They're not overly friendly at Ted's, they're not going to ask you about your day and be super chatty unless they know you I'm assuming. They're there to serve burgers, and they do that well. You can see everything be assembled fast and in rapid motion, it has to be, it's steamed, the cheese has to move, gotta eat it fast. I like my burger hot and spicy, bacon, all that spicy stuff and with a side of steamed cheese fries. They're also very sanitary here, you'll see the person up front clean the counters fast, clear the baskets, and then sanitize their hands. I like clean fast service with delicious food. *be careful when parking on the street it's a narrow road. read more

Ted's Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

I would have given 3.5 stars if possible for this visit. A new job has me fairly close to Ted's so why not try this local spot with statewide fame. I ordered a single "Everything" cheeseburger swapping out the raw onions for sautéed onions as well as a regular order of chili cheese fries. No drink. The good: the burger was really good. The roll was just the right size for the party. All toppings tasted fresh. The bad: they withheld the raw onions but did not add the sautéed onions. The fries were not good at all. The fries themselves were somewhat soggy and had a homefried potato seasoning. My guess is they use the same seasoning as their home fries. Nowhere on the menu does it mention the fries are seasoned. Had they I would not have ordered them. The "chili" was also not good. What I saw on my fries was some seasoned ground beef and bacon bits. Nothing I would call chili of any variety. I will definitely give it another go because I really enjoyed the burger. The person I ate with got the onion rings and they looked fantastic. My friend also said they were great and the sauce they come with was really good. If the onion rings live up to my friends hype I will update the rating. read more

Ted's Restaurant - Everything burger with chili fries. - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Love their food, the ladies where nice and respectful and gave some good advice on what to try like the crispy chicken sandwich with garlic avocado Mayo and most definitely gonna try it on their burgers next and great customer service. read more

The steamed cheeseburger. Sounds a little weird but let me tell you....it was fantastic! Came here for lunch today to try it out. Ordered a cheeseburger with onions and mustard and a Pepsi. Total was $6.00. The workers were nice and the little place is neat. The burger itself was really really good. It was hot, moist and delicious! The cheese they put on top was gooey and great. Its a hell of an operation they have there. Just a little counter and a few booths. 2 stainless steel contraptions that cook the meat and cheese and then like a topping bar. If I lived close I would be a frequent visitor. Good bun, great meat and great cheese. It all worked! I just feel bad my buddy couldn't eat it because he was ill. He was looking forward to this steamed burger for awhile. We will have to come back again ;-). read more

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I have tried to like steamed hamburgers but just can't do it. The burgers here just seem wet and soppy. However they get a 3 for a few reasons. Their regular hamburger, nothing fancy, isn't bad. I can eat that and not be unhappy. But anytime I order something that is special like their California burger it's a complete mess. It doesn't taste like a hamburger and I'm just disappointed every time. The fries are thick cut and very potato-y. I might be the wrong person to review them ever since I'm a charred burger kind of girl but I've tried 3 or 4 times now and just don't love them. Cute place, clean and nice atmosphere. Great staff. Not a fan of the food. read more

Had Steam chicken burger today, it was delicious and price is $5 which is very reasonable. Restaurant is in main street so you have very limited parking and also seating arrangement is limited. I think they also featured in Diners-Drivein & Dives, overall positive experience. read more

If you hesitate to try a steamed cheeseburger, be daring. They may be an acquired taste, BUT once you have acquired it, you want to go back for more!! read more

I saw an ad/video for this place on Facebook, and it looked sooo good, and I knew I just had to try it. I didn't actually realize how close I was to the place. I was a little upset that there was no actual parking lot, only for the fact that I was terrified a cop would come by and ticket us cause we were parked on the road. Thankfully, we were alright. The restaurant was small, but it wasn't packed when we got there. We sat on the booths right in front, and watched the cook make the burgers. It took us a second to figure out what we wanted as we had never seen the menu, but there are some real good choices. My boyfriend got the everything burger, and I got the California burger. I usually don't like lettuce or tomato on my burgers, but since this one came with It, I decided to leave it on and man am I glad I did. This burger was juicy, so delicious. One of the best burgers my boyfriend and I have ever tried. Going here and trying them out, you will be thanking me later XD read more

We traveled from New York to Connecticut to famous Ted's restaurant staff are super friendly and nice burgers are good wish has more flavor in the meat read more

