The Counter | Santa Monica

When I think of good old American cuisine, I can't help but think of a burger and fries. I have lived in Los Angeles for a few years now, and I am always on the hunt for the best burger. Growing up I became a fan of the ever so popular In N Out Burger. And let's not overlook the Carl's Jr. Western bacon cheeseburger. If you are in Washington D.C., Five Guys Burger chain is pretty damn great as well. It wasn't until I visited Father's Office 6 years ago where I became aware that the burger can become bougie. You don't necessarily have to have cheddar as your only choice of cheese, in fact you can get gruyere cheese. And your meat can be dry aged. For years I have been such a fan of the Father's Office burger. And although the service can be rude at times, you cannot beat the taste of that burger. It wasn't until I ventured out of my comfort zone (which is always a great thing to do) that I discovered The Counter!


I dropped by here the other day at their Ocean Park location and I was greeted right away and sat at the counter within a matter of 3 seconds. In less than one minute I made my choices and my order was immediately taken. Now that is service.


I loved the decor, it is simple modern and clean. They have some cool funky urban inspired paintings, the music was cool, and I love the Philippe Stark chairs. And knowing how much those chairs cost (roughly $400 a chair), I realized they spent some good money to seat their customers!


Another thing I like about The Counter is that you can custom build your own burger. They hand you there signature clipboard and pencil, and here you can check off what you want. There are tons to choose from, they've got beef, turkey, chicken, and veggie burger options. And if you are on one of those "no carb diets," which half of L.A. is on, you can get your burger minus the bun and on top of a bed of mixed greens or lettuce. For appetizers I chose the fried onion strings and sweet potato fries, it came with two dipping sauces, barbecue and ranch...yum! And for my burger, okay I admit, I am one of those Angelenos that got no bun, but I ain't on that diet...I swear! I just had a hip hop dance class in one hour, and I couldn't be dancing to hip hop beats with all that in my stomach.


My burger was on a bed of lettuce with grilled caramelized onions, a grilled pineapple (aloha), gruyere cheese, and it came with a side of garlic aioli. It was awesome! So if you are looking for a great burger, custom built to your liking, and better service than F.O. (Santa Monica) come check out The Counter. Hey if it's good enough for me and Oprah, it'll be good enough for you!

The Counter
2901 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA. 90405
Phone: 310.399.8383
www.thecounterburger.com

Father's Office
www.fathersoffice.com

Five Guys
www.fiveguys.com

In N Out Burger
www.in-n-out.com