Feisty newcomers made it uncomfortable for some old favorites, but last year’s top burger joints are headed into the Round of 16 of the Beijinger 2013 Burger Cup. Voting for the new round is open now, click here to choose the eight finalists that will go to our face-to-face cook-off on August 17 at Beijing City International School!

This year’s Cinderella restaurant is Cafe Flatwhite, which won by a hair in the Round of 64, and then managed a de facto second-round bye after its opponent, The Corner, closed abruptly last week. The multi-outlet upstart will really need to bring its A-game in the Sweet Sixteen, where it will face multi-outlet 2011 winner Blue Frog.

Another tough match-up in the Round of 16 is the Xingfucun Smackdown: Frost Coffee/Back Alley Bistro vs. Great Leap Brewpub. Both burgers performed well in our Burger Battles, which you can read here and here.

Our readers felt that of all the restaurants knocked out in the Round of 64, 3sums had most deserved to advance.

Now two legs of the journey is completed. Sixteen of the best burger joints in the city now continue head to head. Last year, Home Plate Bar-B-Que walked away with the prize after they fended off stiff competition from Brussels (now The Local) to take the meaty crown, but who will win it this year?

You will decide!

It’s a public vote and the third round is live right now for the round of 16. For this year’s bracket, we seeded venues based on their performance in last year’s Burger Cup, then sprinkled in worthy newcomers. Your favorite burger joint needs you and your vote more than ever! Make sure they sail into the final eight by clicking here to cast your vote! Voting will remain open until Monday, August 5 at 10am. Use the bracket below to follow the competition.

This year’s event concludes with a live cook-off on August 17 from 4-9pm at Beijing City International School (BCIS). Representatives from the Great Eight will be there grilling up burgers, and the winner will be decided right there!

This article first appeared on the beijinger website on July 29th, 2013