The Counter

My previous roommate was the first person to introduce me to The Counter. She told me the sweet fries were to die for (picture this wide-eyed 5'3 Japanese girl declaring, in her Japanese accent, "Niiic we habe to go to The Counterr"). And so we went, we ate and we conquered. She wasn't lying, the sweet fries were good.

That was at least 2 years ago and even though The Counter's sweet potato fries were delicious, I haven't been back there since then. It's not that I didn't like my food, it was more that there are other (sometimes better) burger options closer to home. Anyway the other Wednesday night, motivated by a buy one burger get one free coupon (I'm a straight out of college recessionista!), my friend and I made plans to dine there.

For those of you who don't know, The Counter is a build-your-own-burger joint and so the possibilities are endless and in my opinion, slightly overwhelming. I'm extremely indecisive, therefore decisions and limitless options are just a nightmare. In fact, I think that's kind of why I like Father's Office since they refuse to let you make any sort of adjustment to your burger order (and of course the minor detail that their burgers are like a party in your mouth).

Anyway after much hmm-ing and umm-ing, I settled on ordering a turkey burger on an english muffin topped with sprouts, cucumbers, organic lettuce and grilled onions with a side of sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. And of course a full order of french fries and sweet potato fries to split.

The order of fries (both sweet and regular) came in generous portions. I guess each order was already sized for sharing. Oopsie. But I am not going to lie, I am not the slightest bit embarrassed to admit that between my friend and I, we polished off both orders. What can I say, fries are my Kryptonite.

Served with a side of horseradish mayo, the sweet potato fries were just as delicious as I remember them! Cut to the perfect size (not too thin and wimpy, and not too thick and wedgy), each fry was deliciously crunchy and comforting. My guess is that they double fry them at different temperatures in order to get the inside and outside crispy. Meanwhile, the french fries were just alright. They were cut to the shoestring variety and my one complaint about shoestring fries is that you literally have to grab 6-10 fries at a go just to get the right amount of fry per mouthful ratio! In other words, shoestring fries make me look like I am stuffing my face, which I most probably already am but at least normal cut fries don't emphasize the fact.

As for my turkey burger, I must say that I've never had a burger on an english muffin (I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to buns) but the english muffin was a great option as it provided a harder alternative to a the normally soft pillowy bun. My burger was tender and juicy; and I loved the sprouts and cucumbers. While everything was great, the star of my burger was definitely the grilled onions. Caramelized to perfection, I found myself picking out the sublimely sweet onions from the burger just to enjoy them separately. Mmmm...

Details:

The Counter

2901 Ocean Park Blvd

Santa Monica, CA 90405

310 399 8383