The Reuben sandwich is one of those rare classics that has never needed a reinvention. Corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, dressing, and toasted rye have been holding it down for over a century, and somehow the combination keeps winning people over.
Across the country, a handful of restaurants have taken this iconic sandwich seriously enough to make it a defining part of their identity. Some are historic New York delis with walls full of celebrity photos.
Others are Midwestern neighborhood spots with loyal regulars who would drive an hour for a proper Reuben. The origin of the sandwich itself is still debated, with Omaha and New York City both staking a claim, which means there are at least two cities where locals take their Reubens very personally.
This list covers 12 restaurants that are currently open, actively serving Reubens, and consistently earning praise for getting every layer right. Grab a napkin before you start reading.
1. Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant, Los Angeles, California
West Coast deli culture has a strong argument in its corner, and that argument is named Langer’s. Founded in 1947 by Albert Langer near MacArthur Park, this Los Angeles institution has reportedly sold over 20 million pounds of pastrami since opening its doors.
The hot corned beef Reuben features slow-cooked corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on their signature double-baked rye. Al Langer developed the double-baking technique specifically to keep the bread fresh, and it has become one of the deli’s most recognizable details.
Langer’s earned a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand honor in 2019, a recognition that surprised no one who has eaten there. The restaurant expanded from a 12-seat counter to a 137-seat dining room over the decades, though the aged booths still give the interior a classic feel.
Curbside service handles between 35 and 70 orders daily, which says a lot about the loyalty this deli inspires.
2. Shapiro’s Delicatessen, Indianapolis, Indiana
Shapiro’s has been feeding Indianapolis since 1905, starting as a small grocery store before evolving into the full-service kosher-style deli it is today. The guiding principle has stayed the same through every decade: cook good, serve generously, and price modestly.
The best-selling Reuben is built on house-made corned beef, German-Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and sauerkraut, all grilled on thick-cut, house-baked rye. The downtown location goes through more than 3,000 pounds of corned beef every single week, which puts into perspective just how seriously Indianapolis takes this sandwich.
The cafeteria-style setup gives the dining room a pleasantly unhurried, old-fashioned character. Customers move through the line, load their trays, and settle into a room that feels like it has not changed much since mid-century.
Beyond the Reuben, the menu covers smoked fish, hot meals, cold cuts, and a bakery section that produces the fresh rye bread used in the sandwiches daily.
3. Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha takes the Reuben very personally, and Crescent Moon Ale House is a big reason why. One of the most popular origin stories for the sandwich traces it to the old Blackstone Hotel, and Crescent Moon sits just across the street from where that hotel once stood.
The Blackstone Reuben uses slow-roasted, in-house corned beef brisket braised for four to six hours, a secret sauerkraut blend, Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing, and locally baked marble rye. The sandwich is grilled like a classic grilled cheese to ensure the bread browns evenly and the cheese melts through.
The Omaha World-Herald named it Omaha’s best Reuben, a title the pub wears without apology.
Crescent Moon also holds the distinction of being Omaha’s first craft beer bar. The interior features oak furnishings, vintage beer signs, tap handles, and black-and-white photographs.
The pub hosts an annual Reubenfest event, which is exactly the kind of local tradition a sandwich this historically significant deserves.
4. Canter’s Deli, Los Angeles, California
Canter’s has been a Fairfax Avenue fixture since 1953, though its story actually began in 1931 in Boyle Heights. The deli operates 24 hours a day on most days, closing only for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which makes it one of the most reliably available Reuben destinations in Los Angeles.
The corned beef Reuben sticks closely to the classic formula: tender corned beef, Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on grilled rye. Canter’s makes its corned beef, pastrami, breads, pastries, and pickles in-house, which gives the kitchen direct control over every layer of the sandwich.
The menu also offers pastrami, turkey, and vegetarian Reuben variations for anyone who wants to explore beyond the original. The dining room, with its Art Deco details and distinctive autumn leaf ceiling, draws a wide mix of locals, tourists, and the occasional celebrity.
Long-tenured staff members who recognize regulars on sight are a consistent part of what makes the experience feel like more than just a meal.
5. Slyman’s Restaurant and Deli, Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland has strong opinions about corned beef, and Slyman’s has been the benchmark since 1964. The family-owned deli built its entire reputation on sandwiches where the meat is not just the main event but practically the only event.
Diners can add the full Reuben treatment to Slyman’s famous corned beef, which means grilled rye, sauerkraut, and melted Swiss cheese joining what reviewers regularly describe as a softball-sized portion of lean, tender meat. The sandwich is designed for people who believe the corned beef should dominate every other ingredient, and Slyman’s delivers on that philosophy without compromise.
The dining room has the feel of a vintage diner that has been frozen in time, which is part of its appeal. Despite the lunch rush crowds that pack the place on weekdays, service moves with impressive speed, and the staff has a reputation for remembering regulars by name.
Slyman’s has attracted visitors and notable personalities from well outside Cleveland, all drawn by the same promise of an unreasonably good corned beef sandwich.
6. Cecil’s Delicatessen, St. Paul, Minnesota
Minnesota’s last traditional Jewish deli has been holding its ground in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood since 1949. Cecil’s was founded by Cecil and Faye Glickman and has been passed down through four generations of family ownership, a fact that shows in the consistency of the food.
The traditional Reuben uses thin-sliced corned beef, aged Swiss cheese, hot sauerkraut, and a house Reuben sauce on dark rye bread baked in-house. That sauce is sometimes described as sour-cream based rather than the standard Russian dressing, giving Cecil’s version a slightly different character from most classic Reubens.
