The Counter

Burgers galore! My gosh I love this place! This is a safe place to go if you are in the mood for a burger and maybe spicing (pizzazz not flavor) those ingredients up a bit.
Service: excellent
Food: omg their fries are to die for and the toppings to pick from are just things you wouldn’t eve ask for on a burger but just ingenious.
Beverages: pop, beer, wine!
They also have TVs at the bar.

closed.

One of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had.
The service was exceptional.
But the onion rings were disappointing, and the fries were just ok.

The Counter has great burgers. Having worked and lived nearby for a long time, I was surprised that I hadn’t tried them out. I would defiantly come back.
I took one of my employees there for a going away lunch, along with my assistant. The service was spot on and the burgers really delicious. They played good music and the overall vibe was really chill and relaxing.
I’ll be back.
Rock on Counter!

Three stars for ambiance. The food is great. I was expecting just a plain burger after my daughter recommended The Counter for me. When you walk in, it looks like a diner — there is a counter and about 20 tables.
We were immediately seated by a very attentive waiter. He asked if we’d been there before, which we had not, so he explained how it worked. Everyone has a pad with a menu checklist on it. You simply check off what you want and away the order goes. There is a regular menu, but the waiter encouraged us to create our own burger since that is where the fun is.
Warning for when you go — the weights are not before cooking, they are after cooking. You have a choice of a 1/​3, ½ or 1 pound burger. (You can also get chicken, veggie and lamb). Choosing the ¹⁄₃ pound, I was amazed at the size, and was not able to finish it all. (That was surprising.) You also have a large choice of buns, including regular hamburger bun, pretzel roll, brioche, English muffin, and I think there were a few more choices.
We also had their french fries (just okay) and their fried pickles (very good). There are a number of other side dishes available.
I would not rate it as high as Kumas when it comes to sheer variety. But, the quality is on par. If you are a burger enthusiast (like me), you’ll love this place.

I like everything about this place except that it gets crazy busy. Maybe a little expensive for burgers but they are worth it. If you can’t find something to eat here, you’re a robot. Its build-​your-​own. So I tried a shrimp burger. We also tried the fries which come right away. So yummy. But I feel in love with the shakes. Esp the ones with alcohol in them.
This place is fun. I’ll try it again another time when it may not be as jammed.

The standard. Not bad, not great burgers. Cool that you get to customize your burger! Choose a burger (beef, chicken, turkey, VEGGIE =P), a cheese, up to 4 toppings, a sauce (wide selection here! ranging from garlic aioli to tzatziki sauce!), and a bun (or go crazy and have it in a bowl! a bowl of lettuce or greens that is you rebel). They also have a few sandwiches and sides like fries, onion rings, and salad. Plenty of indoor seating to go around as well as some outdoor seating!
Did all those exclamations points excite you? I only did that to prove my point… that the burgers themselves were anti-​climactic. Quantity just can’t trump quality. DMK Burger or Jerry’s FTW! =D

My friends and I (a group of four) went here on a Thursday evening at around 7pm and it wasn’t busy at all. We got a table right away.
I love that you can make your own burger and there are tons of toppings, burger choices, and buns to choose from. So many that it took us a while to decide. I made a Greek inspired burger with —
¹⁄₃ beef burger
Greek Feta
Cucumber
Red Onion
Pepperoncinis
Tomato
Tzatziki Sauce
Pretzel Bun
It was amazing! We also shared the Parmesan French Fries and the Sweet Potato French Fries. The portions are quite large, so it was plenty for four.
I would definitely go back again!