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Being new to Connecticut, I've heard from multiple people you gotta try the steamed cheeseburger. My parents were visiting so seemed like the perfect foodie adventure to take them on. It was a lot of fun to see their reaction to the restaurant and the food! We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I am a fan of burgers. The steamed burger was quite filling, I could only eat half. It tasted less greasy than the average burger, which I liked. We each got our own burger and shared an order of fries. I hear the tots are good, but my parents weren't interested haha. While I don't think I'd chow down on these all the time, I'd definitely bring visitors back around! read more

Ted's Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

They're doing it right.... 50 years and counting. Stopped by for the first time on a Saturday morning around 11:30. Place is SMALL - maybe 6 seats at the counter and three booths. Only one guest at the counter and three employees. The fella running the grill... wait... steamer already had 4 tickets up for take out orders. I told the waitress what I wanted, and I swear 30 seconds later the food was in front of me. No exaggeration. As if the cook just listened to what I wanted on my burger, made it as I spoke, and served it. Fries almost immediately. Interesting to watch from the counter, 2 feet from the cook and the vertical steamer. Unlike anything I've ever seen. The food WAS delicious. I don't know that I'd drive an hour just to get a burger, but was a cool experience, and If I lived closer, I would come often. Food, service, and ambiance A+. And Foxon Park soda in bottles AND on tap. read more

Ted's Restaurant - Steamed Cheeseburger, regular fries - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

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I have to admit, I'm a sucker for a good burger. When I first heard about Ted's (Square, steamed burgers?) my first thought was "White Castle?" But Ted's burgers are VERY different from those tiny little steamed burgers as you can possibly imagine (and comparing them to White Castle is NOT a knock; I happen to LOVE White Castle hamburgers). A better comparison might be made to Jackson Hole; a burger chain that may (or may not) be familiar to New York City residents. I don't know if Jackson Hole steams their burgers or not but the flavor and consistency between their burgers and Ted's is quite similar. They are also both known for HUGE patties! The fact that I've been here several times over the past few years and the closest location is 104 miles from my front door ought to tell you something (their other location in Cromwell is an additional six more miles away and I've been there more than once too). Big, juicy burgers made just right, Hershey's milk shakes, fries... what more could one ask for? Warning: You have a better chance of seating at the Cromwell location. Meriden (the original site) is quite small with only counter seating available in bad weather. There are some outdoor tables available if the weather is nice. read more

Ted's Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Best And Original steameD Cheeseburger joint love this place been coming for years. Can't stop Won't Stop highly recommend you check this place out read more

The burger was juicy but lacked flavor. No salt or pepper. The mint chocolate chip milkshake was far too minty. It tasted like toothpaste. I'd be fine if I never ate here again. read more

I ate at teds restaurant today they had multiple options on the menu the steamed hamburger was very good the workers were very nice and polite and professional I would highly recommend this place read more

I've never been disappointed here. Ted's is always clean, quick, and delicious! The hawaiian burger is my favorite-I only add grilled onions and skip the cheese. Every. Single. Time. I've had literally dozens of this particular burger by now- I dream about it! Staff is always friendly too! read more

I was lucky when I came due to it not being crowded and able to get a table right away. The place is tiny. As we sat there, it become more crowded and a wait formed but they did have seating outside. The service was friendly and we got our food quick. I like the steamed burger concept because it kept the burger juicy and the melted steamed cheese in it was delicious-- I could it the cheese by itself. Parking was tricky due to the street only parking but this place is definitely worth the try. I was so glad I stopped in. read more

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I LOVE Ted's steamed cheeseburgers but man do I miss the Cromwell location - it was so spacious and I went all the time. The reason I don't go to the Meriden location all that often is because there is very little seating and is crowded... it triggers my claustrophobia lol. But don't get me wrong - their burgers are fantastic!! read more

Ted's Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Food is always amazing ! Loved the steam burgers! My favorite is the hot and spicy steam burger. It really taste amazing.

Great Hamburger! You got to go try it. Great spot as well. You know it's done right there.

