Ox Burger, the Capitol Hill smashburger spot whose Lao Burger Eater Seattle once called "the best patty in the city," is now serving in Ballard's Brewery District every Sunday and Monday.
Chef Khampaeng Panyathong opened a satellite kitchen inside Fair Isle Brewing at 936 NW 49th St. after a trial run in late May, according to a Seattle Times report published Monday, June 8.
The pop-up serves Sundays from 1–7 p.m. and Mondays from 4–8 p.m., Fair Isle owner Andrew Pogue confirmed.
The Ballard menu is stripped to fit the brewery's compact kitchen: three burgers (the signature Lao Burger, a standard cheeseburger, and a two-patty deluxe with lettuce, tomato, and American cheese) plus a plant-based patty. Fries are frozen rather than hand-cut, a concession to limited prep space.
The Lao Burger itself is unchanged. Two charred smash patties come topped with garlicky cold-fermented pork belly, jaew (a Lao chili-tomato sauce) replacing ketchup, and melted provolone. Fair Isle recommends pairing it with Bobbi, the brewery's farmhouse pale ale.
Fair Isle's permitted kitchen is unusual among Seattle breweries. Pogue has previously said the setup is "rare in a brewery." The space has incubated concepts including Karachi Cowboys, which grew into a full Capitol Hill restaurant, and Rough Draft Burger Shop. Most tenants stay six months or less, Pogue told Seattle Met in 2021.
Ox Burger now shares the kitchen with La Marea, the critically acclaimed Mexican seafood operation run by chef Bohden "Bo" Tarantine and Lizbeth Dones, which serves Tuesday through Saturday. La Marea pays Fair Isle a percentage of food sales rather than a fixed lease, according to a Seattle Times profile. Ox Burger's specific financial arrangement with the brewery has not been disclosed.
The shared-kitchen model reflects a broader pattern. As the Seattle Times' Tan Vinh has reported, young cooks are increasingly running pop-ups or subleasing tasting room space to keep overhead low. Panyathong himself has described the growth pressure behind his expansion. "Everything doubled," he told Seattle Met in 2024, referring to pandemic-era burger demand at his Capitol Hill location. "Everything but the space."
Panyathong, originally from Laos and trained at The Herbfarm, now operates three restaurants with partner Jenessa Sneva: Taurus Ox, Ox Burger's flagship at 1523 E. Madison St., and Ananas Pizzeria.
The Ballard Alliance has not commented on the opening. Staffing details for the Ballard pop-up are not available. No end date for the residency has been announced.
Business Week Ahead
- Sunday, June 15: Ox Burger serves at Fair Isle Brewing, 936 NW 49th St., 1–7 p.m.
- Monday, June 16: Ox Burger at Fair Isle, 4–8 p.m. Fair Isle happy hour 3–6 p.m.
- Tuesday–Saturday, June 17–21: La Marea serves Mexican seafood at Fair Isle (Tuesday–Friday 5–8 p.m., Saturday 1–7 p.m.).
