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The Counter

Custom Built Burger Restaurant

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Pardon my Greasy Spoon

  • Jan 10, 2009
  • by
Rating:
+3
I guess it takes someone who refers to himself as DesignDude to review The Counter's interior layout rather than its food, but I figure it's part of the overall experience. I was really pleased with the burger I had at the counter, and maybe even more so with the sweet potato fries (which aren't as good as those at Father's Office, but I digress). Nonetheless, my experience was kind of ruined by the setting itself, which, despite how good the food in front of me was, robbed me of much of the pleasure of a casual lunch.

As a caveat, this review refers specifically to the Marina del Rey location of The Counter. I haven't been to any of the other locations, so (dear reader, business owner, etc) don't get bent out of shape if your favorite Counter location is a little more comfy than the Marina del Rey space. But suffice it to say that the view from the lap of the guy next to me in Marina del Rey was a bit obstructed.

There's an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in which Larry David goes to a cafe with Richard Lewis and both sit at a tiny two-person table. The table is so close to tables on either side that David is neurotically inhibited from enjoying his conversation with Lewis for fear of being overheard by those around him. That's pretty much how I felt at The Counter.

The table itself was so tiny that two plates of burgers, a tray of fries, two drinks, and cutlery fit only very snugly. I distinctly remember trying to find a place to hide my phone while I ate. Not much wider than the chair in which I sat, the table was also nearly square, which didn't allow for too much space between me and my friend as we ate. As annoying as it was, I would have forgiven it all if the table wasn't so incredibly close to tables on either side of me.

That I was given the opportunity to be tuned in to conversations at adjacent tables was only slightly more annoying than realizing patrons at no less than eight tables in the room could potentially hear me. The more considerable bugaboo rested in the fact that I butted elbows with the guy to my right when I 1) sat down, 2) took my jacket off to place it on the backrest of the chair, 3) gestured to the waiter for a refill, 4) called for the check, and 5) got up to leave. You'd think I would have learned.

I'm not saying I'll never go back to The Counter in Marina del Rey because of the tight seating, and I'll almost certainly give one of the other locations a shot. But a meal that could have otherwise been very satisfying left me agitated. I can't be the only one out there neurotic enough to base an entire review on this type of thing. It's annoying, right?

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January 21, 2009
Ha! Great review. I love the Counter in El Segundo and even though the seating isn't tight like Marina del Rey's, I'm going to be laughing the next time I'm in there thinking of this review. Hilarious.
 
January 10, 2009
I've always got a bunch of STUFF with me and a hankie-sized table just won't hold it. Marina del Ray's way outside my beat so there is no danger that I'll be inconvenienced in that particular establishment but when I look for a lunch spot today, I'll have a giggle thinking of your fun review.
 
January 10, 2009
Hahahahaha, SO FUNNY! "But suffice it to say that the view from the lap of the guy next to me in Marina del Rey was a bit obstructed. " HAHAHA!! I'm with you on this, any restaurant where I'm apparently on a double date without knowing it prior to sitting down doesn't go too well in my book, as great as the food is. It's too awkward!
 
1
More The Counter reviews
review by . January 10, 2009
posted in MBlocal
This review is just focusing on the chili at the Counter.      I've tried both the regular chili and the turkey chili.    Regular Chili: This is very meaty which normally you would think is a good thing.  Really the only thing in it besides meat is some stewed tomatoes.  I really prefer more to my chili like... hmmmm.... i don't know... beans?!?!  or something.  This chili is actually really good on (and probably designed for) french …
review by . July 20, 2009
The Whuffaoke crew (http://www.whuffaoke.com) stopped at The Counter in Salt Lake City on July 19th for a meal after a long drive from Vegas. We were amazed at the options for create your own burger and how yummy everything was. I had a beef burger with goat cheese, carrot strings, black olives, cranberries, provelone and ranch dressing. Sooooo good!       For those carb watchers, you can get your  burger served on a bed of lettuce. For you carbaholics, like me, you can …
review by . February 20, 2011
I had a coupon for a "buy one, get one" burger dealio so I called my friend for lunch. She drove to my place and we walked up to Sunset and over to The Counter to have a burger. Because we walked, I can neither complain or rejoice about the parking situation. First impressions are important and the girl that sat us was friendly. My only problem with her was that she asked how I was and as I was preparing to give my standard "I'm outstanding" response, she was …
review by . April 10, 2009
  I can't say that The Counter serves the best hamburgers I've ever eaten, but they are damn good.  The first thing I look for (or taste for) when biting into a burger, is the juiciness factor.   I want the juices to squirt into my mouth and wake up my taste buds.  Those buds were dancing with the first bite of The Counter burger.  Next, for me, is flavor.  Some hamburgers have a steamed taste.  That's a taste that is difficult to describe, but you know …
review by . May 12, 2009
Ok someone seriously needs to explain to me what I am missing. Since when is paying almost $10 for a burger a good thing? I tried the counter last night for the first time because I had heard it was "the burger joint" to try. I cracked up when I looked at the clipboard because I couldn't believe how pretty much anything worth adding to a burger was $1.00 more than the already $7.95 you were paying for a small burger. Before I move on, let me define the counter's idea of small....its really small …
review by . January 10, 2009
posted in MBlocal
A lot has been written about the ability to customize your burger at The Counter. For some reason, however, I have received more satisfaction applying customization to their Chicken sandwich. To start, the Chicken is a delicious piece of white meat that has been well cooked each time (too often chicken breasts are overcooked and dried out as a result). Through careful experimentation I am getting close to the optimum combination (for my taste). Today I tried the Honey Wheat Bun with the Soy Glaze …
see all The Counter reviews (8)
About the reviewer
Cory O'Malley ()
I'm a community manager at Lunch and think I know a thing or two about quirky industrial design, indie rock, lowbrow art, contemporary British authors, Mediterranean cuisine, chihuahuas -- pretty much … more
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About this restaurant

Wiki

Choose from over 312,120 different burger combinations and build your own gourmet burger. Established in 2003, The Counter serves cold beer, wines, cocktails, burgers and fries.

http://www.thecounterburger.com/menu/
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"Custom Toppings are Great for Chicken Too"
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