To the nice young lady that I ordered from at 2:10 today I asked for a receipt and you said you would put it in the bag. Shame on me for believing you. I didn't check. I am on business travel and have to provide receipts on my expense report. This meal is now out of my pocket. The burgers are ok. I think I will stick with Five Guys. read more

highly recommended burgers are fantastic create your own or pick a specialty burger and make sure you don't forget the fries

As a bacon cheeseburger connoisseur, I can appreciate what this place is trying to do but bottomline, it's not my kind of burger. Three stars is slightly generous but 2 seems low... I wanna give it 2.68 stars. Pros: - juicy burger - large portions NOTE: the "double steamed burger" isn't two patties stacked on each other like other double burgers, instead they're two thick beef slabs next to each other on a longer bun (see photo) - "different" - a lot of parking nearby Cons: - took a very long time to get the food and multiple people who came in way after us got theirs before us for whatever reason - no seasoning on the burgers whatsoever, just burger meat with burger meat juice... not even any salt or pepper that I could see - I don't like regular sandwich rolls being used as buns for burgers, I probably should've asked for it slightly toasted and it would've been a little better - the home fries with cheese were undercooked and just not great with a solid mass of solidified melted cheese laid on top that you needed a knife to cut apart - not a super great neighborhood but I ate outside and didn't feel unsafe If this was a local place for me, MAYBE I'd go back but being over 20min away it didn't leave enough of a positive impression for me to put the extra effort in especially when there are tons of (better) burger options everywhere. BUT as far as steamed burgers go, this place is a LOT better than Louis Lunch in New Haven where they're super uptight/pretentious about their plain old steamed burgers. read more

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I have been a fan of steamed burgers for years and my goto is across town at K Lemay's but I have only heard good things about Ted's so i finally decided to give a try .. Wish I had better things to say.. Got the Everything burger With Bacon,, Well first off ,Paid for Bacon and got NONE .. Strike 1 .. Who puts Mozzarella on a Burger when there is so many write ups about them using cheddar on their burgers. I'm sorry , Mozzarella does not belong on a burger . The only reason I like the steamed burger is the sharpness of the cheese , take that away and you got quality of an overpriced gas station cheeseburger with some fresh veggies . Cheese was bland , burger was dry at 1pm , just after lunch rush . The only thing that saved the burger from being worse than fast food was the bread was soft . Even the fries look nothing like their pictures and seem to have a coating on them ,. Yuck.. More like a potato wedge flavor . Very disappointed after years of procrastinating and only hearing good things I am very surprised this is a hot spot.. I tipped $3 and paid 22$ for a burger and fries and feel extremely duped to thinking this place was supposed to be top notch,. This review would be a 1 if the bread wasn't good and the veggies weren't fresh and crisp. Do better Ted's ! Looks like your past was better than your present.. Get rid of the Mozz!! read more

I used to love the food. But I got 2 crispy chicken sandwiches thru Grubhub about 4 weeks ago that were horrific. The chicken was so over cooked and burned on both sandwiches that it was more chicken " jerky" than crispy. The chicken was pounded so thin I could not recognize the meat at first. I was beyond disappointed... I loved the food up until then. Now I can' t bring myself to order there again. I loved the home fries. Diane G read more

I'm sorry, but it wasn't good at all! The ground beef was a light grey. You can tell the quality of the meat wasn't good. The loaded fries with homemade chili. What kind of chili was that?! The fries were cold and premade. My husband got sick . I almost forgot. that bathroom omg. read more

Terrible It's with great sadness that I have to honestly write this review about the legendary Ted's in Meriden, CT. I personally went 80 miles out of my way while returning from a trip to NYC to make sure I tried Ted's. What a waste of time. One of the worst hamburgers that I have ever had. Let me just describe what I tried to eat. My wife and I ordered the simple steamed cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato. We also got a side of fries (home fries with cheese). You get a steamed cheese burger on a cold Kaiser roll with lettuce and tomato that doesn't really belong. The burger itself is famously steamed, but has absolutely no favor and the bun is too big for the burger and its not grilled, nor soft, or warm. It is topped with a blob of flavorless white cheese, I can't tell you what kind because I could taste anything. The other terrible item was the awful cold old home fries with another blob of this awful cheese making the potatoes even mushier then they were plain. Overall the whole experience was a mess. It was about 4:30 in the afternoon and the place was completely empty, so that has to tell you something. I usually love old school places serving throw back food items, but this place is just serving a product that isn't good. Sorry I have to be honest. Thanks read more

