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Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Santa MonicaGet in the Holiday Spirit with our Eggnog Milkshake Mixed with Real Eggnog! We also have a tasty Japanese Style Ahi Burger!
Announced 17 hours agoMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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The Counter provided one of the greatest and most enjoyable dining experiences I have ever had.
First of all, YOU MAKE YOUR OWN BURGER. Need I say more? You can choose EVERYTHING, from the type of buns you want on the outside to the type of condiments and goodies you want on the inside. They have an amazing variety of sauces, cheeses and toppings! I think I almost dislocated my jaw while taking that first bite.
Deciding how to build my burger was almost as enjoyable as eating it was. This place can seriously do no wrong.
I can't wait to go back!!!
create your own burger!
you can choose the size, type of meat, type of bun, cheese, toppings, and sauce.
or you can just order one of their already "designed" burgers.
The 1/3 lb is $8.95 with four toppings, one sauce. The 2/3 and 1 lb are a little more expensive.. but do you really need that big of a burger? Either way, you pay for what you get. or rather.. you get what you pay for. :))
I ordered a 1/3 lb beef burger with hamburger buns. My toppings were griled pineapple, dried cranberries, lettuce, and jalepenos. My sauce was the carmelized onion marmalade, which frankly wasn't as amazing as I wanted it to be. But the burger was delicious! 1/3 lb is definitely enough for one person.. even for a normal sized guy. There was a lot of different flavors involved with my burger but I enjoyed it. Especially because I got to choose what I wanted. The sweetness from the pineapples and cranberries was an excellent choice for me. :))
My friend and I also ordered the "fifty fifty" which was half an order of sweet potato fries and the other half onion strings. Onion strings are basically onion rings but not a ring.. It's a .. string. hahaha.
I definitely want to go back and try different combinations and their shakes as well. Also unfortunately!! I didn't get to try the greek lamb burger and the pumpkin pie shake!!!!!!!!! Those two sound sooo delicious and I really really want to go back and try them before they take it off the menu.
GAHH!! so who wants to go with me? ;))
I'm a dreamer. Sometimes my dreams become a reality, but sometimes they just don't work. The Counter is somewhere in between. Whoever thought of the idea of creating your own burger is a genius. The possbilities are endless! You get to choose the lb of the patty, the kind of meat (beef, chicken, turkey, veggie), the bun, the 1 kind of cheese, 4 toppings, 1 sauce...and those are just the default settings.
As excited as I was for the random and gourmet toppings (gruyere cheese, scallops, roasted red peppers, apricot sauce?!), I was scared about messing the whole thing up by adding a wrong ingredient to the mix. It's hard people!!
So I played it a little safe. I got the regular beef burger (medium rare)on a hamburger bun with pineapple, grilled onions, lettuce and tomato topped off with a soy ginger glaze. It was heavenly. The soy ginger glaze put the whole burger together, adding a sweet and salty tang to it. Great success!
I just hate eating burgers with a fork and knife. I'm a hands-on kind of gal! But it is a small price to pay for a delicious, self-constructed burger.
P.S.- both the regular and the sweet potato fries really were not that good. Father's Office OWNS sweet potato fries. Sorry Bob.
Sometimes you know all you want a burger. And if that is the case, The Counter is the place to go. Every burger is available, beef, turkey even veggie.
The beauty of the counter is you build your own burger. And the choices from toppings to sauces are grand. One day you might go and have a beef burger with thousand island dressing, sauteed onions and gruyere cheese and the next you might have a veggie burger with cheddar, caramelized onions and mayo. Either way, it will be yummy!
My husband loves that one of the bun options is an English muffin, this isn't for everyone but is worth a try.
I also like that you can get a burger bowl. In lieu of a bun, your burger will come a top a bed of lettuce. I don't think it is quite akin to "eating healthy" but worked well when I still had braces and couldn't sink my chompers into a thick burger.
Their fries are tasty and an order is big enough for 2 to share.
Their shakes are good though the monthly special shake is hit or miss. The pumpkin shake for November is a HIT the churro shake they had earlier in the year was a miss.
