fightin’ cock roaster

You know, I probably should have named this blog Absinthe and Sandwiches, given how frequently I seem to write about them.  I guess it can’t be helped, sandwiches being nearly the perfect meal and all (sandwiches having usurped this title from the rightful perfect meal – the humble burrito, generally unfit for consumption in the Northwest).  As a recovering pescetarian, I am continually amazed at the seemingly endless configurations and creative possibilities that can happen when sliced bread meets your wildest dreams.  And so it happens, there is a tiny sandwich shop tucked away in the unlikely industrial wasteland where Interbay and Magnolia collide that I would like to tell you about.  You will thank me.

Fightin’ Cock Roaster can be found at the corner of Thorndyke and 21^st Ave West.  Look for a sign with a rooster sporting boxing gloves riding a lightning bolt.  It’s a cozy space, no more that half a dozen stools along a wall-mounted counter.  The rest of the room is devoted to the kitchen, stovetops bubbling with all manner of delicious meats and sauces.  Chef-owner Jon Davis and his amicable crew don’t seem to mind the cramped quarters, they just want to feed you enormous sandwiches based on recipes brought back from his travels around the world.  This is far from a traditional barbeque joint.  In fact, the first thing you’ll probably notice is a large Southeast Asian painting depicting the eponymous gamecocks engaged in their favorite pastime.

But start in Cuba first, the Rojo Mojo being my favorite dish on the menu – roasted chicken simmered in a red chile and garlic sauce that positively screams with heat (and that’s me talking, at only 3 slaps of pepper – ME!)  This is tears in your eyes, sweat on your brow, rapture on your lips hot.  The sandwich is garnished with huge sprigs of cilantro, piled with red peppers, sautéed onions and huge leafy fronds of green cabbage.  It’s all extremely moist and tangy, the flavors quite complex (almost pickled).

The sandwiches at Fightin’ Cock are served on traditional Vietnamese bread rolls that are light, airy and malleable.  As such, the bread has a tendency to disintegrate within a few bites, so you’re probably going to have to relearn how to eat sandwiches at this point.  The sandwich is served in a brown paper wrapper, but you can count on that deteriorating rapidly as well.  These sandwiches are robust, messy, dripping with sauce.  There’s a pretty even ratio of sandwich in your mouth to sandwich in your lap.  What I’m trying to say is, don’t eat here before a job interview.

But if you must, go for the Muay Thai – it’s the least saucy of the bunch, but still a spectacularly messy sandwich to eat.  An overflowing cascade of roasted chicken simmered in coconut curry and distilled joy, topped with fresh cilantro, buttery grilled onions and purple cabbage.  There’s lots of black pepper and sweet chiles, but without the mouthburn you get from the Rojo Mojo.  The Smoker is another of the more manageable offerings – alderwood smoked, jerk chicken breast wrapped in romaine lettuce, topped with a light coleslaw and a touch of sweet, honey mustard sauce.  The atypically reserved hand on this one really lets the smoked chicken shine through.

I have to confess to disappointment with the pulled, smoked pork Texas Slugger, but only as a matter of preference.  The traditional, Texan barbeque sauce used on the sandwich is way too sweet and far too tangy for my taste.  The sandwich is swimming in sweet.  Sweet dripping down your face.  [Insert Fightin’ Cock joke here].  The pork is pulled in huge chunks, and has a deep, smoky flavor that cuts through the sweetness somewhat.  But 2009 was the year of the Pulled Pig and it can be found just about everywhere now, so I’d personally stick with the signature cock dishes.

Sandwiches can be ordered large or small, but I have found even the small version to be nearly impossible to finish in one sitting.  Most of these dishes can also be ordered as entrées which come with a side of white rice, a salad and a cup of juicy, vegetarian black beans (particularly good with melted cheese, as if you could actually eat any more).  You can also get a whole chicken dinner – something called The Dominator, which I think speaks for itself.  Fightin’ Cock Roaster is not timid, but it is certainly unique and absolutely worth a visit.  The hours are variable and based on demand, so go give them a reason to stay open.