Carey and Corey Hansen and Heith Sheeley knew it was a gamble to put a fresh $ 28 lobster roll on the menu at the Iowa State Fair’s newest restaurant, JR’s SouthPork Ranch. Who in their right mind would drop nearly $ 30 on seafood in landlocked Iowa at the state’s biggest fried food celebration?
Many trade fair goers have annoyed the high price – the highest of all items at the show this year – but those who try come back to tell everyone it’s worth every dollar, say the restaurant partners.
It’s a point of pride for Sheeley, head chef and senior recipe developer at JR, who spent a year perfecting the cold-water lobster bun, stuffed with sweet claw meat and salty capers and wrapped in thick-cut Texas toast.
It’s just one of many surprises on the menu at JR’s SouthPork Ranch, the restaurant owned by partners Brooks Reynolds and the Hansens, which replaced the former Diamond Jack’s. At its first State Fair, JR’s draws crowds with its 16 separate dining and drinking rooms, live music shows and wonderfully weird retro vibes.
JR’s SouthPork Ranch is unlike any other grocery store on the fairground, and that was the goal.
After purchasing the building in August 2020 and breaking ground in March 2021, Reynolds and the Hansens extensively renovated the property to bring it into line with health and safety regulations. A state-of-the-art kitchen designed by Sheeley replaced the former walk-in beer cooler and a new terrace was added along the south side of the building.
Brooks Reynolds is hard to miss as he meanders through JR’s open-air dining room. Often clad in bright patterns and a cowboy hat, Des Moines co-founder of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival is a loud and bright personality who, with the help of his partners, has embedded some of that sparkle into the restaurant.
The Hansens, owners of Greek House Chefs and Manhattan Deli, know what it takes to serve the masses. Greek House Chefs supplies trained chefs to Greek university houses nationwide, and chefs from various states have been flown in to work with chefs from Iowa State University’s Greek houses at the first JR’s state fair.
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The result of the partnership between one of the biggest names in the state in the bacon field and seasoned caterers who feed 16,000 students a day is a restaurant that can prepare fresh, locally grown, never-frozen dishes at the show. They like to call it cook-inspired, upscale, fair food, served with a kitschy, colorful flair.
For those who remember “Dallas,” the prime-time soap opera that ran from 1978 to 1991, stepping into JRs will bring them straight back to the dining room at the Ewing family estate, Southfork Ranch.
Decorative accents like the chandelier and wallpaper pay homage to the show. A minor change to the ranch name gave the restaurant its name: JR’s SouthPork Ranch, although that JR refers to Reynolds’ late mother Jodie Reynolds and father Stan Reynolds (known by friends as Rennie).
On the balcony level of the restaurant, framed photos stretch across an entire wall. A large painted portrait of Stan and Jodie by Des Moines artist Jay Vigon sits between a page of Reynolds family photos and a page of Hansen family photos. There are sky glider images and giant beef ribs held in front of faces. There’s a snapshot of Reynolds with Iowa Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson and another of Reynolds’ mother on horseback donning a Miss Rodeo Iowa sash.
On any given day, 40 to 80 employees (called ranch hands) with JR shirts with slogans like “You will look hungry” and “You look like you could use a drink” toss around the building, preparing and serving food Drinks for trade fair visitors.
“We just wanted to bring that fun, larger-than-life feeling over here, and I think we made it,” said Carey Hansen.
Sheeley, who is also CEO and President of Greek House Chefs, had a free hand to prepare the State Fair menu of his childhood dreams. As a long-time Iowan and trade fair visitor, Sheeley wanted to incorporate personal touches and unique options into the JR menu.
Starting with around 200 food ideas, Sheeley and the JR partners narrowed the choices down to 50, then 20. They tested and tested again until they had a menu that suited their creativity and tasted really damn good.
Sheeley knew he wanted something to help show attendees remember JRs – his own version of a giant turkey leg. The result? Weirdly large beef ribs for $ 19 that can only be found in one place on the fairgrounds. They only use the first three ribs from Iowa raised cattle to ensure the massive size, and each rib takes an eight-hour journey through a hickory smoker.
“They were slow at first,” said Sheeley. “I think they scared people a bit. But at the moment I can’t smoke it fast enough. “
Berkwood Farms pork has a strong presence across the menu, and everything right up to the cheese sauce is made on site. Aside from the seafood, the destination is local, local, local. JR’s has partnered with Thelma’s and Chocolate Storybook to create exclusive JR ice cream sandwiches and unusual cotton candy flavors.
“There is really good food here. Everyone loves a Campbell’s Corn Dog and everyone loves to get Crescenti and Applishus, ”said Carey Hansen. “There are so many people who are doing things so well out here. We just wanted to give the state fair a different level. “
The hard work and creativity that comes from the JR kitchen is already paying off as curious customers queue up for lobster rolls and nachos with pork rind. Reynolds received the Excellence in Innovation Award earlier this week from the Iowa State Fair Board, an award given to a grocery seller who displays the spirit of ingenuity that makes the fair a magical place to return to year after year can.
A pink neon sign with Dolly Parton’s famous quote shines on the north wall of the dining room: “It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.”
While the JR team is setting up its new premises, they hope that the jewel of a restaurant will continue to shine on the exhibition grounds in the years to come.
Elle Wignall covers the food for the register. Reach her at ewignall@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ElleWignallDMR.
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