We came around a weekend during lunch hour, and it was empty inside. We were offered a choice between outdoor and indoor seating, and we opted for the latter. We ordered the chili cheese fries, shoestring fries, and two custom burgers. The chili-cheese fries were okay; it was a large portion and had a lot of meat, but the chili itself wasn't that flavorful. It's pretty wet chili, so the fries get soggy. The separate order of shoestring fries balanced that out, though, with their own crispiness. We had two burgers, both ordered to medium rare, but only one made it to medium rare. The other was much closer to medium well, if not already halfway on its journey to well-done. That aside, the seasoning and the toppings for the burger are delicious. That being said, it's a tad expensive, but if you're looking to have a burger made (mostly) to your liking, it may be worth a visit. read more

The Counter Mountain View - Chili Cheese fries. - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

My company catered The Counter through Relish, and I decided to step outside my usual order and try something different--the **Beef & Blue Burger**. It features all-natural Angus beef topped with Danish blue cheese, organic mixed greens, fresh tomatoes, bacon onion jam, garlic aioli, all served on a soft brioche bun. From the first look, the burger was stacked nicely and looked very appetizing. The patty was cooked medium rare, just the way I like it--juicy, tender, and full of flavor. The Danish blue cheese added a bold, tangy kick that paired well with the sweetness of the bacon onion jam. The garlic aioli brought everything together with a creamy finish, and the brioche bun held up well without getting soggy. Overall, the burger was pretty good and definitely different from what I usually order. While it wasn't my absolute favorite, I'm glad I tried something new. Next time, I think I'll go with The Counter Burger to see how their classic option compares. read more

The Counter Mountain View - Beef & Blue - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

Sorry don't have anything positive to share. We seated ourselves per a sign near the seating area. It took approximately 12 minutes for the server to appear and provide water and a menu. The expensive ($17-19) burgers arrived but they were not tasty at all. Thank goodness we had a plethora of toppings. The string onions were dripping in grease with the shoestring fries being cold! The server only appeared to bring the check and never asked if we wanted a water refill or how things were. Oh well, we all have off days. The restaurant was literally empty at the lunch hour! This could be due to the cost of a simple burger or the additional 3% service charge. Not a fan at all. read more

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Ordered 2 salads and both had to be returned due to not processing the order correctly! Bathrooms had no toilet paper $85 for 2 salads glass of wine and an 18% gratuity The restaurant was not busy - less than 10 customers - Too bad the service, prices and overall experience has deteriorated! read more

Wanted to give The Counter a try since I've never been before. Location is nice and the people are friendly. For the most part it's very clean and there's a bar as well, but empty and I soon found out why. Quality of food is ok and really overpriced. We ordered 3 burgers , 2 fries and tots and wings and the bill was over $100. I'd expect more for burgers, fries and wings. The service was slow for it being really empty. What I ordered: Counter burger was ok. Did like the strings onions in the burger, but nothing special overall. Tots were decent. Honey Bbq wings were good and the ranch was good. Probably the best thing we had. Overall place was just ok. Not a place I'd go out my way for if I'm craving a burger. read more

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I got really sick after dining here. Ordered GF bun and got ciabatta instead but didn't notice. read more

Never been to this location before and has been many years ago that I had been to one of these. Pricing shocked me back then and was still a shock @ $18+... with no fries! Thought it odd that when asking about a burger, our server chuckled and said I don't eat beef, but it's popular! Saw her again only to ask what we wanted to drink beyond water. Burgers were just OK and not memorable. Place looks like it needs a refresh. While I was happy that they have a military discount, a 4% small business fee was added. read more

The Counter Mountain View - The Fifty Fifty - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

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Dropped by with some trepidation having tasted the decline of the brand at the former Cupertino location. I ordered a 1 lb beef patty on lettuce greens to go. The salad base and the toppings were ok; no complaints about any of that. The chipotle aioli is still ok; it's not that spicy. I ordered the patty cooked to medium but it was closer to medium-well; tolerable since I don't know of the beef is ground in-house and the patty wasn't dry. Overall at this location the quality of the beef patty with salad seems to be about the same as peak The Counter. But whether it's worth the price after inflation... if I wanted a burger I would probably go to a fast food option and save the modeeately upscale dining experience (and expense) for something else. During the daytime you can see that the interior needs some work here and there. I don't know if current operators/management is that interested. I went in the afternoon, after lunch and before dinner. There were only two parties there and just on server but service was fine. read more

