At The Counter, You Can Truly Have It Your Way

After two years of construction, up last week in Toluca Lake.

I visited my neighborhood outpost of the California burger emporium a few days after it opened with my vegetarian friend Pat.

The Toluca Lake Counter resembles the one in Studio City, with two large HDTVs tuned to sporting events, a long counter at the bar, plenty of tables and friendly, attractive wait staff.

The selling point at The Counter is the option for diners to build their own burgers. Once seated, we were given a sheet on which to indicate our preferences, similar to a sushi order checklist.

On the sheet, we marked protein choices (I chose beef, Pat chose vegetarian; there were also turkey and chicken options), and indicated that we wanted the one-third (they also offer two-thirds and full) pound burger. 

It took us a while to maneuver through the four more steps of choices for cheese, bun, sauces and toppings. Each burger comes with a choice of four toppings (tomato, lettuce, onion, etc.) with the option to buy additional ingredients for 50 cents each.

I ended up with an avocado-bacon-cheddar cheeseburger with mayonnaise. Pat opted for the veggie burger in a bowl (great for those counting carbs) with feta cheese and roasted peppers. Diners can go all out with the variety of choices—there are 10 cheeses, 27 toppings and 17 sauces—as well as special seasonal market selections.

If the extensive option list is too overwhelming, The Counter also offers several signature burgers.

Pat’s tasty veggie burger in a bowl was a unique blend of quinoa, corn, beans and carrots. My burger was big, juicy and messy. We also ordered the signature fried dill pickle chips with apricot glaze sauce. A staple of Southern bar menus, The Counter’s pickles resembled chicken nuggets with a thick coating. The parmesan fries were also a standout.

With innumerable ingredient choices, The Counter is the place to go to create your own version of the ultimate burger.

The Counter, 10123 Riverside Dr., Toluca Lake. Open Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Burgers start at $8.75.