Date of Review 2005-01-04, 11:30 a.m.
Sandwich name Reuben sandwich
Price Per Reuben (PPR) $5.95
Reuben Delivery Time (RDT) 17 minutes 
Reuben Dimensions 15x11x4 cm (660 cm3) 
Included side items French fries or onion rings, pickle spear
Bulk to cost ratio 111 cm3/dollar 

Reuben Ingredient Matrix (RIM) Rye bread Corned beef Swiss cheese Sauerkraut 1000 Island
Kazablanka Grill & Bar X X X X X on side

Description (taken from the menu):
Reuben sandwich: on signboard

Sandwich presentation:
The sandwich was presented on a white plate next to a small plastic cup of thousand island dressing and a pickle spear, with the remainder of the plate covered with fries or onion rings. The sandwich was cut in half diagonally, very lightly toasted on a very light-colored rye bread. The sandwich had Swiss cheese against the bottom slice of rye, followed by a corned beef layer, sauerkraut, and the top slice of rye bread.

Reuben Eater Rankings
Brad Bruno B+ B B B+ C B
Matthew Durkee B- B B C B B-
Jim Kidd C- A A B+ A+ B+
Carl Klutzke B+ A A A A A
Chris Rowland B A A- A A A
Summary B+ A- B+ B+ B+ B+

Reuben Ruminations:

: The restaurant had a strange decorative theme: palm trees outside, fish tank inside, and multiple stained glass dividers with odd art and not-so-matching lights in the interior. The service was OK; she forgot my ranch sauce to go with my O-rings so thumbs down there. The Reuben meat was constructed of a pre-fab/pre-built patty. Not a bad thing just kind of odd. The taste was good and the sauce yummy as well. My overall opinion is that I'd go back again just because it was such an odd place and that the food was good. ()

: This place looks like it was decorated by a committee. It has so many clashing themes that it give me a headache. But the Reuben was OK. The beef was OK, the kraut was good, the cheese was too mild. The bread was not quite toasted enough to fight off the sog. The service was good, especially when you see that only one waitress is working. ()

: The Kazablanka restaurant building started life as a fast food burger chain. Its current reincarnation is a friendly place to meet after work or to bring the family. I've eaten here a few times and can state that the other things on the menu are better than the Reuben. The Reuben is comprised of the usual ingredients, with exception of the meat. If you've ever been in the military then you've seen this meat before. It's the stuff that is sliced paper thin and then pressed back together under pressure and then sliced into steaks. I had seen this method with regular beef, but using the same method for corned beef sort of took me back. Avoid the Reuben, but select something else. The Greek selection are pretty tasty. ()

: Kazablanka is wonderfully eclectic. The centerpiece of the decor (literally) are several large and beautiful stained-glass panels, but there are also a large aquarium, framed posters of motorcycles and Jack Daniels, a Celtic cross, and a cross-stitched banner of my favorite Bible verse (Philippians 4:8). The lunch specials are likewise eclectic: Philly cheesesteak, gyros (available in chicken), catfish, meatloaf, and--our favorite--the Reuben. The only thing that isn't eclectic is the music, which was straight out of the early 80s: Joan Jett, Phil Collins, Blondie. My Diet Coke came out in a real glass, with a lemon slice, which is not common but a nice touch. We had metal flatware and china plates, and the dressing was served in a cup on the side. I opted for onion rings: they were okay, but they were cut rather large and so didn't have as much batter/breading flavor as I would have liked. A pickle spear was also included, and it was fairly typical. As for the sandwich itself, the bread was sandwich-sliced, and thus a bit too thin to really contribute much to the flavor of the sandwich (and to keep from getting a bit soggy on the bottom), but not bad. The beef was in good quantity, and had pretty good flavor. The kraut and dressing had good flavor too, but the Swiss, as usual, was an also-ran. Overall the meal was a pleasant experience, and I'm interested in returning to see what else Kazablanka has to offer. ()

: I must remark that the interior colors of vibrant yellow, green, and purple were unusual. But the decor was rather upscale for a building that used to be a Hardee's restaurant: they had a large fish tank, nice paintings framed on the walls, and good wallpaper. I thought that the thousand island dressing served on the side had a weird tangy taste to it. It definitely had a store-bought dressing taste to it but wasn't quite the right flavor I was looking for. There was a hard chunk of fat in my corned beef--but the corned beef wasn't bad. It didn't look like lunchmeat, but some parts of a brisket all melded together into a rounded rectangle patty. I felt that the bread needed to be toasted or grilled a little longer--it was too soft. The sandwich wasn't loaded with sauerkraut, but there was enough for a good taste. I would have liked another slice of Swiss on the sandwich. Overall, I enjoyed the sandwich. The onion rings were okay, but not the kind that would bring you back to have them again. This place is convenient to the Interstate, the service was friendly, and the decor is worth checking out. If you're driving around the west side of Indianapolis, I recommend a stop at Kazablanka. ()