#9 The Counter, Kahala Mall

The Counter, Custom Built Burgers

Kahala Mall

Category: Gourmet Burgers

Menu Item: Old School

Price: $8.95 + $1.50 Fries*

Burger Size: 1/3 lb (~5.3 oz.)

Bun: White

Cheese: Tillamook Cheddar

Toppings: Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickle, Red Relish

* $1.50 Fries not shown. Explanation below.

Description:

Needing a rebound from the horror that was W & M burgers, I was debating whether to head down the street to Burgers on the Edge, or way up the road to The Counter. Obviously, I picked The Counter, but I will review Burgers on the Edge next week. If you look up either place on Yelp, they are always being compared to each other because they both offer "custom built" burgers, so reviewing them back-to-back seems appropriate. If you have never been to either place before, allow me to explain the burger building process. You start off with what looks like a burger ballot and pencil. Here's a picture:

Choose wisely... There are no erasers!

So basically you get to pick every detail of your burger. For The Counter, you start off with the burger type (beef, turkey, veggie, or chicken) and size (1/3 lb, 2/3 lb, or 1 lb). Keep in mind, the price varies depending on your choices and extra toppings cost more as well. In "Step #2" you choose your cheese. They have 10 types of cheese to choose from and you are allowed to pick one. But if you want you can add another choice for a dollar. In "Step #3" you get to choose 4 toppings from a list of 18, 50 cents for each additional. They also have 11 "Premium Toppings" for a dollar each (none included). In "Step #4" you can choose one sauce from a list of 18, 50 cents for each additional. Finally, in "Step #5" you get to choose the bun for your burger (english muffin, hamburger bun, or whole wheat bun).

The "Old School" Burger

Now that I am done boring you with the burger building instructions, on to the review. The Counter is located next to Whole Foods at Kahala Mall and has a very clean, simple dining room. Bar on one side with a bunch of four seat tables lined up back to back. When you walk in, they actually ask you if you want to sit at "The Counter" which I thought was amusing, but I passed and took a table. In addition to the "burger ballot" as I like to call it, they also have a menu with pre-built burgers on it. Since you could argue that my opinion of this place could suck due to the horrible burger that I built, I ordered the closest thing to a normal cheeseburger: the pre-designed "Old School" burger. The burger included a 1/3 lb patty on a hamburger bun topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and red relish. I then made a huge mistake by ordering a regular portion of fries. The menu has either a single order of french fries for $1.50 or a regular order for $3.95. I love fries so I went for the regular order which turned out to be a huge thing of fries. Check this out:

Too. Many. Fries.

So... yeah. Don't get the regular order unless you're starving for fries. By the time you finish them, they are all cold anyway. Trust me, I stayed and finished them. Also, don't get the sweet potato fries. I tried them a while ago and sweet fries just don't match to me. Anyway, the wait for this burger was incredible short. I went at lunchtime and my food came pretty quick after I ordered it. As for the taste, it was alright. The burger patty was cooked perfectly medium but was a little oily and reminded me of the one from Ruby Tuesdays. The fries were plain and ordinary, but you can tell that the focus of this place was the toppings and sauces. The toppings were excellent and made me want to try the rest of the toppings they have to offer.

Verdict:

Grading this burger is easy, but I don't think anyone could judge this place until they have been here at least a few times. This was my third time eating here and it seems to get better each time. Building your own burger is fun, but sometimes pricey and sometimes not so delicious. Did you know if you get a one pound patty and check off every box for toppings, cheese, and sauce you get a $49.45 burger?! And I'm willing to bet it wouldn't taste that amazing. So have fun, check this place out, yelp about it and... I'll be back next week. Shoots!

Grade: B

The Counter, Custom Built Burgers

4211 Waialae Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816-5350
Mon-Thu 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-9pm

(808) 739-5100

http://www.thecounterburger.com/

#8, W&M Bar-B-Q Burger, Waialae

W&M Bar-B-Q Burger

Waialae

Category: Fast Food / Takeout Burger

Menu Item: Royal Hamburger

Price: $3.60 + $1.95 Fries

Burger Size: Unknown

Bun: White

Cheese: American

Toppings: Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, and 1 topping (Mayonnaise, Ketchup, Mustard or Relish)

Description:

Star Advertiser readers voted W & M Bar-B-Q Burgers as having the best hamburgers on the island in 2010. Since it beat out two of my favorite places, Teddy's and Kua 'Aina, I had high expectations going into this review. W & M is located on Waialae Avenue between City Mill and Chaminade. The building has the feel of an old local drive-in with one window to take orders and one to pick up orders. Don't expect to find parking easily though, as they only have six or seven parking stalls in the lot. The limited parking does not discourage people from eating here though and there is always a decent line out front. I felt kinda dumb standing there while people would just walk to the front to grab their phone orders. Also, it's strictly a take-out place unless you plan on standing outside and eating at the counter.

