Finally, a gourmet burger joint that’s not in Ballard or Fremont!

I just learned from David Makuen, owner of BuiltBurger, that the company is opening its first permanent location at 217 James Street this fall.

For the last 18 months, BuiltBurger has been delivery only (well, it was a pop-up in Ballard for a minute there, but other than that). They bring frozen patties to your door; you cook them up yourself. The beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, and veggie burgers come in 10 "proprietary blends"—one is stuffed with bacon and bleu cheese, another has chorizo, peppers, and cotija cheese, and so on.

The restaurant, which Makuen described as a "modern hamburger stand," will serve these fancy burgs on custom buns; customers will order at the counter where they can choose from beer, wine, and soft drinks. Makuen, who cofounded the company with his wife Rebecca, says he chose the edge-of-Pioneer Square location—once Guajillo’s Mexican restaurant—after noting a lack of upscale burger options to service the downtown lunch crowd. (He’s right, there isn’t a good burger option there.)

Look for BuiltBurger to open in early November.