2018 Year in Review: Beijing's 12 Best Burgers, as Voted by You
As the year comes to a close, it's time for us to look back on some of the happy, the sad, and the downright weird happenings in Beijing over the past 12 months. Without further ado, here are the 12 Best Burgers in Beijing, according to you.
After the dust settled on another year of the Burger Cup and after weeks of tough competition, we now know who you, the people of Beijing, consider to be the city's best burger pushers.
This was a year of upsets and closely fought battles that eventually saw two-time champions Slow Boat claim back their crown from last year's winners, Q Mex. Newcomers Side Street, open since January 2018, put on perhaps the most impressive performance of the competition, with a seemingly effortless climb through the ranks to take third place.
Of course, many of you wouldn't have been able to make up your minds about your favorite burger without the 2018 Beijing Burger Festival, our biggest, fattest celebration of all things burger-related yet. Thousands of people turned out on Jun 16-17 to sample the wares of more than 40 vendors, after which many voters told us that they were more aware of the more than 100 burger choices in Beijing (94 percent of you, in fact), with 86 percent of you trying new burgers for the first time.
We don't blame you if you don't have it in you to chomp your way through all 100 of Beijing's top burgers but you can, at the very least, make the Top 12 a priority. Without further ado, below is your cut-out-and-keep, bookmark-in-your-browser, favorite-on-WeChat list of the very best burgers in Beijing.
Their must-try burger:
Stout burger with fries and salad (RMB 65)
Why it’s one of Beijing’s Best:
One of Hatchery's stable F&B concepts, Common Burger specializes in simple, good quality burgers made with imported New Zealand beef. They wowed at the Beijinger Burger Festival with their eye-catching "Uncommon Crab Burger," featuring a whole deep-fried soft shell crab, but it is their unique stout burger, topped with a sweet-savory reduction of Jing-A Black Velvet Vanilla Stout, as well as American-style cheese and crispy bacon, that keeps people coming back for more.
Their must-try burger:
Chili cheeseburger served with tater tots (RMB 68)
Why it’s one of Beijing’s Best:
This new venue from New Jersey sandwich-slinger Andy Horowitz (of Andy's Craft Sausages fame) specializes in satisfying, unfussy American-style eats, from Reuben sandwiches with homemade corned beef to hangover-busting breakfast sandwiches. Andy's number one burger recommendation from the 3 Little Pigs menu is the chili cheeseburger topped with Lady Bird Johnson's chili, which won the people's choice award at the 2017 Great Leap Brewing Chili Cook-off.
Their must-try burger:
The gourmet beef burger served with french fries and salad (RMB 118)
Why it’s one of Beijing’s Best:
Burgers don't get more reliable than Blue Frog, which has maintained a position near the top of the Burger Cup rankings for years, thanks to its quality beef, wide range of burger toppings, and famous Monday night buy-one-get-one-free deal. The must-try gourmet beef burger features an Australian beef patty topped with Parma ham, avocado, feta-stuffed pepperoncini, chili-lime cheddar, and mustard seed mayo, all contained within a hefty toasted ciabatta bun.
Their must-try burger:
Chopped brisket burger with french fries (RMB 68)
Why it’s one of Beijing’s Best:
Holder of the Burger Cup title from 2012-2014, Home Plate might have slid a few spaces in the rankings over the years, but their buns and patties still have plenty of loyal fans around Beijing. Home Plate’s arsenal of burgers includes the chopped brisket burger, which perfectly showcases why their southern-style barbecue has always been one of Beijing's best. The beef is tender and smokey with its own subtle spice, which can be augmented with a splash of one of Home Plate's homemade barbecue sauces.
Their must-try burger:
Chairman Mao smoked chili burger with fries (RMB 50)
Why it’s one of Beijing’s Best:
With 14 burgers, Fangjia Hutong’s Great Outdoors certainly doesn’t make choosing easy. However, for something a little different, our money is on the Chairman Mao Smoked Chili Burger (RMB 50, served with fries), which is made using a beef patty, handmade Hunan dried sausage, and a layer of spicy Hunanese chili peppers, all balanced out with a rich layer of cheese.
