Out With the Stale, in With the Fresh: It's Been a Crazy Year for Beijing's Burger Scene

“You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a stale bun.” —Burgerman, The Dark Meat

With just ten days to go until the 2020 Burger Fest, juicy beef is on the minds of the people. But like every other segment of the food and beverage economy, Beijing’s burger world has been rocked in the past year – we’ve seen a number of promising newcomers to the scene, but we also must bid adieu to the fallen patty flippers.

Among those who will be missed is Cannon’s, the southern-style burgers-and-more joint with the iconic red and white striped façade that made a splash in the 2017 Burger Cup. We also say our farewells to hutong shop, Burger Counter, sports bar Fella’s, and even one of Beijing’s original “home[s] away from home,” Blue Marlin. Meanwhile, Crafter’s has continued to brew beer, but the loss of their brick-and-mortar bar has meant they’ve ceased making their Tiny Gangsta Burger, which very nearly won it all in last year’s cup.

Yet for each stove that God turns off, he turns on a grill. Since last year’s Burger Cup, Beijing has welcomed a few heavy hitters to the scene, not least of which is the most recent newcomer, the New York brand Shake Shack. In the latter half of 2019, we also saw the rise of Moka Bros’ Burger Box, and in 2020 we’ve seen a surprising amount of brave burger openings, such as those whipped up at taphouses like World of Beer and Prodigy Brewpub, as well as the sliders at punk bar, Blinding Elephant.

But these newbies will be going up against long-established burger bars and restaurants, some of which have dominated the Beijing beefy-verse for nigh on a decade. The question is, will the old guard maintain their grip on the tongues of Beijingers, or will the sandwich serfdom finally overthrow the Burg-eoisie? Only you can decide by voting in the 2020 Burger Cup via the Beijinger‘s official WeChat account (ID: theBeijinger) – voting begins Sep 18, the same day that Burger fest launches.

Haven't gotten your tickets yet? Early-bird tickets are on sale now and come with a free superhero mask, or you can opt for the Super Package, which includes the mask plus an exclusive Super Burgerman or Burger logo T-shirt, and a tote bag from the fest's title sponsor JSS, along with an RMB 198 JSS delivery card.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BEIJINGER'S 2020 BURGER FEST AND HOW TO GET YOUR TICKETS HERE

Images: Joey Knotts, the Beijingers, Slow Boat