In Pizza We Crust: Q Mex's South-of-the-Border Pizza Twist Proves a Spicy Hit
Ahead of the 2018 Beijing Pizza Festival this weekend, Oct 13-14, 11am-8pm, In Pizza We Crust will detail several of the vendors who will attend this year's event and what makes their pies special in the capital.
With its recently renovated digs at Courtyard 4, Q Mex is looking oven-hot for their fourth year of dishing out expat comfort food.
Sure, foreigners flock to the Tex-Mex eatery for the wet burritos and those delectable double burgers – the latter claimed our Burger Cup crown in 2017. But give us one (or two) of their 10 pizzas any day of the week, especially Tuesdays, when pies go half-price from 5pm.
You may not realize that pizza is a relative newcomer to Q Mex’s menu. It wasn’t until the restaurant’s American crew inherited the Sanlitun spot that Q Mex took a chance on cheese and dough.
“We were very nervous about what to do with pizza,” admits executive chef Marcus Medina, who moved from California to Beijing in 2011. He wanted to be known for food beyond Tex-Mex cuisine, and the risk paid off. The moment a Mexican-style pie was introduced, the unexpected happened: customers gobbled up the chipotle chicken (RMB 72 for thin crust), its salsa, corn, and beans packing a proper South-of-the-border bite that helped propel the pie to bestseller status.
Based on that success, other similar fiesta-ready pizzas followed: nachos (RMB 78 for thin, RMB 85 regular); chicken and chorizo jambalaya (RMB 75); and spicy chorizo (RMB 72) all pack fiery flair and aren’t overly filling if you opt for thin crust. Feeling more Italian? Go for either the ham and mushroom pie or the salami and mushroom (both RMB 72).
“We were very skeptical about whether pizza would work or not, but it’s now institutionalized into our restaurant,” adds Medina. “Pizza is indispensable; we wouldn’t think of removing pizza any more than nachos.”
Q Mex makes it possible to enjoy both on the same plate. Don’t expect a traditional, saucy deep-dish experience here; instead, brace for the buttery, crispy crunch of a nacho topped with ingredients like guac, sour cream, and cilantro.
Q Mex opened its Central American-style Taqueria (offering a different menu) in Xinyuanli last year, and the Shuangjing sister spot has helped popularize Space 3 since May. All three offer a no-frills hangout vibe, with the new mall location serving up a spacious, family-friendly atmosphere.
No veggie or vegan options available yet, but Medina says he’s working to expand the pizza selection, with an eye toward preserving the “Q” in Q Mex’s name. (It stands for quality.)
“We are constantly looking for the next big hit,” he says, “and we were able to find it in the pizza.”
Click here for all of 2018 Beijing Pizza Fest coverage.
Tickets are now on sale and early bird ticket buyers will receive a complimentary vintage bandana, while group ticket buyers (three tickets and up) will receive a free picnic blanket. Tickets are RMB 20 for early birds or RMB 30 on the door and can be purchased by scanning the QR below via WeChat:
Photo courtesy of Q Mex
