The Reuben Sandwich: Which Lincoln-Way Restaurant Serves Up the Best of this American Classic?

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There are two different men named Reuben who might have invented the warm, eponymous sandwich, either in New York or Omaha. The ingredients are the same whether it's ordered on the East Coast, the Midwest or California: corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island (or sometimes Russian dressing) on rye bread. There are several variations, such as the Rachel (served with turkey or pastrami instead of corned beef) and the Virgin Reuben, which has no meat.

On their own, I intensely dislike all the fixings of a Reuben, but somehow the combination works when put together.

, Mokena

Pepper Mill offers sandwiches on their own or "deluxe" for two extra dollars, which includes fries and a side of cole slaw. I ordered the sandwich plain, and was happy that the Thousand Island was served on the side, but surprised that it was not made with rye bread (I think it was sourdough). The bread was great, actually, but if it's not on rye, it's not a Reuben. The bottom slice of the bread was soggy before it even arrived to my table, and the sauerkraut overpowered the sandwich.

The good: Good meat and a decent price.

The bad: Soggy, non-rye bread and too much sauerkraut was unappetizing.

, Frankfort

The Reuben at Plaza is huge: It's served on thickly sliced marble rye (insert Seinfeld reference here) and has lots of meat and sauerkraut. I went with fruit instead of fries. After the soup and all that fresh fruit, I had to bring most of the sandwich home, which made a good midnight snack. (Luckily, the Thousand Island was served on the side).

The good: This sandwich was generously stuffed, yet somehow the bottom slice of bread remained dry.

The bad: There was far too much fragrant sauerkraut.

At $9.99, the Reuben at TomKelly's is the most expensive of the three. It wasn't as large or impressive-looking as the Plaza Cafe's Reuben, but thankfully, it had just the right amount of sauerkraut, enough to add a little interest but not so much that it dominated the flavor of the sandwich. They, too, served the Thousand Island on the side, which is helpful when bringing leftovers home.

The good: A nice balance of ingredients made a very good sandwich.

The bad: The bottom slice of bread was a tidge too soggy. I hate having to rip parts of the bread off.

THE WINNER: . Although it wasn't as big and meaty as Plaza Cafe's Reuben, TomKelly's had the right balance and they go easy on the sauerkraut. (But if you like a lot of sauerkraut, Plaza's Rueben is the one for you).

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Future Chowdown Challenges will include chicken fingers (or chicken tenders) and best Chicago Dog, in which we will pit from a against Dog spots in Mokena and Frankfort.