Best Place to Eat in the City (Without Burning a Hole in Your Wallet)
We’ve revealed our 2013 Reader Restaurant Award picks. Now it’s time to take a closer look at your favorite places to eat. The winners in the Restaurant of the Year (Non-Chinese, Casual) category highlight the best spots in the city that won’t inflict too much damage to your wallet.
Best: Annie’s
Annie’s seems to be the place to go when you just don’t want to cook dinner. After consistently winning the Beijinger’s Best Italian category every year since 2004, readers chose Annie’s family-friendly pizza joint for top honors as 2013’s Restaurant of the Year. Thanks to a huge and affordable menu, Annie’s has made its name as Beijing’s go-to spot for pizza and pasta. Even those who can’t be lured into the restaurant with free breadsticks know that Annie’s also prides itself on free speedy delivery to much of the city's eastside.
User reviews highlight Annie’s outstanding customer service and consistency throughout all nine locations.
One user loves the variety: “It'd be impossible not to find something you like unless you hate Italian food."
Another applauds Annie's consistency, describing it as “that dependable friend who’s always there in times of need.”
And the experts agree:
Fongyee Walker named Annie’s “Best Italian” in Beijing.
Tom O’Malley likes Annie’s for both Best Service (Non-Chinese, Casual) and Best Value.
This year, Annie’s picked up six awards in total (Best Italian, Best Service, Best Value, Outstanding Place for Celebration, Outstanding Salads).
Outstanding: Home Plate Bar-B-Que
This restaurant was named as Outstanding in this category for their American-style 'cue. A down-home spot near Xiaoyun Lu, Home Plate offers fried pickles, cold beer (Slow Boat on tap), and pulled pork sandwiches that have gained city-wide fame – perfect for a hot summer evening.
Users love Home Plate’s authenticity:
“The ribs are great. They have a smokey flavor that reminds me of eating ribs in a smokey shack back in Alabama. "
The environment:
“Make sure you bring a dozen friends and allot some hours, because the environment will inspire you to hang, eat, and drink, and after 10 pounds of succulent flesh you won't want to move for a while.”
And kind folks:
“Seth and Adam are the real deal. Go more than a few times and you become one of the family. They’re nice and conversational and you can tell they love what they do.”
As for the experts:
Xixi Cheng chose Home Plate for Best Sandwiches.
Home Plate was also chosen as Outstanding in the Best Value (Casual) category, as well as Best Wings.
Outstanding: Biteapitta
A longtime favorite for their affordable falafel and creamy hummus, Biteapitta offers a comfortable spot for a quick pre-drink snack or a relaxing evening savoring their authentic Middle Eastern flavors.
They’ve got one of our users eating her vegetables:
“I got a salad made of fresh tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers. Since I don't like to waste food I said I will at least try it and oh my God, was it good. I ate it all, although I wouldn't even touch it normally.”
And another asking for a doggy bag:
“The sets (eg. falafel pita sandwich, homemade French fries and a soft drink) for 45 rmb are excellent value. But even better tasting is ordering individual orders of falafel, tabouli and hummous (comes with pitta) and making your own sandwich. Then you get the bonus of having the leftovers to take home!”
The experts love it, too:
Xixi Cheng named Biteapitta for both Best Middle Eastern and Best Service (Non-Chinese, Casual).
Biteapitta also took top honors in the Best Middle Eastern category and was voted Outstanding in the Best Value (Casual) department.
Other nominees in the Restaurant of the Year (Non-Chinese, Casual) category for this year which didn't quite make the cut were: Wagas, Q Mex, Pizza Plus, Iki, and The Big Smoke.
Do you agree? Leave your own comments below to rate the winners or add a reader review yourself. The full list of the 2013 Beijinger Reader Restaurant Awards results is available here.
Photos: Annie's, the Beijinger
