Who has the best Reuben in Austin?

This weekend I had the honor of being a judge at the first Austin Restaurant Throwdown. Held up north at Manny’s Uptown Kitchen, my job was to choose Austin’s Best Reuben. Joining me on my quest for perfection were Matthew Odam (The Statesman), S.L. McDonald (Texas Monthly) and Rob Balon (KLBJ, Fox-7).

Despite the beautiful weather (or maybe because of it), the turnout for the event was massive–but then again, who doesn’t love a good Reuben. And having the chance to sample four Reubens from Austin’s top delis–well, that’s downright irresistible.

A deli classic, the Reuben is traditionally a grilled sandwich composed of rye bread, layered Corned Beef (or Pastrami), sauerkraut, swiss cheese and a tangy sauce. And there’s nothing quite like the combination of the sour from the kraut and the savory from the meat/cheese combo.

As a kid, I was horribly conflicted about the Reuben. Part of me loved the grilled-cheese nature of the sandwich, but I couldn’t stand caraway seeds. And by the time I’d plucked them all from the bread, the sandwich was cold. As an adult, however, I’ve learned to really love caraway seeds, making the Reuben one of my favorite sandwiches.

After the silver platter of sandwiches was served, I couldn’t help but chow down. In fact, judging by these pictures, it might as well have been a Reuben EATING Contest:

All I can say is: Thank God someone got pictures of me eating. Hopefully they will help dispel the anorexia rumors currently slamming me in the tabloids. Heck, if it worked for Paris Hilton, maybe it will work for me. Now to release that sex tape…

So on to the sandwiches. They were served with only the letters for reference. The names came later.

Sandwich D, NeWorlDeli

This Reuben has a super-sized serving of sauerkraut–which I love. The bread was a little soggy. I would have liked it to have been more grilled. Overall, it was a tasty sandwich. And although I rated it 4th place, it was a standup, very traditional Reuben.

Sandwich B, Garden Spot Cafe

This sandwich was actually a Rachel. A healthier variant of the Reuben, a Rachel substitutes turkey for corned beef and cole slaw for sauerkraut. This was an incredibly good sandwich that I could see myself eating everyday. My head, however, was in Reuben mode. That’s why this sandwich was my 3rd place pick.

Sandwich C, Manny’s Uptown Grill

With the sauerkraut sandwiched between the meat, the Reuben from Manny’s Uptown Grill was kinda like a sandwich within a sandwich. The effect was kind of like an explosion of sauerkraut. The sauce was nice and tangy–but the bread felt a tad dry to me. Plus, I like a lot of kraut on my sandwich. Overall, the taste and texture were really nice.

The crowd favorite, two of the judges on the panel chose this one as numero uno. It was my 2nd place Reuben.

Sandwich A, Fricano’s Deli

Man oh man, this sandwich rocked my world. The sandwich has the perfect layer of crispy, grilled goodness, which helped seal in all of the flavors. Also, the meat was grilled separately, giving it a unique taste. And the sauce was tangy but not overpowering.

Rob and I chose this as our 1st place sandwich, making it the overall winner. This Reuben is what they serve at the delis in heaven.

Not only was the event fun, but proceeds went to local charities. 60% went to Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, Fricano’s Deli’s choice. The remainder went to Meals on Wheels (Manny’s Uptown Kitchen), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NeWorlDeli) and The Chrohn’s and Colitis Foundation (Garden Spot Café).

All of these Reubens were top notch! Try them yourself and decide.

Who serves your favorite Reuben in Austin?

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