Mystery Diner: Flo's on Pulaski in Peru is more than big tenderloins

I tried Flo’s on Pulaski in Peru, when a friend told me the breaded pork tenderloins were the largest he’s seen.

They didn’t disappoint.

Not only were the tenderloins huge, but they had a crispy exterior and a meaty interior thicker and juicier than the norm.

The tenderloin was only my introduction to what has become a favorite stop in LaSalle County.

With daily homemade specials posted to Facebook, Flo’s menu has everything from fried chicken and cod served family style with spaghetti and Illinois Valley ravs, to burgers and pizza and a $10 Polish platter on the third Saturday of every month featuring kielbasa, pierogies, potato pancakes, cabbage rolls and haluski all served with sauerkraut.

The daily special that caught my eye this time was the chicken Oscar – a special that’s in the restaurant’s regular rotation. The entree is a lightly battered chicken breast topped with a butter sauce and crab meat on top of a bed of rice and served with asparagus. This is a keeper. None of the flavors were overdone and they complemented each other well, making each bite a perfect mix of a creamy and rich (but not too rich) sauce and fried chicken.

My dinner companion ordered the quarter fried chicken light, which is a breast and a wing served up crispy and crunchy with coleslaw, choice of potato, bread and spaghetti and Illinois Valley ravs – all for $10.

We started the meal with an appetizer of the garlic and mozzarella ($4.95) – similar to the garlic nuggets served across the area but filled with a bite of melted cheese.

And then we topped it off with the homemade dessert special of apple crisp, which came with a serving of vanilla ice cream to complement the crisp. With fall around the corner, this was the perfect seasonal dish.

All together, our bill was about $43, making Flo’s an excellent choice for homemade food at affordable prices.

At the time, Flo’s was only offering carryouts with curbside pickup and deliveries because of coronavirus. I was able to phone in the order and pick up my food at the front door. Give them between a half hour and 45 minutes to make your food.

Under normal conditions, the restaurant doubles as a neighborhood bar on Peru’s Pulaski Street, which adds to the overall experience. Visitors will turn north on Pulaski Street from U.S. 6 and go up a small hill to find the tavern on their right with a big Stroh’s sign in the front.

According to Facebook, customers are able to dine indoors again since Sept. 14.

For anyone looking to try Flo’s, keep an eye out for daily specials, including their breakfast boxes, or jump right into ordering one of the largest breaded pork tenderloins around. It will definitely take care of both lunch and dinner.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.