I highly recommend going during the week, on weekends the wait can seem endless especially if you are already hungry. If it is just 1 or 2, sitting at the bar is a great option in lieu of waiting for a table.
Fun. It's different approach.
Burgers are good, but not the best I've had.
You really can't go wrong at The Counter... but if you do, you'd only have yourself to blame for being incapable of customizing a burger to your own liking! This also means you fail at life.
Fortunately for me, I've never had a bad meal here. ;) My go-to burger is a 1/3-lb. beef patty on honey wheat bun with Gruyere cheese, Bermuda red onion, mixed baby greens, sprouts, tomatoes, finished with a fried egg on top and slathered with roasted garlic aioli. If I'm in a particularly healthy(ish) mood, I'll swap out the fried egg for sauteed mushrooms.
Once in a while, I'll be adventurous and try their Burger of the Month. Last month, it was an Alaskan halibut burger with this tangy sauce that I SO wish was on their regular menu now (please bring it back!!).
Don't leave without trying these too:
Sweet potato fries with garlic aioli sauce
A tall glass of Hoegaarden - my most favoritest beer ever! (yes, Hoegaarden is a word... I believe it's Belgian for "garden of .......")
Word of warning: This particular location is always packed, so expect to wait at least 15 min. during peak times. If you don't mind sitting at the counter, I'd definitely recommend it - I find the service is much faster there, but probably only because they're trying to get you in and out as quick as possible.
The second time I went back the manager was so nice we got the meal for free (Santa monica) We did go during the weekend so the wait was SO long. It was worth it and we were introduced to the giant cookie with ice cream, YUMMY.
The third time we brought my boyfriends siblings to try and they were in love. The fries were so good we ate almost all of it before the food came. Delicious burgers. Every bite is a mouthful & I just can't get enough of it. Ah now I'm getting hungry =P thanks for taking care of us.
You guys are one of the best burger joints!!! =)
This was my second time at The Counter. I went to Irvine the first time that location is hard to… Read more »
Very good burger, above average, but when the rubber meats the road the Counter is over-hyped [pun intended].
It seems like people get hung up on the novelty of making your own burger. Before trying a Counter burger, all I heard was how great it was and how you could order all sorts of different toppings--I think my friends and colleagues need to get out more. Frankly, the simple freedom to create my own burger only extends so far. If the foundation of the burger i.e. meat is not superb, I could care less about food autonomy.
I had been to the Counter in Corona before, but a friend recently mentioned that there was a location in Santa Monica. So despite eating great home cooking all week, we hit up the Santa Monica spot. And I have to say that I'm definitely a fan - step up from the Corona locale which is full of loud kids (because I'm sure all of you in Santa Monica head out to Corona for dinner all. the. time.)
We got there around 7 and it was definitely bustling. There was an open table for two right by the door, and I was wondering why the hostess didn't just seat us there - not that I wanted to sit next to a door or anything. Instead she handed us the clipboard while we waited. It only took another minute or two before us and the few parties after us were all at tables.
The acoustics in here are the biggest issue, since everyone's voice echos. Probably the reason for the loud kids in Corona, too. So not the best place for a get-to-know-you dinner date, but we were still able to have somewhat of a conversation.
Ordered the fried pickles, fries w/cheddar, grilled cheese trifecta for me, burger with pickles/southwestern salsa/jalapenos/chipotle may for J, and split a chocolate shake. The fried pickles are breaded with some cornmeal mix, which makes them heartier and able to stay crispy despite the moisture from the pickle itself. Much better than the ones at Hooter's. Yes, I've been to Hooter's for fried pickles. Cheesy fries were good, as was the grilled cheese, though the three cheeses that they use (cheddar, provolone, american) all melt at different temps and the cheddar wasn't really melted. J liked his burger but got the 2/3 pound one which may have been a tad too big. Shake was okay but had a metallic-y taste to it. Now I know what the $1,000 sundae at Serendipity tastes like without spending a grand.
