Beast and Cleaver Is Expanding to Fair Isle, and Bringing Its Incredible Burgers

One of Seattle’s toughest-to-get dining tickets is the Peasant, the tasting menu from butcher-slash-chef Kevin Smith, who runs the tiny restaurant out of his much-lauded shop, Beast and Cleaver. The more casual burger pop-up Beast runs only appears once a month, and when it does is deluged by its carnivorous fans. Critics rave about Smith’s food, but it’s annoyingly hard to get. So here’s the good news: Beast and Cleaver is establishing a permanent home at Ballard’s Fair Isle Brewing, set to open in late July, according to the Seattle Times.

And here’s the better news: The burger is going to be the star attraction.

The Times says that the new spot will be called Beast & Cleaver 49th Street, serve bar bites and smoked veggies, and be run by executive chef Jaimon Westing (who has worked at the WIllows Inn and No Anchor, and is part of the team for buzzy pop-up Amino). But people probably won’t be paying too much attention to the rest of the menu, at least at first, while they focus on getting the eight-ounce patty that the Times has called the city’s best burger.

The not-so-secret secret is that these burgers are dry-aged for at least 80 days at Smith’s shop, a time-consuming process that gives the meat a nutty, umami flavor but also has limited their supply. (Long lines and quick sellouts were routine at the burger pop-up.) With the increased space, that means there’s more space to age the beef, though depending on how ravenous Seattle burger fans are, the restaurant may still have to limit the number of burgers sold per day.

The typical burger is topped with bacon, but this new Beast outpost will also feature an old variation: its seared foie gras maple syrup bacon cheeseburger. Excuse us, we have to go pop a couple Tums after just typing that.