Right in the heart of Times Square, there is a newish Build Your Own Burger restaurant called The Counter.
At The Counter, you are given a checklist of all the burger things you could possibly want. You can select the size patty you want, the type of meat (or non-meat), the bun, etc. They have the usual toppings but, in my opinion, you go here for the more obscure options, like grilled pineapple, fried eggs, basil mayo, dried cranberries, and black forest ham, to name a few.
We ordered a combo of sweet potato fries and parmesan fries. Delicious. But how could this really not be delicious?
I ordered the veggie burger. I was also an idiot and forgot to ask about peppers. There were, in fact, peppers in this, but they were mild so I only had some itching and no burns. It was tasty enough to get through the pain. The burger is made with full pieces of beans and corn and a good amount of rice. I topped mine with grilled pineapple and gruyere cheese on a toasted onion roll. It was very, very tasty.
I look forward to going back to try the real burger!
As far as Times Square “fast food” goes, this place is tops and has something for everyone since you can customize so much. It can get VERY busy during lunch time, but if you were to get a seat at the communal table, it’s worth a stop.
