It's Burger Week (again) - The Counter - Carlsbad

**** This location of the Counter has closed

*** An updated post on The Counter can be found here.

Let's see..... it's mid-February, about the time most of us have said, "what the heck" and have let those New Years resolutions fall by the wayside. Or perhaps you're like FOY and fellow food blogger Masa Assassin, and have already reached your goals for the year! Hmmm, don't you hate people like that??? Just kidding....  I just figured it was time for another burger week. So hang on, loosen up the ol' belt a coupla notches, and let's get going.

I first read about The Counter when Kat of Our Adventures in Japan ate at the Kahala location during one of her visits home. The first thing that struck me was how good the onion strips looked, I was literally wiping drool off my chin. The second thing that entered my head was, "wait a minute, Honolulu gets a location of The Counter, and we're left high and dry in San Diego?" Talk about burger envy.....  If that wasn't bad enough, Rosa, The Catty Critic, did not one, but two posts (make that three posts)  on The Counter. But like most food bloggers, Rosa is quick to lend a hand and provide information. The Catty Critic quickly informed me that The Counter had opened in San Diego..... I quickly found out that The Counter had opened... all the way up in Carlsbad! Sigh. Then it struck me... I have no problem driving down to Chula Vista for tacos, which is about the same distance as Leucadia, so why would I make a big deal about driving up to The Forum in Leucadia?

The Missus and I haven't been back up here since Anthropologie opened up in Fashion Valley. I believe this used to be Sushi on the Rock. We arrived just as the shop opened and were led to a seat. The ceilings of the restaurant are pretty high, and all the hard surfaces make for a pretty loud space.

The menu at The Counter is pretty interesting, you can select a "signature burger", or go through a six step process to design your own burger. It's a BYOB (Build your own burger) process.

 
It's really not that complicated.... you don't need to be like the guy sitting next to us who had to read each step.... and each item out loud, in his "outside voice"!

Of course, I just needed to try out the onion strings, so we got a "fifty-fifty" of onion strings and fries ($4.95):

First off the BBQ sauce tastes pretty artificial and didn't go real well with either item. The "ranch" was very watery..... ketchup was the way to go for us.

I loved the onions strips, which were thin, crisp, with a good ratio of batter to onion (for me), was basically a bit greasy, but in the most fulfilling way.

The Missus prefers breaded onions rings, so She didn't enjoy these as much as I did. It also struck me that this will be great as a burger topping..... and it is offered as a premium topping ($1 more).

The fries were of the thin-cut shoestring variety, which makes for maximization of a crisp exterior.

 
the fries had a nice crisp texture, but were way over-seasoned. The potatoes were so salty it tasted metallic and bitter. Even the Missus, who loves salt could only eat a few fries.

The Missus wasn't feeling like a burger, so She got a 2/3 lb Veggie Burger (!) in a bowl ($1 more), with organic mixed greens, etc, etc..... All I can say, is that it looked like a pretty huge salad ($11.50):

The Missus enjoyed the 2 veggie patties and the pesto. The Danish Blue Cheese was very salty, and would probably have fared better inside two buns. This was a good amount of food, and the Missus couldn't finish it.

Even though I was quite taken by the menu and options, I'm in the habit of minimizing all the toppings and frills the first time I have a burger at a restaurant. Not wanting to get fancy, I got a 1/3 pound burger (medium), on a hamburger bun, with Gruyere, red onions, lettuce mix, and tomatoes ($8.50):

The Gruyere was nicely melted over my burger, it was creamy and mild. When I cut my burger in half I was over-joyed!

Finally, a perfect medium burger.... at a chain no less! Those of you  who have read my previous posts on burger joints will remember what a hard time I have getting a medium burger. Many places will ask you how you want you burger, but you'll always get it well done, or over-done. I've started to call that the burger "shibai". This on the other hand was a good burger, moist, with a nice char on the exterior. The char added a nice flavor, and good resistance when first biting into the burger. The beefiness of the burger was better than another burger chain which serves grass-fed beef. Man did this hit the spot.

 Now that I've got the first visit over-with, I'm ready for the next step... hmmm.... onions strings? A fried egg? Soft ripened brie perhaps? Heck, maybe I'll just have the same simple burger again, because it was sure hit the spot.

