As we reached the end of our Cheeseburger Week coverage, we found ourselves seated at the counter of one of Pasadena’s hidden gems, something we never do, sit at the counter, that is. Tucked behind Lake Avenue on a street called, appropriately enough, “Shopper’s Lane,” sits The Counter.

The Counter is essentially a dressed-up diner, offering build-your-own burgers in a comfortable and unassuming environment. On the Friday night we arrived, a long line of hungry, dare we say it, shoppers, had already formed.

We of course, opted for the most traditional cheeseburger we could build, so it was a beef patty with American cheese, chopped lettuce, and their tangy thousand island sauce. (After a week of cheeseburgers, we should have perhaps opted for five hundred island sauce, but I digress.) The cheeseburger was quietly delicious.

You choose your own bun at The Counter, and pick from a wide variety of unlimited toppings, sauces, and sides.  There are also a number of what they call “expert builds,” so you can rest your shopped-out brain and let them do the thinking. There’s close to a dozen of those, ranging from the Counter, which features provolone cheese, onion strings, mushrooms, tomatoes, and a tomato vinaigrette, on a brioche, to a Asian Ahi, which of course, dear readers, is not a cheeseburger.

Or you can choose the Purist which is just beef and bun. Again, the choice is yours.

Our  burger came with shoestring fries though again, there are quite a few choices here, ranging from sweet potato fries to fried pickles, house chili, deviled eggs and salads.

We also opted for a rich, delicious Banana Split shake, with bits of banana and strawberries blended in, with a touch of caramel in thick vanilla ice cream. You want one right now. We get that.

So, let’s review, shall we? The Counter offers both traditional and non-traditional burgers, cheesy and non-cheesy, served in a cool, family-friendly environment. There’s indoor and outdoor seating, there’s sports on big TVs, and there are great cheeseburgers. Just look at that  picture up there.

Shall we say 7 o’clock?

The Counter is at 140 Shoppers Lane, Pasadena, CA. (626) 440 1008. www.thecounterburger.com.