The burgers here are incredibly tasty, and the staff is super friendly and welcoming. It's a bit on the pricey side, but the quality and flavor worth it! read more

The Counter Mountain View - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

Good service, we are not here at a busy time (late afternoon). Pretty restaurant, convenient location in the large Safeway shopping center. We like the "create your own" idea- customize it how you like. Portion are big, sides are separate, not included, you can add what you want for $4. Some more upscale stuff is a higher price. We liked our food, server was friendly and fast. Cost $60 for 2 burgers, sides, and water for our beverages. Loved being able to choose bread, condiments and filling. It's "spendy" but fun. There's a bar area inside. read more

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The staff was polite but seemed as if they would rather not talk to anyone. The ordering system is great for introverted people but if you need any special modifications or additions, it's not very accommodating. The biggest downside to this restaurant is the price. Only come to eat here if you plan on spending a good chunk of change. The food was mediocre, making the price feel daunting because you're not receiving the quality you're paying for. The best part of this restaurant is the goat cheese option for their burgers but that's about it. The restaurant was empty for a reason. In summary, I would not recommend but if mediocre food at a high price is for you, go for it! read more

While the baseline cost of this burger is high, the amount of toppings/fixings (~20!) you can add for free is pretty monumental. A hard boiled egg, no problem! Slaw, veggies, grilled pineapple, sure! All for no extra cost. So it's impressive and you end up with a towering stack of food. We got take out and our order was ready when we arrived, so service was good. We just stopped in, but it looks like a fun place to eat in as well. The burger tasted good, was filling, so easy place to like and nice variety of protein bases. I had the grilled chicken and my wife had the veggie burger. read more

The Counter Mountain View - Grilled chicken burger - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

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Went for Weekday Lunch Special Food - 1/5. This might be one of the saddest burgers I've had at a restaurant. I have no idea if they reduce the size of the meat for their counter combo special, but the meat was laughably thin. The height of the burger came entirely from a stack of lettuce, as even the tomatoes were thicker than the meat. I ordered a medium rare and received a medium well. This wasn't entirely the fault of the kitchen, as with how thin the meat was, they should be praised for not cooking it to well done. Fries were crispy and seasoned well. Service - 1/5. The actual service itself was fine as they were friendly and attentive. What I found offensive is the service charge language that was clearly blocked by sharpie. On the website menu, it states "A 15% service charge for dine-in checks and on take-out has been included to the price of our menu items." which explained the higher prices. However, their in store menu erased that particular part of the menu, the server did not mention anything, and the receipt cleared asked for a tip. The prices on the online menu and the in store menu were exactly the same, so the prices should reflect the service charge inclusion. Yet they tried to hide that fact to take advantage of unsuspecting diners to finesse a tip out of them when service charge was already included. This was a dirty and shameful practice by their team. Value - 1/5. Burger was awful and way overpriced at $16 for the counter combo. This would be overpriced even if the service charged was included in the menu, as advertised online, but they tried to hide that language to charge you even more. I feel disgusted to support such an establishment with unethical practices. Trust the low ratings and hard pass. Parking - Mall Lot (Free) read more

The Counter Mountain View - Old School Cheeseburger, Shoestring Fries - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

THE WAITSTAFF ADDED THEIR OWN TIP AFTER CHARGING MY CARD Food 3/5. Service 0/5. Came on a Saturday afternoon around 4PM and there was no staff on the floor. We sat ourselves, waited 5-10 minutes before anyone came out the back and noticed us and eventually took our order. 15 minutes later they brought me the wrong order, and it took another 10 minutes for the right food to come out. Still hadn't cleaned dirty dishes off the nearby tables from when we walked in. Two burgers and two fries cost $70.52 I was frustrated and did not leave a tip. A few days later my credit card was charged $12 higher than it should have been, i.e. they added their own $12 tip. I called their (650)948-2333 phone number about 10 times before someone picked up to address the issue (there is no voicemail option). Apparently they will escalate to their manager, who is supposed to call me... sometime, I guess. Now I'm just waiting for the amount to be refunded. Maybe your experience will be better than mine, and the service will be fine, and you won't have to deal with credit card fraud. But keep your receipt and check your bank statement, just in case! read more

The Counter Mountain View - What they should have charged - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

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Burgers very small and service unhelpful. Taste is average at best. Did not find value. Have not returned.

