Counter-

Fantastic food, amazing ambiance, excellent service. If you want the best gastronomic experience in Charlotte, then come to Counter-. The only thing I will caution is that when you order a wine pairing, the price they tell you does NOT include the mandatory service charge. Prepare to spend 20%+ more than the price listed for your wine. In my opinion, they should give the price with service charge included, since service charge is included in the food price. At a restaurant like Counter- price shouldn’t be a factor in your decision making. However, pricing should be more transparent. Update 7/1/23: The vegetarian summer menu is AMAZING! Chef Sam said people were cancelling when they heard it was a local, seasonal menu featuring the finest produce Carolina has to offer. Their loss! If you don’t understand how delicious, nutritious, and filling vegetarian food can be, then I wish you the best of luck with your future health problems! For those of you who appreciate the beautiful bounty that nature provides us, get a reservation now - before they sell out!

I've waited a few days to post this review, as I wanted to more fully reflect on the meal. My expectations were very high, with the Chef's recent James Beard victory only heightening them. I'll use 2* Michelin restaurants in Europe as the bar, as Counter's price point and culinary aspirations are best aligned with that marker. Against that standard, I left feeling okay about my dinner, but perhaps a bit underwhelmed. Food (4) - Counter was featuring a vegetarian menu when I dined, which seemingly isn't a problem onto itself as it forces the restaurant to be top of its game given that there are fewer elements one can work with (not only proteins, but also the varied culinary techniques and sauces that so often define high-end fine dining). Unfortunately, none of the dishes really blew me away (though the visual artistry of the pastry chef's root vegetable spiral tart was pretty impressive). Virtually every dish had been prepared in advance as there was very little cooking going on in the kitchen during the service. Several of the dishes came out lukewarm. Despite 11 courses, I left feeling less than full and nearly turned into a Chick-Fil-A on my drive back to the hotel. Wine (3) - I was expecting more here, especially at the price point for the pairing. Seven glasses were poured, and to describe the pours as spartan would be generous. The wines were from the usual suspect regions and varietals, so nothing especially groundbreaking here. Service (5) - patrons are greeted warmly in the waiting area and are engaged by the staff throughout the meal. Explanations for each course (or pouring) were provided, frequently by the individual who had conceived of and/or prepared the dish. The Chef is available throughout and has significant interaction with the customers. Atmosphere (4) - as the name suggests, it's essentially a large U-shaped counter in which the guests are seated. The space has an industrial feel, which works well. Paintings are hung on the restaurant's walls which the Chef will refer to throughout the evening. I didn't find there to be anything especially distinctive regarding the lighting, flooring, upholstery etc like you might find in similar restaurants. Experience (5) - this is a new category, and one in which I think Counter effectively creates and defines the category by introducing story-telling, music and artwork into the meal. It's quite novel, and takes the dining experience into something more approaching theater. While the Chef does much of the story-telling, I love how he involves other members of his culinary team in the interactions with the diners throughout the evening. Note that everything runs like clockwork - the meal begins exactly at the indicated time (for all 15-20 guests) and, when it ends...it ends. No lingering about over a bottle of wine or endless cups of coffee. I gather that's because the next group is queuing and getting ready to come in. Lastly, I should note that it's a tough place to have a conversation. If you want to talke to your partner about having a baby or quitting your job, best to go elsewhere. Why? Well, there are numerous interruptions as courses are served (and wines poured), courses (and wines) are explained, stories are told and music is played (sometimes quite loudly). So, like theater, you go to observe and enjoy...and to keep quiet during the performance. Net-net, I'll give Counter another try on my next Charlotte visit when the menu flips to something less confining, though think I'll just buy a botle of wine rather than partake in the wine pairing.

I've been to a lot of restaurants that offer tasting menus and this one is high up on the list of places I'd love to go back to when a new menu comes out. The food is fantastic, service was great. The overall experience is far and above most other restaurants. The chef explaining the dishes he created and at the end tying in the theme was a nice touch. Plenty of food, and the wine pairing choices were great. It is of course expensive, but that is to be expected with the level service and food they provide.

Counter is exactly what the Charlotte food scene needed. As a self-proclaimed chef and foodie I struggle going out to restaurants in Charlotte as more often than not I'm left saying "well I could have made this better myself at home". As a season pass holder for the last two years I've never EVER left Counter disappointed. Chef Sam Hart provides such a unique and multi-faceted dining experience I no longer feel the need to try other restaurants because each time I attend a Counter dinner it's like I'm stepping into a new restaurant. Chef Sam's attention to detail is untouched, and this goes beyond the flavors on your plate - from the utensils and dishes, the music paired with each plate and even the art on the wall - everything is selected with thought and purpose. Don't sleep on the drink pairings - alcoholic and non-alcoholic - you won't be disappointed. I attended several dinners while pregnant and never felt like I was missing out on the wine my husband was drinking next to me (we usually choose the reserve pairing). Dietary restrictions? Chef will help cater to your needs and ensure you have an amazing dining experience without feeling restricted. I'm so excited for the new concepts that will be debuting in 2022 and recommend you book your dining experience at Counter now.

We went to one of the Anomaly popups before Counter had a permanent location back at the beginning of 2020. We really enjoyed the food and experience so we decided to choose it for our anniversary celebration this year. I made the reservation a while ago and was kind of nervous about dining inside with how bad the pandemic is right now. Luckily, it's a very small restaurant and there was only one other group dining at the same time as us (and of course the staff all had masks on). If you aren't familiar, there is always a theme that changes every few months. All of the courses on the tasting menu are centered around that theme and they pick music that goes with the theme and dishes as well. They plate each dish in the center of the seating area and describe it for you. The theme right now is cinema. The whole thing was really fantastic. Our top two dishes were a scallop one and a pork belly one, but there wasn't a single one that wasn't delicious. It's a very expensive meal, but I think it's the best dining experience in Charlotte. We won't be back all the time, but it's a great place to celebrate a special occasion. We'll definitely be back if there's a future theme we like.