Reuben’s Delicatessen

I got a bit excited 2 – 3 years ago when I saw this joint go up in the center. I thought it was the perfect balance to the restaurant scene in the center which is full of amazing sit down spots but otherwise devoid of anything homey, comforting, and cheap.
Boy was I wrong.
I’ve visited the place on three occasions and none of them ever improved upon the previous visit nor did the first one impress me enough to go back. Why did I go back? I have a rule. If I am not impressed or pleased with a place on my first visit and it is within my means or power to go back and I am feeling open minded enough I give it an additional try. If at that point I am 1 – 1 I go back for sure. If not I don’t. In this case I broke my own rule just out of pure hope. Such a shame that I didn’t stick to my guns.
I used to work in the space there that was Mad John’s Chocolate Bar and when the subsequent owners changed the name and concept a bit and then sold it a year or two later I waited to see what would go in. Reuben’s opened up and I said well that is perfect! But enough about that, let’s move on to the nitty gritty.
The food in general is over priced primarily because of the rent in West Hartford Center. So, unless you can lower your prices, speed up service immensely and pack them in by the droves I doubt this place should really exist. I know it’s harsh but honestly if you are calling yourself Reuben’s then you’re pastrami and corned beef should at least be the two best things you are making. Sadly when you buy a product from a large purveyor (i.e. Sysco) though you get consistent product it isn’t fresh and leaves a lot to be desired. if they made them in house I’d be much more impressed and they could honestly lower their prices once they were far enough ahead (but perhaps proper knowledge, no solid recipe/​cooking foundations/​family traditions, and a lack of storage space are certainly things to consider.)
Regardless of that fact nothing else about them really knocks it out of the park. They take quite a long time and all I’ve ever seen of the owner was him with a telephone attached to his face or his hip. If you are an owner you need to be getting your hands dirty. Show your face and show your employees you aren’t afraid to do what they do. And for Christ’s sake, find a way to profitably lower your prices otherwise I don’t have high hopes. Goodness, even their pickles come from Sysco…

Whenever I order their salads to go, the quality is always come-​and-​go. Nothing special to note even though they claim it to be a «specialty» of theirs.
The salad greens are not the freshest around and the avocado ripeness is never consistent. One day, it’ll be under ripe and taste like cardboard, the next day it can be ripe and the following day it’ll be all brown! It’s not that difficult to SEE and FEEL what a ripe avocado is.
P. S. In this day and age, they also need more vegetarian/​vegan options on their limited menu.

I used to enjoy their food but the last 3 times times have left a lot to be desired especially for the price.
If you dine in be prepared to have to climb over the other diners to get to your table. I understand a small diner needs to maximize it’s space but is uncomfortable and awkward at Reuben’s. The wait staff must reach over one table to get to another all while your chair is banging into the chair of the person behind you. Because of this we have switched exclusively to take out. Buyer beware, they will forget something on your take out order and you likely won’t realize it until it is unpacked at home. The last and final time there i order a quart of soup yet only got a bowl and my turkey rachel seemed to be made with crumbled turkey that both looked and tasted like tuna fish salad.
The only shining star is the fact that their soups are good and taste home made.
If your in West Hartford center and craving a reuben sandwich look right past Reuben’s and head over to McLadden’s.

Mmmmmm, a delicious breakfast/​brunch place.
Many people go for take out, they have a full deli bar in the front so you can order and go OR you can sit down around the side/​back and have a sit down meal.
It’s a yummy gourmet deli type place – lots of different choices of breads (I forgot the first few they named by the time they got to the last one) and all the typical deli meats. They serve breakfast all day (EXCEPT the pancakes and french toast stuff). (Oh, on the menu, it says breakfast is served until 11 AM — that’s a lie. They make bfast sandwiches and omelets all day).
I got the omelet with home fries. Huge portion (pics in the pic box). Very delicious. They also have good matzo ball soup and yummy bfast sandwiches. Oh! And they’re half pickles (the ones that are half sour, half sweet) is awesommme! They give you 4 pickles upon sitting down (2 sour, 2 half sour).
If you’re on the go, it’s def. worth to drop by and grab a sandwhich on the go. If you have time to sit and have brunch, Reuben’s is a nice quaint place with a bright dining area to enjoy a nice meal.
The one thing I will say made my experience there awkward was the waitress… she had a lot of trouble with splitting checks (her frustration showed through clearly) and she could flustered over our orders… But I guess she’s just one of the waitresses.
Parking: there’s a small lot in the back of the building that they share with other places in the area. If that’s full, you’ll have to find metered parking on the street.