The Counter has its own parking lot, but I was afraid of those "beware of severe tire damage" warnings so I opted to park on the street. There's some metered parking (only till 6pm) but there was plenty of on-street spaces available. If you're not a crazy like me, though, you can park in the lot, which looked like it had spaces.
Brother Mikey took me here for lunch about a year ago.
When you sit and read about all the options, it's quite overwhelming. Before going in, I'd suggest you attend some sort of bootcamp on various cheeses and sauces. I should have asked if samples were available because I wanted to make an educated choice when engineering the construction of my custom burger.
I got lazy and just ordered their signature "Counter Burger". While it was satisfying, and the ingredients definitely oozed of quality (for goodness sake, their angus beef is raised on a vegetarian diet without hormones or antibiotics!!!), I wasn't really blown away. I should have went with the Crab Cake burger special, or constructed a variation of my fave, the Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger. Damn.
Sweet Potato Fries from here are certifiably off da chain. These you have to get.
OH HECK YEA! The Counter has, undoubtedly, one of the best burgers in Los Angeles. I mean geez... it was ranked #15 in GQ magazine's list of "20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die" and mentioned on Oprah! And you KNOW it has to be good if it makes it to Oprah!
The custom burgers are delish and the sweet potato fries and onion strings are orgasmic. I absolutely love the decor: classy but modern at the same time. Waitresses are delightful and tables/floors are kept clean. I'm not surprised at why it gets busy up the wazoo during lunch and sometimes dinnertime. The wait is worth it. Trust me. Every friend I've taken to this spot has loved it. On average you'll spend around $11 or $12 for a burger, fries, and drink. This is waaaaay cheap for the quality you get. I wonder what their secret is? Anyway, I'd rather spend $11 for a meal than $15-$20 for just a burger alone at some fancy schmancy restaurant that doesn't even measure up to a Counter burger. I'm going to stop my review now before I drool all over my keyboard. Just try it!
If you're looking for an awesome burger joint in LA, then look no further because The Counter is here to serve you. Game, set, match.
This is the only place I know where you can custom build your burger which made it pretty cool. My girl also loved the fact that she could get a burger on a bed of salad instead of buns.
The burgers are not extraordinary. A very solid burger but lacking a little in the flavor department. Even after all the toppings and sauces its just a slightly above average burger.
The fourth star is for the excellent service, the original idea, the 8-ball stout, and the sweet potato fries. The best sweet potato fries eva!
I'm not much of a burger person (I'm of the opinion that paying $10 for a burger is a ripoff when you can pay $2 more for pasta or a more substantial entree), but boy oh boy does The Counter make me want to change my mind. Maybe it's because I can choose what goes into my burger, but there is something so appealing about this joint that makes me forget I'm paying $10 for a slab of meat and two pieces of bread.
I came here around 6:30 on a Friday night, and it was moderately busy. Our party of four was seated within 20 minutes, which was just enough time for us to decide what to get. I got a well done 1/3 lb beef burger with lettuce, sprouts, boiled egg, tomato, American cheese, and the caramalized onion marmalade sauce. Our table also ordered a side of crispy onion strings and a 50/50 with sweet potato fries and regular fries. When I first received my burger I was sceptical, thinking there was no way it would be enough. Then I dug in and realised how very wrong I was. For the next half hour, I was in burger heaven. The fries were pretty good (I really don't think the sweet potato fries are as amazing as everyone says they are, though), but the onion strings were incredible.
I only ended up spending $12, which is truly incredible considering how good/filling the food was. I will definitely be back again -- there are so many burger combinations I've yet to try...
After seeing the new location in Corte Madera CA we decided to try the Counter in LA on our most recent visit. Very surprised by the number of people in line though the service was very quick, which made me happy.
The counter is a make your birger joint which is fantastic because you can always get different choices every visit if you choose and it can never get boring. I got the 1/3 lbs burger with gruyer, tomato, carmalized onions and lettuce on a whole wheat bun. It was very tasty. We also ordered the 1/2 and 1/2 fries and sweet potatoes as well as fried dill pickles. Both were great! I've never had a dill pickle fried like that before but I'd order it again.