Their must-try burger:
Classic cheeseburger with house-smoked bacon served with mixed pickles and choice of fries or salad (RMB 75)
Why it’s one of Beijing’s Best:
The first of three of Beijing's breweries to grace the Top 12 rankings is Jing-A. After their move to Xingfucun, Jing-A have really cemented their food menu, making it almost as much of an attraction as their beer. Their must-try burger is their classic cheeseburger, which is really given a led up on the competition by the addition of house-smoked bacon.
Their must-try burger:
Cannonnator with fries and a drink (RMB 69)
Why it’s one of Beijing's best:
The real success story of last year's Burger Cup, Cannon's slipped a bit this year but remains a crowd favorite for their classic diner-style burgers. First launched in distant Gaobeidian, Cannon's cemented their popularity with a move to more central Xingfucun and have since opened a counter at Chaoyang Joy City's Woodstage Canteen. Their Cannonnator burger features supple, homemade buns, two diner-style Angus beef patties encased in American cheese, fried mushrooms and onions, bacon, and a fried egg.
Their must-try burger:
Classic cheeseburger served with French fries or sweet potato fries (RMB 68)
Why it’s one of Beijing’s Best:
The Local continues their annual rise up the rankings, moving up from sixth to fifth place. Their all-American classic cheeseburger is an exercise in the power of restraint, featuring a 100 percent imported beef patty, American cheese, lettuce and tomato, and shoestring onions. The Beijinger team are also long-time fans of the dry rub avocado burger.
Their must-try burger:
Double burger served with potato wedges and coleslaw (RMB 68)
Why it’s the best burger in Beijing:
Last year's winners Q Mex faced strong competition from both established favorites Great Leap and Slow Boat and runaway newcomers Side Street this year, finishing a very respectable fourth. Q Mex have cultivated a range of tasty, creative burgers, some with a topical Tex-Mex twist, but it's the double burger that keeps us coming back thanks to two special beef patties, a double helping of cheese, mayonnaise, and "special dressing." Coupled with a wide-ranging menu of strong drinks and regular promotions and events, Q Mex has earned a rightful place among Beijing's most popular burger spots.
Their must-try burger:
Cholo burger served with house potatoes and a pickle wedge (RMB 85)
Why it’s one of Beijing’s Best:
Newcomer Side Street had one of the most impressive runs in Burger Cup history when it knocked 2017 champ Q Mex to fourth place in our voting poll of Beijing’s best burgers. In our closest race ever, Side Street lost by only 0.6 percent of the vote to Great Leap in the Final Four round. Side Street offers a range of impressive burgers but it's hard to beat the taste-bud-tickling cholo burger, with its spicy beef patty, chorizo, avocado, blue cheese, mozzarella cheese, house sauce, pan-fried green peppers, and tortilla strips (try saying that all in one breath).
Their must-try burger:
The Cheeseburger served with french fries (RMB 65)
Why it’s one of Beijing’s Best:
After five straight years in the Final Four, Great Leap showed that the loss of their busy #12 Brewpub hadn't affected them in the slightest, surging to their best performance ever. Great Leap's ever-popular formula of excellent craft beer coupled with sizzling, satisfying hamburgers has fans in Beijing and beyond – friends who have left Beijing have lamented not being able to grab one of their burgers anymore. With a recipe written by top-notch chef Kin Hong (of Taco Bar fame), there’s little wonder why their burgers – the double patty cheeseburger with 100 percent Australian beef and American cheese, in particular – have been such a hit with pub-grub lovers.
Their must-try burger:
The Fryburger served with a pickle (RMB 58)
Why it’s one of Beijing's best:
The Fryburger’s unique placement of a stack of beer-battered french fries on top of a juicy 100 percent beef patty keeps legions of foodies in utter adulation. Dressed with homemade "ayi-oli," what Slow Boat Owner Chandler Jurinka has described as a “fragrant East-meets-West family recipe,” and buns that are light, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and delivered fresh daily, the Fryburger has cemented Slow Boat's reputation as Beijing’s best burger purveyor.
To see how this year's best burgers rack up compared to last, go here.
Images: the Beijinger, courtesy of the restaurants
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