If you have been following our burger reviews you’ll know we are fans of The Counter. We’ve been to The Counter in Newport Beach (Orange County) and The Counter in Carlsbad (San Diego). We love their food and atmosphere and the workers always seem to be very friendly. So when we visited The Counter in Santa Monica (Los Angeles), we were excited to eat at the original restaurant where the franchise was born.

The Counter in Santa Monica is located on Ocean Park Boulevard (between 29th and 30th) about a block away from The Art Institute of California. The location was conveniently located off the main street (Ocean Park Blvd.) and close to a residential neighborhood (different than the popular strip mall location of the Orange County and San Diego location we visited). Parking was a bit of a challenge and the signs on the parking meters in front on Ocean Park Boulevard were super confusing (we parked on the street thinking we were fine but came back to find a $53 ticket on our window – Ouch!). The inside of The Counter had their signature design with a modern and sleek look and feel to it (they do not have a full bar at this location). The atmosphere was fun, casual, trendy and the service was very friendly (similar to the other locations we visited).

Usually we order a burger at The Counter (either the signature or build-your-own burger) but today we thought we’d try the sliders (mini cheeseburgers) for a lite bite to eat. And we’re glad we did – They were delicious! We ordered mini cheeseburgers ($7.95) and a single order of French fries ($1.25).

The mini cheeseburgers (sliders) came on a plate with four sliders with Tillamook Cheddar cheese, pickles, chopped red onions, red relish (served on the side) and served on a toast Hawaiian Roll.

The mini cheeseburgers were cooked to perfection (light pink), had amazing flavor and were super juicy. The Hawaiian Roll buns were fresh and although lightly toasted it was still soft on top (which we liked). The pickles, onions and cheese melted on top added to the deliciousness of the sliders.

The fries came out fresh, hot and the outside had a nice light crisp to them. We love The Fries at The Counter and for a single order (which we’ve never ordered before) we got a good amount and the price was very reasonable ($1.25).

Overall we really enjoyed our experience at The Counter (the only bummer was the $53 parking ticket). It was the first time we ordered mini cheeseburgers (sliders) at The Counter but it definitely won’t be our last! Some locations have a Tuesday special with 4 sliders paired with 4 mini beers for $14. If you’re looking for high-quality and tasty gourmet burgers and more The Counter is definitely worth a try! The prices are reasonable, the atmosphere was cheerful and the service we’ve had has always been friendly.