This was pretty much a gourmet burger joint with hip hop paintings throughout the room. I liked it and I'm looking forward to another burger at the one near our house.
I always get the sweet potato fries. I also prefer to sit at "The Counter". Lindsey is great and knows the menu inside and out. I also recommend trying cranberries on your burger and get a milkshake.
I won't bore you with my creation, since every other reviewer has their version of the counter burger. So here is my cliff note version of the dining process here:
1. Grab the mini clipboard with the most important thing of the night- the order sheet (they are simple to read, and self explanatory. You check the boxes. If you are unable to do this, you probably should leave now and order at a drive thru, by numbers, cuz you probably don't deserve the counter burger.
2. Choose the size of your burger (1/3 lbs is more than enough. I eat a lot, and after various toppings, trust me, this is enough. plus you want to keep the bun-patty ratio balanced). the price of your burger hinge on the size. You also choose beef, turkey or veggie patty.
3. Choose your buns or none at all: regular, whole wheat, english muffin (i think) and bowl (sits atop veggie, no bun). It's california, i understand they need to cover all levels of carb- consciousness. But let's be truthful, bun-less burger is NO burger.
4. Choose up to 4 toppings from selections of around 12. Extra topping is extra $ (don't try to milk your money and load up everything on it. we want to make a cohesive burger here, your burger isn't a dumpster) My faves are grilled onion, mixed baby greens or lettuce blend (baby greens over lettuce, and i'll explain why in a bit), Hard boiled eggs.
5. Choose a premium topping for $1 more per item. You can skip this section, but some good ones are: onion strings, applewood smoked bacon (which i always get), avocado, ham, sauteed mushrooms (also good).. Here is where your self constraint comes in handy: remember, moderation and cohesiveness.
6. Choose your dressing (there are about 12-15 kinds) here are a few: Teriyaki, vinegrette, ranch, garlic aoli, mayonnaise, Russian, spicy (or chipotle) caesar. I almost always get the spicy caesar. A little kick to it.
7. Hand over the sheet your server. Let her know how you like your burger. Medium is perfect for my taste buds.
8. Fries do not come with the burger. Order them separately. Get the sweet potato fries, whether an entire order by itself, or half sweet potato and half regular fries.
The fries will come way before the burger. So control yourself and pace it out. You want some fries to go with the burger. Don't finish all of it!
So burger arrives. And this is what i do (ok i said i wouldn't bore you with my creation, but it's my review, so you don't have a choice. ha!)... there are a lil too much greens piled up, so i set aside half on the plate. They give you a whole hard boiled egg, sliced. I leave half in the burger, half aside, on top of the greens. I do the same with onions (way too much on the pile).. half on burger, half with the greens/egg pile on the side. Smear the dressing on the inside of the top bun. I love dressing, so i get generous. There will still be leftover dressing. So i pour it on the greens/ egg/ onion pile, making myself a side salad. voila!
Pick up the burger, bite, keep silent to soak in the flavors. I don't usually talk until i'm done. Full, and about $15 later (including tip) i pat myself on the back for yet another good creation. Damn, i'm good.
I really wanted to love this place, but I don't )=
The good:
- customizable burgers. yay! I got a 1/3 lb burger on honey wheat bun with pepperjack cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos, sprouts (love that they have sprouts) and red onions with garlic aioli.
- so many different toppings!! This months was smoke jicama or something.
- the shake. i got a strawberry shake... so good and it's gigantic
- fries!. we split the 50/50 of regular and sweet potato fries. Really good and so is the dipping sauce that comes with it.
- service, everyone was really nice and came by frequently to see how we were doing
- parking was easy for some reason. there was tons of street parking
the not-so-good:
- the meat was kinda blah. I got it medium and it was just.. bland and kinda dry
- the bun. Why is only the top bun toasted?? The bottom one was just a smashed doughy mess. blegh. Maybe the regular bun or english muffin is better.
so I guess go here if you want to make your own burger with lots of cool toppings, but go somewhere else if you want a mind-boggling burger.
