Craving a Reuben sandwich? Here are some places to try around Akron

It's almost time to get your Irish on, with St. Patrick's Day coming next week.

Some of the festivities will begin early and we can't think of a tastier way to celebrate than by eating corned beef — specifically that wonderful incarnation called the Reuben sandwich.

Nothing beats the taste of warm, tender corned beef on grilled rye bread with tangy sauerkraut, comforting melted Swiss cheese and zesty Thousand Island dressing.

Our team of our intrepid reporters set out to sample some of these delightful sandwiches ahead of the big day.

Among the many places to choose from to get your holiday Reuben fix in the Akron area, here's just a sampling of some spots known for serving this culinary treat.

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Mr. Zub's Deli & Bar

Address: 795 W. Market St. in Akron

Phone: 330-252-0272

Kitchen hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Bar hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday-Saturday

Website: https://mrzubs.com/

Though not a traditional Irish pub, Mr. Zub’s Deli and Bar in Highland Square takes its Reuben – seen on its menu as The Royal Tenenbaum ($10.99) – quite seriously.

Besides its name, what makes The Royal Tenenbaum so unique is the preparation that goes into each of its ingredients. The two- to three-day process of making corned beef, the sandwich's most important component, is done completely in house. The meat is brined, slow-cooked for five hours and then chilled overnight before being sliced.

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Its extra-thick Amish rye bread and corned beef are grilled to order, neither encountering a panini press or convection oven. Another treat is Zub’s Thousand Island dressing, the base of which is blended with various other ingredients to give it a sweet and tangy flavor.

Then there’s all the quirky sides and desserts that can accompany the Reuben, like Gouda macaroni and cheese bites, jalapeño ravioli and funnel cake fries.

Zub’s itself is an oddity, being a deli with a full bar, flat screen TVs and school-bus-yellow walls adorned with brewery logos and movie posters. But that’s kind of the charm – delicious food, good beer and engaging entertainment. Zub's is prime candidate for where to enjoy your annual Reuben in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

— Tawney Beans

Cleveland Bagel Café

Address: 436 E. Main St. in Kent

Phone: 330-548-9012

Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Website: clebagelkent.com

If you're looking to enjoy a Rueben in a coffee shop setting perfect for co-working or after-class snacking, look no further than The Cleveland Bagel Café in Kent.

The business, located in the city’s historic Tudor-style building, announced that the Rueben ($11.50) would be one of its seasonal menu items. On a regular basis Cleveland Bagel Café has plain, everything, rosemary sea salt, sea salt, sesame, poppy seed and cinnamon cranberry bagels available for purchase.

Customers can pick which of the restaurant's seven bagels to compliment their sandwich, which is filling with corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, butter and thousand island dressing. Sides of hash browns ($2.95) or house-made bagel chips ($5) are also available.

— Tawney Beans

Mavis Winkle's Irish Pub

Address: 8870 Darrow Road in Twinsburg

Phone: 330-405-3663

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Website: https://www.maviswinkles.com/

Mavis Winkle’s Irish Pub in Twinsburg is the home of the Mad Reuben ($17) — hot corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese on grilled rye bread with Thousand Island dressing on the side. Let it be known that this sandwich is no small spud. Order it and you’ll have a decent amount left over for lunch the next day.

At Mavis Winkle’s, customers eat their meals surrounded by Irish décor, including a Guinness keg and glowing signs for various Irish beers. Oh, and don’t forget to order some Reuben spring rolls while you’re at it.

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Need to feed that sweet tooth? Finish your meal off with a little something from home, like a house-made Cleveland brownie (half $5/full $8) topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel and chocolate drizzle, whipped cream and chocolate chips.

The old world kitchen and pub serves classic Irish dishes all year but will have various events during March to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

— Tawney Beans

Magic City’s Remarkable Diner

Address: 451 Fairview Ave. Barberton

Hours: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday to Friday

Phone: 330-983-9787

Website: remarkablediner.com

Let’s say you can’t decide between breakfast and lunch. Why not enjoy both in the same meal?

Order the Reuben omelet ($12.99) at Magic City’s Remarkable Diner in Barberton. Owners Valeri and Dan Remark have deconstructed the deli sandwich into a yummy breakfast dish.

The omelet is made with corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, drizzled in Thousand Island dressing and topped with pickles.

More: Magic City’s Remarkable Diner in Barberton lives up to its name: Local Flavor

Keep the Reuben theme going by ordering a side of rye toast ($1), which the diner serves thick, warm and perfectly buttered.

The omelet comes with the diner’s signature home fries, which are crispy, hearty and nicely seasoned.

