there’s something weird going on with vegans and reuben sandwiches. i have never actually even had a ‘real’ reuben sandwich, but it seems that there’s obsession with them in the vegan community. vegan chefs i know are obsessed with making them, they are huge topics on most vegan blogs, and my vegan friends from other cities have the reuben itch as well. what is all the fuss about some mock meat, soy cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing?! i mean really!? i had to find out. after hearing all this reuben talk everywhere i went, i decided i better get with the program and order one of these suckers for myself from one of los angeles’ favorite vegan-reuben-serving joints, flore on sunset.
tempeh reuben: grilled reuben sandwich served on organic corn rye with layers of tofu cheese, cashew cheese, tempeh, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. served with your choice of side. $9.95
holy crap. one bite of this thing, and i started to understand why everyone makes a big deal over these sandwiches. flore’s tempeh reuben was served up on flavorful rye bread, grilled on both sides, and stuffed with bits of tempeh & 2 kinds of ‘cheese’. the sauerkraut and thousand island dressing complimented each other perfectly, making for a winning sweet/sour combination. this sandwich was fucking bomb. much better than i expected it to be.
while the sandwich was regular-sized, by no means large (especially for $9.95), it was packed with so much rich flavor that i was completely stuffed after eating just half of it. i threw the other half on the panini press for breakfast the next day, and it was even better than the night before. i can’t really speak on vegan reubens in general, but i can tell you flore’s tempeh rueben is an a+. i’m looking forward to ordering this warm, comforting sandwich again in the very near future.
flore vegan cuisine
3818 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 953-0611
Tue-Fri. 11:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Check out the new quarrygirl.com FORUMS!
7:41 am on June 24th, 2009
Yes! I am glad you understand..there is something magic about that combo. I’ve never had a “real” one either but the vegan version is fantastic! I think anything with sauerkraut is great though.
7:43 am on June 24th, 2009
here’s how much i love that sandwich: i only now realized that it IS a little overpriced.
still, fyh’s reuben crushes this one.
7:45 am on June 24th, 2009
My boyfriend is especially fond of the vegan reuben at Cafe Flourish. It’s the only thing he gets when he goes there. I’ll have to try it myself – I love sauerkraut.
7:54 am on June 24th, 2009
it’s pretty much my favorite sandwich, ever.
8:26 am on June 24th, 2009
Yes! I love them! Can’t wait to try this and you should try the Veggie Reuben at Jyoti Bihanga’s in San Diego… it was my favorite when we lived there. Although, I’m not sure if it’s completely vegan. Hmm.
8:34 am on June 24th, 2009
I’ve believe this guys have more carbs than you need a day…god it looks delicious tho.
8:38 am on June 24th, 2009
i HATE flore.. with that said, i have never had their ruben and enough people I trust have said I should give it a try. so there is a chance I might only hate Flore is lowercase.
9:06 am on June 24th, 2009
Wow that is a serious sandwich. I usually cook myself some grains, beans etc for lunch but something like this would be a nice change. But for the Opa event this friday http://girliegirlarmy.com/blog/ there’s going to be a sweet Eastern European vegan potluck, any suggestions on what I should bring? And is anyone else going! GirlieGirl Army always gives me the best ideas on how to spend my weekends! Music, vegan fare, Whale Wars, hipsters out the wazoo what more could a girl ask for?!
9:15 am on June 24th, 2009
I know you hate RFD, but they have the best vegan reuben I’ve ever had. I like the Flore one a lot, but RFD had it first, and coupled with their vegan potato salad, it is pure bliss.
9:33 am on June 24th, 2009
I’ve had the one at Flore and, while the first bite was good, by the time I finished the first half I was
grossed out. I didn’t like the texture of the tempeh at all.
Now, the rueben at Follow Your Heart, that’s another story. It’s amazing!!!
9:48 am on June 24th, 2009
Follow Your Heart’s vegan Reuben is far and away better than the one at Flore. I get my FYH Reuben with vegan cheese (i.e. FYH cheese), but some of our friends prefer it with the cottage-style tofu. Let’s plan a field trip!
9:49 am on June 24th, 2009
P.S. Maybe I’m just not a tempeh Reuben fan, but I really didn’t like the one at RFD and only thought the Flore one was ok.
