New York Rubens — Restaurant in Tualatin

NOT Tributes, but CLOSE & good in their own right!

I was a huge fan of Tributes even before it moved to Portland (when it was in VANCOUVER!). I was horribly sad when they closed. I was reminiscing one day and searched for it on yelp & found a review that said NY Reubens was a prior employee or other affiliate, who launched a renewed version of Tributes. I was so excited, I had to call & confirm!

I was so excited that I made the 27mi trek just for a sub & a slice!

While yes, they do have some similarities-They are NOT the same. I have called and it was confirmed that they had some prior involvement/affiliation with Tributes which is why I went. However, when onsite I asked whatever happend to Tributes they acted like they had no idea what I was talking about... it was kind of weird and a little off putting.

Any fan of Tributes would find NY Reubens as close of a similarity as you'll find out in the PDX area. The next best is Philly Billmos (which I hear the owner was once affiliated with Tributes as well) for Vancouverits.

NY Reubens subs are really good! The hot sauce is lacking in intensity but good flavor. Just know if your looking for that super historical "kick", it is not there.

Philly Sub- The Philly was pretty on par for expectation (GREAT). I would definitely return for it WITH the sauce!

Reubens Sub- The Reben was decent. A lil on the dry side & needed a lil more thousand, but still good & decent flavor.

NY Pizza- The pizza was one of the closest to true NY pizza as I have come to find out here.

Crust was thin with some crispy bits. It "crunched" at the edge when you folded it. I liked that! A little more bread like as you got to the outter edge but not bad. The dough flavor was good, not quite the NY flavor, but not your typical PNW flavor either. I still think my gran was right when she said it's the water in NY that makes the dough! :)

Sauce was a little sweeter but not overly. Quite cheesy for some but I enjoyed it! Pepperoni had good flavor also.

The only negative was the pineapple. It was the large chunk kind, meaning you couldn't really get any in every other bite & was overwhelming in the bites you did.

One major positive- most NY style pizzas get cold quickly- we waited a few after getting it & it was still super hot, even for a dine in experience-loved that!

Overall, it was a good food experience! The only down side is its so far away from me coming from Vancouver that it cannot become a frequent haunt.

I definitely think this is a great pizza & sub shop,...

I used to own a restaurant in NYC and ate down in Little Italy weekly for 35 yrs. I know Italian food. Rubens has surpassed every restaurant here in OR. From his huge hoagie sandwiches like the eggplant on garlic bread with his perfect homemade marinara sauce to his Rigatoni marinara with garlic bread, this place is authentic NYC Italian. The bread is high quality, not soft mushy buns, but toasty crusty Italian. The cheeses used are high quality and u taste the difference. The homemade marinara sauce is as good as any served in Little Italy in NYC. The huge salad with the freshest assorted greens and veggies has a perfect homemade vinaigrette or other homemade dressings. It is only $4.50 and huge, could feed 2-3 people. The sandwiches are gigantic! I love the roast pork sandwich but I leave off the fried onions that overtake the taste of the incredibly flavored roast pork. It too is perfection. The pizza is authentic NYC pizza with thin crust and high quality mozzarella, not part skim like West Coast pizza. This place is addicting, be careful !!! The meatballs are true Italian style and I like to add some to the rigatoni when I order it. This food is truly the best quality authentic Italian. The place is immaculate. And instead of spending my money at a mass market Corp owned factory, I like supporting a Mom and Pop store owned by real people. And the food is so good it is like going to an Italian Grandmas house...

I have mainly ordered takeout from here but today we stopped in and sat down to get lunch. We both ordered subs. I ordered the Philly cheesesteak with cheese, onions, and the sweet roasted peppers. My wife ordered the hot pastrami with mustard. Both subs were delicious as always and I have to say someone who grew on the east coast(Massachusetts). Also took many trips to NYC and Long Island….this place is like being back home. I have always wanted a sub shop like this near my house, it’s still about 20 minutes for me. But worth the drive to get a taste of home for anyone that’s looking for this little hidden gem.

Today the icing on the cake was the awesome service from the guy behind the counter Ruben(not the owner). Just the guy who runs the show day to day. He is an incredibly nice, friendly, and efficient guy. Our subs were made great and brought to us hot within less than 10 minutes. Now I just need to try their pizza for my next visit after I have already had 4 of their...