Do not go! Service was slow and unfriendly. Burger was plain and expensive. And then they charge you a 4% "Small Business Surcharge"!? WTH is that? read more

The Counter Mountain View - 4% Small Business Surcharge??? - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

Honestly quite disappointed, the Old School burger had no taste as well as no condiments, easily the worst burger I've had. Chili cheese fries tasted like something from a crummy school cafeteria and the strawberry shake tasted like artificial flavors like the one you get from Costco food court. read more

It was just ok for $24 total with no sides or drinks! Yikes. I got the vegan cheese added not realizing that this was an extra $1.50 and it was super weird looking - not melted - never seen anything like this before anywhere else. Scraped it off. Otherwise it was an ok burger just way too much money for what you get IMO. Awkward to eat as most of their burgers are stacked so high even with just minimum amount of toppings. Ended up having to ditch half the bun to try to bit into it without a huge mess lol read more

The Counter Mountain View - Beyond burger with weird vegan cheese that costs additional $1:50 and clearly not melted - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

Ordered simple sliders and specifically asked for no cheese and medium rare to go. Got the order with cheese and fully cooked. I did saw the order taker entered these to the system but somehow the order did not reflect that at all. Poor experience. read more

the counter is known for their burgers, but i ended up ordering the "sonoma bowl" for more vegetables: quinoa, mixed greens, beef patty, tomatoes, onions, pesto, herbed goat cheese. the burger was decent (a little dry) and had herbed goat cheese slathered on the top. there was not much mixed greens or quinoa. the tomatoes and onions were oven roasted which was nice but i thought the dish had an unnecessary amount of onions. overall, it was okay -- i feel like given the price point, there could have been a bigger portion or more flavorful. read more

The Counter Mountain View - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

Literally found a bread bag clip in my burger while chewing, the counter used to be super good but this location is not up to snuff compared to cupertino's quality as of a few years ago. Very lazy and stupid to leave objects in food, a feat I have never achieved in my entire life. Hire better people and lower the prices for your not so tasty food. At the very least that item I was not charged for. read more

I've been here a few times but not recently - in fact it's been a few years. And when I've gone, I've always ordered a burger - that is what they do after all! But the chili caught my eye on the menu so decided to change it up. The portion was large - enough remaining for lunch the next day. I didn't see any pics on Yelp so wasn't sure what to expect. There are many types of chili but I like just about all of them so I wasn't too worried. The consistency is almost like sloppy joes although not as sweet - you could definitely make a sandwich out of it. It comes with two slices of toast for just that purpose. If you are expecting more soup like then I would skip. Apologies for the pic - already had a few bites (have to remember the phone eats first!). I asked them to hold the cheese. It was filling and tasted pretty good - not the best ever but solid 4 stars for that type of chili. We also had the shoestring fries and onion strings which were both amazing! read more

The Counter Mountain View - Chili - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

I drove 25 minutes to get to The Counter, arriving at 8:46 PM -- well before their posted closing time of 9:00 PM -- only to be told they wouldn't serve me because they were "about to close." If you're going to turn customers away 15 minutes early, change your hours or at least be upfront about it. Extremely disappointing and unprofessional. I won't be back. read more

Takeout order: 6/10 Sonoma Bowl $14 - Pesto sauce was decent and burger patty was ok. Overall just expensive for a salad read more

The Counter Mountain View - Sonoma Bowl - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

Service was awesome as always. Sat outside in anticipation of my toddlers being very loud, they did not disappoint and screamed their little hearts out. Luckily the couple next to us were more so amused and happy to interact with them. The Hippie salad is delish! I added chicken...okay, you got me...I also added bacon and I could not finish it, so next time I do order it, I'll ask for the dressing on the side. Also ordered a plethora of menu items. Brussel sprouts - which were large in size and cut in half, tasty and cooked to perfection. Buffalo wings - crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Children's chicken tender meals - 4 strips lightly breaded with juicy pieces of chicken. Shoestring fries and sweet potato fries were great. Sonoma salad and a burger, I wasn't able to taste them but tbh you can't go wrong with any item on the menu, except for the fact that you should have ordered more lol. Service was fast despite being full of customers, and they came to check on us frequently which is awesome. Love it here! read more

