The Reuben sandwich doesn’t have a single, universally agreed‑upon inventor; there are two main origin stories that food historians and deli fans still debate.

Quick Scoop: Who Invented the Reuben Sandwich?

Most stories point to two leading candidates, both named Reuben, in the early 1900s.

1. Reuben Kulakofsky in Omaha

One popular legend says a grocer named Reuben Kulakofsky (often spelled Kolakofsky) invented the Reuben around the 1920s in Omaha, Nebraska.

  • He was part of a weekly late‑night poker group at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha.
  • During one of these games, he supposedly ordered or improvised a hot sandwich of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and dressing on rye.
  • The hotel’s owner, Charles Schimmel, liked it so much he put it on the Blackstone Hotel menu under the name “Reuben.”
  • A former employee later entered the sandwich in a National Restaurant Association sandwich contest in the 1950s, where it reportedly won, helping to spread its fame.

In Omaha, this version is taken seriously enough that there has even been a “Reuben Sandwich Day” recognizing the Blackstone connection.

2. Arnold Reuben in New York City

The rival tale credits Arnold Reuben, the German‑Jewish owner of Reuben’s Restaurant and Delicatessen in New York City.

  • Arnold Reuben ran a well‑known Broadway‑area deli starting in the early 1900s.
  • According to interviews and memoirs, he created a “Reuben Special” around 1914 for a theater actress (stories name Annette Seelos or Marjorie Rambeau in different versions).
  • His sandwiches used rye bread, Swiss cheese, corned beef, and sometimes sauerkraut and Russian dressing, elements that line up with what we now call a Reuben.
  • Some food writers have argued that because his deli used those components earlier, Reuben’s in New York has a strong claim to the name and concept.

Over time, this New York story became a favorite among those who see the Reuben as a classic big‑city deli creation.

3. So… Who Really Invented It?

Because both stories rely on memories, family lore, and later reporting, historians say the true origin is contested , and there may never be definitive proof.

Most modern write‑ups take a balanced line:

  • The Reuben sandwich as we know it today is a grilled rye sandwich with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian or Thousand Island dressing.
  • Omaha’s Kulakofsky/Blackstone story and New York’s Arnold Reuben story are treated as the two main “canon” origin myths.
  • Some food historians even suggest similar combinations may have existed earlier in Eastern European cooking, meaning the Reuben could be a creative refinement rather than a single eureka moment.

If you need a one‑line answer:
The Reuben sandwich is most often credited either to Omaha grocer Reuben Kulakofsky in the 1920s or to New York deli owner Arnold Reuben in the 1910s, and experts still disagree.

Mini FAQ

  1. Is there a latest “verdict” or news about who invented it?
    Recent food articles still describe the origin as disputed and tend to present both Omaha and New York as serious contenders, rather than declaring a final winner.
  1. Which version do most people believe?
    Regional bias plays a big role: Omaha sources and Midwestern delis tend to push the Kulakofsky story, while New York–centric writing leans toward Arnold Reuben and his Broadway‑era deli.
  1. Does the modern Reuben match either original exactly?
    Not necessarily; ingredients and dressings (Russian vs. Thousand Island, exact bread, coleslaw vs. sauerkraut) vary, and some early “Reuben’s Special” versions may have used ham or coleslaw rather than today’s standard combination.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.