A hamburger is among the most popular dishes in the world. McDonald’s has claimed it sells “more than 75 hamburgers per second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day of the year.” Americans in particular enjoy their share – we consume some 14 billion hamburgers annually. In such a saturated market (saturated here referring to the amount of competition, not the meat), it can be difficult to stand out; The Counter, however, towers over others.
The Counter almost feels like a modern-day “The Max” from “Saved by the Bell,” with its skateboards on the wall. The restaurant has quite a bit of motion and chatter going on to accompany the fun atmosphere; those looking to slow things down should sit outside.
The Counter is mainly BYOB – build your own burger. The selection of meats, cheeses, buns, toppings and sauces are wide and delicious basically across the board. It would be difficult for even the pickiest eaters not to be able to concoct something they truly enjoy here.
The pre-made Signature Burgers are great examples of some potent combinations. The “Counter Burger” comes with a heaping pile of crispy onion strings, and the meat is cooked just right. It is not necessarily packed with flavor unto itself but is nicely accompanied by a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. The buttery bun is delicious and does just enough in its supporting role. The “Old School” is similar in the sense that it is a relatively straightforward but highly dependable burger that is greatly enhanced by the red relish dipping sauce. Unlike some of the other options that thrive even without their accoutrements, these two need their sauces a bit more. It’s not a flaw with the burgers though, The Counter just defaults to the customer’s opinion about the right amount of sweet on as savory a dish as a burger.
The Counter’s non-beef options are probably better than their staple offerings. The “Unique Veggie” burger is shockingly good. The homemade patty has a soft texture reminiscent of hash browns due to the starchy components such as corn, rice and potato. It is a far cry from the imitation beef patties available at supermarkets, and it moves in the right direction – it provides a great salty and savory balance at least on par with beef burgers without trying to be something it isn’t. The roasted red peppers add a perfect amount of sweet to the burger. The dish is incredible with or without the Dijon balsamic, but the sauce is a nice touch.
Likewise, the grilled chicken breast on the “Grilled Chicken” burger is masterfully prepared and has a wonderful flavor to it. The mixed greens and scallions keep the feeling of a light fare. The only slight drawback is that the bun can sometimes crowd the subtle flavor of the chicken, but the dish manages to shine anyway. The honey mustard side sauce definitely has the potential of changing the dynamics, so be wary of adding too much.
The “Taco Turkey” burger is excellent although its resemblance to a taco seems to be a bit of a stretch; dried cranberries generally aren’t found in tacos, and the burger really isn’t spicy at all despite the jalapeno jack cheese and spicy sour cream. Regardless, the turkey patty is moist and has just the right amount of pepper coming through, and the burger overall is very satisfying.
I would be surprised if anything on The Counter’s menu is a miss, and most options are worth returning for. There is no question that The Counter is “definitely worth trying.” And don’t forget the sweet potato fries (but you can probably skip the fried dill pickle chips).