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Reuben Report, 231 Main St, Racine, WI (2026)

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!! To celebrate (and give myself a night off from cooking), we went out for dinner!

To be honest, I really wanted Gyros Express, but they’re closed on Sundays. Honestly, devastating news for me personally. So, pivoting plans, I checked my list of restaurants still to try and we landed on Tailgaters! I had never been there before, so I really didn’t know what to expect.

When we arrived, the parking lot was packed — always a good sign when it comes to food! No one fights for parking over mediocre food.
The menu had tons of options and something for everyone. Of course, I ordered their Reuben sandwich.

Let’s discuss.

At $14, this MASSIVE sandwich also came with a hearty side of fries.
First glance told me this thing meant business: marble rye bread, Swiss cheese on both sides, a generous portion of thinly sliced corned beef (not usually my favorite style, BUT the quantity here impressed me), plus Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut.

Now, the sauerkraut side was placed face-down on the tray, so the bottom piece of bread got a little soft. Thankfully, not soggy enough to fall apart, and I caught it quickly enough to flip the sandwich before it became an issue.

The Thousand Island dressing was actually on the lighter side, which honestly impressed me. The waitress DID ask if I wanted extra sauce on the side (very thoughtful), but I declined because I wanted to experience the sandwich exactly as it was served. Next time though, I’m absolutely getting extra sauce because I would’ve loved just a little more tang in my bites.

The sauerkraut was perfectly distributed and added a delicious crunch throughout the sandwich.

And the Swiss cheese on BOTH sides…construction genius. The chef clearly knows what they’re doing. It helped hold everything together while also delivering that glorious melted cheese pull… ahhhh… pure bliss.
The marble rye was toasted though it maybe could’ve gone just slightly longer, but definitely not a dealbreaker.

The corned beef was not fatty at all and was such a generous portion, getting to sink my teeth into such a full sandwich and have it deliver on flavor with every bite was just the mothers day meal I wanted!

You guys, this is a SOLID Reuben that not only won’t break the bank, but will absolutely fill you up and have you planning your next visit back. I actually didn’t even eat my fries because the sandwich was THAT good and I’d rather save room for sandwich than fries. (Though the fries WERE really good too.)

So… Tailgaters… who knew?! This one is definitely climbing the ranks as one of my new favorites. Nicely done!!!

05/07/2026

From the Archives: March 2024
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Hey there Ruben friends! I went to Yardarm
yesterday for dinner with the fam! I've heard good things about their reuben and it's only seasonal (March) So I've been waiting a long time for this one!!

I've got to say, I feel a bit conflicted with this report. I'm also obligated to admit I'm a bit stuffy, so there's a chance taste was altered because if this.

I'll start with the pros. This is BY FAR the BEST corned beef I've ever had. Not a single fatty piece, it was so tender and juicy. The flavor was spot on and no freezer funk. This was fresh and cooked to perfection. I don't prefer the huge chunks of corned beef, but it was so delicious I didn't really mind.

The sandwich was served along with sand dollars, and the whole thing was served on the tiniest little tray I've ever seen. I spilled sand dollars trying to pick up my sandwich so I could prop it up a bit for a photo... I prefer an plate that fits the portion size of the meal. Oh well.

The marble rye was toasted, however when I picked my sandwich up to eat, the bottom piece was so soggy my sandwich fell appart. I had to use a knife/fork to eat the entire thing. There was a generous portion of sauerkraut, which had a good taste. I wonder if they make their own...?

The presence of 1000 island dressing was so miniscule, I really felt the lack. Definitely missing a key team player.
Swiss cheese was also not a top player in this sandwich.

All on all, it TASTED good, but was missing the 'more'. And I don't love a sandwich I can't eat with my hands. Would I get a reuben there again next year? Probably. Maybe. But it's not gonna hit my top 5 list.

Here's how it scored:

Presentation: 2
Smell: 3
Distribution: 3
Creativity: 3
Marble rye bread: 3
Swiss cheese: 3
Sauerkraut:4
1000 island dressing: 3
Meat texture: 5
Taste/balance: 3
Temperature: 5
Portion size: 5

42/60 total score. A kind of average run of the mill reuben. Still good. But not the best.

Till the next time!!

04/15/2026

From The Archives: February 2024

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Sunday Reuben, anyone? Yes please! There’s nothing better than a hot lunch after a great morning at church.

Today we stopped at The Blue Badger Bar & Grill and it was a pretty unique experience. They don’t have staff taking orders, instead you order straight from your phone, which honestly made it kind of fun. You can really customize everything exactly how you want it. Price point was great, and the portion sizes were surprisingly generous.

Let’s get down to business.

The Reuben was priced at $11, and that included fries, which already feels like a win. Definitely a lot of bang for your buck here.