The counter is a great place for a good burger. You have many options to chose from, including the protein (& its weight), the bun, the sauce, and all the fixins. I usually go for the turkey burger which is excellent. You can pick the size, too - anywhere from 1/3 pound to 1 pound. Not only that, you can chose up to 4 of these many toppings like mixed greens, roasted corn salsa, olives, onions, and so forth. They also offer a wide variety of sauces that elevates the burger. I recommend the horseradish sauce (it's orange and also comes with an order of fries).
The only downside of these monster-sized burgers, if you call it a downside is that you need a knife to cut it in half. It's nearly impossible to eat it gracefully even with cutting it in half. However, one can argue that if you can't finish your burger you always have left-overs, which makes me happy.
The Counter also has great french fries. The sweet potato are great, but so are the regular french fries. I opt for an order of both, because I do not want to foreclose myself for one of the types of fries. Additionally, if you feel like living on the edge, order a milk shake. Although you are thinking this meal can't get any higher in calories, it is well worth it to splurge, even if only once. The milkshakes are fantastic, I prefer the chocolate one and have also tried the shake of the month, which can be phenomenal.
On that note, there are also featured burgers of the month. Some have been a kobe beef burger, or a crab cake burger. If feeling adventurous, toss aside your tendency to order the same thing and opt for the burger of the month. They are usually quite good.
First off, the price is quite steep. For such a reason, I am giving the rating a 4 (quality-5, value-3).
The place is really nice and in a nice neighborhood. Parking isn't too bad when I went and the atmosphere inside is pretty nice. The service was great. Now on to the burgers:
The meat of the burger was just amazing. It was like a piece of steak put in between two buns. I ended up getting The Counter Burger. It was really savory and super tender. The toppings made the burger even better. If I ever go back, I'd probably try customizing an order and getting an egg on my burger.
The shake was pretty good. I got the pumpkin pie shake. I have to admit though, it wasn't great. In addition, the pricing of the shake was pretty steep. For this reason, I'd gladly go to a fast food joint just to get a shake (In and Out, Carl's, Jack in the Box).
All in all, it was a good one time experience. Probably won't be a regular though cause of the price---way too expensive.
Amateurs.
The Counter is very close to my office so I dashed over there for lunch to check it out. A few Yelpers mentioned their veggie burger so I was pretty excited to try it.
What a disappointment.
The bun completely over-powered the veggie patty so I could really only taste bun. Plus, the bun was COLD - it was not heated or toasted in any way. So I ate a cold burger. I tried pouring on some BBQ sauce, but really there was very little flavor - I could only taste bun.
Sweet potato fries were pretty good, but they cost over $4 and the portion is way too big - a waste.
The entire meal cost a little over $18.00 (burger, fries and VOSS water). Ouch! This is not a nice sit down restaurant, but rather a diner on the level of Johnny Rockets. I don't think the price is justified.
Most definitely will not return.
The burgers are TDF! Not a place for kids 'cuz they won't appreciate it, this is a burger connoisseur joint.
Wifeys been asking me to take her since she saw this place on Oprah. Well, I think it was Oprah. We went to the pizza place next door a few days ago so I remembered we still needed to hit this one.
Have you ever asked for a burger with everything on it? Not possible here. The menu is big, and almost the entire thing is a list of possible toppings. The burgers come out looking like those giant burgers you see in ads and on commercials. But this place delivers it.
You will never appreciate another burger again. That's all I've got to say.
To be honest, this burger was okay, but the big seller is the custom building of your burger. With a myriad of options to mix and match for your custom burger, this place earns its 4th star.
Tried a 2/3 lb turkey w/ jalapeno jack, mixed greens, tomatoes, pickle chips, roasted red peppers, guacamole, and spicy sour cream on a honey wheat bun.
My girl had a 1/3 lb beef, jalapeno jack, jalapenos, red onion, mixed greens, and peppercorn sauce.
we had a fifty-fifty of fries and onion strings.
Topped it off after lunch with a banana chocolate shake and it was a wrap and a random run in to glennster was a coinkydink.
