Bringing the Beef: Does This Hutong Bar Have Beijing’s Best Burger?

Conventional wisdom and crowd-sourced opinion would have you believe that Beijing’s best burger can be found at Q Mex, but what if there was a burger joint in town so sure of their success that they didn’t feel the need to flaunt their wares at the Beijinger’s Burger Cup? A hole-in-the-wall hutong bar that saw such things as beneath them? That is blasé about their burger, yet still manages to consistently fry up, in our opinion, one of the best patties in Beijing?

Being (understandably) suspicious of any hutong bar boasting more cats than customers, it took us a long time to stray into Jianguo Bar. It was only once we finally crossed the threshold in search of shelter due to inclement weather, ordering a burger to eat alongside our crisp pint of Brew Dog’s Punk IPA, that we realized what we’d been missing. At this moment, an addiction was born.

In addition to the Brew Dog, their regularly changing draft selection currently includes Jing A’s Flying Fist and Wheat Beer (from RMB 35-45). The fridge also features a strong selection of cans and bottles, which we began making inroads into with the pleasantly fruity Karl Strauss Mosaic Session IPA (RMB 35).

The food menu is short and cheap as chips, the burger costing a mere RMB 48. Made entirely from scratch, right down to the fresh homemade bun and 100 percent beef patty, the back-to-basics cheeseburger is juicy enough to drip onto the plate and presents a pleasantly self-contained meal.

Never having been a fan of dude-food burgers so bursting at the seams that they require a plan-of-attack, nothing is out of kilter here, with a satisfying smattering of cheese, just enough salad, and a good patty-to-bun ratio. This burger might not set your Instagram alight, but it’s a wholesome and hearty option to come back to that won’t leave you with the meat sweats and regret of some of Beijing’s flashier choices. Just a word of warning though, it comes slathered in mayo and ketchup so you may want to ask for your sauce on the side if you’re not a mayo fiend.

Having weathered the bricking of their hutong with a window-entrance-based panache we’ve seen before, co-owner Daisy insists that they’re here to stay. And with a small but top-notch menu, keen pricing, and a cozy atmosphere, Jianguo might just be one to add to your (rapidly dwindling) hit-list of hutong hotspots.

Jianguo Bar
Daily 4pm-1am. 6 Shique Hutong, Beixinqiao (186 1256 3504)
北新桥石雀胡同6号

Email: amberdelahaye@thebeijinger.com
WeChat: amberdelahaye

Photos courtesy of Jian Guo, Amber De La Haye