Late-night Pike Street Fish Fry expands its hours

No matter how loud the kitchen staff cranks up KEXP, it still doesn't drown out the sweet harmony of the deep fryers sizzling at Pike Street Fish Fry. I always loved that about this fish-and-chip shack.

Those three fryers should be busier now that Fish Fry has expanded its hours and menu, partly to fill the void left when Quinn's, across the street, stopped serving lunch.

Fish Fry has always been the go-to place for the late-night bar crowd on Capitol Hill and for waiters and cooks after their late shift. Now, it aims to get as many day customers as it does at night.

The menu: Fish Fry grills steak and fish, but at its heart it's deep-fried nirvana. Depending on the season, the staff fries up to eight different kinds of seafood — usually wild, not farmed.

The shack also expanded its sandwich menu, including more vegetarian options, and its wine-and-beer offerings. Soup will soon be added, and it recently introduced an improved fries recipe — which makes them crispier — to go with its smorgasbord of sauces: lemon aioli, curry ketchup, chili mayo, harissa and salsa verde. Most offerings range from $6 to $10.

What to write home about: The grilled chorizo-sausage sandwich ($7). A rustic Macrina roll, drenched with olive oil and grilled, was stuffed with pickled slaw, a hot chorizo and choice of sauce. (Chili mayo is the only way to go.)

The popular pulled-pork sandwich ($6) was tasty, but all the sweet, tangy and charred flavors came from the condiments and grilled roll, not the meat.

The lemon-aioli sauce worked well with the coho and fries ($10). The salmon — with a crispy, not-too-heavy batter — was meaty. The steak and frites ($6) featured a skewer of medium-rare hangar steak with fries, which paired nicely with the harissa sauce.

What to skip: Grilled octopus ($8), served with pickled cabbage, was tough and rubbery.

The setting: It's a shack with blackboard menu, limited seating, friendly service and indie rock blasting from the speaker. This hipster hangout now draws a lot of artists and musicians during the day.

Summing up: Two sandwiches, steak and frites, fish and chips and a Coke totaled $35.50, enough food for four people. Fish Fry also offers its menu at Moe Bar next door.

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com