Karachi Cowboys Is Now Closed Permanently

It was a good run, but Karachi Cowboys, one of Capitol Hill’s most creative and original restaurants, is no more.

The business was started as a pop-up by Houston native Nasir Zubair, who combined his Pakistani heritage and Texas roots to make some truly outstanding food. His kheema (ground beef, peas, and pickled onions served over rice) made a Seattle Times food writer “swoon,” and he attracted a passionate fan base. In summer 2021 he and his wife, Nicole Greenwald, opened a brick-and-mortar location on Capitol Hill with the help of $53,000 from a Kickstarter campaign. It was notable enough to earn a mention in the New York Times.

When Eater Seattle spoke with the couple in 2021, they seemed optimistic even though the restaurant industry was facing a lot of mid-pandemic challenges. “A lot of people have left the industry altogether, a lot of places closed,” said Greenwald at the time. “ I think there’s a lot to learn and we’re hoping to create a new path forward.”

Evidently Karachi Cowboys ran into some unexpected obstacles. Some time ago it stopped being a full-time restaurant and shifted to hosting pop-ups and special events, catering, and collaborations with other chefs. “We are open by appointment or occasion for dinner parties and gatherings of all kinds,” the website still reads.

On Tuesday, August 22, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog (CHS) reported that Karachi Cowboys “has gone quiet.” Zubair didn’t tell CHS about his future plans, and hasn’t responded back to a request to comment from Eater Seattle either (we’ll update this post if he does). Though the website is still hanging around, the Instagram page for the restaurant no longer exists.

CHS reported that the space is now listed as available to rent for $3,200 a month.