All good things must come to an end and in the cut-throat environment that is Beijing's burger scene, many venues, dreaming of being crowned the city's Best Burger, have just had their dreams scuppered.

We received our highest-ever number of votes for this opening round, proving that it's not just the competition among venues that is heating up. You, the diners are also ever more discerning about where your money goes and who you'll let mess with your waistline. 

As for individual performances, last year's top four – Slow Boat, Great Leap, Side Street, and Q Mex – remain in pole position going into the Round of 32. Unfortunately, many others are gone, including, The Butchers Club (last year's #21 seed), Fatboy’s (#27), QS (#29), Bodensee Kitchen (#30), Joe’s Bar and Kitchen (#31), and The Bell (#32) who were all unable to break into the next fight. Notably, both The Butchers Club (in Parkview Green) and Fatboys (Topwin Center) lost venues this past year, likely reducing their edge with patrons and potential voters.

We'd also like to offer special condolences to Sanlitun's trusty XL Bar, last year's #33, who missed the bracket by a mere handful of votes for the second year in a row. The fate of the relegated 88 restaurants, however, is not yet over – we need your input to determine their final rankings for 2019. To do so, don’t forget to follow through to the end of the survey so you can continue to back your fallen favorites.

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Now for the ones to watch out for. Notably, 12 of the top 32 attended our Burger Fest last weekend, putting in long (hot) hours to get their names out there and canvass for votes the old fashioned way. Climbing up the charts were two restaurants that placed low in last year's competition but this time around have broken into the top 32: de Refter (last year's #40 seed) and Beersmith Gastropub (#37). The former is a Courtyard 4 establishment has accrued quite the following over the past half a year, thanks to their Taiwanese guabao-style burgers, daily deals, and a cozy but welcoming terrace that comes to life in the warmer months. Beersmith, meanwhile, goes from strength to strength, not only netting the hotel guests that stay in the adjoining Hotel Jen above, but also drawing customers from around Beijing to CBD on any day of the week simply for their in-house brewed craft brew, American grub, and excellent live entertainment.

READ: How You Will Choose Beijing's Best Burger of 2019

Newbies who have made strong debuts in their individual brackets include (deep breath) Groupe Flo's food court-style cuisine mash-up restaurant Miam Miam (#4), Shanghai import and craft beer big guns Boxing Cat (#5), Weigongcun newbie and Mexican-leaning Loca Loca (#6, Bracket A), cider brewers and now Shilipu-ways set-up Crafters Brewing Co (#6, Bracket C), Chinese-style (read: creative) burgers and beer bar No Diet Bistro & Bar (#7, Bracket D), Aussie "that's-far-too-big-for-me-to-finish, oh wait," burger-makers Royal Stacks (#8, Bracket D), and jerk chicken-slinging extraordinaire A Lil' Somethin' (#8, Bracket A). Congrats to you guys!

Without further ado, let's take a look at the rankings as they stand. And don't forget to vote!

Bracket A

1. Q Mex 
2. The Great Outdoors 
3. Arrow Factory 
4. Let’s Burger 
5. Lily’s American Diner 
6. Loca Loca
7. de Refter
8. A Lil' Somethin' 

Bracket B

1. Slow Boat Brewery 
2. Home Plate BBQ 
3. The Local 
4. Miam Miam 
5. Boxing Cat 
6. Fatburger 
7. Plan B 
8. Paddy O’Shea’s 

Bracket C

1. Great Leap Brewing 
2. Blue Frog 
3. Cannon’s Burgers 
4. Hulu 
5. Beersmith Gastropub 
6. Crafters Brewing Co 
7. Katchup 
8. Biteapitta

Bracket D

1. Side Street 
2. Jing-A 
3. 3 Little Pigs by Andy’s Craft Sausages 
4. 4corners 
5. Caravan 
6. The Cheesecake Factory 
7. No Diet Bistro & Bar 
8. Royal Stacks 

Which means the Round of 32 matchups are...

Bracket A

• Q Mex (1) vs. A Lil' Somethin' (8)
• The Great Outdoors (2) vs. de Refter (7)
• Arrow Factory (3) vs. Loca Loca (6)
• Let’s Burger (4) vs. Lily’s American Diner (5)

Bracket B

• Slow Boat Brewery (1) vs. Paddy O’Shea’s (8)
• Home Plate BBQ (2) vs. Plan B (7)
• The Local (3) vs. Fatburger (6)
• Miam Miam (4) vs. Boxing Cat (5)

Bracket C

• Great Leap Brewing (1) vs. Biteapitta (8)
• Blue Frog (2) vs. Katchup (7)
• Cannon’s Burgers (3) vs. Crafters Brewing Co (6)
• Hulu (4) vs. Beersmith Gastropub (5)

Bracket D

• Side Street (1) vs. Royal Stacks (8)
• Jing-A (2) vs. No Diet Bistro & Bar (7)
• 3 Little Pigs by Andy’s Craft Sausages (3) vs. The Cheesecake Factory (6)
• 4corners (4) vs. Caravan (5)

Voting schedule as it remains (Jun 22-Jul 16):

• Round of 32: Friday, Jun 28, 3pm
• Sweet 16: Tuesday, Jul 2, 3pm
• Elite Eight: Friday, Jul 5, 3pm
• Final Four: Tuesday, Jul 9, 3pm
• Championship Round: Friday, Jul 12, 3pm
• Beijing's Best Burger crowned: Tuesday, Jul 16, 4pm

May the best burger win!

Images: the Beijinger