BenReuben's Knishery

Bringing New Life to Traditional Jewish Dishes with Seasonal Inspiration from Maine

It was a longtime dream of Graeme Miller to open a restaurant where he could share and celebrate his own family’s and his culture’s food traditions. That dream came true when Graeme and wife, Caitlin Miller, opened BenReuben’s Knishery in May 2021, with the knish, often relegated to a side dish, taking center stage. The business name pays homage to Graeme’s father, Richard Miller. His  father’s Hebrew name is Reuben, and Ben Reuben is Hebrew for “son of Reuben.” By the way, Richard, a retired pediatrician, has found himself now working in retirement alongside his son a couple days a week at the Knishery. He enjoys talking with the customers and being with family, and he makes a mean rugelach. 

I first found BenReuben’s Knishery when searching for a good potato salad to accompany a brisket that had been specially ordered from a New York Jewish deli. I googled “Jewish Delis in Greater Portland” and was disappointed in the limited search results. Luckily by chance, I stumbled upon an article in the January issue of Down East magazine highlighting South Portland’s new restaurants with a shout out to BenReuben’s Knishery in Knightville. So I made that my destination and I was anything but disappointed with their menu, the food, and the delightful conversation. The Everything Potato Salad was delicious and paired well with the brisket. Since I was on a mission for just the salad and with time constraints, I passed on their sandwiches but grabbed a few knishes for later snacks, Sweet Potato for my vegan daughter and the namesake BenReuben with pastrami and swiss for me. I will soon be returning for the sandwich selections which include the iconic BenReuben with choice of turkey or corned beef, both served with sauerkraut, 1000 island dressing, and swiss cheese or the hot pastrami with onion and mustard to name but a few. All sandwiches come with your choice of pickle: zesty, kosher dill, or half sour. 

A knish is a hand pie. It’s traditionally filled with potato and onion, but at BenReuben’s they are making savory and sweet knishes. Graeme and his wife are committed to carrying on their Jewish heritage. The knishes are made using recipes passed down through generations with their own spin. Their knishes are soft and bready rather than flaky. The BenReuben Knish includes all the sandwich fixings — Swiss cheese, corned beef, sauerkraut. Another knish is stuffed with whitefish salad and another with tzimmes, a dish of mashed sweet potatoes and dried fruit. All knishes are accompanied by your choice of sauces for dipping including garlic mayo, onion jam, horseradish sauce, thousand island, and smoked salmon-aise, the latter one like lox and bagels but even better. 

The menu is based on their families’ recipes, with a hefty dose of nostalgia baked in. Fillings are from their Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish roots, but the menu is also inspired by Sephardic and Israeli dishes. The nostalgia comes from recipes gathered from old cookbooks like Great Grandma Fannie’s mandel bread and Great Aunt Pearl’s rugelach. Traditional sides like noodle and potato kugels, sauerkraut, and pickles round out their deli case. It’s a Jewish deli so of course there are matzo ball and chicken soups. 

Another staple of the Knishery is their family-style Friday Night Dinners. Diners can pre-order a customized meal of chicken, brisket, or a vegetarian option, along with sides for Friday night pickup. After a long week they can have a home cooked Shabbat meal even if they are too tired to cook it themselves. Orders can be placed early in the week for pick up on Friday. 

The front counter displays old family photos and memorabilia under glass that includes photos of Great Grandma Fannie and Great Aunt Pearl. There is a lot of nostalgia associated with this type of food. Graeme said, “It’s been wonderful to be able to provide that and also to have guests saying things like – I’m so grateful for you to be here.”  I know I’m glad to have found them. 

The Knishery is a takeout only space but warmer weather allows for outdoor seating with a few chairs and bistro tables set up on the sidewalk. Stop in or order ahead for sweet or savory knishes, side dishes, or prepared meals.