I'm a fan of options, options allow me to choose my own adventure. And this place delivers in that department. There are soo many options I think it took me a solid 20-35 mins to build my lunch. Which could be a good or bad thing. I was in the area with a friend who is a very picky vegetarian, and so it was nice that there is a good amount of options even for the picky eaters among us. The burger was soo huge I only ate half of it. They need to send Adam Richman of Man v. Food here. I can see him ordering a burger with every option available.
Everyone who worked here was extremely nice. I'm curious on how this place is on a friday or saturday evening. Although I was there around 2pm on a weekday there was only around five-teen other customers. It is a slightly pricey, but then again it should be given that you have every burger option available to you.
I am a creature of variety. I love having dozens of options in my hands to create a meal that I am craving for. The Counter offers just that! Beef, turkey, or veggie... tons of cheese and toppings to choose from (even fried egg)... you can even get your burger on an English muffin!
You can create whatever burger you want to suit your mood.
Don't forget to check out their monthly specials. I almost tried a Greek lamb burger they were offering. Kinda regretting not doing it!
Get a 50/50 of regular fries and sweet potato fries. They're awesome!
Milkshakes... took the liberty of making my own flavor combo - Chocolate, Banana, and Peanut Butter... yum...
Finally went here after much prodding from the SM peeps, and was in the mood for a big customizable Turkey burger.\
Alas, they had no turkey that day. I settled for a 2/3 lb beef burger with some simple add-ons, as I was told these burgers could be overwhelmed by excessive extras.
Perhaps i didn't get enough extras, or maybe i Should have gone with a smaller burger, because all i could taste was beef. Lots of beef. It was good beef, but i was expecting a little more, especially considering the ample amount of grilled onions.
My burger and fries, plus my girls burger and onion strings(which were the best part of the meal) came out to $30!!! A lil too pricey for me.
Overall, the counter doesn't quite match the "gourmet" feel of a FO's burger, nor is it a good value like Hole-in-Wall, which for my money is an amazing customizable burger.
Too many burger spots in LA to keep coming back to this one.
The make your own burger option at the Counter is perfect for both adventurous as well as simple, plain eaters. My favorite burger combination is a 1/3 lb chicken breast on a honey whole wheat bun with creamy herb goat cheese spread, dried cranberries, carrot strings, dill pickle chips, spicy pepperocinis, and carmelized onion marmalade. The result is a huge burger oozing with sweet, tangy, and smooth flavors.
Their sweet potato fries are also good but I never have enough room for them by the end of my burger.
I tried the Counter again. And it was much better. I would definitely build your own burger.
Still no where near Father's Office but wife said you can't really compare, which I tend to agree with that.
Yam Fries are still better at FO but all in all it was a tasty burger.
One big surprise is the Apple Pie Shake. My wife and I both agreed it was really tasty. I built my burger with 1/3 lb of beef, gruyere cheese, grilled onions, hard boiled eggs, dried cranberries, mixed greens and russian dressing.
And this time there was no waitress service. But the thing that bothered me was that the girl at the cash register saw that we were waiting at the door. We thought we were waiting to be seated. So we waited a good 5 minutes before we saw folks in line ordering at the cash register. I wish someone was there to direct us over to the right spot.
I had the Counter Burger. It was not that good at all. And for a place that costs almost as much… Read more »
Finally made it to the Counter. Another birthday dinner for Bobby..
I'm not a big hamburger fan, so I love the fact that I have full control over what goes on my burger. I piled on some Gruyere cheese, grilled onions, mixed greens, tomatoes, and grilled onions. The toppings were quite tasty and they were piled so high that I ended up eating my burger with a knife and fork. The burger was very juicy.
We also got a 50/50 of sweet potato fries and regular fries. I've had better sweet potato fries since these were a bit too salty for me.
The strawberry shake was very tasty and I loved the little bits of strawberry.
I will be back to try more toppings and sauce combinations.
