Burger Brief: Newbie Uburgers Sling Good Value Burgers in Jianwai Soho

Burger Brief takes a look at some of the attendees of the Beijinger's 2017 Burger Cup. In this edition we visited Uburgers, a contender for the honor of Beijing's Best Burger, for which voting is now open.

With thousands of people cramming last weekend's Burger Cup event each day it was often difficult to get a good eye on who had the longest queue but when we did we were taken by surprise. The vendor with one of the consistently longest queues (so much so that they had sold out by 5pm on the Saturday) was relative newbie and previously unknown identity Uburgers. Since I didn't manage to catch one of their burgers during the event, I had to go check out what all the fuss was about.

Located in Jianwai Soho, Uburger's small shopfront opened at the end of October 2016. Both the concept and space are fairly simple: owner Michael told me that he wants Uburgers to be a comfortable, familiar place that stays away from the "fast food" (read: McDonald's) associations that haunt burgers in China.

That being said, the service was nevertheless fast and my bacon cheeseburger (RMB 38) arrived promptly. The burger looks and tastes much like a classic diner burger, the predominant flavor being the beef, followed by a hint of cheddar cheese, and slightly sweet barbecue sauce. I was also delighted to find ample slices of pickle on the burger, but that's a personal preference. All Uburgers' patties are 100 percent grain-fed Australian beef, seasoned only with salt and pepper (no breadcrumbs, egg, etc.). Many of their other ingredients (including the aforementioned pickles) are also imported. 

Uburgers offer around six different burgers, ranging from a simple cheeseburger (RMB 30) to a spicy Mexican-inspired burger (RMB 34). However, their signature offering is the "Godzilla Giant Burger" (RMB 238), a true monster of a thing designed to be shared between four to six people. The 10-inch burger is carved up at the table (easier than slicing normal-sized burgers in half for sure), and Michael told us this is a popular dish with groups celebrating birthdays or other fun occasions. The giant burger comes with two sides and four soft drinks. 

Overall, I found Uburgers to be great value and certainly a good lunch option for those working in the vicinity of Jianwai Soho. 

If you like Uburger's burger enough to want to vote for them in the opening round of the Burger Cup, then you'll be pleased to hear that they are planning to open several more stores across Beijing, in locations such as Shunyi's Shine Hills and Chaoyang Joy City. Their burgers are also available for delivery in the Jianguomen and Guomao area via Baidu Waimai. 

The Beijinger 2017 Burger Cup is sponsored by Bon App, Job-in, and Left Hand App.

More stories by this author here.

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Photos: Robynne Tindall, courtesy of Uburgers