The Best Reuben Sandwiches You Can Find In The US
The Reuben is everything a deli does best, stacked between two slices of rye: cured meat, melted Swiss, tangy sauerkraut, and the generous swipe of Russian or Thousand Island dressing, depending on your preference. However, the sandwich inspires the kind of heated, lifelong loyalty usually reserved for sports teams. Every deli has its own way of building one, and every regular has a preferred stance in the eternal pastrami-versus-corned-beef debate.
Team Pastrami will tell you it makes it better. Team Corned Beef will swear that swapping in pastrami makes it a totally different sandwich, one that belongs on a whole other "Best of" list. New Yorkers insist their version is the blueprint, while Midwesterners swear the Reuben was born in Omaha.
What's not up for debate is how good it is and how perfectly balanced it is. What follows is a tour of the best Reubens in the country. The places that still hand-slice the meat, grill the rye, and treat this sandwich like the craft it is. Show up with an appetite (many of these look like skyscrapers on bread) and a little free time. The best ones often come with a line, and that's part of the experience.
Katz's Delicatessen
If you're making a list of great Reubens, you can't not start with Katz's. The family-run New York institution has been home to some of the most legendary corned beef and pastrami on the planet since 1988. It's cured slowly for up to 30 days, so the meat ends up being tender, juicy, and flavorful.
Katz's cures, smokes, and prepares all its pastrami and corned beef in-house, using recipes passed down for generations. It gets its brisket from a handful of trusted purveyors, which is why you can't just find "Katz's pastrami" anywhere else.
For the sandwich, the corned beef or pastrami (it's important to know the difference) is stacked thick, layered with tangy sauerkraut, melted Swiss, and its famous Russian dressing.
Even celebrity chefs get sentimental about it. Jamie Oliver once said, "No trip to New York is complete without eating a Reuben at Katz's Deli." Katz's Reuben isn't just one of the best Reubens in New York, it's one of the best sandwiches in New York, period.
(212) 254-2246
205 East Houston Street, New York City, 10002
Crescent Moon
If you're talking Reubens, you have to pay respect to Omaha, the city that claims the sandwich was born. If you want something close to the original, you should visit Crescent Moon. It's across the street from the old Blackstone Hotel (now the Cottonwood), where stories say the very first Reuben was created in the 1920s.
Crescent Moon still uses the original Blackstone recipe, featuring slow-roasted corned beef, a secret sauerkraut blend, Swiss cheese, and house-made Thousand Island dressing, baked on marble rye. Every November, Crescent Moon hosts ReubenFest. This week-long event turns the sandwich into a full festival, featuring Reuben egg rolls, Reuben mac and cheese, Reuben fries, a Reuben burger, a Reuben chimichanga, a Reuben crunch wrap, and even a Reuben Bloody Mary.
beercornerusa.com/crescentmoon
(402) 345-1708
3578 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131
The Cottonwood Hotel
If Crescent Moon gets a shoutout for slinging some of the best Reuben sandwiches across the street from where the sandwich was born, then we have to include the place where the Reuben was supposedly invented. The Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel is located where the historic Blackstone Hotel once stood, and where the Reuben was said to be invented during Charles Schimmel's weekly poker games in the 1920s. The Orléans Room pays direct homage to that legacy with an "Original Blackstone Reuben."
According to Omaha Food Magazine, the kitchen produces nearly 1,000 pounds of corned beef a year, so they know what they're doing. The sauerkraut ferments in a temperature-controlled room, the Thousand Island is made in-house by one dedicated person, and the Gruyère is shredded by hand.
If you're going to chase the Reuben back to its origins, The Cottonwood Hotel is a must-stop.
(402) 810-9500
302 S. 36th St., Omaha, Nebraska 68131
Zingerman's Delicatessen
Zingerman's opened in 1982 with the goal of making a sandwich so big you needed two hands to hold it. Forty years later, they're still at it. The #2 Zingerman's Reuben is still the deli's most popular item, and they make around 50,000 of them a year.
