The Place

MESO – a new fast-casual burger joint on Yejiazhai Lu, right across from NYC Deli – has just opened under seasoned Serbian chef Milos Durdevic. 

The signature burger combines a Serbian style patty with a Western burger setup, but the menu straddles classics to creatives, with everything from a four cheese burger to tuna steak with avocado and feta, from beef tenderloin steak burger to bacon-wrapped chicken breast stuffed with cheese – all between two buns.

The Burgers

There are currently eight burgers on offer, ranging from RMB58-98, with an option to add on fries and a soft drink for an extra 20 rambos.

The signature burger, the House Burger (RMB58) comes with all the expected accoutrement: cheddar cheese, tomato, caramelized onion, lettuce and garlic mayo atop a Serbian style beef patty. 

Or double down on the meat with all the same fixings, but go Monster (RMB98). This literal monstrosity is not just twice the beef, but the cheddar cheese is both stuffed inside the patty (like a Jucy Lucy) and melted on top of the patty for an exploding mouthful of glorious gluttony.

The turducken of the burger world, the Chicken Royale (RMB65) sees a brick of cheese stuffed inside a chicken breast that is then wrapped in bacon.

Excessive? Yes. But for this winner winner, chicken dinner we’ll let it slide. 

Lettuce, tomato, and – unexpectedly, yet welcomed – tzatziki sauce fill out the sandwich. 

Garlic-marinated and seared sashimi-grade tuna belly is the focus of the Tuna Steak (RMB88), with mashed avocado, confit garlic cloves, crumbled feta cheese and lettuce anchoring all toppings to the plush bun. 

The top-seller thus far, the Truffle Tenderloin (RMB88) showcases extra juicy grilled New Zealand grass-fed beef tenderloin tagliata smothered in a gravy-like black truffle aioli.

There’s also cheese, rucola, and cherry tomato, culminating in a one hefty sando for those who are hulking, bulking, and everything in between.

Other options include a BBQ Mushroom Burger (RMB59) with gouda cheese and pickles; the Quattro Formaggi (RMB78) with a quartet of cheddar, gorgonzola, gouda, and parmesan; and the Supreme (RMB78) with toppings that span the gamut of mushroom, bacon, fried egg, caramelized onion, cheddar and BBQ sauce. 

Aside from burgers, there’s Fries (RMB18), Truffle Fries (RMB30), Chorizo (RMB25), and Chorizo Fries (RMB30).

The menu will continue to expand over time to include new snacks and eventually some seasonal burgers. 

MESO is also making its own hot sauces that will soon be available for takeaway purchase.

First up, there’s the bright Green Passion, made with passion fruit and green chili for that ideal balance of sweet heat.

For the masochists, there’s Red Fire, a blend of bird’s eye chilis and secret spices that turns the scorch dial up to a 10. 

On the drinks side, and sticking with the convenience theme, there’s Soft Drinks (RMB12) and basic libations (like highballs, gin & tonic, vodka soda) clocking in as low as RMB35, with Peddlers negronis for just RMB40.

Tap beer goes from RMB25-35. Soon, rakia (a fruit-based spirit popular in the Balkans) will make its way onto the menu in the form of 150ml bottles and in a variety of flavors, for RMB25-30 a pop. 

The Vibe

The quaint space offers seating inside for 16 plus outdoor seating for 24, ideal for anything from a coffee to a cheeky mixer. 

If dine-in isn’t what you’re after, the team just launched a stellar delivery deal whereby all burgers come wrapped in custom-made foldable boxes.

Each burger box doubles as a scratch card, where patrons can enter the ‘MESO lottery’ to win a variety of prizes spanning free burgers, drinks, snacks, T-shirts, and more – that can be redeemed in store.

Almost every single participant will win something, so the odds are forever in your favor.

Taking it a step further, MESO will collaborate with different brands each month for more substantial giveaways.

For example, in October, MESO will partner with Rossignol (a luxury ski wear and winter sports brand from France) to giveaway bigger prizes like a pair of skis, winter jackets, and more.

Be on the lookout for more upcoming exciting collabs. 

Despite being around for only a month, MESO is pulling in quite the daytime into evening crowd, with the Serbians, Croatians, Bosnians and Slovenians of Shanghai flocking in, drawing the attention of more expats and locals alike. 

At the end of the day, MESO is exactly what you expect – an unpretentious hangout serving quality ingredients and bevvies at pocket-friendly prices to the Shanghai burger loving masses. 

Price: RMB58-98
Who’s Going: Jing’an expats and locals alike, Balkanites, burger lovers
Good For: Fast-casual lunches, burger dates, cheap drinks 

MESO, #110, 100 Yejiazhai Lu, by Changshou Lu, 叶家宅路100号创享塔园区101室, 近长寿路.