Beijing’s Burgeoning and Under-the-Radar Burger Joints

A fast-food burger might seem like the most straightforward menu item imaginable. However, Beijing has a host of emerging patty experimentalists who are taking this standard grab-it-and-go fare and subverting it with imaginative ingredient combinations. The results are delicious, but some of the best examples have long gone unnoticed or are so fresh that they have yet to catch on with the masses (and thus missing out on our Burger Cup this past summer). We began exploring this burgeoning creative sandwich scene recently with Fat Boy’s savory, egg-topped Wimpy Burger and its 50s diner-style malt milkshakes. Below, we’ve outlined more contender’s for Beijing’s most unique burger.

Molly Malone’s 
Former Courtyard culinary mastermind Brian McKenna shuttered that fine dining hotspot earlier this year to focus on readying more accessible pub grub for this longtime Wangfujing-adjacent mainstay. The veteran chef brings a master’s touch to the MM Wagyu Burger, using 300-day grain fed beef topped with crackling smoked bacon and aged Comte French cheese that bristles with flavor. Together, these ingredients give the burger a dynamic taste but it’s not a flawless sandwich – the bun’s are a little too dry and the RMB 138 price is far too high. Another special occasion treat. 

8-Bit
This Gulou venue has become a haven for boozy geeks looking to mash keypads and fiddle with joysticks while knocking back bevies. And while 8-Bit is renowned for its video game repertoire, the bar and eatery’s menu may very well begin to draw patrons looking for nibbles as they feast their eyes on vintage Nintendo pixels. The recently unveiled 8-Bit Mac burger is straightforward but satisfying, consisting of ground beef purchased from a Sanyuanli Market butcher, topped with bits of Bega cheese (an Australian brand) on a soft sesame bun courtesy of a local Gulou baker who delivers daily. But what sets this tasty meal apart is not merely the burger, but the sides that complement it so perfectly. Instead of standard crinkly fries, the 8-Bit Mac is accompanied by three deep-fried mashed potatoes and a trio of delectably gooey mozzarella balls that the owners call “potato pops.” These sides help 8-Bit score bonus points and reach the next level of tastiness. 

Ms. Sugar
In The Place, neighboring Fat Boy’s World City location, is this little known but highly intriguing upscale fast food joint. Ms. Sugar’s burger is a novel, eclectic creation that forgoes regular buns in favor of homemade bagels. Its signature bagel sandwich is the Bravo Bacon Cheese Burger (RMB 78), which is slathered with a thick layer of crunchy peanut butter. Fat Boy’s has its own peanut butter and pork Elvis burger, but Ms. Sugar’s combination of beef with that sandwich spread is more satisfying, due in part to the bagel bun’s texture. 

That combination of elements may put off many closed minded patrons, and while the “Bravo” toppings might not sound – or for that matter look – all that appetizing together, they actually do coalesce into an extremely tasty sandwich. The bagel is lightly toasted, giving it just the right amount of crunch. The beef is slightly more than medium-well done, making it more sharply flavorful than the average well done patty. This is necessary considering the sticky, strong tang of the peanut butter, which would have otherwise overshadowed all else. Ms. Sugar is a bit too generous with that peanut butter, and during your last few bites this gooey topping will have overflowed all over your plate. But this sprawling messiness is only a minor gripe, and might be part of the fun for many adventurous patrons looking to indulge. These elements make the Bravo a very rich burger that’s ideal for an occasional treat, rather routinely reliable comfort food. 

Anyone appalled by (or allergic to) peanut butter can instead order Ms. Sugar’s other bagel burgers like the T-Mex Spicy Beef (also priced at RMB 78), the classic homemade cheeseburger (a more reasonably priced RMB 58), the roasted cranberry chicken (also RMB 58), or the more conventional honey mustard ham (RMB 68). These sandwiches can be washed down with a satisfyingly sweet caramel creme brûlée or tiramisu milkshake which, at RMB 45 each, are a little more affordable than Fat Boy’s pricier, maltier renditions, though Ms. Sugar’s aren’t quite as delicious as the Singaporean fast food chain’s. The restaurant’s decor, meanwhile, surpasses the surrealism of its bagel burgers, with its throne-like chairs and dim light fixtures that evoke a nightclub tailor-made for The Hunger Games’ elitist villains.

L.Bridge Coffee
L.Bridge’s burgers aren’t as innovative as the other entries on this list, but the delectable quality of their sandwiches makes them more than worth mentioning, especially in comparison to the otherwise paltry Western restaurants in Wangjing. Their cheeseburger (RMB 57) will remind you of the best pub grub you’ve had back home, featuring aged melted cheddar cheese on an Australian beef patty along with iceberg lettuce, tomato onion and pickle atop a toasted homemade butter roll. Better still: L.Bridge’s mushroom Swiss, which features melted gruyere cheese. The latter is priced at a more than reasonable RMB 65, making Wangjing far more inviting for anyone craving Western fare. 

Cuju Moroccan Bistrot & Rummery and Caravan
We may very well have saved the best for last. Barmaster and chef Badr Benjelloun has reached deep into his North African traditions, giving this burger a brilliantly exotic twist. He unveiled it a few months ago at his hutong Cuju venue, dubbing it the “kefta burger.” He tells the Beijinger: “First we grind the beef with spices, the Moroccan way. Then we stuff it with blue cheese and Emmenthal. I wanted a burger that literally explodes with flavors.” The idea of slapping Middle Eastern-style kefta meatloaf (often used in tagines by Moroccans) onto a bun is tantalizing to say the least. And with a RMB 65 price tag, and a buy-one-get-one-free deal on Mondays, this Cuju sandwich is sure to satisfy Beijing’s burger lovers craving new flavors that are still accessible and affordable. Benjelloun's other restaurant, Caravan, has a similar kefta burger that’s instead infused with both blue cheese and mozzarella. 

And there you have it, some of Beijing’s most adventurous up-and-coming burger purveyors. Think we’ve missed some of the capital’s other unique beef patty masters? Then be sure to tell us more in the comments section below.

Photos: Kyle Mullin, courtesy of the venues