Zingerman's corned beef is their own recipe, developed decades ago with Detroit meat master Sy Ginsburg at United Meat & Deli, who had a hand in helping get the deli off the ground. Zingerman's cures it differently than most places, using minimal processing and freshly squeezed garlic juice instead of the usual chemical-packed garlic powder. The Swiss Emmental is AOP-protected and comes straight from the Emme River Valley in Switzerland. The sauerkraut is made in Ann Arbor by The Brinery, one of the Midwest's best fermenters. The rye bread comes from Zingerman's Bakehouse, its own bakery, using natural rye sour and "old" dough for depth of flavor.
The best part is that Zingerman's offers seven other versions of the Reuben, including pastrami, turkey, brisket, and even two vegetarian options made with Brinery tempeh.
(734) 663-3354
422 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Brent's Deli
Since 1967, Brent's Deli has been one of Southern California's most beloved Jewish delis. It's been voted the No. 1 Delicatessen & Restaurant in the city by Zagat and received critical acclaim from Los Angeles Magazine and the L.A. Times. However, it still feels like a family-run neighborhood spot.
This thing is a skyscraper of a sandwich with hot, pepper-crusted pastrami piled high with melty Swiss, tangy sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, all grilled to a perfect crisp on rye. The pastrami is seasoned with dry herbs, smoked until tender, and customers can order it "extra fatty" or "lean," depending on their mood.
It also turns out excellent Corned Beef Reubens with thinly sliced, perfectly steamed corned beef on marbled rye, plus sauerkraut and Thousand Island. If you're not in a pastrami mood, the Fresh Turkey Reuben is stacked with roasted turkey, sauerkraut, and a gravy-spiked Russian dressing, along with sweet & sour cranberry sauce.
Multiple Locations
Famous 4th Street Delicatessen
A South Philly landmark since 1923, Famous 4th Street Deli has stayed true to tradition. It bakes its rye in-house, pickeles its own corned beef, and slices its pastrami by hand. The deli has gained widespread recognition and has been featured in Forbes, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler. It's also been in classic movies like "Philadelphia" and "In Her Shoes."
You can get your Reuben with pastrami, corned beef, or even a frankwurst, all stacked high with Swiss, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island (or Russian, depending on the build) on your choice of rye: seeded, marble, pumpernickel, or classic. Everything from the meat to the bread to the pickles is made the old-school way, slow-brined, house-smoked, baked fresh daily, and the portions are famously over-the-top.
Whether you want the traditional pastrami version or the corned beef classic, this is one of the country's great Jewish delis serving one of Philly's most essential Reubens.
famous4thstreetdelicatessen.com
(215) 922-3274
700 s 4th street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Chick & Ruth's Delly
Chick & Ruth's has kept its old-school charm intact since 1965. Even after Ted — the son of original owners Chick and Ruth — sold the deli in 2017, the new owners promised not to change a thing. Everyone from locals to every Maryland governor since opening has squeezed into a booth here. Politicians even get sandwiches named in their honor, including Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, whose namesake is a classic Reuben.
What makes Chick & Ruth's so beloved isn't just the nostalgia, but the friendly service and good food that have been the same way for decades. Scratch-made soups, mile-high deli sandwiches, giant platters, and its famous crab cakes all come out of this kitchen. Its Reubens keep it simple with hot corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut, and dressing pressed together on rye.
If you've ever watched "Man vs. Food," you've probably seen its other claim to fame, the Colossal Challenge, which involve things like eating a 3-pound sandwich. Luckily, you don't need to attempt a food-coma-inducing stunt to enjoy one of these Reubens.
(410) 269-6737
165 Main Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Jake's Deli
A Milwaukee staple since 1955, Jake's Deli lives inside a century-old former butcher shop on the city's north side. The building has been around since around 1903, and the vibe inside hasn't changed much since Jake Levin took over in the '50s, with wooden booths and a vintage counter.
Jake's Reuben keeps that same simple old-school energy: hot, hand-cut corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut, and toasted rye with a pickle. Nothing flashy about it, just a properly built, generously stacked Reuben made the way a deli that's been doing this for nearly 70 years does it. If you do want something a little more adventurous, however, there's a Reuben Dog loaded with corned beef and Thousand Island.