I’m used to Kuma’s for my burger outings, but my buddy Zach pulled me into this place due to some groupon coupons and the proximity to the theatre. I’m glad he did!
The burger was cooked perfectly mid-​rare and the topping choices are really nice. (my friend said he only went once when the burger was not cooked right) You can select up to four or something, plus one ‘sauce’, and something else… I don’t remember all the details, frankly but it’s basically a build your own burger joint. The price includes a set number of add-​ons, but for an additional fee you can of course get all the extras you like. Quite tasty as well, but… the prices are a teeny bit higher than I’d normally like to spend on something that isn’t Kuma’s. The regular burger is 9 I think as a flat rate, but consider the price with fries (they’re good) and drink and maybe an extra or two.
A perfect place to stop in if you’re going to the Landmark. But Duke of Perth across from the theatre a little north on Clark probably wins me over. Great burgers there and really nice atmosphere. But hey, give this place a try.

I’ve been here three times.
The First: Summer time — grabbed a table outside. Enjoyed burgers with interesting ingredients. Great experience.
The Second: Came on a cold evening. It was cold inside. We were seated next to a family. That alone was unpleasant. All the family did was fight. There were plenty of tables so I don’t know why we had to be seated with them. The burgers this time weren’t great. We ordered fries and they came out 20 minutes ahead of the burgers. The special ingredient was fried chicken — something they already had (chicken) — not that special. They also got our order messed up. My boyfriend’s burger was overdone, mine was underdone — essentially they switched our orders. Despite being slow the staff wasn’t attentive.
The Third (and last): It was cold again, blustery. Still cold inside — and this time a 40 minute wait. We finally got seats at the counter after 20 minutes to avoid the table wait. The place was packed with kids — boyscout troops, families, etc. Why do you take kids out for $ 10 burger, $ 5 shakes and $ 5 fries?! Anyway, service at the counter was exceedingly slow. We at least got the fries with our burgers this time. The special ingredient was still the fried chicken. I thought the burgers were dry.
Sorry, 3^rd time was not a charm!

After 3 trips, I’m not as big a fan of this place anymore.
Definitely a great spot in the summer, especially when the special offering is something interesting (lamb, buffalo, etc.).
It’s all about the customizing and there are plenty of options, but if you’re looking for a simple, great burger, this is not your place. If you’re very picky about what you like on your burger, this is a good bet.
In the last 2 trips, the special meat offering was panko chicken. While I’m sure it’s great, I don’t go to a burger place to have only 1 out of 5 burger options be red meat.
If the beef was great, I wouldn’t mind, but it tends to be on the dry side (which you wouldn’t notice it you took the time to slather it in all the toppings and sauces they offer).
I’m usually not one to badmouth, but I would much rather go to somewhere like Rocks where the basic burger has been tried and tested, THEN improved upon.
It’s always busy, although it seems to be a BIG spot for special dinners for kids. About 40% of the tables had a lot of kids, so unless you’re at the bar or far away enough not to be disturbed, it could be unpleasant.

I love this place. Not only do they have amazing burgers but they are friendly and helpful too.
Since it was my first time, I decided to go a-​la-​carte and see what they would dish up for me. They kinda left me hanging for 10 minutes, then a waitress came up and asked me if I was being served. On being told I wasn’t, she gave me a look of horror and scuttled off to find someone who would take my order.
The food came pretty quickly and it was DELISH. I had the avacado burger and there was so much food, I simply had to take it home.
On top of that, they gave me half off the food, since I had to wait to give in my order. They really didnt have to do that, but them doing it made me appreciate the service more. I’ll be going back the next time I get my hair done at Aveda.

The first time I went here I wasn’t the biggest fan but I think that’s because my expectations were so high from hearing so much great hype about The Counter. The second time was a much better experience.
They have a great selection of high quality ingredients to put on your burger and I love the countless combinations one can make. Both the Parmesan Fries Sweet Potato Fries are really good.
Overall the burger are good, but The Counter is very expensive and I can’t really say it’s worth the price just for burgers. I would recommend trying The Counter to try it, but I can’t say it’s a place I will frequent often.

