quarrygirl.com » Blog Archive » sandwich obsession: vegan reuben at flore

sandwich obsession: vegan reuben at flore
33

June 24th, 2009quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

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.
Tags: reuben, sandwich, silverlake, sunset

31 responses to “sandwich obsession: vegan reuben at flore”

Tracy June 24th, 2009 at 07:41

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.
Brittany June 24th, 2009 at 07:43

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.
Carol Elaine June 24th, 2009 at 07:45

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.
jewlie June 24th, 2009 at 07:54

it’s pretty much my favorite sandwich, ever.
Commodore Crush June 24th, 2009 at 08:26

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.
XIIIX June 24th, 2009 at 08:34

I’ve believe this guys have more carbs than you need a day…god it looks delicious tho.
Scott June 24th, 2009 at 08:38

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.
Ariela June 24th, 2009 at 09:06

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?!
Jen June 24th, 2009 at 09:15

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.
Cecelia June 24th, 2009 at 09:33

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!!!
Vegyogini June 24th, 2009 at 09:48

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!
Vegyogini June 24th, 2009 at 09:49

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.
Jojo June 24th, 2009 at 10:19

I’ve never had a reuben but it sure does look pretty awesome!
Lynn (The Actors Diet) June 24th, 2009 at 10:58

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!
Allison June 24th, 2009 at 13:11

Yeeeeeeah! I love Flore but I must agree with Jen – FYH slays their ruben.
James June 24th, 2009 at 13:54

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
AWk June 24th, 2009 at 15:10

YO! I recommend everyone try the “love reuben” @ cafe flourish on wilshire blvd(miracle mile). It’s the best vegan reuben in los angeles!
Brittany June 24th, 2009 at 18:32

i will try cafe flourish’s reuben and i will judge it.
Melisser June 24th, 2009 at 18:42

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!
Scott June 24th, 2009 at 18:43

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
Mark June 24th, 2009 at 18:55

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.
Brittany June 24th, 2009 at 19:17

the waffle’s “vegan reuben” isn’t vegan. lying fucks!
Adriana June 25th, 2009 at 11:11

Flore rules it… Holler at my boy Dave next time you’re there… He’s one of the cooks… Woot!
Eric June 25th, 2009 at 18:14

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!
Foodeater June 25th, 2009 at 22:03

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.
msmerymac June 29th, 2009 at 11:52

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.
nikki July 2nd, 2009 at 03:37

for the real OG’s its all about Follow Your Hearts rueben.
birdgherl July 2nd, 2009 at 06:01

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!!
Jennifer July 3rd, 2009 at 09:23

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 🙂
fred July 5th, 2009 at 00:07

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!
Mark December 2nd, 2009 at 19:19

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.