In addition to its sandwiches, Jake's also sells its meats separately, so you can always have a pound of its pastrami or corned beef for dessert after your Reuben.
(414) 562-127
1634 W North Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53205
Rein's Deli
Rein's Deli began with a simple mission to bring a great corned beef sandwich, along with authentic New York–style Jewish deli culture, to New England. Bob and Betty Rein, along with Bob's brother Bernie, opened the place in 1972. More than 50 years later, it's still doing exactly what they set out to do.
Rein's is an old-school deli in the best way, meaning it's bustling, bright, packed with regulars, and greeting you with crisp garlic pickles the second you sit down. The menu offers different versions of the Reuben with pastrami, corned beef, roast beef, roast brisket, turkey, turkey-pastrami, smoked salmon, or even a full veggie Reuben. You can order them standard or go big with the fresser, which clocks in at nearly three-quarters of a pound.
Rein's is also one of the rare delis that lets you choose between regular and 1st-cut brisket on your pastrami or corned beef Reuben, the extremely lean, single-muscle portion prized for its texture.
Its site proudly says it is "centrally located between N.Y., Boston & Heaven," but if you want the exact address, check it out below.
(860) 875-1344
435 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT 06066
The General Muir
At The General Muir, Atlanta's "upscale Jewish deli", pastrami is cured and smoked in-house. The rye is baked next door at TGM Bread, and even the bagels are hand-rolled and kettle-boiled.
Its Reuben is one of the most popular items on the menu, with your choice of corned beef or pastrami, piled onto griddled rye with Swiss, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. Critics say if you come here, you get the pastrami in some capacity, and the Reuben is one of the best ways to do it. It even offers a Vegetable Reuben made with smoked beets.
It was founded in 2013 and named for the refugee ship that brought co-owner Jennifer Johnson's family to the U.S. The General Muir balances heritage and modernity, and its Reuben is a perfect example of why it's become one of Atlanta's must-visit stops.
(678) 927-9131
1540 Avenue Place, Suite B-230, atlanta, GA 30329
Shapiro's Delicatessen
According to its site, Shapiro's is America's oldest single-family-owned deli, serving Indianapolis since 1905 and still run by the Shapiro family four generations later. When you walk through the doors, it's clear why it's lasted so long. The no-frills cafeteria line, mountain-high sandwiches, delicious desserts, and rye bread have all helped it earn spots on "Best Sandwich in the State" and "Top 10 Jewish Delis in America" rankings.
The Reuben is the bestseller for a reason. Shapiro's house-made corned beef is sourced locally, cooked in-house, tender, and stacked high. It's all layered on marbled rye with German-Swiss cheese, sauerkraut (or coleslaw for the New York version), a thick smear of Russian dressing, and then grilled to golden, melty perfection. You might want to order one to share, or plan to take home half because the portions are famously enormous.
Multiple Locations
Court Street Grocers
Court Street Grocers looks like another Brooklyn specialty market full of pricey mustard and artisanal pantry goods, but ignore the shelves for now — the real action is in the back, where the deli counter cranks out some of the best sandwiches in New York.
Instead of generic cold cuts, CSG house-cures its meat and hand-slices it to order, stacking it high on Orwasher's rye and topping it with Swiss, sauerkraut, and its signature "comeback sauce," a tangy, creamy house condiment that does precisely what it promises: makes you want to come back for more. It's everything you want and expect from a Reuben. It's messy, rich, a little sharp, and worth the nap afterward.
This is the kind of place where you walk out wondering why you don't eat here twice a week. Then, you look at the bill, and remember why it's an occasional treat. Still, once you've had the Reuben here, you'll find that it's worth the splurge.
Multiple Locations
Slyman's Restaurant
Slyman's likes to call itself "the home of the biggest and best corned beef," and the proof is in the posts. Since 1964, this tiny Cleveland diner has been stacking its Reubens and corned beef sandwiches so high they look structurally unsound. Esquire even named it one of "100 Restaurants America Can't Afford to Lose," praising its beloved Reuben piled too high with what they believe might be the best corned beef in America.
