Birthday celebration searches for area’s best reuben

Planning for Mike Frank’s 70th birthday, his daughter Amanda DeSua wanted to do something special. His birthday would have been a huge extravaganza with his children and grandchildren, but because of COVID-19 the celebration couldn’t happen.

DeSua instead decided to take her father on an adventure while at home. They set out to find the best reuben sandwich in Milwaukee.

The reuben is Frank’s favorite sandwich. He tries them wherever he is when he travels, but the Slinger resident realized that until recently that he didn’t have a favorite here at home.

“It was a fun thing to do for COVID, and it’s a tradition that might even continue,” DeSua said.

So DeSua and her husband, Brad, did some research and picked four nights to go to her parents’ house with reubens from Milwaukee-area restaurants.

“I researched a few blogs, Yelp and articles to pick our locations,” said DeSua, who is also from Slinger. “I also asked friends and coworkers.”

They ended up getting reubens from Benji’s, Jake’s Delicatessen, McBob’s Pub & Grill and The Rochester Deli.

They set up a rating system of 1 through 10 and scored each part of the reuben: the meat, the sauce, the toppings and the bread.

“Everyone has a personal preference, and everything in the sandwich plays a role,” Frank said. “The size and the proportions of each item. The meat itself, too. If it’s too salty, or if it’s been overcooked, that will play a factor. And then the general taste.”

Frank likes the meat moderately sliced, not too thick nor too thin, and he doesn’t want the sauce — usually Thousand Island or Russian dressing — to be overpowering.

“Everyone has their particular taste on what is good,” Frank said.

They got the first set of reubens on Jan. 27, for Frank’s birthday. They got takeout from Jake’s Deli, 1634 W. North Ave., and began their quest.

Then followed Rochester, 143 W. Broadway in Waukesha; McBob’s, 4919 W. North Ave.; and Benji’s, 4156 N. Oakland Ave, Shorewood.

The favorite was unanimous. They all liked Rochester’s, where Frank said the reuben was great, while DeSua and her husband had cod reubens for their Friday night fish fry.

“The lowest score was an 8.7 and the rest were 9s,” DeSua said.

Aside from being able to taste some good sandwiches, the search for the best reuben was a good way for the family to see each other during COVID-19.

Frank and his wife, Mary, watch DeSua’s children, so they are in each other’s quarantine bubble, making them more comfortable with dining together.

“It was nice, but it’s not like we don’t see each other. We pick up their kids from school,” Frank said. “But this gave us a chance to sit down and enjoy a meal together.”

They were still not quite comfortable with dining in at the restaurants.

“We want to do this again and actually go dine at the places,” DeSua said. “Some of the places, like McBob’s, have a very charming layout.”

The classic reuben sandwich at Benji’s Delicatessen in Shorewood features hand-carved corned beef on grilled rye.

The short quest to find a great reuben may have started a tradition for the family. For everyone’s birthday, they’ll try to find the best place to eat their favorite food. DeSua’s birthday is next, and the family might be on the hunt for Milwaukee’s best burrito.

Jordyn Noennig covers pop culture and entertainment in Milwaukee. Follow her on Instagram @Jordyn Taylor_n. Find her on Twitter @Jordyn TNoennig. Call her at 262-446-6601 or email Jordyn.Noennig@jrn.com.

Mike Frank and his daughter Amanda DeSua with one of the sandwiches in their 70th birthday quest. The reuben is his favorite sandwich.

A reuben sandwich from Jake’s Deli.