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The Counter

  • United States
  • Since 2003
  • $$
  • 8 burgers · 4 made at home

The burger bar where you build your own on a clipboard checklist.

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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.

Where to find The Counter

12 locations on the map. Tap a pin for directions.

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Locations as mapped by OpenStreetMap volunteers, updated October 2026. The count can trail the chain’s own figures; check the chain’s store finder before you travel. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

If you like The Counter

Chains whose signature burgers are built the same way.
  • Bareburger (United States, since 2009). An Astoria burger bar that put elk, bison and organic beef on the same menu. Also built on beef, mushrooms, crispy onions and cheese.
  • White Spot (Canada, since 1928). Canada’s longest-running restaurant chain, a Vancouver institution built on the Legendary burger and its secret Triple “O” sauce. Also built on beef, mushrooms and cheese.
  • Jackson Hole Burgers (United States, since 1972). A family-run New York burger saloon since 1972, where Jennifer Aniston once waited tables. Also built on beef, mushrooms, crispy onions and cheese.
  • Red Robin (United States, since 1969). The sit-down burger chain with bottomless fries and a burger topped with a fried egg. Also built on beef, crispy onions and cheese.

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.