Where to Eat in Baoding?

Baoding cuisine belongs to northern Chinese style, characterized by rich and strong flavors. Its most iconic local snack is the donkey meat burger.

A staple breakfast for countless locals, it consists of chopped donkey meat stuffed into a split baked flatbread. The flatbread boasts a crispy crust, while the donkey meat is tender yet not greasy, leaving a mellow lingering taste. Each one only costs four to five yuan, offering great value for money. In traditional Chinese medicine, donkey meat is believed to replenish qi and blood, boost essence and vitality, nourish yin and tonify the kidney, and benefit the lungs.

Baoding’s sugar-coated haws on a stick are widely famous across Hebei Province, comparable to varieties sold at Beijing temple fairs. Available flavors include pure hawthorn, hawthorn stuffed with red bean paste, hawthorn stuffed with mung bean paste, and Chinese yam (officially named Huai Shan), all irresistibly delicious.

Address: No. 645 North Yonghua Avenue, Beishi District, Baoding City (opposite the West Gate of North China Electric Power University) Recommendation: This is the most popular spot for Baoding’s signature donkey meat burger. The store features a neat, bright layout. Though slightly pricier than traditional shops, it serves authentic, rich-flavored donkey meat with large-sized flatbreads fried until fragrant and crisp. Porridge and pickles are complimentary, making the overall cost-performance excellent. Besides burgers, it also offers donkey meat hot pot, Sichuan-style donkey ribs, and offal soup — perfect for groups to share.

Address: No. 390 North Yonghua Road, Beishi District, Baoding City Recommendation: A beloved local eatery with a small but antique-style interior serving genuine Baoding flavors at affordable prices. Its signature dish is bone crumb meatballs: four large meatballs in a small clay pot mixed with crunchy bone fragments, well-balanced in fat and lean, fragrant without greasiness. Creative dishes such as Dai-style beef and wild vegetable balls are also available. Located in the city center, it enjoys convenient transportation and is easy to locate.

Address: No. 77 East Yuhua Road, Nanshi District, Baoding City Recommendation: Situated close to the railway station, this budget-friendly restaurant draws numerous students and young people, ideal for gatherings with friends and family. Standout dishes include rustic immortal chicken, thousand-layer tofu and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, though its pan-fried pies receive mixed reviews. Staff deliver warm service, yet food serving slows down during peak meal hours due to large crowds.

Address: West Yuhua Road, Nanshi District, Baoding City (near the main entrance of Ancient Lotus Pond) Recommendation: Right beside the gate of Ancient Lotus Pond, this shop is a city landmark with constant queues year-round. Its sugar shell is crisp, sweet and glossy bright red, and the haws come in large sizes with pea and red bean fillings, priced at four to five yuan apiece. A perfect snack for sightseeing, far better value than those sold in Beijing. Travelers with small appetites can share one between two people.

Address: Xinghua Road, Nanshi District, Baoding City (near South Yonghua Avenue) Recommendation: Reputed as Baoding’s most authentic old donkey meat burger store, it sits on bustling Yuhua Commercial Street with long queues daily. Despite its small size, the shop is spotlessly clean. Finely chopped donkey meat is aromatic and non-greasy, releasing rich savory juice when chewed. Its millet porridge and pickles are also tasty. Vacuum-packed gift boxes of donkey meat and donkey meat burgers are available for takeaway gifts.