Lunch Break - Eating Out On the East Side

Sampling dishes and diners in and around Miami County 

I’ve been kicking myself for holding out on the famous local restaurant and bar. 571 has been on my list for a while now, during the new ownership and before. I passed the bar every day on my way home from Wright State last year, and I guess I was subconsciously saving it for a special occasion. It wasn’t until my 21st birthday that I decided to give the restaurant a shot. Thankfully, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to have my first legal beer. 

My parents and I entered 571 starving. Or at least we were claiming to be. Dramatized or not, the intriguing Mac Balls were calling our name. These crispy spicy balls of joy didn't disappoint. The not-so bite-sized appetizers were a fun mix of crispy fried dough and creamy macaroni and cheese. Although they were filling, I was still excited for the main course. 

It’s no secret that I love a Reuben. Despite the fact that I’ve had one a handful of times in this series of columns, it spoke to me from the first glance at the menu. I debated ordering one of the monstrous burgers. Some with an egg, a donut, or even mac and cheese. And I also played a mental game of “ennie meenie” between the Reuben and the French Dip. That being said, although my mouth watered a little every single time the French Dip passed our table and landed on another, my mother did not pick that particular sandwich as the very best one. Instead, as I was catching a tiger by its toe, the Reuben is what I landed on. 

I only had one celebratory beer, so I can assure you that it wasn’t the alcohol talking when I tell you that, upon the first bite, that was the best Reuben I've ever had in my life. I am a self-proclaimed Ruben connoisseur, and whatever they put in the one at 571 has my entire heart and quite possibly my soul. The delicious buttery bread was an excellent cross between a classic rye and a thick Texas toast. The hot Thousand Island dressing melted into the Swiss cheese, which dripped and engulfed each layer of sauerkraut and corned beef in flavorful bliss. 

I also have to mention the fries. Crispy shoestring potato strips that tasted incredible when dipped in, you may have guessed it, house-made ranch. I can appreciate ketchup, and I hope I don’t gain a hater when I say this, but I absolutely smothered those fries in ranch, and dipped every other sandwich bite into it too. It was the ranch I dream of at night, and a very close second to whatever garlic magic they’re stirring up at Harrisons. I even took the rest to-go for some potato chips the next day. 

I couldn’t quite tell you what beer I ordered. However, I can tell you that our lovely waitress, Jess, let me try three different fruity concoctions before I settled on some sort of Black Cherry draft pour. It was sweet, bubbly, and the perfect first legal drink. I truly felt that Jess was just as excited as I was about turning 21, and my experience at 571 was all the more enjoyable each time she joyfully visited the table. 

I’ll definitely be back at 571 for some more legal East Side fun and food. I will, however, have to physically restrain myself from ordering that heavenly Reuben again. 

571 Grill and Draft House, 12389 Milton Carlisle Road, New Carlisle