Cockscomb is a medium sized place with an open kitchen. Downstairs seating is at tables and the counter and there is an additional dining area on the second floor. A small bar is located below the balcony from above. Tables are bare wood and the open kitchen, which has a wood grill, takes up one wall of the downstairs. We were there at lunch but dinner features a much larger menu. There is no salt, pepper or ketchup on the table but most of the food was seasoned well enough you don’t miss it. There is soft background music.The main attraction seemed to be their veggie burger which is supposed to taste and look just like beef, but that was not an option we selected. Service is friendly but fairly slow and disorganized. The kitchen people really hustle but the waitstaff spent more time working on tickets than getting the food served on a timely basis.
We started with an order of the Deviled Eggs which were a tad spicy. They were decorated with a piece of crispy chicken skin that added a nice texture and taste. The eggs were cooked nicely and provided a good blend of flavors.
We also tried the pig’s ears which were sliced into long strands and fried to a crispy chew. Served with a wedge of lime, which was a good addition to cut the grease. They were good fun fryer-food with the chew added, but what looked like a small order was plenty big enough for several people. There was not a dipping sauce but some herb leaves were included.
For a main course we tried the Fried Chicken Sandwich which is made with maple aioli and bread and butter pickles. It was a really good combination of flavors surrounding the crisp moist chicken pieces. The bun was soft and fresh but it was still more of a knife and fork process than a hand thing. It came with a side salad that was sadly underdressed and tasteless.
The “Ham” Burger was served with grilled onions, Gruyere cheese, Dijon mustard and pickles. It came with a side of fried potatoes which were very good. This burger was definitely filled with pork and was fairly tasty but the chicken was better. The potatoes were large crispy chunks of goodness. Very nice – too bad the chicken doesn’t come with them too.
For dessert we had the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Caramel Sauce and whipped cream. It was supposed to be a date cake but the dates were more around it than in it and there was a pathetic amount of caramel sauce to moisten the dry cake. It was acceptable for a minimal sweet fix but nothing to write home about.
