The Counter

On Saturday afternoon we decided to enjoy a late lunch at The Counter in Santa Monica. Ever since my boyfriend started going there with his work buddies I have been intrigued. Not only did he rave about the place, but also it makes several lists a year for "the best burger in LA."

The drive from Burbank was a little long because the freeway was packed and then the side streets were slow. Once we got there, we parked on the street at a meter (although there was a small lot) and went inside. The restaurant was crowded, but the wait was shorter than expected.

They handed us clipboards and pencils and we sat on the empty chairs near the windows to fill out the burger list. There is a regular menu and then there is a list to fill out where you can build your own burger. While we were waiting a man came along and asked us if we had any questions about the process or the menu. We later found out that he was the owner. It is very neat that the owner of the restaurant was there and interacting with the customers--very personalized. A couple of minutes after we got there we were seated. My boyfriend said that usually he orders, pays and then finds his own seat and someone brings the burgers. This time though we sat down in the regular waiter/customer service.

For just $8, you get a burger with the following:
-1/3 patty (beef, veggie, turkey, grilled chicken)
-Choice of one cheese
-Choice of 4 regular toppings
-Choice of one sauce
-Choice of bun

If you want to pay a little more you can get a larger patty, premium toppings--like bacon or avocado, or more regular toppings or cheese or another sauce.

There are a lot of choices for all the different categories. In the cheese category they have everything from American and cheddar to horseradish cheddar and jalapeño jack. The toppings category has the typical lettuce, tomato, pickles plus unusual toppings like roasted chilies, dried cranberries and sprouts. There are plenty of sauces to choose from too.

The burger I made was a little more ho-hum than expected--but I believe it was my own fault. I didn't know what I felt like and had a hard time coming up with new combinations. I had a 1/3 burger with horseradish cheddar (not as strong as I had hoped), sprouts, tomato, pickles and roasted red peppers (I wish I had gotten the roasted chilies), garlic aioli on a honey whole wheat bun. Even though I didn't choose the ultimate toppings, the burger was delicious. The meat was cooked perfectly and the textures together were wonderful. The only problem was the juicy burger, sauce and toppings soaked through the bottom bun faster than I could eat it.

Everyone else loved their burgers. One diner in our party ordered the grilled cheese trifecta. I tried some of the extra cheese that oozed out and thought it would be better without the American, but it was still gooey and delicious. We also ordered the half and half fries to go with our meal. Half the fries were sweet potato and the other half were just regular. Both kinds of fries were thin with crunchy outsides. They provided individual dipping bowls for ketchup and a special sauce came with the sweet fries.

Overall, the experience was very positive. I am looking forward to going back again soon so I can attempt a more unique burger.





The Counter
2901 Ocean Park Boulevard
Santa Monica 90405
Map