Ted Cook's has been a important staple in the community for 30 years or more. With good food and kindness and support.

I haven't eaten here since??? I can't even remember it's been so long and now I know why. I didn't catch a whiff of some smoking BBQ when I walked in. There were zero customers, red flag.The lady behind the counter wasn't welcoming. I had to order a pound of rib tips for just one person, no half orders. My order was ready in 10 seconds flat which let me know the ho jo's weren't fried fresh to order. I took one bite off a tip and put it back. The sauce is bland and watered down and the meat tasted like day old meat. However the restaurant was clean, so I give one star. read more

Ted Cooks 19th Hole BBQ - Rib tips and Ho Jo's - Barbeque Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Pretty good for up North Ted Cook's is a take out only barbeque joint. No seating, no beer (boo, but I get it, stupid MN liquor laws), with a fairly limited selection. I approve as they focus on a few things and they do them well. It's very plain inside, but that is fine also, as the focus should be on the food, not the folderall (looking at you, Famous Dave's). It reminds me of places I have been down south. Nothing fancy. Staff is limited, but fine, and ordering is in person or in line at the cash register I ordered a full rack of ribs with slaw and what they call JoJo's. More on them later Ribs were just a touch dried out, but very tasty and just the right amount of tender and chew. Ordered mild sauce, and it is ketchup and vinegar base, tangy but not hot. Also on the thin side, just like homemade, not artifially thickens Slaw was good, passed the wife approval factor. Mayo based. Now about the jojos. They are not JoJo's. Which is a good thing. These are almost thin sliced fresh potatoes, dropped in the fryer. Some are browned, some are white. They are all very good. None of this frozen, coated, over seasoned potato wedges. Very solid side. read more

I visited this place based on a friend's recommendation. Although there's no seating, and you have to order at the counter, I was pleasantly surprised. Typically, I'm skeptical of BBQ spots that likely reheat smoked meat to keep it always available, as I believe the best BBQ is served in limited runs. However, this place exceeded my expectations. I ordered without BBQ sauce, which was provided on the side, to assess the bark and dryness. The meat was excellent! It wasn't too dry, and the bark was perfectly crisp. We especially enjoyed the ribs, which were far superior to the tips. read more

Ted Cooks 19th Hole BBQ - Full Rack of Pork Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I love their ribs tips soooo bad. They always have fast service and the food is fresh read more

Worst food ever. I did take out of ribs for dinner and talked about how wonderful the ribs are. I was embarrassed how bad the order was. They were so charred and dry that you couldn't eat them. This is the second time this has happened over dinnertime. You have lost a customer and not gained a new one from my friends. read more

I want to love ted cooks. been eating their Q for I think over 50 years.It has changed hands a few times so it has gone up and. down. This is the first time I have given upon them. the quality of the meat has always been good or great. now the meat disappointing enough to stop ordering. pork ribs are waytoofatty. And I like rib tips which are fatty by what they are but now they are all fat with very little meat on the bones. I hope they can make another comeback. No more cheap meat please folks read more

This was one of the best places to get beef, ribs, pork, ribs, and anything smoked. They gained the new management and increased the price $10. They were black owned now they are owned but are not anymore. if you have never been to this place, there is no dine in. It is carry out only the proportions are nice. The sauce is great. read more

Ribs were awesome. Sides were lousy. They need to alter there side recipes and this would be 5 of 5

I love Teds I go at least once a week for the beef ribs. It's a grab your food and go place which I like get in and get out. You can smell the bbq down the block. read more

This is a classic take out restaurant that has the sweet smell of BBQ when you walk in. We pre-ordered 2 trays of BBQ pork and BBQ beef and they were ready when promised. The BBQ pork was outstanding and we would highly recommend giving them a try. read more

Great BBQ and great sides. Small inside have to get your food to go no where to eat in there but, totally worth it. Go support small business that's been around for years and years. Friendly staff and perfect ambiance for great food ! read more

It's on a busy street but we've driven by hundreds of times without noticing this gem. I'm always on the lookout for some good local ribs so was pleased to see Ted Cook's in a convenient spot. Parking at the curb was easy and it was just a few steps into the small eatery. It's all takeout with comfortable chairs for waiting. There was one friendly person at the counter and a jolly cook in the kitchen, just visible through a small window behind the counter. I got a half rack of baby backs with mild sauce. The ribs were plump and very tender. The sauce was plentiful, sweet and flavorful. The price was less than $20. Service was quick and there were two orders ahead of mine. It was a pleasant experience and I enjoyed the ribs at home. Now I know. read more