Waaaay overpriced, rushed, ok sandwich.
That pretty much sums up my experience. The Reuben is my second favorite sandwich so I was stoked when this place opened, but the one here, while decent, isn’t even close to the best I have with a price that is astronomically higher. Meh. I’ve experienced better.

I really enjoyed my meal at Ruben’s.
Starting with the matzoh ball soup, a timeless classic that was tasty, soft, and warming. Most good diners can make good matzoh balls, so it’s good to know that a Jewish deli in this area can accomplish this feat as well.
And how could one go wrong with a bagel the Jewish way? Lox, cream cheese, and a little red onion… It was fantastic. Fresh salty lox, quality cream cheese, and a really well made bagel. I don’t know if they make the bagels in house or get them delivered, but they are genuine bagels… dense and chewy like a bagel should be.
One little bone to pick is the ambience… It appears «too new,» so to speak, for a Jewish deli in my humble opinion. I’m used to old fashioned places like Katz’s Deli in Lower Manhattan that feature pictures and memorabilia from decades past… this place pales in comparison in that regard, albeit a minor one.
The most important fact remains that Ruben’s is a solid place for plenty of Jewish classics to keep you happy. It’s not New York, but it’ll definitely do for Hartford Metro :).

The food here isn’t the BEST but I love this place.
I like the staff, they are friendly and their breakfast is very good. Their eggs, omelette, corned beef hash and pancakes, all very good.
The breakfast is inexpensive unlike other items on their menu.
Sandwiches are pretty good, but definitely pricey.
I LOVE their matzoh ball soup though. It’s delicious.

Nice People here, the food is good, had the Rachael Lutzker Ruben — yum with corn beef, husband had pastrami we both loved it, and especially LOVE the pickles, Friday Night — 7 pm, hungry? No Lines, good food, Deli — how can you go wrong. Comfort food for sure.

I’m a fan of good delis and think of them as places for comfort food. My significant experience with these types of eateries comes from L.A. where we have some of the best in the country.
FOOD: the vegetarian minestrone was tasty and just the right thickness. The pastrami is alright, though not the best I’ve had.
SERVICE: is generally friendly and helpful. The employees smile as they go about their business.
AMBIANCE: it’s right in the heart of WeHa and is a medium-​sized place with tables only an some outdoor seating. The place is clean and has an open kitchen.
VALUE: is decent. You can get a meal usually for under $ 15 unless you splurge and get dessert.

it’s good, but it’s like… okay. It’s like… the locatoin is what makes the place great, but the food is kinda good. the breakfast was good, I thought — that’s what I got really

This place is awesome. I luckily bought a groupon a few months ago and have been going regularly ever since. If you want a REAL sandwich, this is the place. Pickles are awesome and breakfast is great, too. So glad groupon introduced me to this place!!!

My experience here recently for lunch a bit different then some other reviews I’m reading. To start had a Sweet & Sour Cabbage soup that was really tasty & a nice surprise. We ordered both a half sandwich of pastrami & a half sandwich of corned beef. Both were excellent, very fresh rye bread, thin sliced & delicious meats. The cole slaw & macaroni salad were both OK & enjoyed the pickles that were put on the table when we first sat down. The menu is a bit pricey for a deli but I’m going back if in the area.

There are lots of of great places to eat in West Hartford Center, but this isn’t one of them. My most recent visit, which will likely be my last, featured really mediocre sandwiches at astronomical prices. Worse yet when I got home with it (we got take out) we found they got the order slightly wrong, and the request for «extra Russian dressing» translated into virtually no Russian dressing. Lots of better options within walking distance.

We returned to Reuben’s this past Sunday and each ordered ½ corned beef sandwich and paid the $ 1 extra for the potato salad upgrade. The good news is the potato salad was very good. The bad news is the sandwich was prepared with about ½ the corned beef as on our previous visit. Also, when I checked the bill I realized the waitress upgraded our corned beef to lean without consulting us thus costing us an additional $ 1 each. We won’t be returning.

I would be giving this place two stars, but their half sour pickles take me back to a happy place faster than Anton Ego eating ratatouille. Really wish there was a 2.5 option.
I went here with my parents, who had a groupon for it. Our waitor was friendly but unfortunately not the brightest bulb… he got my dad’s order completely wrong (delivered briskit when asked for meatloaf), rattled off my (pre-​bagged) potato chip options after the meals had been brought out to the table, and he completely forgot to include the groupon in the final tally.
The food was meh. I got the day’s special, a turkey/​pastrami rouben, which was relatively flavorless. I can’t vouch for my parents’ food (the meatloaf and a tuna melt) — while they say it was good, neither was extolling their virtues as often happens at a good resturant.
Sorry folks. If I ever visit CT again, I won’t be stopping here.

