Who Invented the Reuben Sandwich?
The Reuben sandwich—a grilled classic stacked with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and rye bread—has a famously disputed origin, with no single undisputed creator. Emerging in the early 20th century, its story blends poker games, hotel kitchens, and New York delis, captivating food historians for decades. This hearty deli icon likely crystallized around the 1920s, evolving from improvisation into a menu staple.

Omaha's Poker Night Tale

One enduring legend credits Reuben Kulakofsky , an Omaha grocer, with dreaming up the sandwich during a 1925 late-night poker game at the Blackstone Hotel.

  • Hotel owner Bernard Schimmel loved it so much he added "Reuben's Special" to the menu, using Kulakofsky's name.
  • They reportedly swapped out lettuce for sauerkraut (due to running low) and grilled it to meld flavors.

Kulakofsky's granddaughter, Elizabeth Weil, bolstered this in a 2013 New York Times piece, arguing family lore and hotel records make it the true origin over flashier rivals. Omaha's Blackstone still claims it, hosting an annual "Reuben Week" fest—latest in March 2026 drawing crowds for sandwich showdowns.

New York Deli Counterclaim

Rival story points to Arnold Reuben , a German-Jewish immigrant who ran Reuben's Delicatessen in NYC starting 1908.

  • He allegedly whipped up a precursor in 1914 for actress Marjorie Rambeau (or Annette Seelos in some tellings), using ham, turkey, Swiss, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on rye—not the modern corned beef version.
  • Food historian Craig Claiborne interviewed Arnold, who boasted of the "Reuben Special" for hungry theater stars post-Broadway shows.

Critics note Arnold's recipe strays from today's kosher-ish Reuben (meat + cheese aside), suggesting it inspired but didn't birth the icon.

Weighing the Evidence

Origin Story| Key Figure| Year| Key Ingredients| Supporting Sources
---|---|---|---|---
Omaha Poker Game| Reuben Kulakofsky / Bernard Schimmel| ~1925| Corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss, Russian dressing, rye 135| Hotel menus, family accounts, NYT article 17
NYC Deli Special| Arnold Reuben| 1914| Ham/turkey, coleslaw, Swiss, Russian dressing, rye 19| Interviews, deli lore 39

Most experts, like Britannica, lean toward Omaha for matching the exact recipe, while NYC's feels like a tasty ancestor. No "latest news" flips the script as of March 2026—debate rages on forums like Reddit's r/AskHistorians, where users dissect menus and photos.

"Debate continues over whether the inspiration came from Kulakofsky or Schimmel... Other sources claim Arnold Reuben in 1914." – Britannica

TL;DR at Bottom: No definitive inventor—Omaha's Kulakofsky edges out NYC's Arnold Reuben per historians, born from a poker snack in 1925. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.