Episode XVI: TechOps Hangar Cafe (ATL)

I stuck my neck out in Episode XIV and said I liked the employee cafeteria. What did I get in return? A very half-hearted effort at making a Reuben. So when I recently transferred to a new group outside of the main campus, there was a new cafeteria to try. I was told it is even worse than the one on the mother ship. The new place does have a Reuben so it was only a matter of time before I tried it. I rounded up my new set of co-workers and off we went.

Georgia Reuben"Over Roasted Turkey Breast, Sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian Dressing"

                   

                                                   

Appearance – (4.1/5.0) Simple presentation but I like it. I have not talked about this in a while, but look at the marbling on the rye. It looks natural, not CAD produced. You also have some overflowing turkey meat and the sandwich is cut in half. One detail I thought was very thoughtful was that they put the pickle underneath the butcher paper. I like pickles as much as the next guy but I don’t like pickle juice to come in direct contact with my Reuben. The pickle is back in the shadows waiting its turn, not shoving its way on stage.

Quality Of Ingredients – (3.2/5.0) The individual ingredients were ok. The bread came out of a bag, the turkey was standard cold cut deli, and same thing with the cheese. The Russian dressing was great but I do not think it was homemade. All of the right ingredients were present and accounted for.

Price – (4.4/5.0) At only $4.49 this was a deal.  The portion was kind of small or what people outside the US would call “normal”.

Je Ne Sais Quoi – (3.8/5.0) I was excited to eat this sandwich. I am going to be at this job for at least a year and if I can get a good go-to Reuben that would be awesome.  This was also Jeff’s first Reuben. It was also cool to see them put it through the Quizno’s style toaster.   

Taste – (8.3/10.0) Wonderful Reuben taste to it. The conveyer toaster toasts the bread and warms the sauerkraut but it does not have enough energy to heat up the meat. It was weird to get a mouthful that was half warm and half cold. The Russian dressing did its job and held the sandwich together but it swallowed up the Swiss cheese.  They were placed on the same side of the sandwich.  I prefer the layering to be as follows:

Rye Bread
Sauce
Meat
Sauerkraut
Cheese
Bread

It is all about achieving that perfect bite. You need a little bit of everything in there and if the sauce is too close to the cheese and just swallows it up you are going to miss out.  I made the adjustment myself and kept eating.

Overall – (23.7/30.0)I will be sure to come back and order this again.  The portion control also makes me feel a little bit better about eating a Reuben.  This may only be like 550 calories as opposed to a good 800-950 like others on the blog. Next time, I think I will ask them to assemble properly and maybe even take a second go-through on the toaster. I cannot speak to the rest of the food at this place.  I admit, it looks suspect but the Reuben is well executed.