Big Sky Burger Brings Korean Flavors to Fast Food

The metro area has a lot of great burger options, but one Lakewood fast food spot offers a taste of something different.

With “Burger Fries Shakes” written in large, faded red lettering on the yellow exterior of its small building hidden behind a U-Haul store at West Jewell and South Garrison, Big Sky Burger looks like a typical hamburger joint — which is what it was when the owners of Piggin’ Out Smokehouse opened the place back in 2018. But it’s not a typical burger joint anymore, which you’ll notice once you park and see the posters in the windows for “ramen,” “fried rice,” “eggroll” and “gyoza.” Say what?

Inside, there are some typical, familiar burger-joint photos displayed on the menu on the back wall, advertising choices like the Big Burger, Sky Burger, mushroom burger, and even a standard cheeseburger. There are a couple of slightly adventurous-sounding items, too, like the bacon blue cheese burger and an option with jalapenos.

But there’s also a kimchi burger, bulgogi burger, spicy pork burger and a marinated chicken burger, alongside unexpected extras such as gyoza dumplings, eggrolls, rice bowls and ramen. There’s curry chicken, shrimp or vegetables, too, plus crispy wings with sweet, hot lemon pepper or garlic Parmesan sauces; chicken tenders with sweet chili, barbecue or honey mustard sauces; and, as promised outside, shakes and fries (including sweet potato and tater tots).

It’s a lot of cross-cultural cuisine for a fast food place, especially one in the heart of southwest Lakewood. So how did this culinary combination end up here?

The address was home to Buck’s Barbecue & Grill before it became the first iteration of Big Sky Burger in 2018. Eventually, new owners took over and added some Chinese and Korean dishes to the lineup. Last year, they put the place on the market, and another new owner stepped in. Sam, who prefers to go by only his first name, is a Korean American from Texas who served in the Marines (two deployments to Afghanistan, so thank him for his service). He was on his way to visit his brother in Colorado when he learned about the business.

Sam’s parents ran restaurants throughout his childhood, and his mom told him he’d be good at it. While he hadn’t planned for a career in hospitality, his mom was right.

With his brother as co-owner and soon-to-be operations manager, Sam took over Big Sky in the summer of 2024, adding his Korean culture to the burger and fries offerings. He makes many of the items himself, including the kimchi, beef gyoza (or “mandu,” as it’s called in Korean), and the marinades for the bulgogi and spicy pork. The recipe for the pork marinade includes seven peppers, such as habanero and Thai chiles, and Sam says that when he can’t find one, he substitutes another, like serrano — he’s serious about his flavor profiles.

The food is prepared as it’s ordered by a cook in the back, while Sam welcomes customers, including regulars as well as newbies who come in for a burger and then become curious about bulgogi. Sam is at-the-ready to explain the Korean fare Big Sky serves, and even those unfamiliar with it often end up trying those options.

Sam reports that the top seller, by far, is the bulgogi burger, which is made with 7-ounces of prime marinated bulgogi that’s grilled and placed between the fulsome brioche buns he uses for all his sandwiches. Standard toppings for all the burgers, including the kimchi burger and spicy pork burger, are mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and two slices of American cheese for a cross-cultural touch.

Big Sky’s traditional burgers also feature 7-ounce beef patties and similar toppings, except the Sky Burger adds two strips of bacon, fried egg and hash browns to the stack.

This eatery is a mashup of classic American hamburger goodness with Sam’s flair for his traditional Korean roots. Diners are urged to try both sides of Big Sky’s Asian and American menu for a supremely satisfying meal. Who says you can’t find cultural treasures in the ‘burbs?

Big Sky Burger is located at 1958 South Garrison Street in Lakewood and is open from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, visit bigskyburger.com.