Royal Rooster chicken sandwich is well worth clucking about

Even in a chef ’s world, the gold standard for chicken sandwiches is Chick-Fil-A. The fast food chain nailed it from the brining and breading down to the squishy bun. While no one will recreate that, chef Justin Brunson’s chicken sandwiches get pretty darn close.

Late last year, Brunson launched the Royal Rooster — a chicken-centric lunch in the bar at Old Major. The short and savory menu is headlined by four chicken sandwiches: the Classic Rooster ($8), Spicy Rooster ($8), French Rooster ($9) and Korean Rooster ($8), as well as salads, sides and a burger.

If your appetite isn’t adventurous enough for the French or Korean iterations of the sandwich, the Spicy Rooster is the way to go. The squishy bun is slathered with a not-too-hot, house-made Sriracha mayonnaise then simply topped with lettuce and tangy dill pickles. The crispy, salty fried chicken thigh is too big for its bun, but that’s OK. It means a few more untouched bites to savor at the end. If fried chicken isn’t your preference, you can opt for a grilled breast on your sandwich.

Royal Rooster sends out chicken sandwiches Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., so you’ve got plenty of time to squeeze in Denver’s best fried chicken sandwich.