New Gongti Joint Beer Boom Gets Off to a Promising Start
advertisement
Will Beer Boom be a boon for Sanlitun? Or will it go bust? Such questions are sure to reverberate in your mind as you stop by the recently opened Gongti burger and craft beer joint.
You can’t deny that this newbie has personality to spare. The owners have strived for a '50s diner vibe with puffy peppermint striped booths and stools, checkered tile floors, LPs and vintage Coca Cola signs on the walls, and balloons aplenty.
The decor goes '50s retro, a trend we've seen in a number of Beijing fast food joints as of late
So, the setup is cute. But it’s also fairly tacky when compared to the retro stylings of fellow newcomers (and awkwardly named) diner 18cm Champion Mountain. And don’t even get me started on the garish lighting. Unfortunately just about every restaurant on this Gongti strip of old and unkempt buildings are pretty dingy, and even the strip's massively popular spots like Gung Ho! rely entirely on their wares to bring in customers.
Vowing not to judge a book by its cover, we ordered Beer Boom's classic burger and hoped for the best. Thankfully, it exceeded expectations thanks to a tender, juicy, and smoky Australian beef patty, gooey mozzarella, and fluffy buns. Nice and compact, the RMB 45 price tag suits its size and simplicity. It won’t win the Burger Cup by any means, but it’ll satisfy your beef hankering.
advertisement
The other offerings get a bit Power Rangers, with the avocado and bacon burger (RMB 65) outfitted with green buns to match its smashed avo. Likewise, the Black Warrior and Pink Girl (both RMB 55) also rock buns that reflect their names; likely a fun and playful attempt to capture the KOL-Instagrammer set, with their insatiable appetite for unnaturally colored foods.
The menu is rounded out with RMB 30 french fries, RMB 35 cheese puffs, RMB 35 onion rings, and RMB 40 chicken wings, though that all looks a bit limited when compared to more established fast food spots in the area.
With a little time, there's no reason why Beer Boom shouldn't satisfy anyone looking for a new burger and beer pairing
When it comes to beverages, Beer Boom's Hops Bomber IPA (RMB 45) is both reasonably priced and has a true-to-its-name hoppiness. Their Moo Moo Milk Stout (also RMB 45) is tart and hearty, but quite straightforward compared to the more memorable vanilla stouts from the usual suspect big brewers across town. The brew also doesn't match the quality of the food, but it’s certainly more drinkable than some of the poorly thought out (or sometimes downright flat) beer we've had at more established local Chinese craft breweries like NBeer and Panda.
READ: Panda Brew Finally Looks Set to Shake its Tired Reputation With New CBD Location
Even though Beer Boom isn’t in the same league as many of our fast food and craft suds favorites, it’s off to a promising start. There's also no reason why that potential can't be fully realized if they spiff up the decor, bring a little more creativity to the taps, and add more sides to match their mouthwateringly good classic burger.
Beer Boom
Daily 6pm-1am
2 Gongti East Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工体东路2号
159 0136 7930
Early Bird Tickets (Complete With Sweet Swag) Now on Sale for 9th Beijing Burger Festival!
Photos: Kyle Mullin
advertisement
Want to know what awesome events are happening in town? Scan/Extract the QR code above to get the list of our Editors' Picks.
Got something to sell? Looking for a job? Or an apartment? Then scan/extract the QR code above to visit our Classified Ads.
Do you have what it takes to be a True Runner?
Scan/Extract the QR code above to check out our current job openings.
The Beijinger
Always something fresh
Scan/Extract this QR code to follow us!