Mario and I visited hip-looking burger joint The Counter last weekend in Charlotte (there is also a location in GA in Roswell). We’ve been scoping it out for a while and decided that the fact that it was packed was a good sign. Surprisingly, we were seated immediately (larger groups should expect a longer wait) and were given the run-down on the order process.

The Counter

We were given a half-page menu and order sheets on a clip board. The Counter’s order process reminded me of a sushi place where the table checks off their orders for the server. You can choose your patty protein and size (1/3 lb, 2/3 lb, or 1lb), cheese (1 incl), toppings (4 incl, with “premium” toppings like bacon or mushrooms running $0.50/each), sauce (1 incl), and bun (English muffin, regular, or honey wheat). Whew! There are also “signature” burgers, the burger of the month, and non-burger sandwiches.

Mario and I ordered a “fifty-fifty” (half regular fries, half sweet potato fries), a bacon cheeseburger + bbq sauce, and a bleu-bacon-mushroom-pickle burger + roasted garlic aioli:
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Last weekend was a great one food-wise for me, as I got to visit Star Provisions, Holeman + Finch, and even convinced Mario to ride out to Decatur to try Leon’s Full Service.

Leon's Full Service

Leon’s was packed when we arrived, and since we didn’t have a reservation we had about a 45 minute wait. But Atlanta saw some great weather post-flood, so we sat on the patio and people-watched both at the bustling bar and on the sidewalk out front. Who knew Decatur had a nightlife?
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Another “finally!” culinary experience this weekend was trying the oft-discussed Holeman+Finch Public House burger. H+F offers only 24 burgers a night at 10pm on a first-come, first-served, no reservations basis. The burger is only even listed on the menu for Sunday brunch, when they make ~70, and is also when Mario and I decided to stop in and try it out.

The Burger

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Spencer and I went to Cheeburger Cheeburger for lunch last week, a new-ish 50′s style burger chain in Baton Rouge.  I had Cheeburger for the first time last summer in upstate NY and enjoyed it a lot; probably mostly due to the 70+ milkshake flavors you can mix to your heart’s desire.  The restaurant also offers more than 20 different burger toppings, allowing diners to create their own unique taste at every visit. The 50′s style decor and music was a little cheesy, but I guess the restaurant needs some sort of shtick to stay interesting:

50's Style? Mason jars for drinks

You know you're in Louisiana when...

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To celebrate finishing finals and prepare for this weekend’s graduation, we visited FLIP again for lunch. I usually wouldn’t make a second post about a restaurant, but since I tried something different and their burgers are so cool, I had to make an entry. We sat at the “chef’s bar” so we could see all the action in the back and got views of more of the burgers they make. I’d love to try all of them at some point!

The menu has changed a little since we last visited, and they are now offering a $12 combo of FLIP Burger, fries, and a milkshake. Pretty sweet. This time though, I had the Chorizo burger (spicy pork sausage, romesco ketchup, hash browns, fried egg, manchego cheese, smoked mayo) and vodka-battered onion rings.

Chorizo Burger & Onion Rings

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Burgers again, but this time a little less gourmet. Five Guys Burgers and Fries is known up and down the East Coast for their cheap eats and–what else–burgers and fries.  We picked some up one night we didn’t feel like cooking:

Little Bacon Cheeseburger and Fries

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This weekend we tried out Top Chef finalist Richard Blais‘ new restaurant Flip.

Flip

Flip is in kind of a weird location, on midtown Atlanta’s Howell Mill Rd.  Situated among auto repair shops and hardware stores, its chic decor definitely stands out.  Uber-chic begets an uber wait, and we waited about 45 minutes for a table.  However, this is not unusual for a new, smallish restaurant with a famous head chef.

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