Posted by ayersian
, December 06, 2009 13:49
The Counter is a build-your-own-burger chain spread very thinly across the country that specializes in gourmet burgers with high-end toppings. We’ve visited the flagship store in Santa Monica but had never ventured down to the new location at Blue Back Square in West Hartford until now. The burgers are super-fresh Angus beef (the cows raised on a veggie diet, no less), and you can taste it in every succulent bite. The possible combinations of cheeses, toppings, and sauces number into the hundred-thousands, and after much deliberation, our foodie friend Sarah ordered a beef burger with gruyere cheese, grilled onions, and mixed greens on Texas toast. Amy followed a Mexican theme with horseradish cheddar, jalapeños, roasted corn & black bean salsa, guacamole, and spicy sour cream. The Burger of the Month special sounded remarkable, so I chose the Japanese ahi tuna burger with furikake nori, daikon radish, carrots, scallions, mixed greens, and wasabi aioli. We shared a “Fifty-Fifty” order of onion strings and sweet potato fries and, for dessert, a peanut butter malt (basically, a jar of crunchy Jif with a straw!). Chain or not, The Counter makes an extraordinary burger, perfectly assembled to your own specifications, and it’s a fun place to visit with friends who appreciate great food and great service.
