Burger Counter

I just finished my first week of Chinese classes, and I am enjoying the mooncakes from Mid-Autumn Festival probably a little too much.  The classes are pretty much exactly what I expected them to be.  You sit in a room with a teacher and some other students and repeat after the teacher while writing notes.  It's standard stuff.

The classes have started to affect my ability to operate in everyday life here in Beijing for the better.  Although I am still reluctant to let the locals knows that I speak Chinese.  Contrary to popular belief, not knowing the language will usually get you farther here in China.  My newest endeavor to adapt to Chinese culture has shifted my dietary tastes.  After class Tuesday, I couldn't stop myself from visiting Beijing's best kept secret for western cuisine.  Burger Counter is exactly what the name implies, a counter where you eat burgers.  As opposed to what it explicitly states....a counter made of burgers.  The tiny one-room establishment probably couldn't hold 10 people on a rainy day, but what he place lacks in size, it makes up for with great burgers at reasonable prices.


You might be wondering why I have chosen to highlight Burger Counter instead of one of Beijing's great Chinese restaurants or one of the super-deluxe western places that continue to proliferate like rabbits.  Burger Counter deserves notice because the lady behind the counter fixing the burgers doesn't speak English, making this place a welcome addition to my restaurant rotation.  At a time when every American place in town is owned by some overly charismatic 40-something expat, Burger Counter cuts through the blandness with original burger creations.  Do yourself a favor and try the Chili Con Carne Burger.

Visiting Burger Counter is always a pleasure, and its great selections of beers and sodas makes it a must stop for anyone homesick and visiting Beijing.  Just make sure you don't invite too many people to eat with you, because they won't be able to fit in the restaurant.