Shake Rattle 'n Roll

I recently revisted The Counter, so now I've been there for a total of 3 times. Splitting a bowl of cheese fries with a friend is the best, as the bowl is seriously too big for just one person. I am a huge fan of the garlic aioli sauce and the horseradish mayo, but not so much the southwestern Caesar. I've inserted a copy of their allergen chart for those of you with multiple allergies. This is as of July 14, 2009.Original Post 3/8/09:
A new trendy sit down burger joint has come to town; It's called The Counter, and they serve fries, burgers, and shakes. Imagine Johnny Rockets or Mel's Diner only with a more concise menu, and instead of a 50's feel replace it with a California skateboarding vibe. Now how can a burger joint be gluten free, you're wondering, I'll tell you. Instead of following in the footsteps of In and Out Burger or Carl's Jr, wrapping the burger in lettuce, The Counter offers what they call a "Burger in a Bowl". Essentially it's a jumbo salad with a burger on top. At first this sounds strange, but we eat grilled chicken salads, or taco salads with ground beef, so why not just plop a burger patty on top?

They have the option of some signature burgers or build you own, allowing you to select your type of protein (veggie patty is not GF) cheese, toppings, and sauces (which are all GF except the ginger soy glaze). So for $8.95 I ordered a beef patty on a bed of mixed baby greens, with cheddar cheese, carrot strings, roasted red pepper, sprouts, and tomatoes, with a honey mustard sauce. The beef was perfectly seasoned, and the sauce with quite tasty. The portion size was very generous, and you really could make this into 2 meals if you wanted a lighter dinner, or be sure not to order anything extra, like I mistakenly did.

In addition to the burger in a bowl, we also ordered a side of cheese fries, and a strawberry shake. For $4.95 you get enough fries for 4 adults if ordering a burger, or 2 adults if all you wanted was fries. And the fries are indeed safe as they are made in a dedicated fryer, not mixing with their onion rings. And the shake was thick and creamy, a true treat for anyone who can have dairy.

While you don't usually tip for a burger, for what you get the price is quite reasonable. They have several locations in CA, with the latest edition being in the Fountains shopping plaza, across from the Galleria Mall in Roseville. So even if you have other dietary concerns besides for staying gluten free, for which they do offer an allergen page on their website, I highly recommend you check The Counter out.