The "Royal Hamuburger" with Fries

For this review, I ordered the "Royal Hamburger" which is a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onions and your choice of mayo, ketchup, mustard or relish. It comes on a plain white bun, but the burger patty is what makes it unique. According to a piece of paper posted on the front window, their burger patties are soaked in barbecue sauce, then fried, then dipped in sauce again, then served. However, being totally honest, it just tasted like a teri-burger that you could buy frozen from any grocery store. In fact you could probably just buy some frozen teri-patties, lettuce, tomato, onion, sliced cheese, and plain hamburger buns and grill this burger yourself. It'd be cheaper and probably taste better too. The fries aren't anything special either, but it's $1.95 for the equivalent of a McDonald's small fries which only costs a dollar. When you add a drink to your meal for another $1.75, your total comes out to around $7.50, and for that price you might as well just go to a fast food place and cruise through the drive through for a faster, cheaper, more filling meal.

Small, pricey, disappointing...

Verdict:

Honestly, I have no idea what makes people think that this is the best burger place on the island. Their burgers taste like something you could grill in your backyard yourself for a much cheaper cost. Maybe it's the convenience of being able to purchase that homemade teri-burger that makes people love this place, or that the locals have just grown up eating here, so it's naturally a classic. I don't know. It's not the worst burger ever, just not anything special in my opinion and definitely not better than Teddy's or Kua 'Aina. Considering the price, amount of food, and the wait, I think I'd rather hit up the McDonald's up the street. Try it for yourself though and see if it lives up to its "Best Hamburger" title. Cause to me, it's far from it.

Grade: D

W&M Bar-B-Q Burger
3104 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816
Wed-Fri 10AM-430PM, Sat-Sun 9AM-430, Mon-Tues Closed
808-734-3350

#7 Big City Diner, Pearlridge

Big City Diner
Pearlridge Shopping Center

Category: Gourmet Burger

Menu Item: "The Classic Burger" w/ Cheese

Price: $8.99 + $0.99 for Cheese

Burger Size: 1/2 lb (8 oz.)

Bun: Potato Bun

Cheese: Cheddar (also available in Jack)

Toppings: Lettuce, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Pickle Spear, Mayonnaise

Description:

Wut up bloggers. Continuing with the theme of reviewing places I had not planned on visiting (and taking pictures with my phone), is Big City Diner. From looking at it, you wouldn't think of it as a local restaurant. The dining room feels more like a chill bar/restaurant than a diner. It isn't until you look at the menu that you find the local twist in each of their dishes. The menu is filled with a decent amount of local favorites (you can check it out at their website) but you know me... I gotta go with the cheeseburger!

"The Classic Burger" w/ Cheddar Cheese

For this review, I ordered "The Classic Burger" (seems like every place has a "classic burger" doesn't it?) and added cheddar cheese for $0.99. The wait was a little longer than I expected, but it was well worth it. The burger patty came on a potato bun and topped with lettuce, tomato, red onions, and a TON of melted cheddar cheese. It also came with a pickle spear on the side. I know the menu says that their burgers come topped with mayo, but I didn't notice it when I ate it. I also noticed that the burger patty was cooked more "well" than "medium" which is also stated in the menu. However, neither was really a big deal because the burger was surprisingly good. In fact, it was amazingly good. The burger patty was thick and juicy and was topped with the perfect amount of cheese and vegetables. The pickle spear and fries were also perfect compliments to the burger. It was very filling and reminded me of a bigger version of the Teddy's burger minus the special sauce. The fries were also very similar to Teddy's. Check out the pics, they look almost identical.

Tasty.

Verdict:

For a place that I had not planned on reviewing, this burger was great! And it gets better! For another dollar they have "The BIG Burger" which is everything I described above plus avocado and bacon. Definitely try the burgers here. They taste good and the price is reasonable. I really have no complaints with this burger, and comparing it to the "Gourmet Burgers" that I have reviewed previously, I had to reward it with an appropriate grade.

Grade: A

Big City Diner
Pearlridge Shopping Center
98-211 Pali Momi Street, Aiea, Hawaii 96701
Sun-Thurs 7AM-10AM, Fri-Sat, 7AM-12 Midnight
(808) 487-8188
http://bigcitydinerhawaii.com/

#6 Ruby Tuesday, Ala Moana

Ruby Tuesday
Ala Moana Shopping Center

Category: Gourmet Burger

Menu Item: Classic Cheeseburger

Price: $10.69 w/ Endless Fries

Burger Size: 8 oz.

