Reuben Sandwich Reuben Kulakofsky is reputed to have invented this corned beef, sauerkraut and Thousand Island classic to satisfy poker players in the back room of the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha back in the 1920s. However, Reuben Deli in New York (first run by Arnold Reuben) also claims to have invented the sandwich. What’s undisputed is that the Reuben has been a hit ever since.