Since I was living in Beijing for two and a half months, there were definitely days when I missed western food: sandwiches, salads, pastas. I was lucky enough to be raised in a city where diverse foods were not just common, but celebrated. In Beijing, especially where I lived, there were also plenty of western restaurants. And they didn’t just cater to expats if that’s what you’re thinking; a lot of locals also frequented these places. Like any other major city, Beijing’s food choices are pretty varied. After long days of work, sometimes all I wanted was to read a good book and nom on lots of cheese. The chicken nachos platter pretty much hit the spot on those days.

As did the large burritos here. I’ll admit that food at western restaurants (or just non-Chinese) is much more expensive than at Chinese places, and you’ll have those people that say, “You’re in China! What are you doing eating burritos?” But guess what? Eat what you want. If you’re visiting a place for a couple days and not eating any local food, then, c’mon, at least give it a try. But if you’re living in some place for a while and you’re craving something, why not go for it? Plus, the service here is great and every time I visited, the owner took the time to chat with me.

The portions at Sand Pebbles are also huge, so if you’re feeling super hungry and craving Mexican food, then get yourself an order of 3 tacos.