Bun: Wheat

Cheese: American

Toppings: Lettuce, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Pickles, Ruby's Mayonnaise

Description:

Most of you probably have eaten at a Ruby Tuesday before, so I'll keep this review short. I actually had not planned to do a burger review on this place, but I ended up eating here and figured that I would offer my thoughts on the burger. Also, the burger pictures were taken with my phone because I didn't have my camera on me.

"Handcrafted" Classic Cheeseburger

The Ruby Tuesday Menu includes ten "Handcrafted Burgers" and four "Prime Burgers." The Handcrafted Burgers include 100% USDA Choice beef burgers with different cheeses, bacon, barbecue sauce, and they also have a bison burger. The Prime burgers are the same except that they are made from USDA Prime Beef. For this review I ordered the "Classic Cheeseburger" which was a 8 oz. Choice beef burger patty cooked medium on a toasted wheat bun and topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onions, american cheese, and Ruby's Mayonnaise. It also came with a good amount of fries and even though they were "endless" I did not find it necessary to get another order.

Good and simple

The cheeseburger as a whole was good. It looks small when you eat it, but the 8 oz. patty makes it very heavy tasting and filling. After you eat it you probably won't want to move much. It is the opposite of the Islands burger which looked big, but ended up being very crisp and light eating. The fries were good as well, but there was nothing really special about this meal. The only thing that I noticed about this burger was that it had kind of a sour taste to it. Not in a bad way, but just different. I couldn't really tell if it was the sauce or the bun, but my guess goes to the bun.

Verdict:

In a word, Average. You probably wouldn't eat here for only the burgers, but if you wanted to order one I would probably try the Prime burger because they claim that it is the "World's Best Burger." For some reason I'm skeptical about that, but it's worth a shot right? If not, there are a few different burgers to try so you don't have to limit yourself to the classic.

Grade: C

Ruby Tuesday
1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814
Sun-Thurs 10:30AM-10PM, Fri & Sat 10:30AM-11PM
808-943-2525
http://www.rubytuesday.com

#5 Teddy's Bigger Burgers, University

Teddy's Bigger Burgers
S. Beretania (University)

Category: Fast food / Take-out burger

Menu Item: #1 "Big Combo"

Price: $7.89, $0.59 added for cheese

Burger Size: 5 oz.

Bun: White

Cheese: Cheddar (also available in American, Swiss or Pepperjack)

Toppings: Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Pickles, Special Sauce

Description:

Teddy's. Bigger. Burgers. What can I say? This place is amazing. Their slogan is "Reinventing the burger joint." Honestly, after eating here, they should change it to, "Completely blowing away all of the other burger joints on the island" (or something like that). They have a painting on the wall inside of the University restaurant showing a monster truck demolishing the Burger King restaurant down the street. How appropriate...

It's the little things that count...

Alright, on to the review. I used to have to drive down to Waikiki to enjoy a Teddy's burger, but this one recently opened up on South Beretania and I drive past it almost every day. It's really hard to ignore that giant picture of a burger on the side of the building and the Teddy's Hummer parked out front so I had to review it.

Before I even get to the burger, it'd be good to mention all of the things that set this place apart from your normal fast food / take-out burger place. I think on the drink cup, there is the story of the owners who wanted bigger and better burgers than what the fast food restaurants had to offer, so they started up this burger joint. And they did it well. The dining room is decorated nicely and the layout is impressive for such a small place. After you order your burger, they give you a buzzer that lets you know when your order is ready and they also give you a wet napkin for use after you finish your meal. It's these little things that let you know that they really put some thought into this place.

Teddy's "Big Combo"

For this review I ordered the "Big Combo" with cheese. It came out to about $8.50 for a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink which is a little more than a fast food combo, but definitely worth it. It took a little longer than a fast food burger to make, but it was worth the wait as well. The burger patty was perfectly cooked medium and was topped with lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, pickles, cheddar cheese and special sauce. All of the ingredients along with the bun taste amazing together and the fries are great as well. It was easy to bite into and very difficult to put down. My only minor complaint would be that they sometimes load on the sauce kinda heavy, but I'm not really a sauce kind of person and the sauce does taste good, so its alright. I just ate the fries with the remaining sauce that gets left behind.

Verdict:

For a take out burger restaurant, it does not get any better than Teddy's Bigger Burgers. You can tell that someone who really loves burgers thought of this place and got every little detail right. The environment was nice, the buzzer and wet nap were handy, and the food was delicious. I would recommend this place to everyone, but since it's always packed when I eat here, I figure that I don't have to. In fact, I think I'll just go back now. Shoots! See ya there.

Grade: A


Teddy's Bigger Burgers
2424 South Beretania Ave #101
Honolulu, HI 96826
Mon-Sun: 10am-9pm
808-949-0050
http://teddysbiggerburgers.com/