— Mark J. Price

Hooley House Sports Pub & Grille

Address: 145 Montrose West Ave. on Restaurant Hill in Copley

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday

Phone: 234-466-0060

Website: www.1funpub.com

One Reuben sandwich isn’t enough for the Hooley House in Montrose. The sports-oriented Irish tavern has two versions on its menu.

There’s the classic Reuben ($15.55) with the tried-and-true fixings and the Hooley Reuben ($15.75), which substitutes the sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing with boxty and Hooley sauce.

Boxty is a traditional potato pancake. The horseradish-based Hooley sauce adds a little kick.

Served on lightly grilled rye, both sandwiches come with a choice of french fries, tater tots, pub chips or coleslaw.

It’s a sensory experience to wolf down Irish-themed food, gape at the tavern’s omnipresent large-screen televisions and listen to the bass-heavy thump of rap music on the sound system.

The small regional chain, which also has locations in Brooklyn, Mentor and Westlake, also features a Reubenesque appetizer: Irish egg rolls ($11.40).

Those are made with corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese with Hooley Sauce and Thousand Island dressing on the side. It’s $9.50 for two and $11.50 for three.

— Mark J. Price

Slyman’s Tavern

Address: 6901 Rockside Road, Independence

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Phone: 216-642-0062

Website: slymanstavern.com

No article about corned beef in Northeast Ohio would be complete without a mention of Slyman’s.

We took a short drive up Interstate 77 to sample the famed corned beef of Slyman’s Tavern in Independence. The tavern is an offshoot of Slyman’s Restaurant, which Rafic and Joseph Slyman founded in 1964 at 3106 St. Clair Ave. in downtown Cleveland. There’s also a location in Orange.

Over the decades, Slyman’s customers have included actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden and talk show host Rachael Ray. Now you can add us to the list.

The Independence tavern offers two sizes of corned beef sandwich: the original for $17.49 and the lite for $13.49. Diners have the option to “make it a Reuben” for an additional $2. The Reuben comes with Thousand Island dressing and horseradish on the side.

The lite is a massive sandwich with a mountain of lean corned beef.  We can’t imagine how big the original sandwich must be, but it must require three hands to consume it.

The sandwich is served with a pickle. There is an addition charge for sides like crinkle cut fries, potato salad or coleslaw.

What a Reuben. This corned beef is some of the best we’ve ever tasted.

— Mark J. Price

Diamond Deli

Address: 378 South Main St., Akron

Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday

Phone: 330-762-5877

Website: https://www.diamonddeli.us

For many years, I've made a habit of getting the turkey Reuben at Diamond Deli. I love traditional Reubens too, so I went for the gusto when I recently ordered my first one with corned beef at this popular Akron eatery.

My husband and I shared a jumbo Reuben ($11) with 8 ounces of corned beef piled high, and it was enough for both of us with its delicious combination of corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and a light amount of Thousand Island dressing already on the grilled rye sandwich.

The deli, which uses Vienna corned beef and grills the sandwiches on a panini press, also offers a regular-sized Reuben with 6 ounces of corned beef for $10, and a small option with 4 ounces of meat for $9. It's fun hanging out in a booth at this well-known Akron establishment, checking out all the memorabilia, which included a LeBron James bobblehead and photo at our table.

The Diamond Deli is used to having a line around the block for its Reubens and corned beef sandwiches on St. Patrick's Day, when it typically goes through 400 to 500 pounds of corned beef. That's up to 1,000 corned beef sandwiches in one day. Yum.

— Kerry Clawson

Gasoline Alley

Address: 870 N. Cleveland Massillon Road, Bath

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Phone: 330-666-2670

Website: http://www.gasolinealleyinbath.com/

For a unique spin on the Reuben, check out the Reuben pizza at Gasoline Alley. It features corned beef, Swiss, mozzarella, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing on a pizza crust.

This pizza features small pieces of corned beef with the nice blend of cheese melted over the meat. The sauerkraut taste is subtle, as is the Thousand Island dressing layer on the well-done pizza crust base. The large 18-inch pizza is $23 and the small 12-inch is $18.

The restaurant boils its corned beef in-house for its sandwiches, including the Big Daddy Reuben ($15 for the big "Bully" size) and the Corn Beefus Gigantus ($13 for the "Bully.") Corned beef is also paired with other meats on sandwiches, including The Spare Parts, Sassy Sammie and Bath 3-Alarmer.

And just in case you can't get your fill of corned beef, check out the restaurant's tasty kraut balls ($9), filled with sauerkraut and corned beef with a side of honey mustard.

