THE COUNTER

Winning the top spot in our blind tasting exercise, The Counter serves its burgers big and made to order.

As a "gourmet" burger restaurant, The Counter lets diners pick their protein (turkey, beef, chicken, veggie), bread (English muffin, hamburger bun, honey wheat bun or no bread at all), cheese, toppings and sauce (that's served on the side). That means there are more than 312,120 burger combinations possible.

Want a 2/3-pound beef patty — cooked to a perfectly pink medium, with a nice char on the outside and a juicy, tender center — topped with horseradish cheddar, grilled pineapple, dill pickle chips, dried cranberries and a fried egg, with a side of caramelized onion marmalade?

You got it. But be sure to get it with a side order of sweet potato fries because the only thing The Counter does better than its burgers is its sweet fries.

Since it opened a few months ago, The Counter has been doing brisk business, with long waits (sometimes two hours) for a table becoming an unavoidable part of the dining experience. We suggest passing on a table and sitting at the bar or ordering your meal to go. The restaurant takes phone and fax orders, and the food will be ready when you get there.

The Counter, Kahala Mall (next to Whole Foods Market), 739-5100, hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays; prices: $8.95-$13.95 burgers, $5.50-$6.50 fries and onion rings

KUA 'AINA SANDWICH

A longtime favorite of locals and visitors, Kua 'Aina Sandwich makes the kind of burgers -smokey, with a deep grilled beef flavor — and sandwiches that keep both its North Shore and Ward Centre locations crowded all the time.

The burgers come on a kaiser roll with the standard lettuce, tomatoes and mayo and a short list of other optional add-ons (the avocado is always incredibly fresh). If you like your fries thin, crispy and skin-on, Kua 'Aina has your order.

Kua 'Aina, two locations: Ward Centre, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd., 591-9133, hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays; Hale'iwa: 66-160 Kamehameha Highway, 637-6067, hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily; prices for both stores: $7.50-$8.40 burgers, $2.25-$3.25 fries.

TEDDY'S BIGGER BURGERS

This local burger franchise is a throwback to 1950s diners, Elvis memorabilia included. And by "bigger" they mean the option to buy and (attempt to) eat the whopping 9-ounce burger. Smaller appetites will choose the 5- or 7-ounce sizes and be more than satisfied.

Fans of Teddy's burgers love the thick, charbroiled burger that comes on a soft potato bun, but they really crow about Teddy's secret sauce, a sweet and tangy concoction that makes the burgers.

Thick-cut seasoned fries make a good side dish, but the triple-thick peanut butter shake will make you a lifelong Teddy's devotee.

Teddy's Bigger Burger, three locations: Waikiki, 134 Kapahulu Ave., 926-3444; Kailua, 539 Kailua Road, 262-0820; Hawai'i Kai, 7182 Kalaniana'ole Highway, 394-9100; hours: all stores are open from 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; prices: $4.55-$6.35 burgers, $1.95 fries

W&M BAR-B-Q BURGER

W&M's burgers are in a class of their own. These are old-time, drive-in style burgers — thin patties on a steamed bun. Adding lettuce, tomato and onion is as fancy as they get. The secret to these addictive little burgers is in the teriyaki sauce. The patties are double dipped — once before they go on the griddle and once before they're turned — in the sweet sauce, giving it a little something extra.

Sure, these aren't your big and juicy restaurant burgers, but they're just as satisfying in their own right. Plus, they remind us of our small-kid time days.

W&M Bar-B-Q Burger, 3104 Wai'alae Ave., 734-3350, hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays; prices: $3.20-$3.60 burgers, $1.95 fries

BURGERS ON THE EDGE

Burgers on the Edge opened last year, and was the first build-your-own burger joint to arrive on the Island.

Like The Counter, BOTE offers a long list of toppings to add on to your patty, and then it one-ups the The Counter by going super gourmet with its Wagyu beef foie gras burger and truffled french fries.

The burgers are grilled to order and served on a ciabatta roll courtesy of the Mauna Kea Baking Co.

Burgers on the Edge, 890 Kapahulu Ave., 737-8866, hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays; prices: $6.99-$10.99 burgers, $2.89-$4.89 fries