One of the very worst BBQ places in the entire greater Twin Cities area. All take out, which is fine. But they like that since you are out before you find out how poor their food is. Ribs with grisstle and fat. Sides? Don't count on it. How it is this place has been around for so many years, I don't understand. Their BBQ sauce seems to have come out of a grocery store bottle of BBQ sauce. Does not taste nor seem original. I'd skip this place and even consider McDonalds or Burger King for your meal first. I certainly have no plans to go back. Oh, at the counter - rude employee. If that was Ted then he is just like Beef Jerky... Jerk. Stay away. No ambiance for a walk in joint. Don't really expect it, tho. read more

Wonderful BBQ Ribs and favorite sauce anywhere. We've enjoyed Ted Cooks ribs many times for many when visiting friends who frequent Ted's.

The food is delicious and I love how consistent it's been over the years. I couldn't get through over the phone and had to come in. To order but that's fine. They don't have tables and there isn't much for outdoor dining but as long as you plan ahead, they're a great choice. read more

100 People Give Two Thumbs Up! We picked up pulled pork for a picnic, everyone loved it! Teds was very accommodating & the service was great! Thank you! read more

We ordered BBQ from here to try it and see if it would be worthy of serving on Christmas Eve. We got smoked chicken, pork ribs, rib tips, cole slaw, potatoes, and beans. Nothing was bad, but the sides just didn't stand out. However, the ribs were stellar. We decided to ordered a ton of ribs for Eve and made our own sides. I have to say, although I'm not a huge pork fan, these ribs are amazing. Can't wait to have more! read more

We've been coming to Ted Cook's for over 30 years and we are never disappointed. The ribs are fresh, meaty, and flavorful. The BBQ sauce is very tasty. The Jojo's and coleslaw go perfectly with the ribs. Also the price is fair! read more

This late afternoon's order was disappointing. I got a half-rack around 5:00 P.M. The ribs were overdone, dried up. The crust was hard to chew. They looked smaller, like they shrunk in size. It makes me wonder if these were from yesterday's supply. Otherwise, everything else was fine; just miss those two slices of bread, and the generosity with the sauce. read more

The food was delicious, meat tender and juicy. The service they had was extremely welcoming and polite. It was clean and I didn't have to wait long to get my food. read more

Good bbq in the Twin Cities. I only wish that they had fries instead of the jojos. Coming from Saint Louis, it's not the best bbq but it gets the job done read more

Just get a slab of ribs and forget the rest. I've been going to Ted Cooks for a long time. I'm from the neighborhood. They even catered my son's christening party. Today, it was mediocre at best. It's clear that they're cutting corners. The food does not even look close to the photos posted from other reviews. It used to though. The pork ribs are still worth every penny. Get them without the sauce or with the sauce on the side. Even the sauce seemed funky this time. I have family in Kansas City, the home of Arther Bryant and Gates and numerous outstanding bbq. Ted Cook's used to be very equivalent to these epic restaurants. Not so much. read more

First thing's first: incredible BBQ. The pork ribs were my favorite and my whole group was impressed by the fall-off-the-bone chicken. Fast and very friendly service and great prices. read more

The service was quick and I would recommend this joint to anybody looking for some good barbeque and you don't have to just get pork they have a variety of beef and pork and that's important to me because I don't dine with the swine. read more

Very good QUE!!! Qorth the money and the trip (in my case walk). The lady behind the counter was very helpful. read more

Ted Cooks 19th Hole BBQ - the menu - Barbeque Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I've been a customer for many years but sadly the food here is no longer worth the time or money. The ribs have great flavor but are entirely too tough. Bought tip dinner and was like chewing rubber. This was my 3rd and final try post Covid. Will not be going back. read more

Ribs are really flavorful and juicy and I like that when we pickup the food it's always hot. The sauce is always good. The jojos are really good love that there's some soft ones and some crisp ones. Staff is ok nothing good or bad to say about them. read more

Ted chill asf and I love the attendant she's super nice whenever I order! Get you a plate fr it's good food

Great food! Great prices. Only given 4 stars due to the inability to dine in (although it's always been that way and every much expected)

You don't go here for the service or the ambiance. It is take out only and they usually don't answer the phone. There is a small, boring waiting room with no chairs; it reminds of prison, if I had ever gone to prison. You go here for the large quantity of fast, good, hot food. The menu is limited, and it's all good. If you get the jojos as your side, you get a massive quantity. So if you're not looking for a carb coma, ask for a different side. Don't be put off by the high prices; the meals only come in size giant, so either come hungry, looking to share, or wanting left overs. read more

Ted Cook's was recommended to us by a friend who had been going to get their bbq for years. It was OK. I liked the pecan pie! The peach cobbler was swimming in juice. My hubby got the ribs, they didn't have much meat on them. I got the half chicken, the sauce wasn't to my liking. We will not be going back. read more

Great pulled pork with awesome flavor. The half chicken was just ok. Will definitely be back to try the ribs.

Keep driving!!! Local grocery store sells better frozen ribs! Jo Jo's we're as hard as potato chips. Keep driving over priced food! Bygone memories of this place were way better then the food read more

We were in the mood for BBQ and were sad to learn that Cap's had closed. I wish their website mentioned that before we all decided what we wanted to eat. So we were all set for ribs and decided to try Ted Cook's. The sauce was good. They default to mild and you can order medium and got on the side. The medium had a real kick. I didn't even make it to the hot stuff. Sadly the ribs were really the only thing I liked. We also got an order of Jojo's. These are not Jojo's like I've ever seen. Usually it's a potato wedge and that's pretty universal. These would be more of a soggy bunch of handmade potato chips. I dressed them up like a baked potato to help them out and they were edible. Weird, but edible. Also had the Cole slaw which I understand, like barbeque can be different varieties, but this wasn't my type. I prefer a creamy, less vinegary slaw. Next time I am craving some BBQ I will head down to Dickey's for a pulled pork sandwich covered in slaw to get my fix. read more

The ribs are so flavorful and fall off the bones. I consider myself a rib snob and hands down the best ribs in town and glad to support a black owned business as well. read more

I've been back here many many times. Always for the lunch special. Pork or Beef, you can't go wrong. The key is to ask them for extra crispy Jo Jos and with sauce on top of the Jos. It's the best lunch deal in the area. Always friendly and quick service. This is strictly a take out place. But it's always damn good. read more

Been wanting to try this for awhile but the mix of reviews was discouraging. I bought the Beef Rib Dinner, comes w/ 2 sides. The coleslaw is in a tiny 3oz container. It's 3 bites and done. The Jojo fries aren't anything except sliced potato's. Some cooked to that of a thick potato chip- some just cooked but not crisp? (they were strange) I'm sorry but if you're ploppin down 20 bucks for dinner= the sides should be WAY MORE ample then that. Now, for the ribs. I ate half of them and threw the rest in the garbage. They were totally awful. I couldn't taste the beef- it was so saturated in smoke, it just tasted like I was eating smoke. But the worst part was they were so overcooked it was as if you were eating beef jerky- off the bone. Just the driest, chewiest yuck I've ever eaten. I felt so duped I wanted to cancel my payment on my card. Maybe their other dishes are better- but I'll never know as I wouldn't go there again to eat if it was free. Might've been some of the worst food I've ever eaten. As an aside, I got the bbq sauce Med- it was very good. Too bad only half of the ribs had sauce on them and it wasn't very much. They should just be dipping the entire rib in sauce, though drowning it in it couldn't have made them anymore edible. I'm amazed this place is in buisness. My 2 cents. read more

I'm not going to sugar coat it...Ted Cook's food was a tremendous disappointment. Yes, I wouldn't expect to find BBQ in Minneapolis that's on par with Austin, Memphis, Carolina, or Kansas City, but I would expect a place with this much hype to be at least as good as BBQ spots in SF, Seattle, Boston, or Chicago...or even other BBQ places in the Twin Cities. However, the food was, at best, mediocre. Most of the meat was way, way, way overdone, with heaps of a very sweet, bbq-flavored syrup (I wouldn't call it sauce) on top. We got the ribs, beef, and sausage, and none of them were all that good. The beans and rice and corn bread were ok, but the collard greens were lacking in flavor. While the service was fast and the prices were reasonable, there are many other BBQ places in town with much better food. read more

We stopped by yesterday for my 70th birthday, and we were not disappointed. Although I have had their ribs in the past, yesterday they were exceptional. They were some of the meatiest ribs I have ever ordered and the sauce was absolutely delicious. read more