Alcatraz Brewing Company - Circle Centre Mall

49 W. Maryland St., Ste. 104, Indianapolis, IN

317-488-1230

Overall:B-(3.2/5.0 stars)
Value:D(1.5/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:A-(4.2/5.0 stars)
Service:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:B-(3.2/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Alcatraz Brewing Company

Reuben Details

Sandwich Name: Classic Reuben ($10.99)

Menu Description: Corned beef, sauerkraut and 1000 island dressing on rye with Alcatraz fries.

Included Side Items: Alcatraz fries, or any of their other sides (taro chips, small salad, etc.) and a half pickle.

Presentation: The sandwich was served as two halves, sliced diagonally and served back-to-back atop a piece of lettuce, next to the side item and pickle on a rectangular white plate. The 1000 island dressing was on the bottom slice of rye, with the corned beef placed atop the dressing. Atop the corned beef was the sauerkraut followed by the Swiss cheese under the top slice of rye.

Dimensions: 924 cm3 (14 cm x 12 cm x 5.5 cm)

Bulk-to-Cost Ratio: 84 cm3/dollar


Review -

Review Date: Feb 21, 2006

Overall:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Value:C(2.5/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Service:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A(4.5/5.0 stars)

The best thing about this Reuben was the bread--it was soft, thick, and delicious. There was also a lot of beef provided that didn't taste too bad at all. I couldn't really taste the cheese or the dressing. The sauerkraut was also rather lightly applied. This really was a large sandwich, but not as large as the price would warrant. I did appreciate the allowable substitution of sides--I tried the taro chips which were very good. The service staff was very friendly treated our group well. It was a nice enough place, but with the price range they are advertising, there are plenty of other good places to eat in downtown Indianapolis.


Review -

Review Date: Feb 21, 2006

Overall:C(2.5/5.0 stars)
Value:D(1.5/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Service:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:C(2.5/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A(4.5/5.0 stars)

For such a mediocre sandwich, I think the management should be behind bars for the hi-way robbery that occurred. The quantity was there, but no quality. You could taste the beef, but not much else. The bread sogged out, there was a mass of fries, but hey, at least they had bottled raspberry tea... just had to add my own sugar. Besides, seeing all those bars was somewhat traumatizing.


Review -

Review Date: Feb 21, 2006

Overall:C(2.5/5.0 stars)
Value:D-(1.2/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Service:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:C+(3.0/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A(4.5/5.0 stars)

Alcatraz Brewing Company is located downtown at the Circle Centre Mall. As such, it is available to traffic from professionals, business people attending conferences, and tourists. In other words, people with money to burn. It is no mystery why they can charge an arm and a leg for a sandwich. The best thing about the experience was seeing Uncle Larry behind bars. If you are going to have to spend this much money for lunch, go around the corner to PF Chang's. At least the food is worth the price.


Review -

Review Date: Feb 21, 2006

Overall:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Value:F(0.5/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Service:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A(4.5/5.0 stars)

The prison motif is apparent here, as there are some places around the restaurant with prison bars, but not overwhelming: the atmosphere is actually rather subdued. Service was good and friendly, very accommodating when we had to swap around seats when our group became too large. For this reason I didn't much begrudge the precalculated 20% tip that was already added onto my bill. I had water to drink (and I'm glad: I hear drinks were $2.25!) and it came in a glass with a lemon slice. Table service was metal flatware in a linen napkin, and food was served on a rectangular china platter, rather interesting. It was garnished with a lettuce leaf and lengthwise pickle slice. I had the fries as my side. They were okay, thin and crisply and seasoned with what seemed to be Lawry's season salt, and came with a little metal cup of ketchup. I was surprised they didn't offer onion rings. The sandwich, as you'd expect at the price, was dominated by a mountain of beef. The beef itself was fairly lean but a bit chewy, and had a tendency to come out of the sandwich in clumps. The meat dominated the flavors, but I could taste some cheese and kraut around the edges where the meat wasn't piled so high. I really couldn't detect the dressing at all. The bread was a pretty swirled rye, nicely toasted, and I think it had good flavor but again it was hard to tell with all the beef. Overall it wasn't a bad experience, but $14 for a sandwich, fries, and a glass of water is shameful.


Review -

Review Date: Feb 21, 2006

Overall:B-(3.2/5.0 stars)
Value:D+(2.0/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Service:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:B-(3.2/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A(4.5/5.0 stars)

In keeping with the "theme" of the restaurant, the sandwich should have probably been called the "Grand Larceny Reuben". There was a lot of sandwich, but there was more price than sandwich. There was a lot of price. That's really mostly what I remember. The bread was good, and there was a lot of meat. I never really tasted any sauerkraut, cheese, or thousand island. The meat was really tough, which made the quantity of it not quite so much of a high point.


Review -

Review Date: Feb 21, 2006

Overall:C+(3.0/5.0 stars)
Value:D+(2.0/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Service:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:C+(3.0/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A-(4.2/5.0 stars)

At $10.99, this was no bargain!! I'd expect a drink and a hooker with that price!! It did come with fries but the problem was that the bread was soggy and the meat had a grocery store bought pre-packaged lunch meaty flavor. It was a brew pub but the theme just did not carry over to other parts of the restaurant. Drop the prices and select a better meat vendor and this score goes way up!


Review -

Review Date: Feb 21, 2006

Overall:D-(1.2/5.0 stars)
Value:D-(1.2/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Service:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:C(2.5/5.0 stars)
Presentation:C(2.5/5.0 stars)

It was the most expensive Reuben I have ever had in my life. Taste was not that great either. Price was completely out of this world.


Review -

Review Date: Feb 21, 2006

Overall:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Value:B(3.5/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Service:B+(4.0/5.0 stars)
Taste:B-(3.2/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A(4.5/5.0 stars)

Quantity alone doesn't make for an excellent Reuben. The meat was a bit thick and had too much fat, making it hard to bite off reasonably sized pieces.