Slowboat's Lotus Lane Bean Burger Wins Veggie Burger Cup
The votes are in from our first-ever Veggie Burger Cup, and Slowboat's Lotus Lane Burger has been crowned the Veggie Burger Cup Champion! Six-time Champions of our Juicy Burger Cup, this win shows that Slowboat isn't only about meaty creations, but it channels the same creative energy into the veggie offerings as well.
Coming in at a close second in the cup was Rabiul's Kitchen's Mumbai-Style Potato Burger, and both top burgers earned themselves some great praise from our panel of dedicated veggie burger fans.
Finding Beijing's best veggie burgers took work: we first identified a comprehensive list of 37 plant-based options in Beijing, then let voters pick the top 16. Finally, a panel of vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores ranked them. The full methodology is detailed at the bottom of this post; but before that, let’s get straight to the rankings:
#1 Slowboat 悠航 Lotus Lane Bean Burger (Taste #1; Popularity #3) VEGAN
Our first Champion, the Lotus Lane Bean Burger (RMB 52) features a high-protein homemade bean patty atop a crispy bed of shredded lettuce, house pickles, crunchy fried onions and a slice of tomato, drizzled with a special sauce and served on a house baked black sesame bun.
What our panelists had to say:
“The Lotus Lane Burger was by far my favorite. It’s great to have an option that isn’t trying to imitate a meat burger but has a unique and delicious flavor that truly shines on its own. Great with the Thai chop salad as a side!”
“The Lotus Lane Bean Burger is my favourite: Flavourful patty, tasty (and a little spicy) sauce, freshly fried onions,... It's a great combination that I never get tired of.”
#2 Rabiul's Kitchen 印度餐厅 Mumbai-Style Potato Burger (Taste #3; Popularity #1) VEGETARIAN
A close runner up, the Mumbai-Style Potato Burger (RMB 42), aka Vada Pav, is a vegetarian popular Indian street food consisting of spicy, deep-fried potato fritters (vada) served inside a soft bun (pav) and accompanied by green and red chutneys.
What our panelists had to say:
“I began loving this most famous snack of Mumbai over a decade after I left Mumbai. I hardly ever ate it while I was living in its birthplace. Brilliant idea to package it as a veggie burger – because it indeed is one!”
“The Mumbai-style potato burger is a unique option, and I love the spices on it!”
Now, let's take a look at how the other veggie burgers faired in our Top 16.
#3 Duli Sichuan Burger (Taste #2; Popularity #9) VEGAN
The Duli Sicuhan Burger (RMB 76) sees a Beyond Meat patty paired with tofu crisp, tomato, cabbage slaw, chili aioli and avocado dressing.
#4 Side Street 街旁 Cheezy Beast Burger (Taste #5; Popularity #4) VEGAN
The Cheezy Beast Burger (RMB 88) stuffs a plant-based patty with melty vegan cheddar, then stacks it with lettuce, tomato, fried onions, pickles and a tofu-based sauce — all packed into a fluffy vegan bun.
#5 Arrow Factory 箭厂啤酒 El Vegan Ranch Hand (Taste #7; Popularity #5) VEGAN
The El Vegan Ranch Hand (RMB 85) is a Mexican-style burger with a Beyond Meat patty topped with sour cream, ranchero salsa, omnipork chorizo crumble, vegan cheese, coriander, tortilla haystack, guacamole and sriracha sauce.
#6 Vege Tiger 素虎 Veggie Burger (Taste #6; Popularity #10) VEGAN
The Veggie Burger (RMB 28) features a plant-based patty layered with tomatoes, lettuce, butternut squash and salad dressing.
#7 Side Street 街旁 Country Roads (Taste #4; Popularity #15) VEGETARIAN
Country Roads (RMB 65) is a tribute to comfort: a spiced paneer patty layered with garlic mayo, house sauce and fresh veggies.
#8 Duli Miso Teriyaki Burger (Taste #8; Popularity #8) VEGAN
The Miso Teriyaki Burger (RMB 76) sees a Beyond Meat patty paired with lotus crisp, Asian pear slaw, miso teriyaki sauce and chili aioli.
#9 Side Street 街旁 Hutong Hipster (Taste #12; Popularity #2) VEGAN
A veggie burger with a Desi twist, the Hutong Hipster (RMB 55) features a spicy spinach-potato patty, tangy Indian mint-coriander sauce, sour-spicy chutney, and fresh veggies.
#10 Vegspot 植场素食 Avocado Beyond Meat Burger (Taste #11; Popularity #6) VEGAN
The Avocado Beyond Meat Burger (RMB 43) takes a lightly fried Beyond Meat patty and then tops it with fresh avocado, all held together with a vegan bun.
#11 Slowboat 悠航 Dongsi Doufu (Taste #9; Popularity #11) VEGETARIAN
The Dongsi Doufu (RMB 50) sees a crisp tofu patty sandwiched in a bun with crunchy slaw, fresh cilantro and lightly spicy sriracha-honey aioli.