I really like this place, but the trick is in your timing. I've gone at the peak of the lunch rush, and wanted to pull my hair out. Saturday night, we went at 6.30p and walked right in for a four-top. I couldn't believe it. My friends had never been, and really raved about their burgers and shakes. I had the monthly special, a halibut burger, and while the burger was yummy, probably could have gone a little less with The Counter's choice of toppings. Sweet potato fries are out of this world....
Parking is street or there is a small lot in the back of the strip mall.
2nd time ive been here, i really like this place. the burgers are great and choosing the toppings is fun. i went on a busy sunday and we still got our food pretty quickly. our server was not very good (i got up to fill my own drink) but the burgers are so good it makes up for it. sweet potato fries are the bomb.
go for the 1/3lb burger, its huge.
A bar at a burger joint that's not a sports bar? Awesome. This is a good neighborhood place to grab a burger and a beer and watch the game.
Food: For an indecisive person like me, having so many choices is both a blessing and a curse. But overall, this place gets two thumbs up. Sure, it's a little expensive for a burger...and I hesitate to say this, but I ALMOST like In & Out more...Still, the burgers here are solid and cooked to perfection.
Bartender/Staff: It's got the old-school burger joint vibe, so the bartender doesn't feel the need to "entertain" like at other bars. They were accommodating and service was decent...no one spitting in the food or anything, but doesn't seem like anyone's ready to pop the cork on a bottle of champagne either. Everyone just needs a couple shots of espresso.
Attitude: Well, it's called "The Counter," which is almost like "The Bar" so I assume their attitude towards bartenders is good. I like the "do it yourself" burger menu, but the place is franchised and very overly-priced for what it is.
Scene: Not much of a scene at this location. Very low-key, grab a burger and a beer type situation. I prefer "Father's Office" over this place for the scene.
Get Lucky Factor: Giant juicy burger loaded with onions, sweet potato fries with garlic aioli - it's a sure way to get laid! Come here for a giant burger, a beer or to watch the game in peace - not if you're expecting to get lucky.
The food is ok despite its overpriced burgers. What I absolutely despised was its lack of professionalism. We WAITED MORE THAN AN HOUR and had more than 7 parties that checked in after us being seated BEFORE us. Their reason? They wanted to keep us together despite the fact that there is NO table seating area that accommodates 10-15 people. What I think is the real reason? They just wanted higher gratuity for seating more than 6 people together. Or they're just racist because we were a big group of Asian Americans.
Despite the fact that I had repeatedly told them that we would be fine being separated into smaller groups from the beginning when I put my name down, they let more than 7 parties that came after us be seated before us. We had 10 people on our list, which grew to 15 as more people came. Several of us continuously told the restaurant hostess that we would like to be separated into 4-5 people to be seated sooner than later. They kept saying yes, but when I noticed others being seated, I checked the list. There were literally 7 groups that came AFTER us who got seated ALREADY while our group of 15 were still waiting to be seated!!!
No matter how good the food is, if your professionalism is not up to par, there is no way I am returning to your restaurant. I would hate to make the assumption that you did not want to seat a bunch of Asian Americans. But at this point, I cannot figure out why you would make us wait so long. Needless to say, none of my 15 friends and I (and all our friends and their friends) will be returning to your restaurant.
As far as burger joints go, this is #1. The possibilities are just endless here. I like to get the 1/3 pound patty with a fried egg on top and fried onions, chipotle mayo and another wildcard or two. The only bad thing is that you could easily spend $25 on a burger fries and drink at the Counter. But you get what you pay for in quality, atmosphere and experience.
Can't say I'm a fan of the place for these simple reasons: the meat isn't good enough and the preparation is pretty amateurish. They do offer a wide variety of toppings to choose from (which is great) but at the end of the day, I feel like I'm just eating a backyard bbq burger with some random stuff on it. Their sweet potato fries are excellent though so make sure you try them with your burger if you do stop in.
A friend from Philly came for a visit and I wanted him to enjoy some local food (he already tried In n Out, mexican food, and tri-tip). We were lucky enough to get a table without a wait and we were both starving after our day at the beach.
