Burger Brief: Great Leap Brewing's The Cheeseburger

Kyle Mullin | Sep 11, 2015 4:30 pm | Add a comment | 3268 reads

Burger Brief takes a look at some of the contestants in the Beijinger's 2015 Burger Cup. Now down to the cream of the crop in our Final Four, we talk to Carl Setzer of Great Leap Brewing, whose venue is still in contention for the honor of Beijing's Best Burger.

Name: Carl Setzer, owner and brewmaster
Nationality: Ohioan
Number of years in Beijing: 6
Venue: Great Leap Brewing
Name of Signature burger: The Cheeseburger

Tell us about your signature burger. What makes it the best burger in Beijing?
Our cheeseburger is consistently voted third best in Beijing because our meat is ground daily and never frozen. That’s really the whole secret.

What does the burger come with?
The sky is the limit. The burger can come with French fries or onion rings for no extra charge. You can also substitute the fries for a small side salad for an extra RMB 10, as well as sweet potato fries for an extra RMB 15. If you want Kin Hong, GLB's executive chef, or I to sit and watch you eat it that’s also negotiable.

What drink from your menu goes best with the burger?
Any one of our beers pairs great with this burger, or a bottle of Merlot from Bob’s Wine.

What other burgers do you have on the menu?
Our menu includes a variety of different burgers and sandwiches, from the featured double-patty cheeseburger, the bacon cheeseburger, our GLB Burger made with lamb meat, a fried and a grilled chicken sandwich, a pork belly sandwich, as well as a vegetarian open-faced sandwich made with brioche.

Aside from your own restaurant's burger, what was the best burger you’ve ever had?
The best burger I’ve ever had outside of Great Leap is served at the Red Square Bar in Chicago. It’s a half-pound of USDA prime served between two grilled cheese sandwiches. That, with a 3 Floyds Gumballhead, and you will be permanently in love with the American Midwest.

Like this burger? Vote to push it through to the Finals via thebeijinger.com/2015burgercup or catch up on the stiff competition through the rest of our Burger Briefs.