Guy Fieri Ate One Of The Best Reuben Sandwiches At This East Indianapolis Vegan Spot

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Through his adventurous and relatable show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," Guy Fieri helped put countless deserving local eateries on the map. A peanut butter burger from Sabores International Cuisine and an inside-out grilled cheese from Herm's Inn (both located in Logan, Utah) are just two of the craziest foods Fieri has ever eaten. In late 2024, the locals of East Indianapolis, Indiana, were thrilled to have one of their neighborhood's jewels featured on DDD — the all-vegan 10th Street Diner. After glimpsing the restaurant's signature take on the classic Reuben sandwich (and before taking his first bite), Fieri said, "There's no way you could tell somebody that that wasn't a Reuben."

In 2019, a mother and son duo with a combined passion for the local community and vegan cuisine opened 10th Street Diner by renovating the site of what was a broken-down gas station turned pawn shop (via IndyStar). The restaurant serves meatless meals, like the Reuben, vegan lasagna, and the chimi (chimichanga), all of which were featured on the show. Locals and frequent visitors to 10th Street Diner showed support in the comments section of the Food Network's YouTube channel, where the episode was posted. "Things have come a long way in terms of vegan and vegetarian," one person wrote, adding, "This is a location that has broken boundaries. Good to see."

In classic "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" fashion, Guy Fieri followed the 10th Street Diner's co-owner into the kitchen as he created and assembled the vegan Reuben. The sandwich's components include the house's signature bistro sauce (the replacement for Thousand Island dressing), sauerkraut, and the star of the sandwich: seitan. "I've had a lot of seitan meats," Fieri said. "This is probably one of the best representations I've ever seen." 

So, what is seitan and what does it taste like? Seitan is a common vegan meat replacement, sometimes referred to as "wheat meat." It's made from vital wheat gluten and flour, which is mixed with water, kneaded into dough, then simmered in a broth to absorb the desired flavors. It can also be made via the "washed flour method," when wheat flour dough is kneaded under a stream of water to wash the starch away, leaving behind a sticky gluten protein. Seitan can be sliced and served, or used as a base ingredient for vegan burgers, vegan sausage, or, in the case of the 10th Street Diner, vegan corned beef.

Is seitan actually good for you? If you've got a gluten allergy or a low gluten tolerance, then definitely not. If you're a non-allergenic person who's curious to try meat alternatives, it's worth noting that compared to beef loin, seitan contains roughly the same amount of protein, less fat, and fewer calories.