The Place
Beast of the East Social House by True Legend (Pistolera, Big Bamboo) opened this month on the ever-popular Fumin Lu and Changle Lu corner, taking over Lucky You’s old digs.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
The huge space covers high tops and low tops for eating, drinking, hanging and – get this – dancing… there is a disco ball and a DJ booth after all.
Image courtesy of Beast of the East Social House
But that’s the backbone of the social house concept – it’s not just a bar nor a restaurant, it’s everything in one; a place where people of any age, at any hour, for any reason, can come and have a great time.
The Food
The food menu of nearly 100 items dives into the world of smoked BBQ meats, bringing back to life some of The Blind Pig’ standout dishes, along with brick oven pizzas, salads and charcoal oven-grilled seafood and meats.
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The extensive selection is of the mindset: if you can think of it, they'll offer it, with the goal of appealing to everyone’s taste. The food skews North American, but you’ll find Asian, European and South American influences sprinkled throughout.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Starters begin with the sports bar must-eats, like nachos, fried chicken wings, pigs in blankets, jalapeno poppers, garlic bread, fries and the like. We loaded up on the first two – beginning with the mountain-size portion of Social Nachos (RMB118).
And social they are, with a serving satisfying at least 2-3 people; a heaping of corn chips loaded with melted cheese, onions, fresh chilies, jalapeño and black olives, served with sides of corn and bean salsa and sour cream plus your choice of meat – chopped smoked brisket, Mexican pulled chicken, Mexican ground beef or Zrou plant-based meat.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Chicken Wings (RMB68) come in three finger-licking flavors – lemon pepper chili, teriyaki and buffalo, all served with celery and carrot sticks and ranch dressing. An order includes six wings, all of which are flats, the more prized in the flats vs. wings debate.
READ MORE: We Ranked Shanghai's Best Wing Deals, Here Are the Results...
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Stacked staggeringly high, The Beast Double Burger (RMB128) lives up to its name with two 100% beef patties, double cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions all on a toasted sesame bun, and served with your choice of regular fries or a side salad.
Upgrade your burger with add-ons like additional Cheddar Cheese (RMB15), Bacon (RMB15), Emmental Cheese (RMB15) or Sautéed Mushrooms (RMB15). And soup up those sides for an extra RMB10 if you want sweet potato fries or a side Caesar salad instead.
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Take a trip to a Toronto deli with the Reuben Sandwich (RMB98) – sliced homemade pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and yellow grain mustard on toasted rye bread.
Our only qualm, we crave some of that tangy Russian dressing to cut through the meat’s fatty richness. The Reuben is accompanied by the same side selection as the burger.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Beast of the East Social House boasts New York-style brick oven pizzas, ranging in classic flavors like Pepperoni (RMB78), Margherita (RMB78) and Meatlovers (RMB98).
Our favorite of the bunch is the Social Supreme (RMB98) – a topping-filled ‘za covered in pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, Kalamata olives and loads of mozzarella cheese.
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As for the protein-centric mains, steaks and seafood abound. We found ourselves salivating over the Pork Chops (RMB258), served with grilled broccolini, baby carrots, roasted tomatoes, peas, caramelized apple slices and roasted potatoes, plus a thick apple sauce for dunking that seared chop into.
Image courtesy of Beast of the East Social House
They also offer weekend brunch, covering everything from Eggs Benedict (RMB88) to Banana Pancakes (RMB88) to Steak and Eggs (R138) and so much more in between.
Image courtesy of Beast of the East Social House
Image courtesy of Beast of the East Social House
A big draw is that every Saturday and Sunday from 11am-2pm you can add on free flow tap beer, wine, prosecco and set cocktails (think margaritas, bloody mary, Aperol spritz, sangria and mimosa), soft drinks, coffee and juice for just RMB198.
And be on the lookout for their soon-to-launch lunch specials, featuring Asian-inspired sets like Malaysian laksa, pho and black pepper beef.
Image courtesy of Beast of the East Social House
As for the drinks, there’s a lineup of 15 Beast of the East taps covering the bases from flagship beers to experimental brews, all created by none other than Beast of the East brewmaster, Matt Jimenez.
READ MORE: Brewer Matthew Jimenez on the Beast of the East Beer Revolution
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
For everyday beer drinking, Never Quit IPA is Beast of the East’s top seller for a reason; a golden-hued brew with notes of grapefruit, citrus and mild tropical notes, plus a refreshing, crisp finish with the right amount of bitterness.
For those looking for something special, the Beast of the East x Fluffy Monsters Imperial Stout collab beer is something really special; a spin on the 90s classic childhood fluffernutter – a calorie-heavy sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff – this dessert beer is brewed with flavor notes of chocolate, vanilla, marshmallow and peanut butter.
The result is a thick, well-rounded stout to warm you up for winter.
Image courtesy of Beast of the East Social House
Plus, there are cocktails galore, aqua frescos and a wide selection of spirits, wines from around the world and – of course – the famous margaritas.
On the cocktail front, there’s no shortage of warming winter favorites. It is hard to top a warm mug of hot chocolate, but the furtive addition of mezcal, as the Mezcal Hot Chocolate (RMB65), makes it our go-to sipper of the season – morning, noon and night.
The Vibe
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Music plays a central role at Beast of the East Social House, and is energetically led by Entertainment Director (and Shanghai OG) DJ Thomas Paninaro.
Image courtesy of Beast of the East Social House
This industry veteran mixes it up every Thursday through Saturday with disco classics, house anthems, pop, progressive trance, RnB – all the good stuff, basically.
If you want to hear it, just request it, and – like the ‘please everyone’ menu focus – he’s got it.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
With four 100” TV screens and a huge LED on which team sports, concerts and shows are regularly shown, the atmosphere is a bit like a mix between a suburban sports bar, a club at night and a casual eatery during the day, with seating for 20 on the outdoor patio.
Image courtesy of Beast of the East Social House
This all-day experience is a central emphasis of the Social House mantra: ‘Early games, brunch, lunch, afternoon chill, happy hour, dinner, late night dancing.’
It really is a 24/7 free for all!
Price: RMB150-350
Who’s Going: Craft beer lovers, people craving North American food, those that frequent the Fumin Lu-Donghu Lu corner and, well... everybody
Good For: Western food cravings paired with Western size portions, all-day hangs with something for everyone, sports bar meets club vibes
See a listing for Beast of the East Social House.
Read more Shanghai Restaurant Reviews.
[Cover image by Sophie Steiner/That's]
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