The Village Pump
103 W Lakeshore Dr,
Kelleys Island,
OH
43438
USA
419-746-2281
Category: Pub
Price: $$
| Overall: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
| Value: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
| Atmosphere: | B | (3.5/5.0 stars) |
| Service: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
| Taste: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
| Presentation: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
Reuben Details
Sandwich Name: Reuben ($11.95)
Menu Description: Choice of Corned Beef or Turkey on Grilled Rye, w/Kraut, Swiss Cheese & 1,000 Island Dressing
Included Side Items: Cup of Thousand Island dressing and a pickle spear
Presentation: The sandwich was constructed with the corned beef directly against the bottom slice of bread. The meat was topped with sauerkraut, and the slice of Swiss cheese was inserted just under the top slice of rye bread with caraway seeds embedded in the crust. The sandwich was cut straight down the middle and served on a white plate next to a cup of Thousand Island dressing and a pickle spear.
Dimensions: 880 cm3 (16 cm x 11 cm x 5 cm)
Bulk-to-Cost Ratio: 74 cm3/dollar
Review - Chris Rowland
Review Date: Jun 29, 2018, 1:15 PM
Liked: Caraway seeds on the crust
| Overall: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
| Value: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
| Atmosphere: | B | (3.5/5.0 stars) |
| Service: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
| Taste: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
| Presentation: | A | (4.5/5.0 stars) |
The Village Pump appeared to consist of two separate dining areas. The first room was dominated by a bar, and had limited seating. The other room, where we ate, also had a bar but had a lot more seating. Most of the tables were configured to be rather large, set up to seat 6-10 people to a party.
The tables were set with advertising placemats with about 50 local advertisements for business in the local area. The tables were set with real silverware, but they were inserted into a disposable plastic sleeve. The restaurant also seemed to exclusively use plastic cups for their beverages. The Village Pump proclaims themselves the "Home of the Brandy Alexander" and I was surprised to see that even their signature drink was served in the same nondescript plastic cup.
I wasn't sure whether to order the Reuben, but I asked our server if she would recommend their Reuben. She said that she certainly did, and that she and her coworker were just finishing their own Reubens back behind the counter before coming out to take my order. That was good enough of a testimonial for me, so I was willing to try the Reuben. The staff was very friendly.
To accompany the two corned beef Reubens that we ordered, Katherine asked for the Brandy Alexander, and I ordered the cherry cream soda.
When the Reuben first came, what struck me the most was the bread. The outside of the crust was coated with caraway seeds—so many that they were strewn about on the plate. Check out the picture—I've never seen anything like it. So if you're afraid of caraway seeds, this would not be the Reuben for you!
The sandwich was so delicious! The bread was amazing. It was so thick and the sandwich was nicely grilled. The corned beef and sauerkraut were in just the right proportions. Of course, the Thousand Island comes served on the side, so you can add as much as you like to each bite.
This was a very good Reuben for the price. I've paid this much before at other establishments and been disappointed. If you're on Kelleys Island, I highly suggest stopping by The Village Pump and enjoying their Reuben sandwich. It was just what we needed for an afternoon of biking around the island.
Katherine Rowland tries the Brandy Alexander.