We built the burger of our dreams (or what we thought was our dream burger) that night at The Counter, a hip, futuristic looking diner in Santa Monica. More than your typical burger joint, The Counter offers "custom built burgers" that would whet the burger craving of anybody--from your carnivores to herbivores. Our panda mouths were opened.Upon being seated, we had some decisions to make. The waitress handed us a pencil and a checkoff list. We had the choice of four types of meat: beef, turkey, veggie, and grilled chicken and how much extra weight we'd liked to gain. The Counter's burgers range from 1/3 lb to 1 whole pound after being cooked and we had to check off how heavy we want our burger. Ten different types of cheese were also available from Danish Blue Cheese to Horseradish Cheddar to the good ol' Yellow America. We could choose up to four toppings, some of which include grilled pineapple, spicy pepperoncinis, and grilled onions. Premium Toppings ($1 extra) which included fried egg, black forest ham, chili, were also available. Last two steps involved selecting from their 18 different sauces and choosing a bun: English Muffin, Hamburger Bun, or Honey Wheat Bun.
Topped with a fried egg (+1) and some mean grilled onions, Wesley's 2/3 lb beef burger ($10.25) with gruyere cheese, roasted chilies, roasted red peppers, honey cured bacon (+$1) and roasted garlic aioli was massive. To make his traditional burger even less traditional, the burger was wrapped in an English muffin. Juicy and to say the least, satisfyingly filling.
Evelina's burger was really too big for her. What was she thinking when she decided she wanted to consume a 2/3 lb burger?! Going crazy for horseradish that night, Evelina ordered a beef 2/3 lb burger, with horseradish cheddar, grilled onions, and Horseradish Mayo on a hamburger bun. The horseradish cheddar and mayo were delicious and really stood out against the juicy, thick burger. If she could do it again, she would order a smaller burger that could be eaten without being cut. Otherwise, she fulfilled her burger quota for the month.
On top of our burgers, we ordered a "Fifty-Fifty" of Sweet Fries and Onion Strings ($6.25). We didn't care for the onion strings, but the sweet potato fries were addicting.
The Counter would satisfy every picky eater with its juicy burgers and large selection of cheeses, toppings, and sauces. Such a versatile and somewhat affordable diner means repeat visits whenever we're in the area.
The Counter would satisfy every picky eater with its juicy burgers and large selection of cheeses, toppings, and sauces. Such a versatile and somewhat affordable diner means repeat visits whenever we're in the area.
The Counter
2901 Ocean Park Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
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Burger quota? That is crazy talk! You can never have too many burgers!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your masterful beefy creations! The Counter just opened up in Pasadena and I've been dying to check it out. I stare at the "check list" of ingredients everyday so that I'll be fully prepared when the day comes.
ReplyDeleteSharon: There is no such thing as a burger quota for me. I can eat a burger everyday of the week assuming I am able to survive that long.
ReplyDeleteCathy: I was excited when I heard they opened up in Pasadena. Go for the 1 lb patty (it was described to us at "cartoon like"). You have to get a fried egg.
-Wesley
I'd have to say the Counter in SM is better than the Pasadena location, though they could be working on some kinks at the new location when I went. Let me know if you two check it out!
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