At lunchtime, the line spills out onto St. Clair Ave., filled with locals and the occasional celebrity like George W. Bush, Rachael Ray, and LeBron James, who have all stopped by. The shop closes at 2:30 p.m., and the staff starts cooking the corned beef at 3 a.m., which explains why it's so tender and juicy.
The original owner, a proud Lebanese immigrant, was once asked why he made his sandwiches so gigantic. He replied, "To thank America for my freedom." After one bite, you'll feel like you're the one who should be saying "Thank you."
(216) 621-3760
3106 St Clair Ave NE, Cleveland, OH 44114
Carshon's Deli
Carshon's is one of the city's longest-running restaurants, with roots tracing back to 1928 when David and Ella Carshon opened their original shop in partnership with Chicotsky's Meat Market. Nearly a century and a handful of moves later, the deli sits in its cozy green building on Cleburne Road, still drawing crowds for the same reason it always has: some of the best Reubens in the country.
The Reuben is the local legend, piled high with salty corned beef, melty Swiss, and kraut that still has a little crunch, all griddled together on buttery rye. If corned beef isn't your thing, it has other favorites like the Rachel, made with corned beef and smoked turkey, Swiss, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on grilled rye. The Rebecca is a triple-decker stack of pastrami, cream cheese, smoked turkey, and Russian dressing on grilled egg bread.
Inside, the vibe is old-school deli charm with display cases of meats and cheeses, checkered tablecloths, and owner Mary Swift greeting customers like family.
(817) 923-190
3133 Cleburne Road, Fort Worth, TX 76110
Attman's Delicatessen
Attman's Delicatessen is a century-old institution sitting on what Baltimore famously calls Corned Beef Row. The deli, founded in 1915 and still family-run three generations later, began as a small grocery. It sold imported specialties before evolving into the piled-high deli legend it is today.
The original East Lombard Street shop remains the anchor, but Attman's has since expanded to two additional locations in Montgomery County and Harbor Point, proof that there's still plenty of demand for the kind of old-school deli experience they've been perfecting for more than a hundred years. Its corned beef is sliced thin, piled high, and served hot. The sauerkraut comes in generous scoops, the Swiss is just melty enough, and the Russian dressing adds the perfect little kick.
Between the lunch rush and the national attention, it's no wonder the original shop is still around while most of Corned Beef Row has faded away.
Multiple Locations
Nate'n Al's
Nate'n Al's has been a Beverly Hills landmark since 1945, when friends Nate Rimer and Al Mendelson opened a small delicatessen on North Beverly Drive. Seven decades later, it's still around and slinging Reuben's. Now owned by longtime customers Shelli and Irving Azoff, the deli continues to honor its old-school roots while introducing new generations to classic Jewish deli fare.
The Reuben is made with your choice of corned beef, pastrami, or turkey and remains one of the classic sandwiches people come here for. It's everything a proper deli Reuben should be: grilled bread, tangy sauerkraut, plenty of Swiss, and just the perfect amount of Russian dressing.
Nate'n Al's is known for its "Manhattan-on-the-Pacific" vibe, top-quality cured meats, and frequent celebrity sightings and remains one of the few places in LA where you can still get a truly old-fashioned, New York–style deli experience.
(310) 274-0101
414 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Methodolgy
To build this list, we looked across the country for delis, restaurants, and sandwich shops with a well-earned reputation for making an exceptional Reuben. We weighed customer reviews, food-critic opinions, longevity, and consistency, as well as how seriously they take crafting the sandwich, including hand-slicing, house-cured meats, quality bread, and the delicate balancing act of meat, kraut, cheese, and dressing.
You'll find every kind of Reuben out there. Classic corned beef, pastrami variations, turkey Rachaels, even vegetarian riffs. There's also the viral "Shower Reuben," proving that Americans will eat this sandwich anywhere, under any circumstances. For this list, though, we focused strictly on places serving the real deal.