The Counter Los Angeles

THE COUNTER is part of an international chain of casual, mid-century, American diners. The high-end eatery's gourmet burgers and extensive list of toppings and sides combine into over a million combinations.* (So you can order a different burger combination, for lunch, for about 2,700 years, without once repeating.) Sherri, the franchise owner, stopped by to tell me about her eatery. Reminiscent of a 50's malt shop, it's designed with comfortable booths and space between tables. (The only thing missing is a jukebox.) Place settings are simple. Condiments and extra napkins are displayed on every table. A beer and wine bar stretches across the restaurant's east wall. (Sherri is proud of the selection of "Reds.") The menu offers 9 animal and vegetable proteins. The buns: wheat, gluten free, vegan, and a lettuce wrap are interchangeable. There are 28 toppings, 12 cheeses, 20 sauces, and 12 sides. Mix and match as you like. Organic products are used whenever possible. The menu is annotated with dietary information. I ordered a vegan Impossible Burger with several toppings, prepared medium rare. Lots of restaurants offer Impossible Burgers but not one, so far, has been able to cook it medium rare. In short order the tallest burger I've ever seen arrived. I don't have a ruler, but my best guess is that the sandwich is about 6 inches tall. It arrived open-face, loaded, as ordered, with a thick, medium rare, Impossible Burger, shredded lettuce, tomato, fried onions, and cucumber slices, piled high on a lightly toasted Ciabatta roll, gently spread with a refreshing vegan mayo. Before closing the sandwich, I added a dollop of ketchup. Then holding the middle of the sandwich, I took nibbles along the edge. The nibbles turn into bites as I devoured the sandwich. The chef prepared it perfectly. I had also ordered Shoe String Fries. The combination is absolutely delicious. But, try as I might, I left quite a few fries. The well trained staff is gracious, and friendly. They checked to see if everything was okay. It was. Expensive, yes. Worth it, definitely. STUFF: Easy free parking in the rear of the eatery. Walking up the ramp or a few steps takes you to The Counter's rear entrance. Follow the hallway into the dining room. The code, to unlock the large, clean restrooms, can be supplied by any staff member. Everything is ADA compatible. *Jeff Weinstein opened the first "The Counter" eatery (2003) in Santa Monica California. During the following twenty-three years the chain has grown to 45 locations worldwide: United States, Mexico, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, and Japan.

I’m not exactly sure why other locations have closed because this was quite a good burger. Really, it’s hard to have a bad burger when you can build your own—if it’s bad, that’s mostly on you! Everything really tasted good, was fresh and flavorful. The shoestring fries were perfect, too.