The Reuben is a griddled sandwich of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on rye bread. It is the heavyweight champion of the American deli counter, combining salty cured meat, tangy fermented cabbage, nutty melted cheese, and creamy-sweet dressing into a warm, messy, intensely flavored package.

What Is Reuben?

The Reuben sandwich has two competing origin stories. One credits Arnold Reuben, a German-American restaurateur who owned Reuben's Delicatessen in New York City, sometime between 1908 and 1914. The other credits Reuben Kulakofsky, a Lithuanian-born grocer in Omaha, Nebraska, who allegedly invented it during a poker game at the Blackstone Hotel in the 1920s. The Omaha claim gained traction when a Blackstone Hotel cook entered the sandwich in a national contest in 1956 and won. Regardless of its precise origin, the Reuben became a staple of Jewish-American delicatessens and diners by the mid-20th century. The sandwich's genius lies in the interplay of contrasting flavors and textures: the salty, fatty corned beef; the sour, crunchy sauerkraut; the nutty, melting Swiss cheese; and the sweet, tangy Russian dressing, all bound together by the earthy, slightly bitter rye bread toasted crisp on the griddle.

What Does Reuben Taste Like?

The first bite delivers the tangy crunch of sauerkraut against the salty, dense chew of corned beef. Russian dressing -- a mayonnaise-based condiment with ketchup, horseradish, and pickle relish -- adds a creamy sweetness that mediates between the sour and salty elements. Swiss cheese, melted on the griddle, contributes a nutty, slightly sweet richness that coats the meat. The rye bread, toasted in butter until crisp, provides an earthy, caraway-scented crunch on the outside and a soft, absorbent interior. The overall flavor is complex, tangy, and savory, with the fermented sauerkraut giving the sandwich an almost European depth of flavor.

Key Ingredients

• Corned beef -- salt-cured beef brisket, sliced thick and piled high; the meat should be warm and tender, not cold and dry.
• Swiss cheese -- traditional choice for its mild, nutty flavor and excellent melting properties; baby Swiss is a milder alternative.
• Sauerkraut -- fermented cabbage, well-drained to prevent the bread from getting soggy; provides the signature tangy crunch.
• Russian dressing -- a blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, and pickle relish; Thousand Island dressing is a common (and debated) substitute.
• Rye bread -- seeded or marble rye, sliced thick and buttered on the outside before griddling.

How Reuben Is Traditionally Served

The Reuben is griddled like a grilled cheese -- buttered rye bread pressed on a hot flat-top until the exterior is golden and crispy and the cheese is melted. It is cut in half diagonally and served on a plate with a pickle spear and french fries, coleslaw, or potato salad. In traditional delis, the corned beef is piled so high that the sandwich is nearly impossible to bite through without pressing it flat. The Reuben is a lunch sandwich served hot, and the warmth is essential to melting the cheese and softening the sauerkraut.

Ordering Tips for First-Timers

Ask whether the corned beef is house-cured or commercial. House-cured corned beef has a more complex, less salty flavor. Request the sauerkraut well-drained -- excess liquid turns the rye bread into a soggy mess. If you prefer a milder sandwich, ask for Thousand Island dressing instead of Russian, or request the dressing on the side so you can control the amount. The Rachel sandwich is a common variant that replaces corned beef with pastrami and sauerkraut with coleslaw, resulting in a less tangy, more straightforward flavor.

Reuben vs Similar Dishes

The Reuben is tangier and more complex than a Philly cheesesteak, which relies on beef-and-cheese simplicity without fermented elements. A Rachel sandwich swaps corned beef for pastrami and sauerkraut for coleslaw, making it sweeter and less sour. A Monte Cristo is a ham-and-cheese sandwich dipped in egg batter and fried, resembling a French croque monsieur more than a deli sandwich. The club sandwich is milder in every dimension, with no fermented, cured, or spiced components.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pairs Well With

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