After a hike and jog over at Castle Craig, I was craving something just as awesome for lunch. Remembered that Ted's was in Meriden, and turns out the restaurant was only 2 miles away! After recalling their feature on Hamburger Paradise on the Travel Channel, I was really excited to try their famous steamed cheeseburger and convinced my friend for some burger-goodness. I remember seeing that the place was tiny on TV, and it certainly was when we got there (3 tables that were already full, and about 10 seats at the bar) Fortunately for my friend and I, a family was finishing up their food and were more than happy to give up their real estate. I had ordered the "California Steamin" which is the steamed cheeseburger with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and garlic avocado mayo while my friend had their steamed cheeseburger. Granted, we were starving so the whole "anything/everything-tastes-good-at-this-point" complex was in full effect. Though hungry, we weren't so naive that we didn't see the ridiculous patty to bun ration. I will have to admit that if put on one end, by the time you were at the other end of the patty, you still had at least a 1/4 of the sandwich left, what's up with that? The meat, though juicy, is rather bland. Other than the lack of meat, the home-made fries were decent. No french fries here, but instead you get classic russet potatoes cut into delectable morsels seasoned with salt and pepper. (For $2 more, you can get them topped with steamed cheese) Other than the counter-boy, who simultaneously took orders, seated guests, billed guests out - I really can't speak on the service because there just wasn't any. The cook whom we later found out was Ted, was caught between preparing the food, and wiping down tables (when we had came in, after several minutes of being seated, Ted came over to clear our table off since the counter-boy was busy ringing people out) Parking really sucks since its street parking on a really busy street. While you're here, don't be surprised by the local hospitality that you might get. For a decent burger, fries and a drink for less than $10, come check this place out (just not during the lunch wave) read more

Ted's Restaurant - "California Steamin" - steamed cheeseburger with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and their homemade garlic avocado mayo - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Burger seemed precooked and over-cooked/steamed. Literally took less than two minutes from order to table. Steamed meat was not moist but the saving item was the steamed cheese on the burger. I guess I should have ordered steamed cheese on a plate. read more

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My favorite burger joint in CT. Passed Louis Lunch. True story: Years ago, I was part of a fundraiser at Real Art Ways. Me and 3 other cartoon-ish artist where there as well. They put us at a table for four with one of my idols Bill Griffith of Zippy The Pinhead comics. Bill didn't say anything for awhile. Then he said in a very mellow voice, "do you guys want to leave and get some steamed cheeseburger?" Of course we said yes since it was Bill Griffith plus he drove us too. It got a bit scary because it took awhile and going through dark forests. Worried we might have made a mistake getting in Bill's car but finally we arrived. Those burgers are incredible. They melted a ton of cheese. I go back there whenever I can. read more

Awesome tasty burgers, and omg the home fries with cheese jalepeno, bacon and chili I mean c'mon you know that's gonna be good! Today we were watching man vs food and saw that Teds steamed burgers was there on the show, the melt cheese And the way Adam described it we had to finally stop there and try it. At the counter are the regulars that have probably been going since knee high to a grasshopper, and some local college kids on dates, but one constant throughout, everyone was raving about how good these damn burgers were!!!! Teds, I salute you, today I tasted a perfect burger. I did the southwest, the wife did the Hawaii 5-0. And of course the life changing loaded home fries! read more

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The burger was OK going down, but 6 hours later I wanted to kill myself. Save the bullets. Don't bother. read more

Ted's Restaurant - They don't have fries! - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

This place is definitely better, and more interesting, than led to believe. Steamed Cheeseburgers...uhh AWESOME! The concept is totally different and is definitely worth trying. plus its hella cheap! 5 bucks for a burger! whoot! The awesome thing is extra toppings are NO CHARGE (except like extra meat and bacon i believe) but such a cool concept. If going here, which you should btw, you must get a steamed cheeseburger. Not a huge fan of the steamed burger because it isnt as juicy, but healthier. But the steamed cheese is to die for!! must get steamed cheeseburger!! read more

I love the burgers here. Truly one of the state best places to have a burger. Featured in many food reviews and must eat places. There is no doubt this is a staple for this state. The burgers are so tasty. Not a lot of room to sit and eat but that is what makes this place so special. They can focus on the food more. Most people order to go but if you can enjoy it outside you'll be enjoying it even more. read more

