Eat This: The Jack Reubie Sandwich at 407 BBQ

It was a year ago this month that 407 BBQ in Argyle moved down FM 407 to a new home.

Gone was the single-wide trailer, now replaced with a large building and yet larger kitchen to accommodate the growing popularity of owner Bryan McLarty's barbecue venture.

When we first visited 407 BBQ in 2017, we lauded the supremely good barbecue in a no-frills establishment. Today, we're pleased to say the barbecue is still top-notch, and the venue, while still minimally decorated, gives more patrons an opportunity to take in some of Denton County's best barbecue.

Thanks to the larger kitchen, McLarty and his team have taken to expanding on the traditional barbecue favorites. After seeing some photos that McLarty shared of his new house-cured pastrami in a local Facebook barbecue group, we scheduled a return visit to check it out for ourselves.

407 BBQ calls their pastrami sandwich the Jack Reubie, a nod to Dallas' most infamous nightclub owner. In his day, Ruby was known to facilitate a number of vices through his clubs, so it's fitting that the Jack Reubie may become our favorite new vice, too. The sandwich ($11.50) currently resides on 407 BBQ's specials menu, and on the day of our visit, shared space with fried Brussels sprouts and a turtle brownie. In the name of easy ordering, we availed ourselves of all three special items, and grabbed one of the last open tables on a busy Saturday afternoon.

407's take on the Reuben breaks with tradition. Besides corned beef, a classic Reuben sandwich is served on rye bread and topped with Swiss cheese. 407's Jack Reubie comes piled high on a soft hoagie roll that rocks a touch of sweetness, and melted Jack cheese that oozes into every nook and cranny of the generous portion of pastrami. The sauerkraut and Russian-style dressing keep the sandwich true to Reuben form. The result is a mash of sweet, salty, acidic and savory flavors that make beautiful music in your mouth. Despite eating the entire sandwich and sprouts, we still found room to put away the turtle brownie ($4) for dessert. Sure, there's a banana pudding if you're a barbecue purist, but the gooey brownie was the perfect end to our less-than-traditional barbecue lunch. We're patting ourselves on the back for taking small bites of the brownie with a fork to make it last longer, but you'll get no shameful glances from us if you shove large chunks into your mouth, either. Just think of us as your reverse life coach, urging you into more and more less-than-wholesome choices.

We chatted briefly with McLarty on our way out, and he tells us he's working on yet more menu additions with a smoky twist. We'll keep the plans to ourselves for now but will surely be back to try whatever he cranks out. Thanks to McLarty's fare, business is booming at 407 BBQ, and is worth the drive from almost anywhere in Dallas or Fort Worth.

"We've been really blessed since we moved here," McLarty tells us. "Our customers have been really good to us, and they haven't kicked us out yet."

With creations like the Jack Reubie, there's no danger of 407 BBQ going away anytime soon.

407 BBQ, 831 FM 407, Argyle. Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday.