Counter Service
Sandwich shop · Flatiron District ·
Sandwiches, mostly; roast pork, roast beef, and mushroom melts
Sandwiches, mostly; roast pork, roast beef, and mushroom melts
"Counter Service, a sandwich shop from the Chipotle founder, has a second location in Kips Bay. It has the same menu as their Greenwich Village original, where we've enjoyed the mushroom melt." - will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, bryan kim
"Counter Service, a sandwich shop from the Chipotle founder, has a second location in Kips Bay. It has the same menu as their Greenwich Village original, where we've enjoyed the mushroom melt. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Will Hartman
"When you first walk into Counter Service, you get the impression that you’re not really supposed to be there. Not because they aren’t nice to you—we got a little bag of pretzels as a token of appreciation. Rather, because the Greenwich Village spot—formerly a robot vegan shop and still backed by the Chipotle founder—looks like a ghost kitchen that forgot to lock its door. photo credit: Will Hartman But once you’ve placed your order via a tablet in a payphone booth, and waited a few minutes next to a wall with newspaper clippings on it, the lack of atmosphere—which totally lives up to the personality-less name—ceases to matter. Because Counter Service serves some of the best sandwiches you’ll find in this part of Manhattan. photo credit: Will Hartman photo credit: Will Hartman Take their mushroom patty melt, which wouldn’t be out of place at an old-school diner, but seamlessly replaces beef with chewy, savory oyster mushrooms between two slices of buttered rye bread. The Green Goddess chicken club comes close to the satisfaction of a good chicken caesar wrap and the Cortese—fatty roasted pork on a crusty hoagie—reminds us of Philly’s classic roast pork sandwich with a nice hit of bittersweet broccoli rabe. Counter Service has over a dozen options, half of which are breakfast sandwiches, but keep in mind that it really is just a counter. Order delivery, or take your sandwich to Union Square a few blocks away. Food Rundown Mushroom Patty Melt You will not miss the lack of diner burger patty in this mushroom patty melt. Instead, you'll enjoy chewing some squeaky roasted mushrooms, squashed between good rye bread with purple cabbage and beet slaw. photo credit: Will Hartman Il Cortese Hitting all the notes of a Philly roast pork sandwich, this roast pork and broccoli rabe sandwich is bright with lemony mayo. It's also very juicy without being messy—a major win in our book. photo credit: Will Hartman The Spicy One This sausage egg and cheese passes the bodega test (it's better than your average deli breakfast sandwich)—thanks to the addition of banana peppers and a nicely spiced sausage patty. Lunch at Counter Service is a little more exciting, but this is a good breakfast sandwich if you live nearby. photo credit: Will Hartman Green Eggs & Ham Sorry, Seuss fans, but we do not like these green eggs and ham. The sandwich is like a brioche hot pocket with gooey eggs, melted fontina, and avocado. Just like with that essential freezer food, taking a bite makes that very hot mixture go everywhere. And the flavors don't make up for association, even once it's cooled down enough to eat. photo credit: Will Hartman The Baron This sandwich is a little heavy on the horseradish mayo, which is a little light on the horseradish. The roast beef gets lost in the mix here, but the bites you do get are nice and savory. Go for the Cortese instead. photo credit: Will Hartman Green Goddess Chicken Club Chicken caesar wraps are literally everywhere these days, but Counter Service is doing their part for the green goddess renaissance. It works in this sandwich—the dressing is fresh and nutty, and the juicy chicken makes this a very satisfying lunch. photo credit: Will Hartman" - Will Hartman
"Steve Ells of Chipotle switched up a vegan concept for Counter Service, a dine-in and to-go sandwich location that is quite good. Consider the $16 Cortese, thin-sliced roasted pork loin, provolone, and salsa verde, a pate-stuffed banh mi, or the Baron with roast beef, aged cheddar, and horseradish cream. This will become a chain, but consider it now while it still feels like an independent business." - Robert Sietsema
"Operating since the beginning of the year and selling stacked sandwiches mostly by delivery, this lunch-focused storefront on 54 West 14th Street (near Sixth Avenue) presents visible prep through its window—during a weekday lunch hour you'll see a worker preparing food on what looks like a stage. The wall menu lists a collection of sandwiches: a banh mi made with liver pate; roast beef with cheddar, horseradish, and watercress; roast pork with broccoli rabe, provolone, and salsa verde; a fried egg sandwich; and a green goddess chicken club — and the site’s positioning is summed up on the website as "Sandwiches, mostly." The sandwiches were designed by Andrew Black, former chef at Eleven Madison Park, with an emphasis on sourcing good bread, roasting meats in-house, and making house sauces; prices run roughly $9 to $22 (the $16 Cortese starts with a light, crisp roll layered with thin-sliced pork loin, pairs broccoli rabe with roasted garlic and chile flakes and provolone for a salty-creamy factor, and is finished with salsa verde). Going from the prior concept to this new format has been described as a "humbling and expensive pivot," and the operation is testing an efficiency-minded model driven by the question “How do we make a restaurant more efficient?” At launch the approach mirrors the prior labor strategy of running lean teams (three employees per store), focusing on lunch and delivery while attempting to use better-quality ingredients and reduce waste." - Melissa McCart