From this year’s Reuben pageant sprung an unexpected star — a deviation, a meatless challenger from the sidelines. In the spirit of progress, we allowed its ascension; perhaps to set up 2025’s review, when the kitchen at Octopus in Cedar Falls should be in full service (owner Dave Diebler describes his tempeh Reuben as “off the deep end… brown sugar, dijon, capers”) and we might finally have enough material to do a statewide survey for the vegetarians.
Until then, please enjoy the fourth year of hot takes from Little Village on this strange, indulgent and rather ubiquitous sandwich.
DES MOINES
Drake Diner
You know when someone is smokin’ hot, but lacks wit to such a degree that you don’t feel attracted to them, but you still appreciate them on a superficial level? That’s how I would describe the Drake Diner’s Reuben: easy on the eye, but there’s something missing inside. And for the most part, we’re fine with it.
Piled with sliced corned beef that has been crisped at the edges (was it toasted open-face in an oven?), secured with a mortar of Swiss and kraut between slices of dark marble rye. A 55:45 ratio, people, my ideal! But there’s just something missing. A depth of flavor that was never explored. After a few bites I decided the sauce lacked zang. We’re looking for a bit of complexity here — nothing a bit of personal development won’t fix. I really do wish them the best. B
Palmer’s Deli
2843 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines
655 Walnut St 219, Des Moines
3719 86th St, Urbandale
4949 Westown Pkwy #180, West Des Moines
Wait, is this ham? I guess that’s one of the themes of 2024’s Reuben Review: bamboozled by ham when we were, understandably, expecting corned beef. This is not to say that Palmer’s Deli in Urbandale was bad. In fact, it was nice. The inside was spacious and sunny. There were casseroles of cavatelli and mac & cheese available for take-and-bake. As far as delis go, Palmer’s feels grand, but was that HAM on my REUBEN!?!
It came just as a to-go sandwich should: wrapped in a printed parchment and stuffed in a paper bag. Warm, comforting, pressed with perfectly golden panini lines while Swiss, kraut and sauce squished around the edges between ruffles of tender, thin-sliced… HAM?!? B-
IOWA CITY
Dandy Lion
The Dandy Lion Reuben is mostly traditional: toasted-yet-pillowy marble rye, house-made corned beef brisket, a sweet Thousand Island with good zang, everything at a lovely 55:45 ratio with the only deviation being a pickled red cabbage instead of the traditional fermented kraut. I love a pickled red cabbage, but I did order the Reuben here, folks. I feel like using anything other than real kraut is some kind of apology to the world on behalf of the Reuben’s existence. It doesn’t need your pity or excuses!
Despite this, the sandwich is delicious thanks to the sweetness of the sauce, which compliments the salty pickled cabbage, and the way the Swiss cheese integrates with the tender, slightly crisped brisket throughout. A-
MOLINE
Belgian Village
A friend suggested I seek out Belgian Village’s “VandeReuben.” “The schtick,” she said, “is that it is mega.” Somehow this did not prepare me for what I ordered: an 11-by-7-inch sandwich served on house-made rye and packaged so tightly in plastic wrap that I wager you’d be able to frisbee it across the Mississippi, or at least onto a passing barge, with some practice.
Belgian Village has done to-go only since the pandemic. You do the honors of grilling to your idea of perfection… if you’re lucky. This is where things went awry for me. I overheated the pan, resulting in a burnt buttered-bread flavor that dominated everything good inside. If I can recommend anything to you today, it’s to practice patience and heat this baby low and slow.
A “Belgian Reuben” is made with ham alongside the corned beef—unfortunate to learn as I stood at the pick-up counter, though it was clear as day on the menu (my bad). Still, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the experience: the location is charming and the sandwich was fine (approximately 60:40 meat to Swiss/kraut), decently balanced with the bread considering each slice was larger than my head. I still find myself in awe of just how large bread can be. B-
WATERLOO
Newton’s Paradise Cafe
Newton’s Paradise Cafe’s primary allure might be their wonderful, three-sided vertical sign, like a big blue Toblerone on the corner of the historic former Newton’s Jewelry building, just a block up from the Cedar River. You may find that vibe-wise, the carpet doesn’t match the drapes, if you know what I’m saying (the mid-century aesthetic ends at the entrance), but the Reuben came out hot and buttery in barely any time at all. It was casually constructed — the Swiss softened, yet stated visibly intact and unmingled with two thick slices of deli corned beef that lay within. I would estimate a 50:50 ratio of corned beef to Swiss and kraut, and that maybe the kraut could have been drained a bit more to manage a sourness that didn’t quite balance with the subtle sauce. C
CEDAR RAPIDS
Tic Toc
The Tic Toc has been around, for the most part, since 1964, yet somehow I never went inside during 15 years of Cedar Rapids residency. I do know from photos that it had a real “grandpa’s basement bar” vibe prior to the remodel and 2021 reopening, something I’m frankly sorry to have missed.
In any case, among the six corned beef (and ham) Reubens tested this year, Tic Toc ranked highest in terms of 1. Traditional ingredients; 2. Golden ratio (55:45 meat to Swiss/kraut); 3. Commingled elements and 4. Overall flavor and consistency. The sauce was just sweet enough with appropriate zang. The kraut had bite and was thoughtfully incorporated into the melted swiss and corned beef throughout. Without being dry, the marble rye was crispy, and while the sandwich may be smaller compared to some tested this year, the Tic Toc’s Reuben was elegant in its restraint. A-
CEDAR RAPIDS / CORALVILLE
New Pioneer Food Co-op
3338 Center Point Rd NE, Cedar Rapids
1101 2nd St, Coralville
A dark horse contender appears. Offering neither rye nor beef, New Pi’s tempeh Reuben arrived by misunderstanding (I swore they had a corned beef one!) and would have been excluded for the sake of tradition if not for my affinity for this slightly unconventional sandwich. A less indulgent sibling of the original, it is meatless, ungreasy, wholesome but not boring, a bit dense but never crude, served on warm, chewy sourdough that’s crunchy at the edges, stacked with savory Swiss, kraut and marinated tempeh slices, adorned with sweet red onions and housemade sauce, then tucked into parchment and slapped on the counter for under 10 bucks.
Yes, it’s true: against all odds (six meat ones to be precise) and occasionally unavailable (call ahead), this year, the vegetarian version swooped in and stole the fuckin’ show. A
This article was originally published in Little Village’s March 2024 issue.
