This week, Diner’s Journal brought news that Arizona-based burger-and-wine chain Zinburger was coming to Clifton, New Jersey, with plans to open in Manhattan next year, and now a tipster tells us that the Counter, a build-your-own-burger concept that was founded in California in 2003 and now has locations everywhere from Connecticut to Australia to Ireland, has soft-opened in Times Square. Before you shake your head at yet another Smashburger-Elevation Burger–type invasion, consider that Alan Richman named this one of the “20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die.”
Not unlike 4Food, the Counter gives you a checklist so you can decide between turkey, veggie, chicken, or humanely raised organic Angus beef patties, and then choose from a dozen cheeses including “soft ripened” brie and horseradish Cheddar; over twenty toppings including dill-pickle chips and dried cranberries; and a similar number of sauces, including apricot and red relish. And that’s not even getting into the local, seasonal “market selections”! You can get the burger on an English muffin, a variety of buns, or in a bowl, and pair it with an apple-pie milkshake, among others.
We haven’t yet confirmed, but our tipster says the chain’s first Manhattan location has an official opening date of December 20.
The Counter Menu [Official site]
The Counter, 1451 Broadway, nr. 41st. St
Update: Virginia’s Elevation Burger and California’s Counter Burger Expected This Weekend