10:19 am on June 24th, 2009
I’ve never had a reuben but it sure does look pretty awesome!
10:58 am on June 24th, 2009
I love flore, I love vegan reubens, so I’m pretty sure I’ll love the one at flore! Can’t wait to try it!
1:11 pm on June 24th, 2009
Yeeeeeeah! I love Flore but I must agree with Jen – FYH slays their ruben.
1:54 pm on June 24th, 2009
Flore seems to have missed one of the point of a Reuben (so damn big it is hard to eat). FYH gets that point right and makes a better samich to boot.
Cheers,
James
3:10 pm on June 24th, 2009
YO! I recommend everyone try the “love reuben” @ cafe flourish on wilshire blvd(miracle mile). It’s the best vegan reuben in los angeles!
6:32 pm on June 24th, 2009
i will try cafe flourish’s reuben and i will judge it.
6:42 pm on June 24th, 2009
I’m not a Tempeh Reuben kind of girl, tempeh doesn’t translate to the kind of (nasty) meat used in the original. While the FYH Reuben was pretty good, The Chicago Diner Radical Reuben is like the best thing you’ll ever put in your mouth!
6:43 pm on June 24th, 2009
after reading some other comments i am back to capital letters.. i HATE flore… screw them, ill stick FYH and i’ll try cafe flourish too
6:55 pm on June 24th, 2009
The Waffle on Sunset has a pretty tasty vegan Reuben. Not amazing, but satisfying. Mostly because their vegan 1000 Island is delish and their waffle fries are goddamn perfect.
7:17 pm on June 24th, 2009
the waffle’s “vegan reuben” isn’t vegan. lying fucks!
11:11 am on June 25th, 2009
Flore rules it… Holler at my boy Dave next time you’re there… He’s one of the cooks… Woot!
6:14 pm on June 25th, 2009
Gotta also say Cafe Flourish’s reuben is pretty damn good…and HUGE.
I don’t like the fake mozzarella cheese they use, so I ask them to hold it. (FYH?)
Even then, it’s so big I usually can’t finish.
Delicious!
10:03 pm on June 25th, 2009
I’m with Brittany, I think it’s good but there’s just no contest in comparison to Follow Your Heart’s monster reuben. It was and remains the OG of all lesser vegan reubens. The one at Flore is tasty but it’s basically just some tempeh with sauerkraut and thousand island dressing slapped on.
The reuben at Cafe Flourish however is a much worthier contender.
11:52 am on June 29th, 2009
I used to love the reuben at RFD. It’s pretty decent, now, I think. The one at FYH is amazing and tastes what a “real” reuben tastes like, IMO. The one at Flore looks delicious, but needs to be even bigger like the one at FYH, which is like two fucking sandwiches! I have yet to go to Flore, but I think I’ll be trying the reuben.
3:37 am on July 2nd, 2009
for the real OG’s its all about Follow Your Hearts rueben.
6:01 am on July 2nd, 2009
I visit LA 1-2X per year and on the last visit, went to Flore 4 out of 5 days. The reuben is my favorite. But I could eat anything there. It’s the best IMO resto in the city!!
9:23 am on July 3rd, 2009
Have you tried Field Roast Smoked Tomato Delis to make a Rueben?? It is seriously where its at. There are several places in Seattle that serve it on the menu
12:07 am on July 5th, 2009
So I went to Follow Your Heart today and I had my first Reuben! Pure bliss! Can’t compare it to Flore’s yet, but this was so awesome. I still have half of it left, and i still got 5 slices of daiya pizza from whole foods. awesome!
7:23 am on July 6th, 2009
[...] my recent post sandwich obsession post about the tempeh reuben at flore in silverlake, a bunch of vegans started chiming in with [...]
9:35 am on August 27th, 2009
[...] i’ve mentioned before, vegans have an unhealthy obsession with reubens. i don’t know what it is about sauerkraut, thousand island, and rye bread that gives every [...]
7:19 pm on December 2nd, 2009
The Flore reuben is decent, but way overpriced, esp for the size. As someone said, the point of a reuben is that it’s supposed to be a gluttonous monster of a beast. I felt like I overpaid for what I got, as I generally do with anything on the menu there. It’s good, but not great, esp when it comes to value. I’d rather go to RFD where the portions are huge and the food is better, for an extra buck or 2.