About Nick's Kitchen
Nick Freienstein started selling sandwiches from a pushcart on the Huntington County courthouse square in 1904 — a son of German immigrants adapting his knowledge of Wiener schnitzel to the pork available in Indiana. By 1908 he had enough to open a permanent spot at 506 N Jefferson Street, and the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich as Indiana knows it was born. Nick's Kitchen in Huntington, Indiana has been at that address ever since.
The tenderloin here is made from the original recipe: white pork loin only, soaked in buttermilk, hand-breaded with a seasoned coating that includes a subtle, distinctive nutmeg note that surfaces especially in the second helping. It comes in a small and a large size, both extending well past the bun in the classic Hoosier style. Reviewers who have eaten tenderloins across the state consistently place Nick's in the upper echelon — not always number one, but without complaint, and with the acknowledgement that this is the real thing. The history alone makes it upper echelon. The recipe that started it all still runs the kitchen.
The menu beyond the tenderloin follows the classic small-town diner format: breakfast every morning, lunch specials, burgers, pulled pork, omelets, homemade soups. The pies are the other reason people drive to Huntington. Jean Anne Bailey — who ran Nick's Kitchen for 33 years before retiring — made crust from a hand-me-down recipe that practically evaporates on the tongue. Black raspberry, rhubarb, butterscotch, sugar cream. The slogan has always been: come for the tenderloin, stay for the pie. That's not marketing. It's accurate.
Nick's Kitchen has been featured on the Travel Channel's Food Paradise, on PBS, and is a cornerstone listing on Indiana's official Tenderloin Lovers Trail. Dan Quayle campaigned here in 1988 with the national press corps watching. For any tenderloin enthusiast in Indiana or visiting from anywhere, the address is 506 N Jefferson St in Huntington. It's where this all started.
Customer Reviews
Josh M.
- 5 out of 5 stars
Given the history and being Indiana’s first ever BPT offering… I had to give this one a try while passing through town. This was actually a very strong offering, and I’m glad I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised and can say with confidence that this is an upper level tenderloin. Breading consistency and texture were great. The flavor was very good, quality of meat was good, and size was more than fair. There really wasn’t much this sandwich was lacking, and I highly recommend this one. I don’t know that I can say this was the best I’ve had, but it’s certainly a very strong tenderloin I would consider to be upper echelon in this state. Well done, Nick’s Kitchen…
Jenna S.
- 4 out of 5 stars
BPT was good (moist, decent size, pretty well cooked). However, we live in the greater Fort Wayne area and prefer a few others over this one (Morgan's is our fave).
John B.
- 5 out of 5 stars
Nick's claims to be the original BPT. It was a good sandwich with no complaints. Not huge but great flavor. I will do it again when in the area.
Craig K.
- 5 out of 5 stars
They claim to be the original. It was excellent. Perfectly cooked, juicy, and good size. It was worth the detour from my work trip.
Paul B.
- 5 out of 5 stars
Crispy breading over generous pork nicely seasoned with salt, pepper, and subtle nutmeg*. Choice of several styles of fried taters. Frozen loins (option of raw or fried before freezing) which I took to my folks; *it was only in this second helping that I detected the nutmeg which escaped my attention in the diner. Nice place in a cute town, definitely worth the trip.