Durty Nellie’s

It’s not Beijing’s most famous burger, but Nellie’s regular customers know it’s a fantastic value: a quarter pound of seasoned beef topped with crispy bacon and bubbling Swiss cheese. Enjoy excellent presentation with a little fan of cucumber slices on a leaf of red cabbage, a tiny mound of coleslaw, a wedge of tomato and a small side of crispy French fries. They don’t ask you how you want it; well done is the standard here. The bun is crispy and fluffy and the taste is everything you want in a burger--peppery, meaty, yummy. RMB55 (bacon and cheese are extra). 1/B Liangmaqiao Flower Market, 亮马桥花卉市场B1层, Tel: 6593-5050

One East on Third

When is a burger more than a burger? When it’s the Most Expensive Burger in Beijing. As chef de cuisine Josh Goetz explains, “we’ve taken your classic McDonald’s hamburger and done it to the nth degree.” He’s not lying. With a creamy slice of foie gras in place of cheese, black truffles in place of mushrooms and wagu sirloin instead your standard issue beef, this is Beijing’s most extravagant pub grub. Dollop on the creamy homemade horse radish mustard and sink your teeth into the crusted parmesan bun. RMB325. 2/F, Hilton Hotel Beijing, 1 Dongfang Lu, Dongsanhuan Beilu, 东三环北路东方路1号北京希尔顿酒店2层, Tel: 5865-5030

All Star Café

We’d heard a lot about the burgers here, so we had high expectations. We weren’t disappointed. Mike Sweeney’s mound of meaty goodness is a shoo-in for our burger all-star team. The meat is juicy and tender and comes topped with a crisp, thick rind of seasoned bacon. Sweeney is particularly proud of the bacon. “We searched long and hard for this bacon. We started out with Chinese stuff, but that was like putting pork rinds on top.” We salute Mike’s all star mentality while mourning the fact that he just sold the restaurant to a Chinese investor. RMB20 for the classic. Nuren Jie Gourmet Alley, 女人街莱太花卉附近, Tel: 134-3955-9903

Agree? Disagree? Think I'm crazy for leaving out The Den and their egg-topped monster? Leave your suggestions for Beijing's best hamburger below!