(thecounterburger.com) – Ballard
How I heard of this place: I heard of The Counter through my friend Chris, who informed me of the make-it-your-way burger joint that opened up in the Ballard Blocks. When he received a voucher in the mail for something free, we had to make a trip out there!
Type of cuisine: Burgers, pure and simple. Though, not so simple when you have over 300,000 burger creations from which to choose!
Ambiance: Casual, family friendly. Large, open space, with high ceilings. Bar area seating available, as well as space outdoors on the patio.
What I ordered: On my first trip, I ordered the 1/3 pound beef patty ($8.25) on a hamburger bun with soft ripened brie cheese. For some strange reason, despite having carefully selected my four toppings and sauce, I was given a completely different burger which was topped with lettuce, tomato, Bermuda red onion and dill pickle chips with a roasted garlic aioli. My dining companion ordered a 1/3 pound beef burger ($8.25) with gruyere cheese in a bowl ($1 extra) over The Counter’s lettuce blend, black olives, hard boiled egg, sliced cucumbers and roasted corn & black bean salsa. We shared the family style Parmesan French fries to start ($6); a large helping of shoestring fries topped with Parmesan cheese, rosemary, parsley and garlic aioli.
On a return trip, Wednesday, September 1, 2010: I ordered the 1/3 pound grilled chicken breast in a bowl ($8.25) over a bed of mixed greens ($1 additional). Atop the chicken, I ordered a slice of the horseradish cheddar, grilled onions, roasted green chiles, roasted red bell peppers and spicy pepperoncinis with a spicy sour cream sauce. One of my dining companions ordered the 2/3 pound ($10.25) beef burger patty over a bed of lettuce blend (Romaine, $1) with soft ripened brie cheese, jalapenos, roasted red bell peppers, spicy pepperoncinis and grilled pineapple. My second dining companion, a vegetarian, ordered the 1/3 pound veggie burger ($8.25) on a hamburger bun, topped with jalapeno Jack cheese, Bermuda red onion, dill pickle chips, lettuce blend and a side of coleslaw. Two of us shared the Parmesan French fries and one ordered a single portion of the regular shoestring fries.
What I loved: The Parmesan fries beat everything else on the table hands down! My low-carb burger in a bowl on the second trip, having received exactly what I had ordered, was delicious, full of flavor and slightly spicy.
Why I loved it: You can have anything you want, made in any way your heart desires! It’s a great place for picky eaters, and a little confusing for those of us who have too many options from which to choose. But the food is good, the service quick and the the amount of food filling.
Cost: Average to high ($8-$13 for a burger with no sides)