The Counter - Santa Monica

This restaurant is unique because you can build your own burger. Meaning you have full control of how large your burger is and what goes on it. When you walk into the restaurant each person picks up a clip board with an order form on it. You can specify the kind of bun you want, the size of your burger, the cheese, and toppings. The order form is not simple and there are a lot of toppings to choose from. For cheeses you can get gruyere, blue cheese, basic cheddar, and more. Toppings you can get grilled onions, bacon, salsa, cranberries, and even a fried egg. The sauces are really great here and there is a variety to choose from: horseradish mayo or peanut sauce! Check out their site for all the toppings (thecounterburger.com The hardest part is deciding whether you’re even creating a good tasting burger! But if you’re nervous about that there are some suggestions you can choose from, they have a burger called Old School and they always have a Burger of the Month. This restaurant is super crowded, we went at 3pm and it was packed, plus you need to find your own table. The service was friendly but getting our burgers took awhile. Good thing we got our fries first to munch on. Considering other burger places in LA, the price of this burger is reasonable. It costs around $7 depending on what size of burger you get and the extra toppings you order. That’s not bad since I know other places in LA where burgers costs twice as much. Plus waaay better value than a six dollar Carl’s Jr burger. :

Make your own burger!!! a selection of toppings, sauces, and cheese allow to infinitely customize your burger. AMAZING sweet potato fries with horseradish sauce

The Counter is ALWAYS packed, no matter what time or day of the week. It is just that famous. Not that it is all talk. The burgers are huge and filling, I always have to take half home. They are usually cooked properly, juicy and flavorful. The sheer number of toppings and sauces is overwhelming and thrilling, especially to a sauce fanatic like me. I think the customization is what gives this place its celebrity status, and while novel, it is sometimes hampering. One can have too much choice. But, I do love the plethora of sauces, and their sweet potato fries are delicious. Pass on the normal fries. Turkey burger was also delicious, slightly less meaty and moist than the beef, though that is to be expected, overall very good for turkey. Milkshakes are thick, heavy, creamy, and huge. Not a bad place if you have lots of time to wait around for a table, but maybe a little pricey for what you get. Guess you have to pay extra for fame.

The service is so fast and friendly. Water is constantly checked and refilled. Full energy and service quality. My Juicy Lucy Burger is really good. The cheese and sauce are between the cattle. When you bite for the first time, the sauce and cheese burst from the other side of the burger. It's kind of messy and funny. Burger is juicy, and for me the sauce is a bit too salty, which belongs to heavy taste category and water is definitely required. Fried onion rings are thought and easy to eat. It's thin like laces, you better eat when it's hot and crispy. I like this place, tiny and full of kindness. Young people with good smiles, attitude and above all, excellent service quality that people want to come back. The only minor disadvantage is not the service or food, but IT. The payment system on the table does not work. We go with traditional bill and credit card signature route. Bravo!

Best hamburgers in Santa Monica. Nice waitress. Go Ryan and team!