Wednesday, 11 November 2009
This was the night where a few lessons were learnt on this night:
#1 No matter the size of the event or the number of trays carried around by harried waiters, you will never be 100% satisfied with canapés. This night we were at an event where sadly, the finger food was lacking (massively disappointing because they were very good!). I only ate 5 canapes! Cue massive hunger and crankiness.
#2 Burgers are the perfect hunger antidote. But not so if you eat too much as we all did!
#3 It doesn't look very big but trust me, 450g is a whole lotta burger!
In any case, it was a perfect opportunity to finally step into The Counter in Crows Nest to see all the fuss that has generated from this humble burger joint. I can see the appeal immediately from a retro American looking diner with its equally classic combo of burgers, fries and shakes. The only thing missing was an old jukebox a la Grease or Happy Days!
But I digress.
Here at The Counter, you order your burgers from a clipboard where you select your own winning formula of buns, size of patty, sauces and accompaniments. This is where you see all the different appetites at work. But if you're not in the mood to be selectve, there is a menu of ready-made combo burgers for your choosing. There are also sandwiches but seriously... why would you?
Not feeling particularly famished, Steph and Lisa took the safe option and shared a plate of 4 mini cheeseburgers but were defeated with one to go. Remarkably, I gave in to restraint and opted for the smallest burger: a150g patty with white buns, honey-cured bacon, grilled onions, grilled pineapple and onion relish.
Helen notches one up on me and goes for the medium-sized 300g while Richard is all man and goes the whole hog with the heart-pounding 450g patty. Not to be outdone, Simon orders the same plus the mini cheeseburgers as an entrée! I believe my heart might have skipped a beat or two.
In all honesty the 450g burger didn't look too intimidating and a fleeting part of me felt that I could've tackled it. Famous last thoughts as I found myself struggling to finish my own pee wee sized burger! Oh the shame!
But no matter what, be sure to order the 'Fifty-fifty': your choice of two type of fries. I highly recommend onion rings and sweet fries, best eaten when dipped voraciously in the three accompanying sauces. As for the shakes? I believe my knees may have buckled with the first sip of my peanut butter and chocolate. Sublime! Apple Pie shake is also a popular choice, especially if there are the telltale chunks of apple pie. That's right - it's literally a pureed apple pie and it's freaking genius. Don't be afraid to combine flavours for your shakes. I myself, predict a peanut-butter-chocolate-apple-pie shake combo in my near future. Bestill my cholesterol clogged heart!
The burgers were satisfying enough. The beef patty was juicy and cooked to perfection however it does seem to be lacking any real flavour. But fortunately it doesn't leave you feeling like you've drank a glass of oil either. All in all, The Counter is a worthy burger joint to make its mark on Sydney and the perfect appetite filler for a starving group of friends after a stingy canapé party.
The Counter
118 Willoughby Road
Crows Nest NSW 2065
(02) 9436 2700
OPENING HOURS
Tues - Wed: 11:30am - 9pm
Thurs - Fri: 11:30am - 10pm
Saturday: 12 - 10pm
Sunday: 12 - 9pm
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9 Coffee Breaks:
Ughhh I can never resist getting the fifty-fifty and a shake with my burger even though I know it will make me ill for the rest of the day! I thought you did a pretty decent job of your burger :) I could barely manage one of the mini ones!
You crazy lot - mini burgers, milkshakes AND large burgers?! I, being a mere mortal, went for the weak option of the 150g only!
Kinda agree about the meat, lacking a bit of flavour. I felt the burgers were a bit underwhelming, nothing beats the Maccas qtr pounder :)
That mini burger looks so cute! Love the photos. Me want a burger ....
Brilliant!! Can't wait to try the peanut butter one, i haven't had a thickshake since going to America... the one at luna park is disappointing.
Btw what canape party was this?
Your pictures turned out great. Its like I can taste the burgers as I gaze at the food porn. yummm
Haha love the first shot of the two burgers. I can't believe how little I ate but next time I'm definitely sticking with the 150g burger! The wisest decision of all methinks!
There was method to my madness, or was it madness to my method...?
Lessons learned for me:
1. When going to Counter, commit to only one dish, even if it means sacrificing the nostalgia shot.
2. Only ever go the 150g. The 300g I thought would be midsized, is far from what I would imagine most sane people consider midsize.
Though I'm fine now, I so didn't want to see another burger for a week after that!
Oh, and though the story seems more impressive the way you tell it, I only went the 300g one and only got halfway though.
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