Right away, I was impressed by the size and the fact that it came on actual marble rye. Even better, it was well toasted and held up with a nice crisp through every bite. At first bite, I noticed a slightly different flavor in the corned beef than what I’m used to—maybe it was the sliced style? Not sure. Either way, it wasn’t a dealbreaker at all and I kept going strong.

The sauerkraut had a nice tang, and there was plenty of Swiss and Thousand Island to balance everything out. This sandwich really did hit all the marks.

I do keep finding myself missing that really unique parm-crusted marble rye from Dewey’s… that one still lives rent-free in my head. But overall, this Reuben absolutely held its own.

I’d come back for sure.

04/07/2026

From the archives: February 2024
*I forgot how much I liked this one, I need to go back!*

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I went out to dinner last night with some friends, and we decided to try The Ivanhoe Pub & Eatery ! This place has been on my Reuben wishlist for a while. If our local Irish pub can't get a reuben right, who can??

I had to find out for myself.

I'm happy to announce that Ivanhoe did not disappoint! This is one of the better executed sandwiches I've had in a while. The minimal ingredients were appropriately distributed, with no bulky spots. There was the perfect amount of swiss cheese, enough so that with every bite, there was that (kinda annoying, but I'd be mad if it wasn't there) cheese string from sandwich to mouth.

The sauerkraut almost had a lemony taste to it, which was a surprise to my palate, and I found I enjoyed it. I appreciated that the bread was heavily toasted, so it remained crunchy the entire meal. However it was tosted so much, I can't be sure it was marble rye bread.

The corned beef was in perfect slices, not quite deli meat style but also not quite chunks either. The meat was tender, juicy and only had a few fatty parts. I suppose if I had one main complaint, I wish there had been a bit more 1000 island dressing, but all in all this was a great sandwich!

04/01/2026

From the Archives: November 2023
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I had to write this while it’s still fresh in my head. Tonight I went to Reefpoint Brew House for dinner with a group of friends, and of course, my ongoing hunt for the best local Reuben—I ordered theirs.

First impression: messy. The sandwich was sloppily assembled, lopsided, with uneven distribution of ingredients. The bread was nicely toasted (at least on the top half), but unfortunately, that’s where the positives end.

The corned beef, if you can even call it that, was the biggest issue. It came in large chunks, most of which seemed to be pure fat. What little actual meat there was felt tough and grisly. Every bite was a struggle, with chewy strands of fat that refused to break down. It was genuinely unpleasant.

It got to the point where I removed the meat entirely and just ate the sauerkraut and Thousand Island between slices of crunchy-on-top, soggy-on-the-bottom bread.

This was my third time ordering a Reuben here, and somehow it’s been worse each time. The only reason I gave it another shot was because I hadn’t documented the last experience. Lesson learned.

Overall, a major disappointment and a waste of money. I’d rank it just above the Dienasty one (check my album for that post 🤢).

On the bright side, the fries were good and the company was even better.

03/26/2026

I've just reached 100 followers! Is this real life? Thanks for joining my journey 😊

03/26/2026

From the Archives: May 2023

*Edit to say, I've found that if I want a classic Reuben taste, all while knowing I'm going to need at least 20 napkins and a trip to the bathroom shortly after consumption, Culver's is still a solid choice. Best fast food Reuben option I've had so far.

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You know how you romanticize a memory, and it seems like the grass may actually BE greener on the other side? But then you step into the other side, and you realize how good you had it when you were on the other-other side?

Yeah. That feeling. That's how I felt when I set my eyes and eventually set my tastebuds on the Culver's Reuben sandwich.

The sandwich itself wasn't much to look at. Prepared on standard rye bread, not marble rye. It had shaved, lunch meat-style corned beef, which I've also learned isn't my preference.

The bread was crispy, which I appreciated. All the ingredients were lumped pretty much in the center, which left a feeling of lack for the bites around the edges.

The Swiss cheese, though an ample portion, was not melted, so it added an alarming texture to the sandwich. Yes, truly alarming. It was messy, but not in a good way.
Now that I've tasted Dewey's best-ever-gotta-have-it-again Reuben sandwich, it's set the standard high. And unfortunately, Culver's just didn't make the cut. In fact, the sandwich that held first place for weeks isn't only bumped down one slot, but a few.

I understand we probably had high schoolers making the food, and it's going to be a different experience every time, but this time it wasn't good. And I'm ready to come face to face with the breakup and say, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Unless Dewey's is on the other side. Then it's lush green grass.

#1 Dewey's
#2 Scores
#3 Dunk House
#4 Culver's
#5 Charcoal Grill
#6 Lee's Deli
#500 Dienasty

And no...I have no shame for the amount of Reubens I've eaten these last few months.