omg.
wow.
so normally, i don’t like paying more than $ 5 for a burger. i mean, it’s a burger. we live in america. the idea of a gourmet burger is just beyond me.
BUT.
wow.
ok, so byob: build your own burger (i thought that use of the acronym was GENIUS). i got grilled onions, grilled pineapple, roasted red pepper, mixed greens with ¹⁄₃ lb beef on wheat bun and the special sauce (peach bbq). i took one bite, and i almost choked on it; it was so delicious. whatever you do, do NOT forego the pineapple. it is freaking AMAZING. mmmMMMmmmmm i want more of this burger, and i just got home a few hours ago.
don’t forget to check out the little extra menu for the market specials or whatever they’re called. that’s where i found the peach bbq sauce!
our waiter was super great. we had a large party, but he was pretty attentive. we all ordered fries (the parmesan fries are pretty delicious!). he even brought us a free order of onion strings! SWEET!
i hear their adult shakes are pretty amazing, too. next time, i will come with more room in my tummy to try one… because there will definitely be a next time.

Look, I’m not going to lie when it comes to a good burger I don’t really care about «Service» or «friendly staff». As long as you don’t spit on my burger or insult my mother I trust you respect yourself and your job enough not to ruin my burger experience. Long story short — the wait staff was fine.
What was not fine was the burger. Medium rare is not burnt completely on the outside and cold through the other 90% of the burger. Their topping are not impressive and barely original. If ever asked whether I am going here or Kuma’s again — it’s Kumas or I’ll stay home (in the worlds of Wayne Campbell) and lick the cat’s butt.

My Groupon-​driven return to the Counter was much anticipated. What kind of specialty shake would they have? Would I feel like creating my own custom burger or going for the signature «Counter burger» with onion strings, provolone, and mushrooms? And what kind of fries?!
In case you’re wondering, chocolate brownie coffee malt (it tasted strangely like cherry), no (opted for a burger with brie, greens, tomato, roasted red peppers, chipotle aioli, and whipped avocado), and regular.
If those shakes aren’t bottomless, I don’t know what is! I kept sipping and sipping, but couldn’t even finish ¹⁄₃ before I felt like buttons were going to bust (not pretty). Fries reminded me of Steak ‘n Shake’s (super skinny) and were nothing to write home about, and the burger was good, but I prefer DMK.
The wait on a Saturday around 7:30 pm was surprisingly only 15 minutes.

I’ve been to the counter twice and both times I feel like I should have enjoyed my experience more than I did. I like burgers. I like being able to pick what goes on my burger. But I don’t like filling out paperwork before deciding what goes on my burger.
The onion strings were good though.

I have often walked by this place wondering what its all about.
A buddy of mine decided to make a trip here after he took advantage of a special deal advertised on some website (I think u all know where I am going here). We walked in and was greeted by the nice hostess that showed us to our seats immediately. We showed up around 5:30 PM on a Tuesday evening so it wasn’t crowded yet.
We were given instructions on what to do to have a great burger. There was an overwhelming checklist to build your own burger that we had to fill out. You had the choice of going with turkey, beef, chicken, veggie or even a burger bowl. I decided to go with the 1/​3lb beef burger, medium rare on a pretzel bun along with roasted red peppers, fried egg and melted brie. We also decided to order parmesan fries for the table… the fries were pretty damn good.
The burger itself was pretty good as well. The actual meat itself could have used a little more seasoning, but the add-​ons definitely made up for it. The burger was devoured in minutes due to its deliciousness. I like the actual look and concept of the actual place. Myself being a serious burger guy, I love having the ability to build my own. I do think they have stuff on their checklist that do not belong on a burger though. I like that they have pictures on the wall of some of my favorite musicians: LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and a few others. I do think they can add more flavor to their somewhat bland walls. I like that they have a full bar area that has plasma TVs which means I can build a burger and watch some sports at the same time if I show up alone. Not sure how I feel about the lighting, although that is what originally caught my eye when I first walkeed by.
Good place to stop in and build your perfect burger!