#12 Arrow Factory 箭厂啤酒 Vegan Cheese Burger (Taste #10; Popularity #13) VEGAN
Simple yet delicious, the Vegan Cheese Burger (RMB 68) layers a Beyond Meat patty with vegan cheese, vegan mayo, pickles, lettuce and tomato slices in a vegan toasted bun.
#13 Side Street 街旁 Beyond Meat Burger (Taste #14; Popularity #7) VEGAN
A plant-based classic, the Beyond Meat Burger (RMB 88) pairs a Beyond Meat patty with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and creamy tofu mayo on a soft vegan bun.
#14 Slowboat 悠航 Mock the Morning (Taste #13; Popularity #16) VEGETARIAN
A veggie take on their Mourning the Morning Burger, the Mock the Morning (RMB 59) sees a fried tofu patty topped with a sunny-side up egg, spicy and smoky abodo sauce, and freshly sliced avocado.
#15 Home Plate 本垒 Black Bean Burger (Taste #16; Popularity #11) VEGETARIAN
The Black Bean Burger (RMB 58) features a homemade black bean patty with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles.
#16 Shake Shack 'Shroom Burger (Taste #15; Popularity #14) VEGETARIAN
The only mushroom-based burger on this list, the 'Shroom Burger (RMB 64) stuffs a crisp-fried Portobello mushroom with melted cheese, then tops it with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce.
How We Did It
Determining the best Veggie Burgers in Beijing was no small task. First, we scoured the city to compile a list of every plant-based patty we could find, ending up with 37 contenders. From there, we opened the floor to veggie burger enthusiasts, calling for nominations to help us narrow it down to the Top 16.
To determine the final rankings, we assembled a panel of expert consumers: passionate eaters with knowledge of Beijing’s veggie burger scene. They were made up of vegans, vegetarians and omnivores, and they ranked the 16 veggie burgers according to their preferences. You can read more about the panelists here.
One of the biggest challenges? There was no panelist who had tried all 16 burgers. This is a fast-growing category with new players (like Duli) popping up from time to time, and plant-based burgers get dropped from and added to menus all the time. Even the most devoted veggie burger fans haven’t sampled every last one. Some skeptics might argue that this makes judging unfair, but let’s be real: There’s no perfect way to do this without either excluding newcomers or dragging out the process indefinitely.
That’s why we structured the scoring the way we did: 70 percent taste, 30 percent popularity. By weighting taste so heavily, we ensure that lesser-known but outstanding burgers can still rise in the rankings, even if fewer people have tried them. Popularity matters – after all, a burger that wins hearts deserves recognition – but flavor is king.
So, yes, this is an imperfect science. But it’s a starting point, a conversation-starter, and, most importantly, an invitation for you to go out, explore and decide for yourself. Think our panel got it wrong? Great! Try all of the veggie burgers on our list and tell us which one really deserves the top spot.
You can check out the addresses for each restaurant below. Because many of these establishments have multiple locations, for brevity's sake, we've listed one for each. You can check Dianping for more locations.
Arrow Factory
Waijiao Apartment, 1 Xindong Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新东路1号外交公寓亮马河南岸
Hours: 11am-midnight
Phone: 010 8532 5335
Duli
1/F, Friendship Store Complex, 17 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街17号友谊商店园区内1层商铺
Hours: 11am-10pm
Phone: 185 1953 8158
Home Plate BBQ (Sanlitun branch)
106, 1/F, Bldg 10, Courtyard 4, Gongrentiyuchang Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工人体育场北路4号10号楼一层106号
Hours: 11am-11pm
Phone: 400 096 7670
Rabiul's Kitchen
Bldg 31, Dashanzi Beili, Jiuxianqiao Jiedao, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥街道大山子北里31号楼
Hours: 11am-10pm
Phone: 184 0118 2660; 137 1844 0102
Shake Shack (Sanlitun branch)
s9-12a, 12b, Taikooli South, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路太古里南区s9-12a, 12b
Hours: 7am-10pm
Phone: 010 6466 6508
Side Street (Jianguomen branch)
South entrance, Xushui Jie, Huaxing Qingda Shangwu Building, Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (behind Nola)
朝阳区建国门外大街华星擎达商务楼秀水街南口（Nola后面）
Hours: 10am-midnight
Phone: 159 2069 4920
SLOWBOAT (Sanlitun branch)
6 Nansanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区南三里屯路6号
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-midnight, Fri-Sat 11am-2am
Phone: 010 6592 5388, 178 1215 6182
VegSpot
1/F, Bldg 1, Sanlitun Soho, Gongrentiyuchang Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工人体育场北路8号三里屯soho1号楼一层
Hours: 9.30am-8.30pm
Phone: 159 0112 1181
Vege Tiger 素虎素食 (Qianmen branch)
1-3, 1/F, Bldg 3, Zhengyang Market, Qianmen Xijie, Xicheng District
西城区前门西大街正阳市场3号楼一层1-3号
Hours: 11am-2pm; 5pm-9pm
Phone: 010 6301 0212
READ: Juicy Burger Cup 2025: Beijing's Top 16 Burgers
Images: courtesy of Slowboat, the Beijingers
