The Counter

Great burger and a great value! Although The Counter seems to specialize in esoteric burgers, I went completely traditional (1/3 pound beef, with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and grilled onions, no ketchup, mayo or mustard and was impressed with how moist and tasty the perfectly cooked (medium/medium rare) burger was. The french fries, onion rings, and sweet potato fries were also wonderful. I was pleasantly surprised that for two of us, including tax and tip, the total came to less than $25, not including soft drinks, which were an extra two bucks. I was astounded that the kitchen prepared the "sampler" lamb burger for the group, cut it into four portions so we could all try it, but did not charge us for that! Also, the 1/3 pound burger is big enough for two to share.

Here's my suggestion for anyone dining there, however, to get an even greater value out of the place: If one purchases a $25 gift card, The Counter will give you a free 1/3 pound burger. For two people, buying the gift card would be a wonderful deal. When you include the free burger, you would get two burgers (normally $8.25 each) an order of fries and onion rings ($4.50) and still have over twelve bucks left on the gift card for beverages, sides or desserts! What a deal!

The Counter, Ballard

The Counter, Ballard

Seattle Burger Quest is back!

A good veggie burger that doesn't taste like a fake beef pattie is hard to find in Seattle. The Counter specializes in esoteric burgers, so I gave it a try. I ordered a relatively simple combination (a 1/3 pound veggie burger, with grilled onions, roasted red peppers, corn & black bean salsa, apricot sauce, on a whole wheat bun. I was impressed with the taste of the burger. It had a subtle taste which blended wonderfully with the toppings. No taste of fake beef. One warning: ask for an extra fork, by the time I completed the "burger", about 1/3 of it ended up falling onto my plate. The french fries, onion rings, and sweet potato fries were also very good. They were crisp and not overly salty or greasy. The tab for it all came to about $14 including tax and a generous tip.

The Counter, Ballard

Seattle Burger Quest is back! Intrepid Quester Edwin shares his thoughts about our latest outing.

Great burger and a great value! Although The Counter seems to specialize in esoteric burgers, I went completely traditional (1/3 pound beef, with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and grilled onions, no ketchup or mustard (although I usually use mustard) and was impressed with how moist and tasty the perfectly cooked (medium/medium rare) burger was. The french fries, onion rings, and sweet potato fries were also wonderful. I was pleasantly surprised that for two of us, including tax and tip, the total came to less than $25, not including soft drinks, which were an extra two bucks. I was astounded that the kitchen prepared the "sampler" lamb burger for the group, cut it into four portions so we could all try it, but did not charge us for that! Also, the 1/3 pound burger is big enough for two to share.

Here's my suggestion for anyone dining there, however, to get an even greater value out of the place. If one purchases a $25 gift card, The Counter will give you a free 1/3 pound burger. For two people, buying the gift card would be a wonderful deal. When you include the free burger, you would get two burgers (normally $8.25 each) an order of fries and onion rings ($4.50) and still have over twelve bucks left on the gift card for beverages, sides or desserts! What a deal!

The Counter Ballard
4609 14th Ave NW
Seattle WA 98107

http://www.thecounterburger.com/seattle/

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The Quest Continues

Yeah, it's been a while. We're still planning to continue the quest. Stay tuned.

Ram Restaurant & Brewery

The Burger (7 of 10): In our quest, we have noticed that burgers tend to fall into "thick" and "thin." Thick burgers show off the meat, while thin burgers tend to accentuate the greens and whatnot that top the patty. The Ram's Smoky Cheddar Bacon Burger falls neatly between the two. The patty is not hugely thick, but thick enough that it's satisfying to the carnivore. The lettuce, tomato, onion toppings are okay, but pedestrian.

Sides (7 of 10): Most of us prefer fries that are thick enough to be crunchy outside and soft inside. The Ram's fries are like that, and well made. A few fries in the order were "cajun"-style; we weren't sure if that was intentional or not.

Other Stuff (7 of 10): The Ram has a big menu, and many of the other dishes are quite good. French Dip and Chop Salad recommended. And the beers are good, with the usual silly names.

Ambiance (7 of 10): A big, sports-bar type room. Can be noisy, but generally very pleasant. Finding the restaurant in the back corner of the U Village shopping center can be fun.

Service (7 of 10): Good, although our server may have been new. But we got our orders taken quickly, and he returned to ask how everything was.

Overall (7 of 10): Maybe not the best burger in town, but a reliably good meal. One of our cadre tells us that the Ram in Tacoma is better, so that will probably be on our quest soon.

Ram Restaurant & Brewery
2650 NE University Village St
Seattle
(206) 525-3565

Two Bells Tavern

The Burger (4 of 10): We had a disagreement among the questers, but the writer gets to pick, right? Some of us liked the burger better than I did, but my blue cheese burger was so peppery that I couldn't taste any other flavor.

Sides (2 of 10): Weird. No fries, just stuff like cole slaw and baked beans, and the beans tasted canned.

Ambiance (6 of 10): Pleasant neighborhood joint, not pretentious.

Service (8 of 10): Good, fast, friendly.

Overall (5 of 10): Two Bells is a Seattle staple that was totally impossible for non-smokers until the recent indoor smoking ban. Now it's pleasant for everyone except the kids -- unlike some places, Two Bells doesn't allow minors anywhere in the place. We're not sure why some bars allow kids and some don't, but Two Bells cards everybody, even if they aren't drinking.

Two Bells Tavern
2313 4th Ave (at Bell)
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-8190
(206) 441-3050