There’s a new player in the Downtown Burger Scene.
The Counter Custom Built Burgers recently opened its first Arizona location in the space previously occupied by Baja Fresh on the corner of Central Avenue and Adams Street.
Photo by The Counter
The restaurant lets you build a burger the way you like it with about 100 items to choose from.
Burgers are made with certified humanely handled, hormone- and antibiotic-free, freshly ground Angus beef plus locally sourced produce. It feels like a modern cafe in the dining room with a big lunch counter, which also serves as a full bar for happy hour and evening dining.
I stopped in for lunch, and although they were very busy, managed to get a spot at the lunch counter with no wait. The
choices are a bit overwhelming, so I decided to go with the basic burger for my first visit. I ordered the “Old School” burger (cheddar, lettuce, onion, pickle and tomato) cooked medium with shoestring fries on the side.
When my plate arrived, the burger looked amazing with an old-fashioned cup of fries in wax paper on the side.
I slathered some of the special “Red Relish” sauce and dug in. The burger patty was cooked perfectly, juicy and very flavorful, and topped with crisp, fresh vegetables and a slice of Tillamook Cheddar. The “Red Relish” gave the burger a hint of sweet and sour that artfully complimented the rich cheddar cheese.
The fries were exactly how I like them as well: hot and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with delicious seasoning. Although I didn’t order a shake with my lunch, just seeing one being made from scratch at the counter had me looking forward to my next visit.
My guess is this new restaurant will be a big hit with the Downtown Phoenix lunch and dinner crowd. Foodies now have a great new place to patronize with a comfortable atmosphere, impressive happy hour and an expansive, urban patio with a modern kick.
