Before We Get to the Best, Let’s Talk About the Beginning
The Reuben sandwich didn’t become one of America’s most beloved deli classics by accident. It was born right here in Omaha, and the story behind it is as good as the sandwich itself.
It was 1925. A group of friends gathered regularly at the Blackstone Hotel for late-night poker games. They called themselves a committee, and like any good committee, their most important decisions happened over food. For each hand of cards, players tossed in a few cents, and when hunger struck (which it always did) they’d phone down for a midnight snack.
One of those players was Reuben Kulakofsky, a local grocer with apparently excellent taste. Charles Schimmel, the hotel’s owner, was also at the table, and his son Bernard, a Swiss-trained chef, was in the kitchen.
Here’s where the story gets a little murky, in the best possible way. In one version, Bernard brought up a spread of meats, cheeses, and breads, and Reuben himself assembled the sandwich. In another, Reuben simply asked for something with corned beef and sauerkraut, and Bernard, leaning on his culinary training, added Swiss cheese and dressing, then threw it on the grill.
Either way, the table loved it. The sandwich landed on the hotel menu. And the rest, as they say, is delicious history. The Reuben went on to win the National Sandwich Idea Contest in 1956, launching it onto menus across the country. But no matter where you eat one, it started here at a poker table in Omaha, Nebraska.
But who serves the best? That’s what Hurrdat One set out to find out! Restaurant advocate Dan Hoppen tried 24 Reubens all over Omaha to determine the best Reubens in Omaha. Here are the top five.
Top 5 Reubens in Omaha
Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel
302 36th St (Blackstone)
Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel is the birthplace of the Reuben and still has the original recipe, but the chefs here have innovated to take it to the next level. Step inside The Orleans Room and you’ll find a Reuben featuring prime certified angus beef brisket that’s tender enough to cut with a plastic knife and carries a wonderful salty, smoky flavor. The housemade 1000 Island dressing (which has 16 ingredients) adds a pleasant tang, and the rye bread is toasted wonderfully.
The Cottonwood modernizes the Reuben with two minor tweaks:
- A slathering of stoneground mustard adds a bold earthiness.
- Gruyere is subbed in for Swiss cheese, adding a pleasant nuttiness and a gooier melt.
Barrett’s Barleycorn Pub & Grill
4322 Leavenworth St (Blackstone)
The Reuben at Barrett’s Barleycorn Pub & Grill is a sloppy, delicious mess of a sandwich. The sliced corned beef is stacked high to give the sandwich a salty, robust meatiness. The melted Swiss, sauerkraut, and 1000 Island almost meld together into one creamy, sweet condiment that accents the saltiness of all the meat, and the bread is so infused with butter that it leaves your hands like an oil slick.
Lemon Tree Cafe
7614 Main St (Ralston)
What makes the Reuben at Lemon Tree Cafe one of Omaha’s best is enormous, tender chunks of salty corned beef, a recipe that takes Chef Meghan McLarney multiple days to create. Holding this meat mountain together is a bevy of gooey Gruyere cheese, and the Lithuanian Bakery rye bread is the perfect delivery device. Lemon Tree Cafe uses Russian dressing as opposed to 1000 Island to give their sandwich a little less sweetness and more tang.
Dundee Dell
5007 Underwood Ave (Dundee)
If a restaurant has been serving a sandwich since 1936, it’s probably pretty good, right? That’s definitely true at Dundee Dell, long known for serving one of Omaha’s best Reubens, but a recent tweak to the meat has taken the sandwich to another level. The Dell changed its meat to braised and shredded brisket, and the beef is spiced well with just a touch of a sour kick and a really nice bark.
Along with sauerkraut and enough cheese to drain a cow is the house Dell sauce, which has a bit more tang and creaminess than traditional 1000 Island.
A Catered Affair
8351 N 134th Ave (Northwest Omaha)
Good luck finding a Reuben in Omaha with more meat than the version at A Catered Affair. The towering behemoth at this cozy Omaha cafe is loaded with slice after slice of tender pastrami, yet the abundant presence of Swiss balances all the saltiness with the cheese’s mild creaminess. The housemade 1000 Island is as tasty as you’ll find in Omaha, and you won’t need to eat for days if you finish this sandwich in one sitting.
Omaha’s food scene never stops, and neither do we. For more Omaha restaurant guides, hidden gems, and local favorites, visit HurrdatONE.com and never wonder where to eat again.