Some final thoughts.... you ever know where all those yuppies went to when they had kids and hit middle age? Carlsbad... The service is kinda hit and miss, one young lady was very nice but spaced out, another young man was very efficient. The counter, has a counter ( bar), and it looks pretty well stocked. We saw two women boozing it up pretty good.... at 11 am! These are "gourmet burger" prices, but I felt we got what we paid for.

The Counter
1923 Calle Barcelona
Carlsbad CA 92009

Comments

[Rosa]

Yaaaaay! I had a feeling you would like The Counter. ;)

Sad to hear that the fries were overly salty. Hopefully, it's only a one-time mistake...

The toppings can be a little hit and miss with me. My husband swears by the fried egg, bacon, swiss and mozzarella. I like the roasted corn & black bean salsa, especially on a salad.

And try their shakes next time...so yummy.

[Dennis]

Mmm, looks like a great burger!

[kat]

glad you got a chance to go :) definitely worth it! I loved the roasted red bell peppers on mine! I heard the fried dill chips are supposed to be delicious too :9

[Thirtyeyes]

The Counter opened up a while ago up in Palo Alto. There's a local story, I think I heard it from a friend, who said some guy ordered every single topping on the menu, just for fun. I think it was some engineer, that's what they do for fun up there.

[Stephen]

I got to eat at the San Jose location last year. I thought it was really good. Wonder why they chose Carlsbad as their first location? Not like its central or anything. Although I enjoyed it, I'm not willing to drive 45 minutes for a hamburger no matter how good it is. Glad you enjoyed.

[Hao]

Will definitely stop by for a burger on my next visit to Legoland. :)

[bill]

I love a plain burger especially when the meat is cooked to order; medium or just until it is warm in the middle. Nothing like saturated fat coating your hands and mouth thus aiding digestion.;-)
LOL

[Kirk]

Hey Rosa - Thanks again for letting me know they opened in Carlsbad!

Hi Dennis - I really enjoyed this one!

Hi Kat - I mentioned the fried dill pickles.... but the Missus isn't quite onboard with that yet.....

Hi Thiryeyes - That's funny.... man, it would be quite a mess.

Hi Stephen - I think it had something to do with demographics.... folks who are willing to dish out $25 for two burgers.....

Hi Hao - Please do that!

Hi Bill - LOL! I really appreciated the fact that my burger actually arrived medium.

[Linda]

The onion strips are definitely better as a topper to the burger. I've been to the Counter in Carlsbad a few times now, and I must say the sweet potato fries are the best appetizer to go along with the burgers! Perfectly crispy outside, and soft and tender on the inside. Not much salt on them either :)

[Linda]

Oh, I forgot to add that the egg on my burger came out perfectly runny, and the herbed goat cheese added a wonderful tangyness. My bun fell apart the first time, but I opted for the english muffin once and that seemed to fare a bit better.

[Lynnea]

Never know when you'll be driving up the I-5 and suddenly get a burger craving =)

[Faye]

Mmmmm!! Yummmmm!!! The burger you ordered looks PERFECT. I'd probably try it w/ a fried egg! How was the bun? It doesn't look like an ordinary cheapie bun. You think they bake it there - or maybe have them special ordered? Looks great. Wonderful post!!

[Kirk]

Hi Linda - Thanks for the info...... I'm still partial to a plain burger though.

Hi Lyynea - LOL! I'm thinknig they'll expand South in the near future.

Hi Faye - It is the standard Counter bun, but it's a bit higher in quality than the usual hamburger bun. It did handle the "juice" pretty well.

[masa assassin]

Hey Kirk Thanks for the mention. I lovvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee Burgers. Those pictures almost gave me a heart attack. I look forward to more burger post. loosen up the ol' belt a coupla notches!

[Kirk]

Hi MA - I'm sure you could have a couple since you've already hit all your goals for the year! ;o)

[Hannah j]

This place looks so good!!!!
I wanna go here :)

[Kirk]

Hi Hannah - It's so nice to hear from you, I hope all is well! You should check the Counter out if you have a chance.

[elmomonster]

It took a while for me to get on board with The Counter and now that I am, I'm on board for good!

[Kirk]

Hi Elmo - LOL! If the Counter is always this good, I'll bo onboard pretty quickly myself!

[Hannah j]

If I am ever in Carlsbad I can bet you I will!!

Life is good but school is hard! Chem is consuming my LIFE!! Anti-lol!

Still readin the blog all the time though! Serves as an awesome distraction from my studies ; D