The best burgers in Beijing

We risked life, limb and chronic meat sweats on your behalf

From classic cheeseburgers to guilt-free vegan burgers, we tracked down these crackin' burger spots for your gluttonous delights. Get ready to wrap your mouth around buttered buns, fresh veg and juicy patties.

THE CLASSICS

The single cheeseburger, Fatburger

A blast of 1950s Americana

With an interior straight out of a Bazooka Joe comic – and old-school American diner food to match – Fatburger is our go-to for classic American griddle-fried beef patties. Packed thin and grilled under weights like a proper greasy spoon, these juicy medallions slide down way too easily. Stack your burger as many as three patties high, but be warned: the buttered bun, lettuce, tomatoes and onion add up and before long you’ll be rolling out the door like a proper American. 45RMB.

The Classic, Slow Boat Brewery

The fuss-free feast

You'll find one of Beijing’s all-time favourite burgers at Slow Boat's awesome Sanlitun location. We’re talking freshly ground beef, lightly seasoned and grilled to perfection. It’s the simple things like a house-made pickle spear and a cold beer that make life worth living. 45RMB.

Itis Burger, Home Plate BBQ

The country-style king

The powerful smell of applewood smoke that emanates from Home Plate’s Sanlitun location should be indication enough that these guys take their meat seriously. Two all-beef patties, hand-ground daily and lightly seasoned, get a good licking from the flames and come piled high with cheddar cheese, thick-cut slices of house-smoked bacon and a mound of fried pickles. 98RMB.

THE LUXE BURGERS

Wagyu and Foie Gras Burger, Bistrot B

A study in beefy indulgence

The luscious wagyu beef patty shimmers as a thick slice of comté cheese oozes its way lazily down onto a bed of tomato relish. Two thick-cut fillets of foie gras are pan-fried and placed atop what is already a mountainous testament to French gastronomic gluttony. The flavours are intense and the richness reigns supreme. It’s not something for every day, or even every week, but it’s a burger experience like no other. 250RMB.

The Prime Cheeseburger, Morton's the Steakhouse 

A high temple to all things beef

This patty is made using Morton’s signature imported, wet-aged, never-frozen Australian beef, which is then sandwiched between a buttered brioche bun and topped with a choice of thick-cut bacon, sautéed mushrooms or caramelised onions. It has a similar flavour to Morton's steaks, which are hands down some of the best in town, at a fraction of the cost. The burger's juicy, full-flavoured beef is of a standard that only the Chicago-based steakhouse can deliver. 180RMB plus 15 percent.

Wagyu beef burger, Mosto 

A beefy weekend treat

Brunchers in the know will tell you that at Mosto's weekend bacchanal, it's the non-traditional brunch fare that steals the show. Case in point: the wagyu-style beef burger. Unassuming in its composition and yet firing on all cylinders, the weekend burger at Mosto is a hidden gem. The Australian wagyu-style beef is topped with slices of bright green avocado, pickled jalapenos and Swiss cheese. 125RMB.

THE NON-BURGER BURGERS

Roujiamo, Ling Er Jiu 

China's favourite non-burger burger

When it comes to tasty late-night cheap eats, the roujiamo reigns supreme. Hailing from Shaanxi, the slow-cooked shredded pork shoulder number is often translated as a 'burger', but really it's a mash-up of well-spiced pork, cubes of fat and fresh green chillies stuffed in a crispy, soft flatbread – aka the 'mo'. A burger by any other name does indeed taste as sweet. 12RMB.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, The Local

Because one cannot live on beef and burgers along

Sanlitun hangout The Local has an impressive menu that’s been flying under the radar for long enough. Look no further than the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. The fried morsels of boneless, juicy chicken wings are bathed in a thick coating of fiery buffalo sauce before coming to rest between the cheeks of a sesame seed bun. Served with celery, sliced carrots and a hefty portion of blue cheese dressing, just like God intended. 55RMB.

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