Eat dishes inspired by your favorite drive-thrus at Counter- in Wesley Heights
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Keep scrolling for a better look at C-FC (Counter- Fried Chicken). Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios
Drive-thru-inspired favorites, like Crunch Wrap Supremes and Pumpkin Spice Lattes, are on the menu at Counter- in Wesley Heights.
Why it matters: Counter- is an upscale restaurant led by James Beard-nominated chef-owner Sam Hart with a price point to match. The last thing you'd expect to eat there is a Filet-o'-Fish. Except, the innovative menu is anything but what you'd expect.
Context: The drive-thru menu, which is available through May 18, offers ten courses inspired by classic drive-thrus like Taco Bell, McDonald's and Starbucks, to name a few.
What to expect: The Counter- experience (and it is an experience) starts once you walk in the door. You're escorted into a room with a screen playing old fast-food commercials, giving you a preview of what you're about to eat. There, you're given your first course: a reimagined Crunchwrap Supreme topped with caviar.
Counter- recently changed its format, and although its seasonally changing tasting menus essentially guarantee a unique experience with each visit, its new format is more interactive.
- Now, diners experience their dinner in three phases and are ushered through multiple rooms in the restaurant to complement the theme's storyline.
Go deeper: Get ready for Counter- 3.0. Charlotte's popular tasting menu restaurant is switching it up
Try this: For an additional fee of $95, you can add the caviar enhancement, which includes an extra course: a scoop of caviar atop a "big a-- french fry."
- For an additional $75, you can add the truffle enhancement, in which Hart will shave black truffle atop several of your courses.
Sip on this: There's an option to add a spirit-free pairing with each course for $95. The third course, a snapper dish that plays on McDonald's Filet-o'-Fish pairs with a mocktail of lemon-lime simple syrup, lemon zest and sparkling tea that emulates the crispiness of a Micky D's Sprite.
- A global wine pairing option is available for an extra $105.
- If you're a wine aficionado, you might be more apt to try the "absurd pairing" for an additional $525. With this pairing, the in-house sommelier will pair rare, vintage and iconic wines with your courses.
Between the lines: From the interactive menu to the curated playlist, every element in the production is intentional.
Best bites: We can't skip mentioning the CFC (Counter Fried Chicken). The chicken thigh was one of my favorite bites, but the creativity in the presentation is the true winner here.
What's next: Counter- has a couple of themed dinners planned this Spring and Summer, including a tribute to the divas of the '70s, '80s and '90s (Cher, Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston to name a few) from May 22-June 1.
- After that, Counter- will run a Jay-Z-inspired tasting menu called The Blueprint June 12-22.
Go deeper: 5 things to know before eating at Counter-