The image says it all: a young kid mid–elbow slam, eyes wide, joy fully unleashed. That moment—frozen in time—is where The Reubenator was born.

I was very young when I had my first Reuben sandwich.Just four years old.It wasn’t even my sandwich. It was my parents’—cut in half, meant to be shared.

One bite. Just one. Warm rye, savory meat, melted cheese, that unmistakable tang. And that was it.

I was done for. From that day forward, I didn’t care about PBJs.Egg salad didn’t stand a chance. Grilled cheese?

Respectable… but not that.All I wanted was that delicious Reuben sandwich.My parents told me it was a hearty sandwich. One meant to be shared with family or friends. And somehow, even at four years old, I understood.

Every Reuben came with people. With laughter. With time together. That’s when it happened. Every time a Reuben appeared, I felt this surge of happiness—pure, uncontrollable joy—and my body had only one way to express it: THE ELBOW SLAM.

That elbow slam became my signature. It followed me everywhere. Sporting events? Elbow slam.Alligator wrestling. Bear wrestling. Definitely elbow slams.Watching the Packers and Brewers?

Whole rooms were at risk. The elbow slam showed up at my wedding to Mrs. Reubenator. It doubled—maybe tripled—with the birth of our Junior Reubenators. Because a Reuben doesn’t just taste good. A Reuben means joy. That joy fuels our mission.

It powers our ratings. It drives our never-ending quest for the perfect Reuben sandwich.

And that is how RateMyReuben came to be.