Speedshop Full Throttle Deli

The Speedshop Full Throttle Deli "will supply you with the best East Coast Style Deli "Sangwiches" (made with Boars Head provisions), salads & local micro brewed beers & wines."

I was chilling at the Best Happy Hour spot in Bend Oregon with some friends a couple weeks ago. While mingling with some of the other guests I heard about this new deli near Pizza Mondo downtown. This guy was telling me about the nuke paste that the Speedshop Deli will put on any sandwich that kicks up the heat and adds great flavor.

Not one to back down from a challenge, I thought I'd give Full Throttle Deli a shot. This little deli is located in the upstairs portion of the Speedshop apparel clothing store. Seems like an odd combination to me. Feels like you're in a showroom or fancy garage with the metal walls and gear all along the walls.

Who cares about any of that? I'm there to eat some spicy sandwiches or "sangwiches" as they call em. I browse through the sandwiches like the Burnout and the Red Line which are all chuck full of Boars Head Meats - MENU. I settle on the Roost - roasted turkey, swiss cheese, roasted red peppers, lettuce & nuke sauce.

Nuke Sauce? What about this nuke paste I heard so much about? They charge me about $0.75 for the first gear. They will go up to 6 gears. If you get 6 gears they will give you a free soda. The owner explains that the nuke paste is a blend of chillies and peppers with some other goodies. Each gear he basically adds more of this paste. 1st gear is a thin layer on the bottom, 2nd gets a layer on top, then its just more and more until you get to 6th gear where you get about 3 tablespoons of the paste.

I take my sandwich, soup, and beer and sit down gearing up for some grub.


The ingredients were top notch and very filling. The freshly sliced turkey was piled high on a delicious roll. The slaw had an Asian vibe to it and was a nice change of pace from the mayo slathered slaw at 99% of the restaurants in Bend. The nuke paste in first gear added a nice bite and the flavor of the blended chillies and peppers really made this sandwich unique. I've never had the opportunity to add that much spice to any sandwich before. I HIGHLY recommend getting at least one gear.

Now, since this first visit, I made it back and jumped from first gear to sixth gear. They charged me an additional $1.75 to shift up to 6th gear but gave me a $2 soda for free. I signed the paper on the counter accepting my membership into the 6th gear club and waited in anticipation. A friend had arrived before me and ordered his sandwich with the first gear and found it rather hot. I was getting nervous.

My first two bites were just fine, I could feel the heat but it wasn't unbearable. Then I hit a bit more nuke paste and was burning up. The free soda was a life saver as I slowly ate the first half of the sandwich. The owners swung by to check on me.

"Well you had 4th gear the last time you were here right?" He asks.

"1st gear only" I say in between gulps of fire quenching beverage.

"1st to 6th?!?! Who does that?!?!?"

Now I feel better. I get glances from the other patrons, one of which was on his 3rd gear and probably feeling manly. But no, I am all that is man. 6th gear puts hair on your chest! Why settle for anything less than the best? Go for the gusto. All or nothing. This is how I dooze it.

Even writing this I can feel my lips tingling. At one point during the second half of the smoking hot Roost, I lost feeling to the left corner of my mouth. I was sweating. I asked for a second napkin as my nose was running so much I needed a separate napkin just for it.

I finish proudly and feel good. I wasn't hurting too bad but kept my snot rag in my pocket as we leave since my nose hasn't stopped running. My dad once told me "A meal isn't a meal unless it makes your nose run".

I received more props as we head downstairs from the other owner and her friend who's working on the front window display. High fives around, and I leave feeling like a rock star. I'm hooked. 6th gear! I dare you.

I dare you.

Speedshop Full Throttle Deli
805 NW Wall Street
Bend, Oregon 97701
728-0303
M-F 10am-8pm
S-S 10am-5pm
http://www.bendspeedshop.com/