BJ Burger Wars: The Box Vs Vineyard Café

Beijing has great roast duck. A Great Wall. A Great, embalmed Helmsman. But does it have any great burgers? In the spirit of Burger Burger Mondays (Blue Frog’s two-for-one weekly beef fest), this is Burger Versus Burger – a fatty face-off between two contenders of the Beijing burger scene. Our ongoing mission: to root out, in the words of Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction, tasty burgers that are “mmmmm - mmm”. Are there any truly great burgers in Beijing? Which sandwich will be crowned champion? And do you want fries with that? Let battle commence.

Facing off today are two Dongcheng landmark cheeseburgers. Both are grilled-up within fat-spitting distance of big-league Dongcheng sites the Lama Temple and Drum & Bell Tower. One is the work of a Canadian, the other an Englishman.

In the blue corner: Classic Cheeseburger, The Box. RMB 35.

The brief. Dang, that’s a handsome burger. Imposing, no-nonsense. Wouldn’t look out of place in the fist of a Cleveland dock worker. It’s neat and tidy though. A respectable rogue.

The bite. Crunch through well-toasted bun to a very soft meaty centre. Well-seasoned beef … is that mustard in the mix? Hint of red onion nudging through, and lots of gooey melted cheese. Nom.

The beef. Soft and then some. But it’s deep, man. As in thick. The folks here buy ground meat from the market north of the Drum Tower, and add a bunch of extra fat (and breadcrumbs) for good measure. It’s cooked well-done but still surprisingly succulent - verging on the sloppy - but the toasted bread keeps the juices in check. A bit more char would be nice.

The bits. Sensible toppings – sparse tomato, a few shreds of bright green lettuce, some crisp half-rings of red onion and gooey, well-melted American cheese. Ratios all spot on.

Harmonious society: Feels nice in the hand, even better in the belly, and the price is most certainly right.

Fries? They cost extra (RMB 18). Twice-fried (not hand-cut though) dusted with salt and black pepper. Crispy if a tad greasy, and it’s a rib-stickingly huge bowlful. They have poutine, too.

Next up...

In the red corner: Cheese Burger, Vineyard Cafe. RMB 62

The brief. It’s big. And rectangular. In fact, it does a good impression of a posh sandwich. That’ll be the fancy-pants ciabatta roll. It’s really big, actually. Glad I took owner Will’s advice and went for the side-salad over the fries.

The bite. Buttered, toasted ciabatta gives way to soft, medium-well beef with a meaty punch. A nice tang of raw onion and pickle coming through. The cheddar is pretty unassertive. Lots of mayo.

The beef. Hooray - Will grinds the cow himself, with roughly a 75 – 25 meat to fat ratio. Big beef flavors, cooked medium well, just a bit of pink. Not too many wayward meat juices. Again, lacking in the char department though.

The bits. Tomato and lettuce, and you have to request gherkins, mayo and raw onion if you want it (it’s free, I did). The menu says you can order it cut in half or even in quarters. Nice touch.

Harmonious society: Not one for the purists, being more like a ground beef sandwich than a burger. But the toasty ciabatta roll and juicy beef were made for each other. It’s surprisingly easy to pick up and eat with your hands too (apart from the occasional side squirt of mayonnaise.)

Fries? Yep, The Vineyard’s signature crinkle-cut, which, though sort of appealing in a back-to-school way, don’t hit the mark for me. The salad is super - crisp and fresh, with a good mix of leaves and lots of halved cherry toms.

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So, two very different things on bread. One a respectable attempt at a down-home American icon, the other a gourmet deli-style burger sandwich, befitting its yuppie café setting. Price-wise, if you add a side of fries to The Box’s classic cheeseburger there’s not much to choose between the two. The Vineyard wins on the taste of the beef and general quality, but The Box gets plaudits for being most like a proper burger, its balance of ingredients and fundamental, in-the-gut satisfaction.

Verdict: Almost too close to call, but by virtue of it being most burger-like, The Box nicks it.

Next time: Sanlitun Village face-off: Union Bar & Grille Vs Flamme …

* All opinions expressed are those of an Englishman who once went to In-&-Out in LA (he didn’t even know about the secret menu, duh) and now has the gall to write this stuff.

Burger photos: Tom