The Hungry Foodie: Review of Cammack Station in Cammack, Indiana

Situated in the small burg of Cammack five minutes west of Muncie, Cammack Station is a quaint, cute and comforting reminder of simpler, more relaxed times. The brick building, sitting on the corner of Old Mill Street and West Jackson Street, is a converted grocery store; and that knowledge just seems to add to the ease of the place as one envisions a kind, smiling, friendly grocer of yore. However, the quaintness stops at the food prices; they don't reflect those simpler times, and can spoil the experience.

The ambience is wonderful. Outside stands an old police car, a Ford Fairlane, with "Mayberry" on its side sits in the parking lot while early model gas pumps stand outside like welcoming doormen. In and out, the restaurant is decorated with old signs advertising gas, Coke and other commodities.

However, that is where the retreat to simpler times ends. Admittedly, the food is very good. It is made fresh per order, and it shows.

I had the tenderloin and a strawberry shake, while my companion chose a cheeseburger and a marshmallow shake. To put this bluntly and as realistically as possible: Everything but the strawberry milkshake was a disappointment after having heard all of the great reviews of this restaurant by local reviewers like the "Chow Hound" who panders to restaurants instead of offering candid reviews as is the responsibility of anyone who calls themselves a food critic.

The breaded tenderloin, one of their top sellers, was a surprise and a major letdown because it was not fried as every other tenderloin I've ever had has been. Though the freshness of it did add a nice juiciness to it, at best it was satisfactory in taste. The damage was done.

Cammack Station prides itself in serving fresh food and not having any fried foods, but tenderloin is meant to be fried. Go to BK's or Burkie's in Muncie, Ivanhoe's in Upland, or even to T Berry's in French Lick, Indiana, and order a tenderloin; what you expect and what you get is a fried tenderloin. Not frying it is a cardinal sin for real foodies.

While mildly satisfied with her cheeseburger, my companion, a marshmallow shake aficionado, barely finished her drink. Cammack Station takes pride in being the only such restaurant in Indiana that serves Blue Bell ice cream, but it's nothing of great note. She'd had better shakes from places like Ivanhoe's, Osborn's in Yorktown and even Baskin-Robbins. The look of disappointment in her eyes said it all.

In all, our meal of a cheeseburger, a breaded tenderloin, and two shakes ran us just shy of $20 without any sides-no chips, no fries, nothing like that at all-just the sandwiches. To emphasize: Just the sandwiches and the shakes for $20. Sorry, but we won't "Cammack" and see you anytime soon.

Rating: 10 out of 10 for décor; 4 out of 10 food portioning and cost

Address: 9200 West Jackson Street, Muncie, IN 47304

Phone: (765) 759-3871