Last Hawaiian Restaurant Review: The Counter

Served with the most amazing sweet potato fries (not pictured)

On the suggestion of a friend who I wish I'd gotten to know well enough to miss, I went to The Counter in Kahala Mall with some other friends who fall into the same category as a farewell dinner of sorts.  The Counter is a "build your own burger" type of place with a multiple-choice sheet that was super intimidating, even to one who is so awesome at standardized tests.  The options for what to get were very wild; had I been able to go a second time, I would have tried brie and apricot jam, but in the nature of objectivity and normalization, I went traditional (except I got scallions in lieu of regular onions).  Here's how this burger measured up:

• Structural Integrity:  A.  It stayed together, and the scallions didn't even fall off!
• Burger-to-Bun Ratio:  A-.  Generally okay, though I was left with a bit more burger at the end.
• Topping Quality and Distribution:  N/A.  You can get pretty much whatever you want on this burger, and they give you a decent amount of it.
• Burger Patty:  B+.  It was good, but their interpretation of "medium-well" was definitely much closer to "medium."  I don't love my burgers too pink, but I didn't get sick after, so it was fine.  
• Fries:  A+.  These were probably the best sweet potato fries I've ever had.  Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and served with this sauce that I don't even know what it was (there was definitely some dijon in there) but it was AMAZING.  I wish I had either ordered a bigger plate of them (they're not included in the cost of the burger) or not offered to share.
• Overall:  A.  I might have liked this more than Teddy's, though it was more expensive.

The service was good.  The only thing I very much disliked is that there was a live musician playing.*  He was too loud for the small space and I couldn't hear half of the conversations.  Also, deciding what to order of a million options is stressful enough without some acoustic rendition of a Katy Perry song blasting behind you.  They also sold desserts and milkshakes, but I can't believe that any milkshake could have been good enough to be worth six dollars.  That milkshake would have to bring all of the boys and all of the men and the fracking Queen of England to the yard.

*As opposed to a dead one, which would have been terribly interesting.