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Pretty gross in general. We sat at a grimy table, and the men's' bathroom was wet and dirty. The food was bland and overpriced. I ordered a salad without meat, and I was served a salad with meat. I sent the salad back, and received the same exact salad (sans meat) back. I sent it back again and received the same salad back with a little extra lettuce on top to cover the meat juice. read more

Still enjoy this spot for good burgers and service. But man, is it pricey!! And, they now automatically include the tip (I hate that policy). A 1/2 lb burger with Swiss cheese, mushrooms and fries was over $30!! And the amount of mushrooms they give you is absolutely pathetic! They'll give you a big old slice of pineapple for free, but charge like $4 for a few slices of mushroom. Good burger but they nickel and dime you big time!! Next time I get a craving, I will seriously consider a double burger from in and out before this place. read more

My family and I have gone to this restaurant for several years because their veggie burger is pretty decent and for the selection of toppings. A year or two ago, they started adding $1.50 for cheese on top of a $16 burger. It seems a bit excessive. Anyway, at least that is disclosed in the menu and it is our choice to not add cheese. I am fine with that. When we went there a couple of days ago, they tacked on a "Small Business Surcharge" of 4% in the bill. The waiter said he doesn't know what it is for, but they started adding it because some other restaurants are doing it. OK, fine, but it wasn't disclosed in the menu; it was just added on to the bill. When I asked the waiter, he said "I think they are printing a new menu with that information". Poor waiter, it isn't his fault, but it is crappy for the ownership to add an arbitrary fee on top of an already expensive menu without disclosing it in the menu. I thought there was a CA law against it. Oh well! read more

I'm extremely disappointed with the service I received tonight at The Counter. I've been here before and usually have a good experience, but this was by far the worst. My friends and I had to wait repeatedly for basic things like water, and our server only checked on us about every 20 minutes. I ordered a Caesar salad and was given a house salad instead--when I asked about it, I was told that's just how they make their salads. One friend waited 35 minutes for a simple ice cream order, and our sides of onion rings and sweet potato fries never came out with our meals. To make matters worse, when it was time to pay, we were told the check couldn't be split more than two ways and that we "should've communicated that earlier," even though no one informed us of that policy beforehand. There was a clear lack of accountability and consistency across the board, and no staff member made an effort to make things right. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this location anymore. The experience left all of us frustrated and disappointed. read more

When you ask for your burger WELL DONE... Then they say "Sorry your burger wasn't to your liking." "I simply asked for it well done. Does this look well done to you???" Also, I asked for American Cheese. It had NO cheese. read more

The Counter Mountain View - My "Well done" burger. Pfffttttttt - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

Never again. This was my first and definitely my last stop here. The meal was absolutely not worth the money, and the state of the fries was unacceptable; they were so soaked in oil they were practically inedible. read more

This is one of my favorite burger places. I love the fact that you can get as many toppings as you like. I got the burger in a bowl of mixed green with grilled pineapple, grilled onions, eggs, roasted corn, olives, roasted peppers , and jalapeño. That is everything but the kitchen sink! The fries are thin and crispy with parmesan cheese. The sweet potato fries are light and crispy , not oily. read more

