When I first read the menu description for NHS Tavern's Reuben, I was smitten. In-house corned beef, gruyere cheese, jalapeño and onion kraut on marble rye and Russian dressing? I'll take two, please. But that anticipation was quickly replaced with disappointment when I took a first bite from the sandwich.
The corned beef was woefully undercooked, and hard, white fat was visible throughout the slices. The meat was tough and pulled from between the bread. I wasn't happy, and used my heartbreak to fuel a search for Dallas' best Reuben elsewhere.
A week ago I returned to NHS. It had been six months, and I was ready to give the sandwich a second shot. Turns out that first mishap was likely a fluke.
This time the meat was tender and plentifully layered between double-stacked rye bread. The Russian dressing was used aggressively, and the kraut had a solid tang. It was paired up with some of Dallas' best shoe-string fries.
I'm still waiting on Bolsa to get its Reuben put together -- right now they're selling a pastrami sandwich with braised cabbage that's something else entirely -- but for now I think it's safe to say Dallas' best hand-crafted Reuben is served at this Henderson Avenue tavern.
Now I just have to get past the $16 price tag.
