With the opening of Grand Avenue at The Avenues and the myriad of new restaurants on offer, it’s easy to forget that there is more to The Avenues than this magnificent shopping street. In fact, all the way down in Phase I, the original part of the mall, you’ll find there’s still plenty going on and even new places opening up too.
The Counter is one of these new places. Handily located on the first floor right outside the cinema, this new burger concept is offering something very different in the already burger-abundant landscape that is Kuwait. Anti-Established, as they put it, in 2003, The Counter knows that each customer is unique and so wants their burgers to be too. It’s a modern take on the classic burger joint that takes into account people’s varying preferences and needs in our modern day diets.
When you step into The Counter you’ll be greeted not only with a friendly hello and a smile, but also with a clipboard. On the clipboard you’ll find an extensive list of fresh mouth-watering ingredients and you’ll also find a pencil. The rest can be simple or complicated, weird or conventional, gourmet or basic, healthy or indulgent; with over 312,120 different burger combinations, your burger can be whatever you want it to be, making every burger as unique as each customer. This is a 21st Century place to dine with an industrial décor and funky music to match.
Once you’re seated with your clipboard in hand it’s time to start putting your burger together. This is a five-step process.
STEP 1 Choose a burger
Here you can choose between fresh 100% natural, hormone and antibiotic free, Angus beef, Chicken breast or Vegan Veggie – something for everyone. Then decide how much of it you want. You can opt for 1/3 pound, ½ pound, or, if you are feeling extra hungry, the whopping 1 pound option! All these weights refer to how much the patty weighs after cooking. So the burgers at The Counter are real meaty affairs. After selecting your protein and its weight you need to next decide if you want said burger served traditionally, on a bun, or in a bowl. Selecting it in a bowl turns the burger into more of a conventional meal, or a salad. Choose from lettuce blend, mixed greens, or spinach salad. Remember this is only the base, the foundation upon which you will build your dream burger, there’s more to come.
STEP 2 Choose a cheese
Not as easy as it sounds. Where most places don’t give you an option, and if they do it’s between American or cheddar, at The Counter you’ll be spoilt for choice. From Danish Blue or Tillamook Cheddar to sharp Provolone or the obligatory yellow American, there’s a cheese to suit every taste bud.
STEP 3 Choose up to 4 toppings
This one is as easy as it sounds. Baby spinach, Scallions, grilled pineapple, carrot strings, hard-boiled eggs, dried cranberries, sprouts… It’s a long list and it goes on! You can also employ step 3.5 if you like and choose from premium toppings like beef bacon, chili, or fried eggs for an extra cost.
STEP 4 Choose a sauce
If you’re used to the selection being only ketchup or mustard you’ll delight at the array of sauces on offer at The Counter. Apricot sauce, horseradish mayo, roasted garlic aioli, spicy sour cream, are only a few of the delicious and gourmet sauce options to dress your burger.
STEP 5 Choose a bun
Unless you chose your burger in a bowl, in which case you’re done, here is where you make your final choice. Hamburger bun, wheat bun, or the not so often seen here in Kuwait, English muffin.
Then you’re done!
Well you’re done with the burger at least. And if all the above sounded a little too taxing for your hungry mind, fear not, The Counter offers signature burgers and burgers in bowls where the building has been done for you.
Either way you choose your burger, you’ll now be on the hunt for some sides. While not quite custom built, there’s something for everyone here. Traditional fries or sweet potato fries, or go fifty-fifty and get half of each. Crispy onion strings can also be substituted in the fifty-fifty too. Or why not try some fried dill pickle chips for something a little different. If you’re feeling indulgent you can go for the Chili Cheese Fries which come topped with chili, Tillamook Cheddar, red onion and sour cream or the Parmesan French Fries, which are mixed with parsley, rosemary and garlic aioli. These are to die for! If you’re limiting carbs you can choose the Side Salad or Grilled Vegetables.
But when you hit the drinks you’ll come back to that custom built theme. Choose from the signature drinks or create your own smoothie, shake or malt by putting together differing flavors to create your very own signature drink.
Dessert is a simple affair, so don’t worry that you might have to bake your own! The biggest choice you’ll be faced with, once you’ve decided between delicious Apple Crumble with a twist or Chocolate Brownie or an Oversized Cookie, will be whether to go a la mode or not. If you’re a sucker for ice cream with your warm desserts then we’d heartily recommend it.
Whether you are looking to get creative and be a burger Picasso, you just want to drop in and grab a signature burger, or like me, keep going back for those tasty Parmesan fries, The Counter will have you coming back for more each time and with hundreds of thousands of possible combinations, it’s a place you can never tire of.
The Counter is located in The Avenues, right next to the cinema on the first floor For more information visit www.thecounterburger.com or call 2259 7244. Follow The Counter Kuwait on Twitter @The_Counter_Q8, or Facebook, www.facebook.com/TheCounterME.