Like all Libras, I am very indecisive so a custom burger with over 300k options is mission impossible for me. After changing my mind about 15 times, I ordered a rather unique turkey burger and an apple pie shake (I had to ask the server for help deciding on the shake flavor). My turkey burger was cooked perfectly and my odd combintation of flavors turned into a treat for the mouth. My friend from Philly said his burger was the best he's ever had.
I am sooo glad I listened to the server's pick for the best milkshake. The apple pie shake is the perfect way to finish the perfect burger. The pies are actually baked there and used for the shake! It had wonderful chunks of apple I had to eat with a spoon.
I would give 5 stars but this place is pricey for a burger joint.
This place is fun AND delicious!
Any place where you can custom order your meal with a checklist is gold in my book. Not only that, but as a carnivore and burger connaisseur, their VEGGIE burger is fantastic!!!
I love a place where you can add cranberries to your burger, choose your dipping sauce of choice, and have sweet potato fries on the side!
I used to work near here and would go for lunch whenever possible. Now I make the trip across the city to fulfill my Counter craves.
I heart The Counter. The in-house veggie burger does it for me every time. It's so delicious. None of that flaccid gardenburger/boca burger nonsense. This is real, my friend. And it's oh so good.
I also love the Build-a-Burger concept. So many toppings, sauces and cheese to choose from. It's hard to pick the right combination. I suggest calculated thinking beforehand. It is possible to make a weird combination that doesn't taste that good. And it'll be your fault! Also, be sure to ask them about their sauce and topping of the month. It's usually pretty fantastic. I can hardly make a real decision when I go to The Counter, unless I know what they are.
Also, sweet potato fries, onion strings, and seasoned fries. Oh my! The sweet potato fries are particularly my favorite. It is so hard to stop eating them. I always have someone move them away from me, only to inevitably wrestle them back.
The only complaint about The Counter is that it can be outrageously busy, especially during the lunch hour and dinner. The wait can be a drag. And I don't think they have table service during lunch. Last time, we had to give our order, and were told to find an empty table. But the servers are pretty nice, and let us know when there was one available while we waited outside.
Usually I am not much of a burger person, but there is something about The Counter that keeps me coming back.
We arrived around 7:30 with a group of 6 people, and had to wait for approximately 20 minutes, which wasn't that bad. We ordered sweet fries and onion strings to munch on while our food was being prepared.
I chose a 1/3 lb turkey burger (which is plenty of food, believe me) and added blue cheese, grilled pineapple, grilled onions, roasted corn and blackbean salsa, and sprouts, and topped it with garlic aoli sauce and a hamburger bun. Although the food is DELICIOUS, i feel like it undid every healthy thing i tried to do this week. Oh well, it was an amazing dinner though.
The burger of the month is a greek inspired lamb burger. I'm a little upset that i found this out after i ordered, but i will definitely return before the end of july to try this out! Updates to come!
My sister and friends came here for an afternoon lunch before heading out to Venice Beach. The place was pretty cute, I think they were aiming for a garage/basement look. I absolutely loved how we can check off what we wanted on a slip of ingredient choices on a clipboard. I felt like I was taking a test in building a delicious burger.
I chose a wheat bun, boiled eggs, grilled red peppers, spicy sour cream sauce, grilled pineapples, and baby greens. It was one of the better vegetarian burgers I've had by far. Aside from burgers, we ordered a dish of sweet potato fries and french fries. They were yummy, along with the lemonade. It's a great place to go if you're feeling some burgers with all sorts of interesting ingredients.
GREAT burgers... but not THE BEST. there are so many options in LA now, its crazy. Id say this place is what started this burger trend in LA, and they're still in the fight. That should tell you how solid this place is.
but unlike the other places in LA, this place has so many customizable choices... like, a CRAPload. thats why i like them. parking sucks, beers are good, burgers are excellent.
i can think of one other place in the westside that is better burgerwise (but doesnt have as much customizable choices), and it does not begin with "fathers".
Neighborhood: Studio City
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Marina Del Rey
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: El Segundo
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Burgers
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