The Counter
The burger bar where you build your own on a clipboard checklist.
About The Counter
Jeff Weinstein opened The Counter in Santa Monica in 2003 with one gimmick that turned out to be a very good idea: instead of a menu, you get a clipboard and a pencil. You tick your protein, cheese, toppings, sauce and bun from a checklist, and the combinations run into the millions.
The concept took off after GQ put the restaurant on its 2006 list of hamburgers to eat before you die. The Counter still lives on the clipboard, but it also has a set of signature burgers for people who would rather not make twenty decisions before lunch.
Restaurants across the US, with franchises abroad. Headquartered in Culver City, California.
Burger menu
Signature burgers first. Only burgers and sandwiches, no sides.
Not affiliated with The Counter. Trademarks and logos belong to their owners. Descriptions are my own; nutrition figures come from the chain’s published information, checked September 2026.