Reuben’s Brews expands on site with, you guessed it, Reuben’s Eats

Reuben’s Brews launched a decade ago in a small warehouse space in Ballard, Wash. Fast forward to the present, and the brewery now offers 25 rotating taps including its own cider and hard seltzer at its Taproom on 14th Avenue NW. Visitors to the Ballard tasting room recently might have noticed a conspicuous addition to the patio: a 16-foot food truck emblazoned with a colorful Reuben’s Eats sign.

Yes, it’s time for that next step in Reuben’s Brews’ on-premise offering: food.

“We decided to open a brewery because we enjoyed creating and sharing our beers, and we loved pouring delight and bringing community together,” says co-founder Adam Robbings. “Reuben’s Eats is an opportunity to create new memories and deepen relationships, and it’s a chance to strengthen community, now both around the table and at the bar. We’re excited that you can now rely on us to be there to pair our award-winning brews with great food, every day.”

Now open to the public, this kitchen on wheels will have a full menu of mains and sides designed to pair with beers. Some of them even use beer as an ingredient.

Leading this new dining concept are Kirsten Ohlendorf, a Seattle native and former food truck owner with a food and beverage background that spans various roles, and Mark Abrahamsen, a 13-year veteran of Seattle’s restaurant scene. The two met while working at the acclaimed Wallingford restaurant Tilth, and their careers have crossed paths a few other times since.

“I’m an advocate for the Slow Food movement and for general mindfulness as it pertains to our interactions with food, from the field to the table,” says Abrahamsen, who sources most of the
Reuben’s Eats ingredients from local growers, producers, and purveyors like Bavarian Meats, Firefly Kimchi, and Sea Wolf Bakery. “We’ve approached recipe development for our food the same way we’ve always approached our beers: unbound by constraints, with an unwavering focus on quality. And while our menu will evolve over time and periodically include specials, we’re especially excited to be a dependable option for great food, every day.”

Reuben’s Eats is open for dinner service (4 – 8 p.m.) Monday thru Friday, and both lunch and dinner (11 a.m. – 8 p.m.) on Saturdays and Sundays. Beginning in the spring, Robbings says that the food truck will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week and will occasionally feature specials in addition to staple offerings like a bratwurst made with Reuben’s Pilsner, a perfectly crispy fried chicken sandwich, a soft pretzel served with mustard and beer cheese, and doughnut holes accompanied by huckleberry compote and whipped crème fraîche.