The Best Reuben in Illinois Wants to be in Your Belly!

Traditionally the Reuben sandwich is recognized to have been developed at the Blackstone Hotel in 1925. A century of taste buds being dazzled later there are variations coast to coast on this American classic.

Keeping our search with the Prairie State we find Illinois sandwich connoisseurs finding their way to Chicago to sample the top Reuben’s in the state.

There is so much going on within a Reuben sandwich that you can be forgiven for being overwhelmed by it in your younger days. A basic version was served in the lunch room of my junior high in Edwardsville, Il. It had some fans among my classmates for sure, but mostly it was wasted on us.

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Even to some adults the combination of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing on rye is too much flavor packed into a mouthful. For those whose taste buds have matured, all those flavors dancing across the palette are a symphony of deliciousness.

Should you Reuben aficionados find yourself in the Windy city there are several places that have elite level Reuben’s.

Lardon – In the Palmer Square neighborhood of Chicago Lardon delivers a non-traditional Reuben with pastrami instead of corned beef. Wisconsin gruyere instead of Swiss. Their own “fancy” sauce, house kraut with deli pickles on a griddled marbled rye.

Manny’s Deli – Nestled between the BNSF railyard and UIC, you can build your Reuben how you want it. Corned beef, pastrami, or even grilled turkey or turkey pastrami…(???) then traditionally pairing with Swiss cheese, kraut and 1,000 Island dressing.

Uptown Deli – West of Lincoln Park on the lakefront on Lawrence. They serve up the Reuben solidly classic with all the original players.

Beard & Belly—North of Wrigley by The Edgewater Glen neighborhood piles up their house made smoked pastrami with traditional Swiss cheese and sauerkraut, but with spicy remoulade on toasted marble rye.

These Windy City takes are just a small sample of the culinary creativity that has emerged from the original Reuben 100 years ago. Get at these, and find a special one near you and cherish it.