Searching Austin's best reuben sandwich

[johnlikeplum]

this city is full of mexican delights and asian wonders but I need a massive, meaty, sourdoughy reuben with krauts to spare. any suggestions?

[popvulture]

In response to what I posted earlier, the sandwiches at the Far West HEB remain my faves. No cheese, but so what... maybe you can ask for it. I'm not sure.

The thing that brought this post back up for me is that I just finished eating a "Paul's Spicy Reuben" from Fricano's. I read a couple of positive reviews for them on here, so I decided to try it out... I hate to talk bad about a place, but wow... GROSS.

The "rye" bread tastes more like Ezekiel bread. Dense, chewy and pretty tasteless. No hint of caraway seeds or anything of the sort. The kraut and "rocket sauce" (spicier thousand island, basically) were fine. The corned beef was very thinly sliced and dry... I think it's Boar's Head (!!!). Plus, the whole thing had a sort of off taste, like the oil on the griddle was rancid or something.

Like I said, I hate to talk serious smack, but jeez... I will not be returning.

[ridgeback]

I'm under the impression, perhaps mistaken, that the HEB far west deli also use Boar's Head.

[popvulture]

That's a good question. It tasted house made to me, but I could definitely be wrong... Boar's Head or not though, whatever they're doing at the HEB is workin'.

[slowcoooked]

Pop you inspired me into this place and now I can't leave. Even the Batampte half sour pickles kill me - they taste like a fresh picked cuke. Weird though, they have more salt than regular pickles. I haven't gotten the rueben yet because that 10 dollar pastrami is to die for. Yeah, it's a bit small for 10 bucks, but I don't know of better pastrami in this town, and the buttered griddled thin sliced rye is nice because it's not too carb-laden an offering. really really good. I'm wondering about those two dollar dogs now, do they beat Costco's Hebrew National steamed dogs? I'm not sure what blessed brand they use.

[sasebastian]

My friends rave about the Reuben at Billy's on Burnet, and I love the Avocado Reuben there.

[duncanmcgeachy]

I like the Reuben at Jason's Deli in Hancock Center. They really pile on the meat and kraut, but are a bit skimpy with the dressing.

[popvulture]

I've heard good things about the Kosher Store, which what I understand is a deli inside the HEB off of Far West Blvd run by either Hasidic or Orthodox Jews. So that sounds like a real deal kinda option. I've been dying to check it out but am hardly ever up there, but that'd be the first place I'd look if I were on your quest...

[amysuehere]

And they have a Jewish poka band on Saturdays and Sundays. Makes the shopping experience quite interesting. I've never gotten a sandwich there, though. Hmmmm....

[rudeboy]

Oh, I thought that they were closed on the Sabbath - guess that does break some rules. Unless it was only after sundown. That's when I saw that Rabbi running away with all the cheese. The menu now says this:

SMOKED DUCK PASTRAMI WITH RUSSIAN DRESSING AND RYE PICKLES ….8

I guess the "reuben" is now this sandwich. I don't see a reuben on the menu.

They also have a great fish sandwich. Creole catfish with some kind of tartar.

[rudeboy]

Crap - Amysue, I thought that you were extending the joke about Noble Pig, but now I see that you were serious. I'm totally ruining this thread - y'all flag me.

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Noble Pig
11815 Ranch Road 620 N #4, Austin, TX 78750

[amysuehere]

You made me laugh so hard I snorted...

When ARE we gonna meet up for burgers!?

[dinaofdoom]

yeah, i was confused by your posts.
the noble pig never had a reuben, just the reuben-esque (pardon the pun) duck pastrami.

topic change: i don't love those rye pickles. they're too sweet for me.

[popvulture]

I finally got around to eating there... I didn't get a Reuben, but instead got their special pastrami sandwich. I think it was called the ultimate pastrami or something like that... BUT the way it normally comes is with slaw and russian dressing, and I swapped the slaw for kraut. So it was basically a pastrami reuben. Anyway... it was INSANELY GOOD. My favorite pastrami is Katz's in NY (not the now defunct awful place here in town), but this place might honestly have to take second place for me.

I guess the real benchmark for me was this was the first time in years that I've eaten a pastrami sandwich and didn't get pissed that I wasn't eating at Katz's.

If the corned beef is anywhere near as good as the pastrami, I'd definitely go check out the reuben.

[Rene]

So which of the above places are you referring to? Your enthusiasm makes me want to go wherever it is...