The menu dedicates an entire section to Reuben variations, including turkey, pastrami, spicy, and vegetarian options, which is a level of commitment to the format that most restaurants do not attempt. The dining room has a quick, no-fuss service style that regulars appreciate.
Beyond sandwiches, the matzo ball soup and house-made potato salad have their own loyal followings among the neighborhood crowd.
7. McBob’s Pub & Grill, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
McBob’s approaches the Reuben from a different angle than most delis on this list. This Irish-themed Milwaukee pub, open since 1986, built its reputation on scratch-made dishes and award-winning corned beef long before the Reuben became its calling card.
The Reuben is available in both 8-ounce and 4-ounce portions, with the meat slow-cooked using a sous vide method before being finished for service. Diners can customize their build with choices of bread, sauerkraut, sauce, and cheese.
The kitchen also applies those same corned beef flavors to Reuben rolls and Reuben stuffed hash browns, showing genuine creativity with the format.
Celtic memorabilia lines the walls inside, and the pub has a centrally located fireplace that makes the dining room particularly inviting during colder months. A patio is available when the weather cooperates.
The staff is known for being attentive and conversational, and the pub has collected multiple local awards for its corned beef over the years. McBob’s proves that a great Reuben does not require a deli setting.
8. Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Zingerman’s sells over 40,000 corned beef Reubens every year, which is either very impressive or a sign that Ann Arbor has very good taste. Probably both.
Founded in March 1982 by Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, the deli set out to build a traditional Jewish deli experience around exceptional ingredients.
The Reuben brings together house-recipe corned beef, Swiss Emmental cheese, sauerkraut from The Brinery, house-made Russian dressing, and hand-sliced Jewish rye from Zingerman’s Bakehouse. Every component is sourced with deliberate attention, and the result is a sandwich that requires two hands and a commitment to finishing it.
The deli is the flagship of the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, a collection of food ventures that grew from one deli counter into a regional institution. The company even runs ZingTrain, a program that teaches other businesses about its service philosophy.
The Reuben is consistently listed among the top ten most popular items on the menu.
9. Eleven City Diner, Chicago, Illinois
Eleven City Diner opened in Chicago’s South Loop in 2006 with a specific goal: recreate the look, feel, and food of a 1940s American diner combined with a Jewish deli. The result is a dining room full of neon lights, chrome accents, leather booths, and black-and-white photographs that make the setting feel like a movie set that also happens to serve excellent sandwiches.
The house Reuben, listed on the menu as Rubin’s Reuben, arrives open-faced by default. It combines both corned beef and pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing, served alongside beef tallow fries.
Guests who prefer the traditional closed-face format can simply request it that way when ordering.
The deli slow-roasts its corned beef in-house every day, and bagels are sourced from local Chicago bakeries. A candy and soda counter near the entrance adds to the nostalgic atmosphere and gives the space a distinctive personality that sets it apart from more straightforward deli formats.
The food quality consistently earns praise, particularly the sandwiches and matzo ball soup.
10. Benji’s Deli & Restaurant, Shorewood, Wisconsin
Benji’s has been part of the Shorewood community just north of Milwaukee since 1963, and it has maintained its New York-kosher style deli identity through several ownership changes without losing what makes it special. Founded by Werner “Benji” Benjamin, the deli earned its reputation the old-fashioned way: by doing a few things extremely well.
The Classic Reuben keeps it straightforward with hand-carved corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on grilled rye. Benji’s is one of a small number of delis in the country that still hand-slices its corned beef while the meat is hot, a technique that contributes directly to the texture and juiciness of each portion.
For those who want something more creative, the menu also features The Epiphany, which swaps the rye bread for two homemade potato pancakes surrounding pastrami, Swiss, and sauerkraut. The Formica counter and classic seating give the interior a vintage character, and the staff is known for greeting regulars by name.
Benji’s has earned both regional and national recognition for its food and generous portions.
11. Sarge’s Delicatessen & Diner, New York City, New York
Retired NYPD sergeant Abe Katz opened Sarge’s in Murray Hill in 1964, and the deli has been feeding serious appetites around the clock ever since. Unlike some of the city’s more famous deli destinations, Sarge’s is known for its relaxed pace, minimal wait times, and patient table service that does not feel like a transaction.
The corned beef Reuben comes with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, while a pastrami version is also on the menu for those who prefer it. Sarge’s makes its own pastrami and rolled beef in-house, which puts it in rare company among Manhattan delis still operating today.
The portions are designed for a genuine appetite rather than a polite snack.
The dining room features burgundy vinyl booths, Tiffany-style lamps, and a wall of celebrity photographs that give the space a distinct old-world New York character. Sarge’s operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which means a proper Reuben is always available regardless of the hour.
The menu extends to matzo ball soup, smoked fish, and a full breakfast lineup.
12. Katz’s Delicatessen, New York City, New York
Since 1888, Katz’s Delicatessen on the Lower East Side has operated with one clear priority: the meat. The Reuben here features hand-carved, slow-brined corned beef that can take up to 30 days to cure, paired with tangy sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and house-made Russian dressing on seedless rye.
Pastrami is available as an alternative for anyone feeling adventurous, but the corned beef version is what keeps regulars coming back. The deli moves roughly 8,000 pounds of corned beef and 15,000 pounds of pastrami every single week.
The ordering process at Katz’s is part of the experience. Each customer gets a paper ticket at the door, then orders directly from a cutter at the counter who often hands over a sample slice while carving.
The walls are lined with photographs spanning decades of history, and the famous World War II slogan “Send A Salami To Your Boy In The Army” still hangs proudly inside.
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