Want to have it your way? Move over, Burger King, there's a new burger joint in town where you can have it over 312,000 ways. The Counter outpaces Mongolian grills at their own game by taking the do-it-yourself concept to new extremes, allowing you a vast array of choices for your burger's toppings, sauce and cheese. If you often find yourself in a quagmire of indecision, this may not be for you. If you have always felt stifled by the mundane, obligatory lettuce-cheese-tomato-onion combo on burgers, read on.
Counterintuitively, the restaurant offers full table service, rather than the self-serve counter I had been envisioning. We were able to snag a table immediately, though the dining room was full by the time we left. With its exposed ceilings, futuristic aluminum chairs, and black and white posters adorning the walls, the room exudes a cool, casual vibe. The burger has never been so hip. I hastily put on some black, rectangular-framed glasses. However, I did find the tables a little too close together for comfort, and it seemed like the servers occasionally had trouble navigating between them as well.
Our server asked if we'd eaten at the Counter before, and when we replied no, proceeded to give a quick tutorial on the ordering process for custom burgers. As mentioned before, the menu offers a myriad of options, but is designed with clear categories to guide you in formulating a winning burger. It also features monthly specials (this month's burger special was a Maryland lump crab cake burger) and a full bar is available with several beers on tap. The extensive menu does lead to a number of interesting conundrums. Would gruyere and corn & black bean salsa complement each other on a burger? Was I was willing to eliminate lettuce in lieu of something sexier? Since the Tribune named the Counter as having one of the best veggie burgers in town, should I vie for the greener veggie burger/herbed goat cheese/sprouts route? These are the questions that keep Thoreau awake at night. I should also mention that a number of sides, milkshakes and desserts are available, though I didn't try any of them. Fries do not come with your burger and must be ordered separately, which is a bummer, however they do have sweet potato fries on the menu. And for the truly indecisive, there are several pre-set burger options to choose from.
In the end, I ordered a beef burger topped with horseradish cheddar, corn & black bean salsa, grilled onions, roasted red pepper and grilled pineapple, with spicy sour cream on on a honey wheat bun. What arrived on my plate rivaled the Swiss Alps in height, and I patted myself on the back for wearing dark-colored pants. Seriously, there is no way to gracefully eat this burger in one piece, so take advantage of your knife and fork. Some of my toppings were actually placed under my burger (making them bottomings?), but other than that, everything was business as usual. The 1/3 lb beef patty was perfectly pink and juicy, plenty of meat for one meal. The horseradish cheddar and spicy sour cream both could have used more kick, but I was happy overall with my raft of flavor choices.
It hasn't quite topped the Goose Island Stilton burger in my mind, but the Counter is a fun experience, particularly if you like the novelty of designer burgers. Bring the kids to the (burger) bar, at the least they can't complain about not liking anything on the menu.
What a great discovery. I LOOOOOVE burgers so I'll have to definitely check this out. I completely agree with the GI Stilton comment, too. :-)
Posted by: orangejeans | February 21, 2009 at 03:10 PM