03/22/2026

From the Archives: May 2023

Dewey's is now closed, and that is a travesty.

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🚨🚨You guys. This is kind of embarrassing, cause I just had a reuben on Thursday, and then after the down town Racine wine walk we went to dinner and I've heard such good things about the reuben at Dewey's that I felt like I NEEDED to try it since we were there. And (are you sitting down for this?....Cause I think you should be sitting down.) I'm pretty sure I found the BEST reuben I've had yet. 🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨

This Reuben was on classic marble rye bread but it had a parm. cheese crust on the outside, which added such a wonderful flavor as well as a delicious crunch with every bite. The ratio of dressing and sauerkraut to the meat was perfection. Every bite has just the right amount of everything. The meat was jucy and tender, not quite shredded but not quite chunks either.

With every bite I felt like I was experiencing a small piece of heaven on earth. If someone could create such a wonderful sandwich, just imagine how much more God loves us. I don't know. The sandwich was so good, there's a sermon in there somewhere. And let me tell you. This picture does not do it justice! It actually kinda looks gross from the photo. But it wasn't gross. It was so good. 10/10 recommend. Tell all your friends.

The journey continues.

03/21/2026

3 Reubens in one week? First of all, leave me alone. Second of all, it’s St. Patrick’s WEEK, and this is my time to shine. I was literally born for this.

I have been wanting to go back and revisit one of the FIRST reviews I ever did (and also just recently reposted from the archives). This Reuben has been sitting in my mind as one of my top 5, but that was from 2023. Does this Reuben stand the test of time? Let’s find out.

I revisited Dunk’s Public House in West Racine this evening and eagerly ordered a Reuben. It didn’t take long for the sandwich to arrive, and on first impression, I knew the pedestal I once held this Reuben on was no longer there.

At first glance, my marble rye bread was barely toasted, as you can see from the photo. It looked like it had been touched with the feather’s tip of heat—just slightly golden in a few spots. Knowing it needed at least 3–5 more minutes on the skillet, I realized this sandwich wouldn’t hold up all its ingredients or deliver a satisfying crunch.

The corned beef was shaved, which I typically like, and there was a generous portion.
The Pro: The dispersion of ingredients was pretty even throughout the sandwich, which is commendable.
The Con: Varying textures. Some parts were stringy and crispy (which I honestly didn’t mind), while others were mushy and on the fatty side. The shaved corned beef also came in large globs, making it difficult to take a bite without pulling out a whole chunk of meat. This made for an uncomfortable eating experience, as I had to remove meat from my bite and put it back into the sandwich. Not cute. If the meat had been more tender, I imagine this wouldn’t have been an issue.

There was definitely Swiss cheese on the sandwich, though I couldn’t tell if it was on both sides. The sauerkraut was present and generously portioned, which I appreciated. There was also more than enough Thousand Island dressing, which added to the messy eating experience and overpowered the sandwich. None of the other flavors had time to shine, I could mostly taste sauce.

My last qualm: there was a secret pickle on my tray underneath my sandwich. I didn’t discover it until I got to my second half of the Reuben, at which point the bread was already soggy with pickle juice. Again, if the bread had been toasted for 3–5 more minutes, this might have been avoided. Unlike Dragon Pit’s pickled red onion surprise, I didn’t feel like I leveled up. I felt like I got let down. (I realize the pickle is in my photo, but I must not have noticed! Too excited for the sandwich. But also....who puts the pickle under the bread??!)

I know this feels pretty negative, and I don’t love writing a disappointing review. The flavor of the sandwich was good, even if it sometimes felt like I was drinking a glass of Thousand Island. The biggest issue was the toasting, and that’s such an easy fix.
I would still recommend going to Dunk’s and trying their Reuben for yourself—or their Reuben egg rolls. I’ve been there a number of times over the years and have never had bad service or a bad meal...their french fries are delicious! Even though this Reuben knocks Dunk’s out of my top 5, it’s still a year-round option. (I think?)

If you’ve recently been to Dunk’s for a Reuben and loved it, let me know!

Bread Toast: 4/10 (only scoring this high because it was marble rye)
Meat Quality: 6/10
Cheese Melt: 7/10
Sauce Balance: 3/10
Structural Integrity: 4/10 (Fell apart faster than my expectations, I should have used a fork and knife)
Final Score: 4.8/10

After a week of Reubens I’m ready to give my stomach a break. I’ve had some great suggestions already from new friends on where to go next. If you have a favorite Reuben restaurant, let me know!

Reuben Report

05/10/2026

05/07/2026

04/15/2026

04/07/2026

04/01/2026

03/26/2026

03/26/2026

03/22/2026

03/21/2026

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