— Kerry Clawson

Rockne's Pub

Address: 7 Merriman Road, Akron

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Phone: 330-762-7555

Website: Rockne's Pub Akron on Facebook, or www.rocknes.com to see all locations

This family-owned eatery's Reubens have been famous for the 35 years that the Hamads have owned the Akron establishment. The corned beef is piled high on the tall sandwich, which tastes lightly grilled and comes with a side of coleslaw as well as a pickle.

My husband and I ordered the Rockne-sized Reuben to share for $10.99 and also added fresh-cut thin fries for $3.49. The sandwich also come in a half size for $7.99.

The restaurant slices the corned beef as thin as possible to make it more tender, said manager Chris Hamad II. They also cook the corned beef and sauerkraut together to bring the meat up to room temperature, so the meat and kraut flavors mingle.

"The sandwich sells itself. It's probably one of our top sellers in general" all year, said Hamad, who runs the location with his mother, Sandy, and the help of multiple siblings.

The Akron restaurant is one of eight Rockne's locations in Northeast Ohio, whose hours vary. Six are corporate, while the Hamads' pub is one of two privately owned Rockne's. (The other is in Stow.) Amid the Irish decor at the Akron restaurant is sports memorabilia from the Irish right down the street  — St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.

For decades, Irish band Callahan & O'Connor has kicked off the St. Patrick's Day fun the Thursday before the big day at the Merriman Road Rockne's. That rollicking night of ballads and sing-alongs will be happening March 9 at 8 p.m.

That's also when a corned beef and cabbage special kicks off at the neighborhood pub, running through St. Patrick's Day.

— Kerry Clawson

Sully's Irish Pub

Address: 117 W Liberty St, Medina

Kitchen hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Phone: 330-764-3333

 Website: https://www.sullysmedina.com/

Don't judge me.

I already feel guilty enough about what I'm about to say.

I'm not sure I've ever met a Reuben I didn't like.

Heck, I even liked Ruben Studdard on American Idol.

I even order a Reuben at Arby's, of all places.

Purists may bristle at the notion of ordering a Reuben at a chain place but don't knock it until you've tried it — especially the Penn Station East Coast Subs version.

But I believe a Reuben is best enjoyed in the ambiance of an Irish pub like Sully's.

Since Gannett was too cheap to fly me to Ireland, I took my Irish lassie (my wife, Jennifer, whose ancestors immigrated from County Cork) to the closest place my mileage reimbursement would take me — Sully's Irish Pub on Medina's historic square.

The place is warm inside with rich woods and a long bar with plenty of Irish and domestic brews available, including its own signature Irish Red.

We were in full Reuben mode on this visit and passed on the tempting Leprechaun Wrap and the Sully’s Style Shepherd’s Pie.

Instead, we chose an order of the Reuben Egg Rolls ($11.99) to warm us up for the main event.

It consisted of three hand-rolled egg rolls stuffed with shredded corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, served with a side of Thousand Island dressing.

The place has a stage where musicians (usually Irish) perform on the weekends and it is so popular on St. Patrick's Day that it auctions off its booths to raise money for charity.

Our waiter was kind enough to split our Reuben onto two plates since we told him we were going to share it.

They roast the corned beef in-house and you can taste the difference.

While the sandwich wasn't as big as your head — and that's not necessarily a bad thing — it was ample enough to fill our tummies and bring a Danny Boy tear to our eyes.

The Reuben was served with a pickle and house-made chips that were a nice added bonus.

Taking in the ambience of the place and the great sandwich was enough to make one count their blessings.

I couldn't help but think of the that ol' Irish blessing: "A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, his mother the longest and a Reuben forever."

Or something like that, with an extra side of Thousand Island dressing.

— Craig Webb

Niko’s Sandwich Board

Address: 1947 W. Market St., Suite 104, Akron

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Options: Indoor dining, takeout, outdoor seating, delivery, catering

More information: nikossandwichboard.com and 330-794-5444

Owner Niko Manolis serves handcrafted sandwiches, fresh salads and small-batch soups at the charming, cozy café.

The colorful, casual restaurant has a cheerful atmosphere with Greek-themed décor, exposed ductwork, ceiling fans, overhead track lights and booths made from sections of wooden church pews.

There are classic deli sandwiches like Reubens, hot pastrami and roast turkey as well as vegetarian offerings like curry lentil wraps and falafel pitas.

Niko’s Reuben ($11.79) features corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and house-made Russian dressing served on hand-sliced grilled rye bread.

Try any sandwich on the menu. You’ll be back for more.

— Mark J. Price

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Where to get a Reuben sandwich in Akron for St. Patrick's Day