Yanjia Donkey Meat Old Shop (闫家驴肉老店)

Yanjia Donkey Meat Old Shop (闫家驴肉老店) is a street-food eatery on Qingnian Street in Baoding, Hebei province, China, directly opposite North China Electric Power University. Baoding and neighbouring Hejian are the heartland of lubi huoshao, the donkey meat burger, a regional specialty summed up by the local saying that dragon meat is in heaven and donkey meat is on earth. The shop is among the more frequently cited places in Baoding for the dish and describes its offering as built on a family recipe, with a braising liquid said to contain more than thirty spices.

The core of the menu is the donkey meat burger (驴肉火烧), priced at roughly ¥8-14 (about $1.2-2.1). A round, layered flatbread is baked to order until the exterior is crisp, then split and packed with chopped braised donkey meat. The contrast between the crisp, flaky bread and the soft, savoury filling is the main appeal. The second signature item is donkey offal soup (驴杂汤), about ¥10-15 (roughly $1.5-2.2), a hot broth typically ordered alongside the burger to make a complete, inexpensive meal.

The format is casual and counter-oriented rather than a formal restaurant. The menu is short, ordering is quick, and service is geared to students and local workers from the surrounding university neighbourhood, so the room is functional, busy at mealtimes and lively rather than quiet. Dress code is irrelevant, and most diners finish eating within minutes. There is no notable wine or beverage programme; soup, tea or bottled drinks accompany the food.

Reservations are not taken and not needed, as the shop operates strictly on a walk-in basis. Opening hours are approximately 6:30 AM to 8:00 PM daily, which makes it suitable for an early breakfast as well as lunch and an early dinner. With prices in the single or low double digits of yuan, it sits in the cheapest price tier ($) and is a practical stop for travellers who want to sample the Baoding donkey meat tradition without a sit-down banquet.