The Quest for World's Greatest Burger Continues

In a world saturated with chain and franchises of every conceivable kind of burger bar, finding an authentic independent burger joint is getting harder and harder. The quest continued in New York, where I was sure I could find something close to the perfect burger joint. Strolling for a few blocks past Times Square, as the ubiquitous chain stores petered out, I spotted The Counter, which proclaimed itself the custom burger bar. It seemed a worthy contender for World’s Greatest Burger, so in I went.

I asked if this was “it”, that there weren’t a smattering of other Counter burger bars across Manhattan. The woman in charge assured me “there’s nothing else like it in New York”. Strictly speaking, she was correct, The Counter on Broadway is unique in New York. But there are 15 or so in California, and even outposts in Ireland and Australia. I only found this out later, and to be honest, The Counter has the kind of slick logistical processes to the waiting, ordering and delivery to have made me guess I wasn’t exactly at New York’s oldest deli.

Being a clone needn’t preclude a burger bar from producing great food. So what was it like? As you’d expect from a place with the sub-title of “Custom Burger Bar”, the idea was to specify how much meat one wanted (up to a pound, or just under half a kilogram!), and the toppings to go with it. Everything from Artichoke to Zabaglione was available (well, almost), on a choice of half a dozen types of burger buns finished with a wide array of sauces.

Let’s cut to the chase. I ordered a burger with Danish blue cheese, sauteed onions, roasted capsicum (or peppers as the locals call them), and mixed greens, with a spicy barbecue sauce on the side. The burger was good, but did suffer from the “giant slab of meat” syndrome. I think this was my fault, having ordered 2/3rds of a pound (so about 300g). The smaller 1/3rd of pound would have been a better choice. It was interesting that the burger pattie just tasted like regular beef - there was no flame grilled tang, nor particular tenderness to it. I certainly finished it, so the “OMG burger!” instinct certainly was satisfied.

For a side order, I went for “half and half” regular shoe-string fries, and sweet potato fries. The shoe string fries were as good as one expects, but the sweet potato fries were awesome. The nuttier, sweeter flavour of the sweet potato was maintained, and the fries were crisp and maintained a structural integrity that’s hard to get in cooked sweet potato (trust me, I’ve tried and failed myself).

Overall, a good burger, but not fantastic. The quest continues.

The Counter - Custom Burger Bar
Cnr 41st St. & Broadway
New York NY 10036

Find The Counter on Google Maps