About Jonesy's Junction
After five rounds and more than 300,000 votes in IndyStar's Tenderloin Tournament, Jonesy's Junction in Akron, Indiana walked away with the title of best pork tenderloin sandwich in the state — beating 32 competitors including some of the most famous tenderloin spots in Hoosier history. That's not a small thing in Indiana.
Owner Tim Jones started from a food trailer in 2010, built a loyal following by serving local companies at lunch, and opened the brick-and-mortar at 906 E Rochester St in Akron in 2016. The philosophy hasn't changed: never frozen meats, always fresh produce, portion sizes and price points that respect the people eating them. The hand-breaded pork tenderloin here is made from scratch daily — mildly spiced, crispy breading over tender and juicy pork, consistently sized and consistently excellent. Reviewers making the hour-plus drive from across north-central Indiana describe it as top-5 material, and the Junction Platter — tenderloin plus brisket cheese fries and a drink — runs about $10.99 and is called a bargain by the people eating it. Open at 11:00 AM Tuesday through Saturday, the place fills up fast. Don't arrive at noon expecting a quick seat.
Beyond the tenderloin, Jonesy's is a classic American comfort food operation. The smoked beef brisket has its own following, the burgers are oversized and well-seasoned, and the homemade pies — Indiana sugar cream, Brown Betty apple, strawberry rhubarb — are worth saving room for. There's also a soft-serve ice cream stand on site. The menu is simple, the execution is consistent, and the Facebook community of 11,500 followers is vocal about both.
The dining room is casual and order-at-the-counter: fill your drink, find a seat, wait for your number. The space is clean and kid-friendly with ample parking. It's a small-town operation that happens to make one of the most acclaimed tenderloins in Indiana.
Akron sits in Fulton County in north-central Indiana — about an hour from Warsaw, Rochester, Peru, and Fort Wayne. If you're building an Indiana tenderloin road trip, Jonesy's Junction belongs near the top of the list. It won the tournament. The award is on the wall. The tenderloin backs it up.
Customer Reviews
Melanie T.
- 5 out of 5 stars
Today was the last day of the 12 days of Christmas tenderloins at Jonsey’s Junction in Akron, IN. Jonsey’s has tenderloins that are among the best in Indiana. Today they were $6 a sandwich. Jonsey’s is a family restaurant in the small community of Akron, IN and all of their food is fabulous. They also have an ice cream stand and some homemade pies for sale. I got there (about an hour drive) shortly after they opened at 11:00 and they were already busy. In addition to the $6 tenderloins, they also had a special of a chicken cordon bleu sandwich. So I ordered 2 tendies to go and a chicken cordon bleu sandwich with onion rings. The onion rings were pretty much just run-of-the-mill onion rings but the portion was very generous. Both the tendies and the chicken sandwich were pretty thick (pictures attached). The breading stayed on the meat in both cases. Flavor is really nice. I ate a few of the onion rings but decided to take my tenderloins, my chicken cordon bleu sandwich (which was massive and as big as the tenderloins) and the rest of my onion rings home as I wasn’t really hungry yet. I figure I have enough sandwiches for 6 meals all total. By the time I left there was hardly an empty table in the house. This was the second time I have been to Jonsey’s and will definitely return. In total, my bill was a little over $28. There was a tiny up charge for wanting "everything" on my sandwich ($.50 each sandwich) and a small charge for "to go". But all in all I really can't complain about anything.
BT W.
- 5 out of 5 stars
Delicious. Amazing staff. Pork was tender and not over-breaded.
Ralph H.
- 4 out of 5 stars
Made the two-hour trip to Jonesy’s Junction today in Akron, IN. The BPT was excellent thick, juicy, and perfectly breaded. The service was great, especially considering how busy they were. Sandy had onion rings and I went with fries. If we’re ever back in the area, we’ll definitely stop in again.
Kerry S.
- 5 out of 5 stars
Great flavor and size. We will be back again soon as never had one taste so well!!
Sheri H.
- 4 out of 5 stars
Today for lunch: $8.99 for the BPT, fries, and a drink. It’s not a fancy place but it’s clean and the food is great. The tenderloin is fairly thin but tender with a flavorful, crisp breading and the fries were hot and crispy. It’s about an hour from home and worth our drive.