Walk in to The Counter and you sit down to a massive checklist of burger toppings. «Fancy!» you say to yourself, then grab your golf pencil and start checking off the items you wish to try.
12 different cheeses!
Carrot strings!
Hard boiled eggs!
Sun-​dried tomatoes!
Boot leather!
A hubcap from a 1972 Buick Skylark!
Soylent Green!
It’s all available to heap on your burger. Constructing your burger is fun. That’s where the joy ends.
Fries are not included in the price of the burger and when they arrive, they’re the puny shoestring variety. Within 45 seconds, exposure to the air conditioning has cooled them to the point that they’re not worth the trouble of rounding up 27 just so you can taste something when you bite down. They are just kindling and the roaring furnace of my stomach requires a mighty oak of a fry to satisfy it. Thumbs down.
The actual burger was… okay. I didn’t go crazy with toppings, but I put enough on to make it unique (to me, anyway). I wasn’t blown away. And I think they only have one size of bun. Although I got a ²⁄₃ lb. burger, the pretzel bun was not up to the task, leaving massive amounts of meat without a suitable enclosure. Hiss.
Side note: You have to pay an extra dollar if you *don’t want a bun? Explain yourself, Counter.
For a Coke, ²⁄₃ lb. burger, fries and tip, my total came to just over $ 20. This was not a $ 20 meal.
I suggest you walk two blocks south to Five Guys and get the same amount of food for half the price. Five Guys tastes better. And the fries are thick and manly. There’s no reason for me to return to The Counter.

There’s good but, beyond just that adjective to describe things, there are different levels of good. Recently, I discovered that one of the best levels of good is «stab yourself with a fork good.»
There are various sensations that can bring about stab yourself with a fork good. The most dramatic of these is, «this food is so good, I feel like I might be dreaming. Oh look, here’s a fork to stab myself with to make sure I’m not.» I didn’t quite have that transcendent or metaphysical (or aggressive) an experience at The Counter but I did have the next level down. I was chowing down on my veggie burger so fast, I stabbed myself with my fork trying to get every last morsel off my plate!
Now one may wonder why I was using a fork to eat my burger in the first place. No, I haven’t gone all uppity. The actual reason is that the veggie burger (one size fits all for $ 8.50) at The Counter is homemade out of some fine, albeit loose, vegetables so it will fall apart. Not may. No matter how careful or clean (which anyone who’s eaten with me knows I’m not) the eater is, it’s a will proposition. The cheese *almost* held it together but it still disintegrated before I could finish leaving me to fish the bites off my plate.
One thing herbivores and carnivores alike need to know about The Counter is that experiences may vary. Not everyone will have the same «stab yourself with a fork» experience I did. Since dining here is a pick-​a-​path adventure (or, more to the point a check-​a-​box adventure) that could have resulted in bad endings (thankfully just involving a bathroom and no worse), I tried to maximize the experience (and minimize the potential pain) by just going familiar.
I chose Tillamook cheddar, red onions, tomato, cole slaw, and mayonnaise — though they had far more exotic possibilities that looked tempting. The cole slaw was me being «crazy» and «experimental» but it all worked out. The restaurant served the mayonnaise on the side (maybe because the chef was worried about the combination and cared about me — or worried about irate diners attacking him or her with forks) and it ended up a perfect complement to the average fries but spectacular onion strips combo I ordered on the side.
The whole extravaganza of two veggie burgers, sides, and a drink came to less than the $ 30 Groupon. With the extra, I got an apple crumble for desert. It made my eyes cross it was so caramelly good. But the only thing I stabbed with a fork was the crumble itself.
Only the service was less than brilliant. After our server found out we had the Groupon, she was far less attentive. We ran out of water. It took a long time for my dining companion to get her soda. Basically, it was disappointing. Not so disappointing that a more violent person would stab the server with a fork but definitely not the kind of good reflection on the place one could see in the fork they’re stabbing themselves with (or off the shiny metallic tables)!