A great addition to West Hartford Center, which keeps changing every time I’m back. Loved the pastrami on seedless rye. Yum. Also liked the potato salad. Big price tag, but also big portions: I had half the sandwich and half the potato salad one meal, and the rest the next. I agree with the reviewers complaining about the price, but justified the value that way.
Don’t recommend the latkes (bland and weird texture) or cheese blintzes (epic fail) at all.

Was in town for breakfast with relatives; I wasn’t hungry at all (timezones make my head confused) so I ordered the granola. Turns out the «granola» is pretty obviously three or four crushed Nature Valley granola bars, in a bowl — you could still see the flat sides on some of the chunks. COME ON.
It’s not like I was expecting homemade granola — was certainly expecting to just get granola out of a bag with maybe a few raisins thrown on it – but crunched up granola bars is a new low in restaurant laziness. Either serve something that can impersonate actual food preparation or don’t put it on the menu.
My boyfriend said his scrambled eggs were OK. Meh.

Awful. Overpriced. I think most of the reviewers here have said it all before. This place is trying extra hard to be Rein’s, but falls miserably short. Also, there are no non-​kosher concessions for the gentiles (no ham, etc).
Perhaps my biggest pet peeve about this place is that I bought a groupon a few weeks back (bad idea) and Reuben’s seems to jump at any chance they can to close early. One week it was the Friday before Labor Day so they closed at noon. Seriously, three days before a holiday they’re off boozing it up somewhere. The next week it was a Jewish holiday or something so they just weren’t open at all. A real lack of pride and a lackadaisical attitude towards actually having to work make this a perfect two. These guys need to find another business because they are just horrible at food.

Well, to start, I’m not Jewish, nor am I from New York, so I can’t really comment on whether or not Reuben’s is «real New York style» or not. What I can comment on is my lunch, which I enjoyed very much.
I went during the height of lunchtime (12 noon) and was seated immediately. The restaurant was crowded, and seating is pretty close. There was a bit of jostling to get into my chair, but I was comfortable with the space once we all sat down. (People had to wait for one another to pass, only one person at a time can be standing in the aisle area.
Our waitress came quickly, and brought drinks and pickles within 2 – 3 minutes after ordering. There were at least two kinds of pickles, and they were VERY good.
I had a corned beef Reuben, and for this non-​expert, it was perfect. It was toasted perfectly, the cheese was melted JUST enough, the saurkraut gave it just enough moisture to be juicy but not drip all over the place. I’ve had plenty of Boar’s Head in my day… and this corned beef was NOT Boar’s Head. It was very lean and very tasty. The cole slaw was also good, although not seasoned at all.
My only complaint is that once we had our sandwiches, the waitress was hard to track down. We actually had to literally shout to order some dessert to go.
Other than that, I liked it. Alot. I would have given it five stars, but the last reviewer is correct. It’s pretty pricey for a deli sandwich, and service was ok, but not stellar.
I will definately go back.

The other review is an obvious shill. I don’t think anyone in their right mind, unless they were an owner, would refer to Reuben’s as ‘real NY deli’ or as having the best ‘pastrami outside of new york.’
I might have had one of the most disappointing meals of my life here. First of all, service was abhorrent. Waited 20 minutes to order and it was all downhill from there. The latkes tasted straight up like french fries. No flavor at all, just deep fried. The chicken soup was nothing like a real Jewish chicken soup… it was a clear broth and tasted like any soup you could get at any supermarket or Cosi-​type sandwich place.
Oh, it gets worse. So, they advertise as «roasting all meats in house» and I believed them. I was excited to try a delicious, hand-​cut, house-​roasted pastrami sandwich and my mom was also psyched to have some house-​roasted turkey. What we were handed, instead, were plates of the saddest, soggiest sandwiches that were blatantly stuffed with BOAR’S HEAD meat. I live in New York, I know what Boar’s Head tastes like, and I know that I can get it at any corner store for $ 9/​lb. At Reuben’s, we paid $ 9 /​sandwich. Basically the biggest rip-​off ever. Don’t believe for a second that this place is worth your money, especially if you are a Jew like me looking for the real deal. Might as well go to Stop and Shop and get some Boar’s Head sliced meat and make your own friggin sandwich.
Oh yeah, they didn’t even have diet Dr Brown’s sodas.