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Our dining experience here was average. I came with my sister on a Monday afternoon before our movie started which happened to be their happy hour time. Upon entering, we noticed that the restaurant was very clean and there was only one other customer dining in. We were each given menus and a pencil, but not the happy hour menu by the waiter, who left straight after dropping off the menus. We were confused at first with what the pencil was for so we called him back to ask if we were supposed to circle our orders on the paper menu and also asked for the happy hour menu. He said to not write on the menu and later gave us the happy hour menu. We saw on the menu that they would automatically add 20% service charge. If the service was good, we wouldn't be bothered by the automatic service charge, but because of the bad service we received from our waiter, it didn't feel good to know that the fee would be automatically added. When asked for recommendations, our waiter also wasn't of much help. Maybe it was his off day, but it wasn't busy when he was serving us and it felt like he just didn't want to be there. The waiters had a change of shift prior to our food arriving. We liked our second waiter. He was friendly and checked in with us even after more customers came in. Food was enjoyable, but I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to recommend this location, because although the food was good, there was nothing memorable, plus the fact that there's an automatic additional 20% service fee with mediocre service. Overall experience: (3/5) Mini Cheeseburgers: (4/5) These were nice and juicy. Paired with fries, made a perfect combo. Old School Cheeseburger with Side Salad: (5/5) The meat was juicy, bread was soft and buttery, and lettuce and onions balanced the flavors perfectly. The serving of the salad on the side was big and refreshing. Sweet Sriracha Wings: (5/5) Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. The sweet sriracha sauce was mouthwatering. Loaded Tots: (4/5) Loved how they made the crispy parts just right. The cheese and bacon gave the dish it's delicious flavor. read more

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I love how you can custom make your burger how you feel/or have a taste for...I change it up every time I visit. Their fries are def. on point. The service is always good. Ambiance is pretty consistent every time I visit. Busy but not too busy! read more

The Counter Mountain View - Bison is Gouda! - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

I'll go on record first that I really liked the counter - they generally have a solid burger and good fries. They were my go to for a burger fix when I was in Mountain View. On this visit, that changed. I'm not sure if it was an off day or some other issue but I chose the create your own burger - with pretty simple ingredients - cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion. They made it wrong twice - first with pickles, second with pepperoncini, and the meat was undercooked (I ordered it medium well). When I mentioned this to the server, they fixed the first mistake, brought the second burger, and took the second one away after I left it half eaten. They apologized and offered to make me another burger to take to go. I declined; I'm not sure what I'd have done with a whole other burger, after the first 2 came out incorrectly. I'm bummed. This used to be a solid place to get a bite to eat, but it seems like that's not the case anymore. Hopefully this is a one off experience that I had. I'd consider your other options first and go in with lower expectations if you still decide to try it. For the price we paid, I'm not sure it's worth it. read more

Burger and fries flavor were good, except the food arrived cold, i'm not sure how if the food arrived shortly after we ordered, disappointed nonetheless read more

I went here for a curbside pickup recently because I have always been a fan of personalizing your dish. Pros: vegetarian and vegan options (Impossible burger!), lots of healthy toppings to choose from, excellent sweet potato fries, no napkins were given (yes this is a pro since I was clearly eating this at home and it's eco-friendly to not just distribute napkins) Cons: I arrived on time but the food was cold, the fry container was not even shut, and the Impossible burger is quite a bit more expensive than the actual meat burgers (maybe this says more about animal agriculture products than their plant-based counterparts ?) Bottom line: I will definitely be back, but probably not until I can at least dine outdoors on the restaurant's terrace read more

The Counter Mountain View - Impossible burger with whole wheat bun - Burgers Near Me - Mountain View, California

Tried their Impossible Burger for the first time, and it was good. Service was a little slow, but I love their fries and onion rings. Overall, The Counter delivers an okay experience across all their locations. I would probably give this The Counter a 3.5 rating if I could. read more

Always love The Counter and the ability to customize your own burgers. It's been consistent for all the locations I've been to. The burgers are always so juicy and filling. This time I tried the Parmesan fries during happy hour and they were pretty delicious. Overall would come again + they allow dogs in the outdoor seating area! read more

Food: asked Extra well done on meat; even added, with burn't edges. Husband wrote on paper, burn it. Meat looked broiled or cooked ontop of grill with lots fat. Hus aaked for cheese; no cheese. Service: customer svc courteous, friendly, professional. Cleanliness: hus used bathrm: dirty. Soap dispenser with crud, mold, mildew and dust on top. Sink dirty, stained, spots on metal part. No papertowels in dispenser to dry hands ( though airblower did work). Trash bin up against stall door overflowing...F by dept of public health in my opinion. We will never return here ( not like its a cheap place)! Would give 2 but bathrm killed it. Mom always said, you can tell how clean personnel is by the cleanliness of a bathroom!! read more