What I Ate: January 5, 2009 (South Beach Cafe; The Counter)

Posted 5 January, 2009 at 11:51pm by Michael Chu

(Filed under: Food, What I Ate)

12 comments to What I Ate: January 5, 2009 (South Beach Cafe; The Counter)

Don, January 6th, 2009 at 2:54 pm:

• This day is currently in the lead for best day of eating. Do you have an opinion on where the best burger in Bay Area is?

Michael Chu, January 6th, 2009 at 5:20 pm:

• After thinking about this for a few minutes and conferring with my coworkers (well, Dave Lu and Cliff - Papa has gone home for the evening) I probably have to say The Counter. Red Robin also has a special place in my heart - plus they have excellent fries as well (thick, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside). Of course, once I move to Texas later this year, I'll miss In-N-Out the most.

Don, January 7th, 2009 at 12:55 pm:

• I've only tried Red Robin once or twice before, I never pegged it as one of the better burger places. And yes, hard to go wrong with In-N-Out at any time of day.

  I'm sure Texas has an equivalent. Sonic?

Michael Chu, January 7th, 2009 at 2:04 pm:

• Well, Red Robin is good mainly because they do the fried egg…

  Sonic is no where close to In-N-Out. We ate there two trips back and I was greatly disappointed. First, I was offended by the idea of people running their cars (that's twenty cars!) while waiting for their food, eating, and just hanging out. Second, the burgers that I tasted weren't good. Soggy bun and mushy patty. Accompaniments like lettuce were wilted - not crisp and fresh like In-N-Out. I'd say on par with Jack-In-The-Box.

  They also have a What-A-Burger there but I haven't tried it yet. The best burger I've had so far was in San Antonio a couple weeks back at the Longhorn Cafe. Unfortunately, they aren't in Austin.

scott, January 7th, 2009 at 7:18 pm:

• Burger Joint is similar to In-N-Out as far as flavor, but it's a larger burger and their fries taste more like fries than those snack shoestring potatoes you buy in a can.

  However, my girlfriend's favorite is as Gordon Biersch. I like the garlic friends, and she likes their Blonde Bock and Pumpkin Ale.

  For me, it's Bonne Sante in Burlingame on Briadway. It's a sandwish place mostly, but they have hamburgers, too. They aren't on buns, though, so it's more of a hamburger patty sandwich. They don't necessarily cook the meat accurately (sometimes it's more done than others) but just something about bacon, BBQ sauce, gouda cheese and dutch crunch bread…mmm… Huge sandwiches. Only open until like 4 or something, so it's only a lunch place.

  My favorite "too lazy to cook, don't want to change clothes" place is…hate to say it…is Chili's. When their fries are good (which isn't always) they are great, and I like their blue-cheese pepeprcorn burger. We had a horrible experience there once (service/food quality) so the missus will never go back, but I stop in once in a while.

  Maybe it was just a midwest thing (I grew up in Wisconsin) but does no one put beef/mushroom gravy on a mushroom swiss burger in California?

scott, January 7th, 2009 at 7:19 pm:

• to clarify…to me, In-N-Out's fries taste like those snack shoestrink potatoes in a can.

Michael Chu, January 7th, 2009 at 8:46 pm:

• I live across the street from Chili's so that's a go-to place for us. We often end up with the Chicken Caesar Salad and the Southwestern Chicken Salad to go.

  I've never had gravy on a mushroom swiss burger, but that sounds awesome. Tina had a Mushroom Swiss Burger when we went to the Longhorn Cafe in San Antonio and they didn't offer or supply gravy, so they don't do it there.

Scott, January 16th, 2009 at 8:00 pm:

• Mushroom gravy on a Mushroom n' Swiss must be a midwest or Wisconsin thing, then…

  So, I tried The Counter (Palo Alto) for the first time, and I did try the fried egg on the sandwich. Glad I did! i was half-expecting it to be more "cooked" than just over-easy…when I pressed down on the top english muffin piece, the yolk running down the side was a pleasant surprise. It did, however, explain why the fries come first. It gives you time to eat them. Once your burger comes, you are so distracted by the huge and messy burger, the fries would get cold. I enjoyed their sweet fries, though. Little salty, but good.

  Two constructive criticisms:
  1) Meat doneness. While I usually like the taste of more "cooked" meat, I'm well aware of what is considered "properly" cooked beef. I'd be hard pressed to find anyone calling my burger "medium." If it were 1 degree colder when cooked, I couldn't have eaten it. I was fine with it, but was made to feel a bit uneasy when both parties on each side of me ordered sandwiches with grilled chicken, and both people made comments to their dining companions about the way their chicken was cooked. Doesn't make me not want to eat there, but I think I'll make sure to order it "medium-well."

  2) Many things on their menu look fantastic…however…I'm a little bit lost. I wish the back of the menu featured pre-selected combinations of ingredients with clever names like "The Norm" and "The Golden Gate" like a pizza place might. I look at their menu and I would love to see more suggestions for combinations. I mean, I'm a pretty simple guy when it comes to burgers, but I'd be curious to see what the Apricot Sauce is supposed to go with…I'm not brave enough to try and be inventive and potentially waste my hunger on something that would probably suck.

  On Red Robin: I've eaten there twice. Too many kids, and both burgers I had were…okay…(did NOT like their jalapeno cornbread bun) but if there's a Chili's nearby, I'll hit that up first.

  Sonic is only good for a Grape Coke. Also, I turned my car off, but left the radio on.

Angie, January 25th, 2009 at 4:12 pm:

• My boyfriend and I just tried The Counter recently and I got their monthly special burger which featured pickled garlic aioli as the sauce and it was awesome! I hope it becomes a regular feature!

Michael Chu, January 29th, 2009 at 10:40 am:

• Garlic aioli is a regular sauce at the Counter - so if you like it (and I love it) make sure you order some when you order your burger in the future.

  Scott, I just looked at the menu and printed on the clipboard are a couple of combinations (six, I think) that they have preset - so someone who is overwhelmed can order from there.

Scott, January 30th, 2009 at 10:18 am:

• Yeah, but it's only a "standard" burger with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickle, and then 1 more suggestion for each type of meat. I plan on trying them all, but I'd love to see more suggestions with clever names!

  Actually, both times I've gone their, I've had the garlic aioli as the sauce. Yummy.

Michael Chu, January 30th, 2009 at 12:09 pm:

• We could try putting together a list! If it becomes popular, maybe they'll start recognizing the names…

  We can share our favorite "recipes" and then if we all agree on the name, just fill out the form and write the name on the upper right corner of the order form. (This is never going to work…)

  "Bacon BBQ Madness"
  Beef, 1/3 lb., Yellow American, Grilled Onions, Lettuce Blend, Roasted Red Peppers, Fried Onion Strings, Honey Cured Bacon, Sweet BBQ Sauce, Hamburger Bun

  "Steakhouse Burger"
  Beef, 1/3 lb., Horseradish Cheddar, Grilled Onions, Mixed Baby Greens, Sauteed Mushrooms, Peppercorn Steak Sauce, Hamburger Bun

  "California Counter"
  Veggie, 1/3 lb., Jalapeno Jack, Bermuda Red Onion, Mixed Baby Greens, Sprouts, Tomatoes, Avocado, Roasted Garlic Aioli, Honey Wheat Bun