[NirvRush]

i'm thinking that kosher store in HEB on Far West...?

[popvulture]

Yep I was referring to my previous post about the Kosher Store. I might've accidentally hit reply to original post instead of my previous post.

The place is definitely worth checking out. The atmosphere's nothing to write home about (cos you're eating in an HEB), but I'll gladly overlook that due to the tastiness of the sandwich.

On a side note, I was talking to a friend about going there last night and he said their chicken salad is really good, and that it's apparently what they're best known for.

[agoodbite]

So there was no cheese on the sandwich, right? If there was cheese on the sandwich it wouldn't be kosher and also not a true reuben. Swiss cheese goes on a reuben, which would render it un-kosher. I know I'm picking knits, but the distinction is important.

The Far West HEB is where I do most of my grocery shopping. I've always wanted to get a corned beef sandwich, but I'm such a shiksa (read WASP-looking) that I haven't yet. It's a kickass HEB except for when it's kosher-for-passover time.

[popvulture]

No, there was no cheese. I was wondering at the time, though... wouldn't russian dressing make it non-kosher? It's got dairy in it...

Anyway, I didn't miss the cheese.

[rudeboy]

I think that eggs are OK - if the Russian dressing doesn't have sour cream, but only mayo or emulsification.

[dinaofdoom]

rudeboy is right. separation of meat and dairy is part of keeping kosher.
mayo is fine whereas cheese, sour cream, or butter is not.

[lixlix]

For something not totally authentic but pretty good, The Noble Pig has a reuben made with duck pastrami.

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Noble Pig
11815 Ranch Road 620 N #4, Austin, TX 78750

[DoobieWah]

"The Noble Pig has a reuben made with duck pastrami."

That just seems wrong somehow.

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Noble Pig
11815 Ranch Road 620 N #4, Austin, TX 78750

[rudeboy]

It's actually pretty good, but some people just don't like duck.

This sandwich doesn't look like Noble Pig's, but the duck pastrami does:

http://homemadebacon.wordpress.com/20...

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Noble Pig
11815 Ranch Road 620 N #4, Austin, TX 78750

[DoobieWah]

I'm sure it's great.

But DUCK pastrami at the Noble PIG?

Still seems wrong...

[rudeboy]

Oh, I see what you mean.....didn't get that at first. But it could be considered a kosher dish, I suppose!

[twyst]

regular pastrami is kosher. Ive never heard of pastrami made with pork products, does it exist?

[mkfoodie]

Just because it is made of a potentially kosher meat (beef from the front half of the animal) does not make it kosher. The kosher designation has a number or rules behind it including the animal being killed in a specific way and the certification of it's production under the observance of a rabbi.

[rudeboy]

Oh, I know, y'all. That was another one of my lame jokes/non sequiturs. I thought that it was funny to opine about deviating from the PIG concept with duck. But since it is a duck pastrami, that took it up a level. But I did see a Rabbi coming out of the Noble Pig's kitchen one day.....

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Noble Pig
11815 Ranch Road 620 N #4, Austin, TX 78750

[twyst]

I understand the rules of Kosher, but being that its traditionally a jewish deli staple most of the mass produced pastrami Ive seen is indeed kosher.

[lixlix]

well the concept of a Reuben is not Kosher anyways due to the meat and cheese together thing so since we're already bending the rules, might as well bend them a bit more.

[auspr]

Everybody has their opinion. My favorite is the pastrami reuben from NeWorlDeli. Try it and see if you like it.

[sqwertz]

This came up in another food forum (was it here?) and everyone suggested NeWorlDeli. We went and got a pair last week and didn't really think it was anything fantastic.

I have been pretty impressed with the couple things I've ordered from Specs at Brodie, so I'll try them next. It's a very under appreciated lunch 9and dinner) counter, IMO.

-sw

[slowcoooked]

The grilled rueben at Cover 3 is my favorite in town. HUGE, meaty, and delish on really good marble rye. Better than the versions I've had at little deli, katz (good riddance), and fricanos.

[brentwood]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/738967
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/392943

[Philly369]

My vote goes to Spec's deli within the liquor store at Brodie & 290 - Their Reuben will make you cry .....

[twyst]

I can agree with this assuming all the specs deli's are preparing them the same. I lived a block from the specs flagship store in houston until recently and used to go there for reubens at least once a week.

[ret3]

There was a competition organized earlier this year regarding this particular question. The result had Frianco's coming out on top, but there were only 5 competitors: http://www.mannysuptownkitchen.com/?p...