Posted October 8th, 2008 by Meg
Last week my roommate and I went to Father’s Office in Santa Monica. Surprisingly, it wasn’t crowded at all. We ordered our drinks and sat down at a table. My Father’s Office drink is usually the Grimbergen Blonde, but they were out of it. I ended up getting the always delicious Saison Dupont. My roommate got a Duvel.
We ordered some sweet potato fries and the olives. Their sweet potato french fries are the best in the city; crispy and seasoned perfectly. I am a sucker for Father’s Office olives because they mix various olives with Moroccan spices. I love them.
We split the Father’s Office burger. It’s not the best picture, but seriously this burger doesn’t need my praise to succeed in life. It’s the tops.
Just know this:
1. It’s usually always packed and there is limited seating.
2. No substitutions on the burger. I suggest the Counter if you can’t handle life without substitutions.
3. The Father’s Office 2 in Culver City is better because it is bigger and serves cocktails.
Father’s Office
1018 Montana Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 393-2337
Posted August 17th, 2008 by Meg
One of the perks of living on the west side of Los Angeles is that we have the best burgers in the city: Father’s Office and The Counter. Any foodie will agree that these establishments make some amazing burgers. Unfortunately, FO is not open for lunch during the weekdays. Fortunately, The Counter is! And this is where my boyfriend and I went for lunch on Friday. We arrived there at around 11:45am, a little earlier than the lunch rush (which is anywhere between 12-1:30 in Santa Monica, the worst time to arrive being at 1pm), because parking is not always ample, and it sucks to be there when it is crowded and you have to wait to be seated. As usual, it was a great and filling lunch (we had to take most of it home because there was so much food!
The way The Counter works is you can either sit at the counter and be
waited on by the bartender/person behind the counter or you can order at the register and sit down and be seated (they might have implemented table service, but I’m not sure). I prefer to sit at the counter. The menu encourages you to make your own burger, but they also have a set menu that includes signature burgers, of which I have never tried. It is not strictly red meat, you can also order turkey, chicken, or a veggie burger. Also, anything can be put on a salad. On the create-your-own, four toppings of your choice are included (if you want to add more you get charged a little extra). Also you can choose one cheese, one dressing/condiment and the type of bun you want for your burger: white, wheat, or English muffin. For side snacks they have french fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and fried dill pickles!
This is an ideal restaurant for my boyfriend and I because we have very different palates. He is very simple in his tastes and does not like to try anything new. His order is consistently a turkey burger on a white bun with barbecue sauce on the side. No lettuce, no tomato, no cheese, nothing! My order is constantly changing. On this specific day, I ordered the vegetable burger. These are not pathetic boca/soy-esque burgers, but instead made from scratch with rice, beans, vegetables, and even some cranberries for sweetness. I ordered mine with onion, roasted chilies, roasted peppers, tomatoes, and a Tillamook cheddar (Oregonian cheese, not the Dog Artist). I also chose the spicy sour cream as my side condiment. It is was
delightful.
For review purposes (heh, right) I had to order the fried dill pickle chips, and the fifty-fifty fries (regular and sweet potato). The fries are addictive and filling, so I advise moderation because they come out before the burgers and are easy to fill up on fast. The sweet potato fries come with an almost chipotle sour cream (different than the spicy sour cream that I ordered with my burger). It works well with both fries, but definitely pairs best with the sweet potato fries.
I find the fried dill pickle chips to be a clever idea. You can fry just about anything, and you can pickle just about anything, so combining fried and pickled just seems to make sense. At first bite, I was surprised to find that the integrity of the pickle’s crunch is not compromised during the frying process, making them delightfully special. I do not always enjoy or desire pickles, but I will admit that they are little buttons of happiness. They are paired with a sweet and sour sauce, which works well with the pickled taste of brine, vinegar, and dill.
Note: The only other veggie burger in Los Angeles that I’ve tried and compares to The Counter is the vegetable burger offered at Houston’s restaurant.
The Counter
2901 Ocean Park Blvd # 102
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 399-8383
