The Lunch Counter — Local services in Gainesville

Oh... my... gosh... what have I stumbled upon?! How did I not know about The Lunch Counter, located just 10 minutes from my house and open since last December? I’m beyond excited about this spot.

First off, the team here is AMAZING. The siblings who run the place moved here from Boston and are absolutely killing it. Their menu is simple but perfect—burgers, wings, subs, and sides like French fries, tater tots, and onion rings.

Let’s dive in. The burger? Perfect. A true smash burger with a crispy edge that reminded me of NFA Burger, but honestly... better. Why? The burgers are bigger, cooked to perfection with that crusty edge, and—wait for it—no line! I ordered, got a beeper pad, waited in my car, and 15 minutes later my food was ready and hot.

Their wings? Now in my top 2. The Dawg House and The Lunch Counter are my go-to spots for wings in the north, hands down. I tried their dry lemon pepper and habañero mango—both absolutely delicious.

I also tried The Boston sub. Think Philly cheesesteak, but not quite. It’s more like a meat-lover’s sub with the perfect meat-to-bun-to-cheese ratio. I can’t recall every detail of what’s in it, but I do know this sub is special. It’s new, so not yet on the menu, but you have to try it when you visit!

Their French fries and onion rings were both excellent, but those onion rings? Wow—so crispy and flavorful.

Note: No indoor seating, but they have two outdoor tables with umbrellas if you want to eat there. Otherwise, everything is neatly packed for takeout.

The service, the food, the way they cook their smash burgers and wings—everything here is top-notch. Check them out! Grab some food and enjoy with friends and family. Tell them Roli Eats sent you and let me know what you think!

11/2 Update - A few things since I've been back many many times. Their FRESCO MELT is amazing. Their tuna sandwich is probably the best tuna sandwich i know of, they should probably offer some type of tuna salad because that tuna recipe they've got is amazing. Their breakfast burger (double) that comes with bacon and an egg put me in a nap comma.

I've noticed they're getting very very popular with a lot of their customers mentioning how this is their first time and they're excited to try them because thwy heard they are good.... so do yourself a favor and order ahead!!! Hesd over to their site and order what you want ahead of time that way when you come in you can just give your name and they'll have your food ready!!! Lines are starting to pick up, happy for them!!

Pictures added of the fresco melt, tuna sandwich, and their...

3 stars because online orders don’t seem to be a priority. My wait time was over 30 minutes, while in-person orders comparable to mine were ready in 15-17 minutes. Now, let’s dive into my review!

The Lunch Counter: A Mixed Experience in Gainesville, Georgia

I recently visited The Lunch Counter, a Black-owned and operated restaurant in Gainesville, Georgia, after hearing about it through a friend’s TikTok review from Atlanta. Despite it being open since December of last year, this was my first time hearing about the place.

I placed an order in advance through their website, but unfortunately, my experience with the wait time was disappointing. While I waited a total of 33 minutes for my order, another customer, who placed the same order, was told it would take only 17 minutes. This discrepancy in wait times felt frustrating.

Now, onto the food itself. Let me start with something positive: the Coca-Cola Zero was perfectly chilled, though it’s hard to get that wrong with proper refrigeration. I ordered a chop steak sandwich, seasoned fries, and four wings in Buffalo lemon pepper.

The wings, while large, were rubbery and lacked the freshness of homemade sauce, tasting more like a generic store-bought Buffalo sauce. The fries were particularly disappointing. They appeared to aim for a Checkers-style but fell far short. I had requested extra seasoning, but there was no sign of it. They were bland and lacked the crispy, well-seasoned punch I had hoped for.

However, the real highlight of the meal was the chop steak sandwich. It was hands down the best I’ve ever had, and I’ll definitely be returning just for that.

A special mention must be made for the customer service. The owner’s daughter, who was running the cash register, provided stellar service. She was friendly, attentive, and clearly very good at her job, which made the overall experience much more pleasant despite the longer wait time.

Overall, The Lunch Counter has potential, especially with such an excellent chop steak sandwich, but improvements in consistency, particularly with the fries and wings, would elevate the...

I tried this after seeing a bold comment on Facebook that they have The Best Burger in Gainesville. I think it's every bit as good as the other two best burgers in town :-). This is the best smash burger in town. The other two categories are best Old Style Diner burger and best burger at a secret burger spot. Something for other reviews...

Next time I go I will try the Oklahoma Onion Burger. The triple smash burger was wonderful but I want to see how someone other than me does the onion burger.

This restaurant is in the same building as a gas station which may discourage some folks. It shouldn't because this is a clean place with great food and nice people. You aren't going to get all three of those at most places here. Nice, clean, great food and good prices. "Good" prices because I want them to be able to stay in business and I want them to raise the prices 20% right now. I called the restaurant while on my way and said I wanted my burger all the way. There is a choice between "The TLC way" and "everything they have on the burger." I opted to let them do it the way they recommend, and it was great. Had fries also and they were great.

The only reason I wouldn't go here is if I wanted to sit in a restaurant and eat. They have picnic tables outside which were perfect for this not too hot / not too cold spring day. I think there's room in the front of The Lunch Counter for a stand up and eat counter where I would gladly wolf down a burger if I didn't have anywhere to take a to go order.

I spoke with the owners, and they were very friendly people who seem to have a ton of food experience. I ordered at 1250pm and was told it would be ready in 10 minutes. I arrived at 1257 and was told that it would be ready in three minutes. It was- exactly! I love it. No need to hurry up and give me undercooked food.

Fair price, great food, friendly people, clean restaurant- what else is there? Give this place a try!!

I took a few photos but they're exactly like all the others on this...