couldn't finish but she couldn't finish her ice cream either. Extra for dad! If in the area check it out but be aware that it seems to get really busy.

Finally tried Goldie's after reading great online reviews. The service was excellent, but that's unfortunately where the positive ends. I had a tenderloin and fries. They won Iowa's best tenderloin in 2009, and either the recipe changed or the judges didn't have taste buds. There was zero seasoning on the pork or breading. The only way to make the sandwich edible was to slather it in ketchup. Glad to finally try here and check another place off of my must try list.

I have eaten here many times over the years either in the restaurant or as take out. The food is fabulous. Tonight I had the Mingo Special and it was magnificent. The menu should state that I invite two additional people to assist me in eating the sandwich which is a scrumptious combination of the Mingo Special and the pork tenderloin. Great job Brad and staff. Marty Hosbond

I was born and raised in prairie city. This is the most YEE HAW- SPECTACULAR- LITTLE ASS hole in the wall you will ever go to. Oh, and have you tried their ranch? No? IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. ACTUALLY, I had 10 miracles happen right after this interaction I had with my taste buds. You like tenderloins? I mean I don't because I'm picky as SHEEEET and they are BOMB . COM!!

Goldie's is always good; the tenderloin is something special! I always enjoy their daily specials...I mean you can't go wrong with monster cookie fluff, can you?! Their potato salad and pasta salad remind me of home - which is an ultimate compliment. The service was great and the ice cream is always amazing!

Off the beaten path but absolute best breaded pork sandwich I ever had!!! Highly recommend if you come within 30 minute proximity to this restaurant!!

First time here. I had the pork tenderloin sandwich. It was extremely good. As I expected from personal reviews from coworkers! I will definitely be back. The potato salad side tasted just like my grandma's It did have have a few thin slices of potatoes in it that didn't get processed. My wife had the daily special of pot roast and the sides with it which was excellent also. Love it !

Been to Goldies multiple times and it's one of my favorites!! Best tenderloin ever!!! It has so much flavor! Also, best ice cream! They have so many options for ice cream!! It's amazing! This place is a "have to visit" every time my husband and I are close! The service is great, super friendly staff! Overall just an amazing place to eat!

Goldie's is an excellent place to have the best tenderloin in Iowa. The Tenderloins have great flavor their very large and they're not pounded out to the point where you can't see the meat anymore. The ranch dressing is homemade and excellent. Is worth the trip to Prairie City Iowa. Don't forget to save room for one of their twisters. We had the peanut butter suicide twister it was great.

2009 is a long time ago. There are many Tenderloins much better than Goldies these days and that is to be expected but on our most recent visit everything was just okay too. Tenderloin average, sides boring, and soft serve just okay. The straw that broke the camels back for me though is that when we had parked I noticed the smell of diesel fuel. On the way out I noticed that someone had poured it on the ground to kill weeds? In 2019 we are pouring raw fuel on the ground? WTF?

This is an awesome little place! You can't go wrong with the breaded tenderloin. Thick enough to taste the meat, but still crispy. Be sure to get Goldie fries with ranch. Cut your sandwich in 1/2 to save for another lunch so you have room for ice cream! It's clean and cute. Expect a wait if it's mealtime.

The food and customer service were great!! We had a large group and they were so accommodating. Our waitress was wonderful. Everyone in the group loved their food! Tenderloins, fish sandwich, burgers, chicken fried steak (daily special), cheeseballs and of course the ice cream were all great! I will definitely come back soon. This is a place you must try!