Visitors Rave About The Reuben From This Tiny Texas Town

The United States is home to the classic American road trip. That's why it makes perfect sense that highway stops become welcome surprises to weary travelers. And if you're cutting through the heart of Texas on a drive, it's time to stop at Dutchman's Hidden Valley in Hamilton, Texas. Inside, you'll find a deli slicing up bread, cheese, and meat to make delicious sandwiches, none more revered than the establishment's Reuben. And it's easy to see why: Heaping piles of corned beef, Swiss cheese, and tangy sauerkraut contained within two slices of fresh-baked bread. Dutchman's is a pit stop worth every minute.

Hamilton is nestled along U.S. Route 281, just south of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, west of Waco, and north of Austin. If you're driving between Austin and Dallas along Interstate 35, you'll miss it completely, so this is one of those times when you don't want to take the straight line to your destination. Inside, you'll find homemade fudge, brittle, and ice cream. There's saltwater taffy, hard candy, and much more for your sweet tooth. If you need meat for the road, grab some beef jerky, aged in-house for ultimate freshness. That is, of course, if you still have room after the Reuben sandwich.

The Reuben sandwich goes back to the early 1900s. While the exact year and place of the Reuben's creation are debated, the average person thinks of old New York delis when they think of a classic Reuben sandwich. Meanwhile, outside of New York, came the Texas Dutchman, whose real name was Ron Wenzel. In 1985, he added a smokehouse and deli to the existing Hidden Valley Farms to form Dutchman's Hidden Valley. His search for the best meat must've begun as a kid, when he'd go to his local smokehouse to secretly slice off meat. Today, Dutchman's is run by Ron's daughter, Kara. The Reuben continues as the Dutchman made it, with perfectly-salted corned beef, combined with the tang of sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and Swiss cheese served between two slices of rye bread.

On the surface, the Reuben is a simple sandwich. So if it's so simple, how does a good Reuben separate itself from a bad one? And how is it that so many people online say the Reuben at Dutchman's is one of the best they've ever tried? It comes down to freshness and quality. Bad corned beef can be too salty or tough to chew, and old bread will make the whole sandwich stale. But if you use fresh ingredients and let their flavors mingle and blend, you get harmony with every bite. The next time you have to go north or south through the heart of Texas, take a drive through scenic Route 281 and look for the bison statue outside. You'll find not just a portal to another time, but one of the best Reuben sandwiches you'll ever taste.