Saw this place on Man vs. Food and my friend Zibendou lives some 20 minutes away. So while visiting him I decide to try this place out. Place is really old school. Counter top and tables that makes this place near tiny. There are outside tables which if it's warm, I definitely recommend you sit outside. But I love sitting at counter tops too much so I opt for inside. I ask for a steamed burger with cheese and everything. The extra toppings are pretty decent with no charge. And I'm sitting next to a gentleman who's munching on what looks like pretty damn good cheese fries so I say exactly this. I want an order of what that gentleman's munching on, I tell the waitress. Neither takes long. First, the fries are terrible. I mean terrible. Absolutely nothing special about them even with the melted cheese. I think they decorate them with some pepper but that's it. Otherwise really tasteless. A 1 star. Don't even consider ordering these. I'm serious, don't even consider it. The burger on the other hand isn't bad. Never had a steamed burger before and it's a little different from any other type of burger. The general taste is the same and it's well done-no option on this. With the melted cheese that they also steam it's a pretty fun gooey experience. If I lived in the area, I'd definitely come back here regularly. And maybe it's just me, but it seems to taste a little healthier than a grilled burger. Only problem I had this time around is that you can get grilled onions with your burger which I don't notice until other people start asking for it. Mine didn't have any. I'm pretty sure when you ask for "everything" it means everything. So either my waitress messed up my order or the definition of "everything" is different here in Ted's Restaurant than anywhere else. So this just means if I was a regular, I'd make this clear to them. read more

What is up with STEAMED burgers? I think they are disgusting! I had to try last year but never again! Plain, no flavor and wet! ugh! Also no fries? WTF? Not even worth one star rating but I guess its making me! Also had heartburn all day from the grease it cooks in! read more

There Are Things I Couldn't Picture Life Without: My iPhone, Rice Krispies Treats .. And Burgers! Not Specifically In That Order. Ted's Knows Exactly What A Burger Is Supposed To Be.. Juicy, More Meat Than Lettuce, & Good Bread To Hold Everything Together. Don't Get Me Wrong The Place Is Small ! But For A Damn Good Burger? I'm Cool With That. I Had A Basic Cheeseburger With Chili. The Cheese Oozed Out Of Every Corner It Could Find. My Brother Told Me " Your Going To Burn Your Mouth When You Bite Into It So Let It Cool Down " But I Already Had My Mindset .. I Was Going To Sacrifice My Tongue For A Bite Of Heaven. Boy Was That Burger Everything I Thought It Would Be! My Brother Had HomeFries .. I Wasn't A Fan, I Felt They Were Too Thick .. Reminded Me Of Potato Wedges. I Had To Get A Extra Burger To Go. Overall.. I'm Looking Towards Becoming A Regular Customer At Teds .. No Home Fries, Strictly Burgers. read more

Ted's Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

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Before I was born, my parents moved to Meriden from Philadelphia, and they've missed their cheesesteaks dearly. Over the years Ted's has stepped up to become their CT cheese/beef comfort food. Both of the houses that I grew up in were within a 1/2 mile from Ted's and we definitely took advantage of that fact. I miss the old arcade game they used to have by the door (I fondly remember learning to spin the track-ball of Centipede here), but now I can't imagine how they fit it in. There's nothing quite like a steamed cheeseburger with a side of home fries and a bottle of Guida's Dutch Chocolate milk from the fridge. The burgers are really best if consumed right away, so you definitely want to eat in-house, or take out to somewhere nearby. My preferred burger is simple, topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion. The onion is the most important addition. There's something wonderful about the way the hearty slice of raw onion interacts with the molten cheese that is just perfect. Whenever I'm back home in CT with friends from out of town, I always try to get them in here. So far everyone has come away amazed. My girlfriend doesn't eat beef and she says she'll go any time just for the amazing home fries. Despite being here at least 50 times in my life, I've never had anything other than a hamburger/cheeseburger. Another friend who grew up closer that I did swears by the double-steamed cheese, and my girlfriend loved her BLT with cheese. So there are alternatives, but really, you come here for the burgers. read more

Ted's Restaurant - Ted's! - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

I hate to do this but I read an article talking about the two best burgers in CT so I made the drive to Meriden. Ted's was...ok. It wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't one of the top burgers I have had. Not even close. The place was busy and I liked the bun and how they melted the cheese but they meat was flavorless compared to what I am used to. read more

Ted's Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

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It has been years since we have been to the original location preferring the larger and newer Cromwell offshoot. There were only 4 other customers at 12:40PM on a Tuesday which surprised me because in days of yore it was always packed. Perhaps we missed the rush hour or maybe the inclement weather held the crowds back. I ordered 2 steamed cheeseburgers with lettuce, tomato, ketchup and grilled onions to go. My wife and I opened the bag in the car immediately and took our first bites. Hmmm. Our rolls were stale, the hamburger wasn't very juicy and there was decidedly less cheese than we have had in Cromwell. Will we be back - yeah, but only because I still have a few restaurant.com certificates to use. read more

Ted's Restaurant - truck - Burgers Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut