It's a steamed cheeseburger joint. A whole in the wall place. Steamed cheeseburger places are starting to pop up here and there but this is the original place that started it all- so the folks say. I just wish they had a better roll to stand up to ordering to go. Is it the best place? Probably, but they do have competition and the other place uses different roll and I believe different cheese so it's all a matter of taste for the person. read more

Steamed cheeseburgers the way they should be. Coupled with an order of home fries, best combo going. Stop in you won't regret it. read more

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Ever wonder what wet meat loaf on a bun tastes like? Welcome to Ted's! We literally went an hour out of our way to try the famed "steam burger" that my foodie boyfriend Adam Richman raved about on Man VS Food. But after our first bite we realized, even Adam can have an off day. The restaurant itself is very small. When you walk in the front door you are immediately greeted by the long bar and even larger cook top. The bar stools were filled with the lunch crowd so we chose to sit outside. The staff was friendly and even made small talk when they found out I was from Atlanta. I ordered the cheese burger with onions and pickles, simple enough considering I had been fantasizing about this burger for miles. I didn't get the home fries considering no one really had anything good to say but after my first bite of the burger, I wish I did. The burger was a giant wet tasting piece of meatloaf. Zero flavor, zero taste and I had zero desire to take a second bite. The burgers are the size of Krystal burgers or for those up in the New England area, White Castle. The cheese was like cement and it wasn't soft and deliciously melty like the show claimed but instead it was hard to swallow, and I can swallow anything *wink wink* I tried to salt and pepper the burger, removing the gigantic bun but even with simple seasoning and a massive amount of ketchup, I was done. Needless to say, the burger tour lives on. However, this burger was not worth the additional ride even though the place down the road has killer malt shakes. read more

Steamed burgers. Novelty at its finest. Blue collar town and its' "friendly" hosts. They were just "too" nice. Looked at me and my husband as if we were "lost" or if we ended up in the wrong side of town. It's kinda fucked up when one lady started to talk slower as if we didn't understand English. So we're not from around there..so what? We were visiting from SF, guess they don't have alot of minorities around that area. They eased off after hearing our "CALIFORNIA ACCENTS"...whatever that means. Pshh. We sat at the counter since most of the seats were taken. We decided to get our burgers to go since two elder patrons/customers stood up from their seats and covered their mouths as we sat down. WTF was that all about? I took it a bit personal after a couple of stares and a whole lotta whispers. Never felt so alienated in my entire life. So we made an executive decision to take the burgers to go. Good shit..because I felt like we entered the Twilight Zone. To say the least, their burgers were okay. Nothing fancy. The nasty glop from the meat gathered onto the side of the burger so that was gross. Okay sure, people claim that the fat slides right off the patties as they are steamed. But that wasn't the case at all. The cheese was alright. Maybe Louis Lunch' burgers were better than Ted's. To each's own. But at least I can say I've been to Ted's and I don't care much to go back for seconds. You left a bitter taste in my mouth. read more

So I've had steamed cheeseburgers in my childhood, but they pretty much took a back seat to other cuisine when i grew up, this past week I decided to remind myself why. I ventured into Ted's location in Cromwell during the bustling lunch time rush hour of 2:00, okay, the place was dead... we were the only ones there. (maybe a sign?) The menu's are riveted to the wall because there is only about 4 items. You can choose from a ham/cheese burger, hot dog (on a hamburger bun), a BLT (on a hamburger bun) and homefries. Thats it. Reminds me of the old Billy Goat in Chicago (chips, no fries, coke, no pepsi). Now there is a reason why chefs tout 80/20 as the best beef/fat ratio for burgers, because it keeps the burger juicy & moist & flavorful. Same goes for the dairy, ever notice how fat free cheese tastes like shit? Hey Ted, let me let you in on a little secret, when you steam ALL of the fat out of the meat & the cheese, you not only overcook it, you steam out all of the FLAVOR. Here's another secret for you, your burger tastes like SHIT, and all your little fanboys must be drunk off their ass, or high on meth, because no sane person could choke down your ill conceived, irrational meat to bun ratio, gray matter looking, meatball in a dough pocket and say they actually like it. Third secret, salt goes along way when you cook with it, make friends, use it. Fourth secret, well, it's not really a secret, your SHITTY food is overpriced. $3 for a hot dog?? they're not even martin rosols, and your too fuckin cheap to put them on a hot dog bun?? I can go to cappys and get one, loaded with toppings for $1.50. Ok, i'm done here, i want to heave just thinking about this place. read more

After seeing it on Man vs. Food, my boyfriend really wanted to try this place out. Once getting over the exterior and the riff-raff sitting at the outside tables, the boyfriend convinced me to go in. It is smaller than my bedroom, and the 3 people working were barely old enough to be working, let alone by themselves. We ordered our burgers, mine a steamed hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. It came out in lightning speed, and I added dijon mustard and ketchup, and took a bite. It was actually pretty amazing. Great taste, nice and hot. Now, after sitting while the boyfriend finished his, I realized things that would have kept me from eating one had I noticed in advance. They guy cooking wasn't wearing gloves, and was putting the burgers together by hand. In between the burgers he was making, he was using his phone, and never washed his hands. Really quite disgusting. I would recommend only if the cook is wearing gloves when you enter. read more

Possibly the worst Burger I ever had. I don't know why this place appears on all of those burger specials. The steamed burger was mushy like a meatloaf. The inside looked a little dirty. None of the burgers I had look anything like the pictures here on the site. I came here twice to give it a second shot and was disappointed both times. The outdoor patio is nice and the price isn't bad so I could say stop by and give it a shot, but if you do not care for it either, feel free to vote me a helpful :). read more

This Connecticut gem of a burger joint, nestled, almost unnoticed, on a commercial street between gas stations, a DQ, and a row of convenience stores, glitters like a diamond among the dust of a cave. Inside this tiny, tiny, tiny little hole-in-the-wall, is a delicious, steamy world of plump, juicy, burgers and hot dogs and ooey gooey cheddar cheese heaped on cloud-light fresh buns. Toppings are abundant and generous and include all the classics, sodas are in a multitude of varieties, and the fresh cooked hash browns (with more cheese) are an unexpected nice touch! What can I say? My friends and I loved the place. The food was delicious (moist, meaty and fat-drained!) and the service was great. We will be back! read more

I give Ted's 5 stars. I have been going for close to 40 years. It is truly unique. Some might balk but try it. Juicy and cheesy. I love it. And I live 30 miles away. read more

Hard along Rt 5, Ted's doesn't give off a good first impression. And why should it? It's a joint; steamed burgers are what they do and what they're known for. Trust me, you're not going for the ambiance or decor. You can get home fries and home fries with cheese. Pepsi. No Coke. Burgers run about $3.50 and fries at $1.75. To be frank, you could skip the home fries and not lose too much as a result. The place has about four booths and a reasonably small counter. It can get jammed at high rush hour but you can also take Ted's burgers to go. But what's best about this place is it's an original. It's not pretentious, they don't sell tee-shirts or hats and frankly, there aren't enough places like it: mom and pop restaurants doing something very well - and not charging an arm and a leg for it. read more

I was 17 and just finished devouring a beautifully greasy pile of sharp white cheddar cheese oozing decadently over a steamed, flavorful heap of ground beef, sandwiched inside a squishy salty roll. Every bite was an explosion of perfect flavor smothering my taste buds. I walked outside Ted's with my friends, heavy and tired from the intense culinary experience. Suddenly I felt horrible stabbing pains in my chest and down my left arm. I fell to my knees and was rushed to the hospital, terrified. It turned out that the delicious grease and fat from my steamed cheeseburger did not, in fact, give me cardiac arrest. Instead, it was apparently just a delayed panic attack from having my heart broken. Seriously. Ridiculous as that was, it was such a relief because God help me if the perfection that comes out of this once tiny dirty shack in central Connecticut was responsible for my near-death experience and thereby forbidden forever. I'm not even reading the reviews of this place. Anybody giving a bad review would be better occupied by stuffing another hot cheese in their gullet until they figure out how awesome it tastes. read more

It's a steamed burger. To begin with, it doesn't sound appealing. But after hearing all of the hoopla surrounding this place we decided to try it on our way back to Rhode Island. We made a 20 or so minute detour and hoped that it was worth the extra time. It definitely was not. The steamed burger was like a bland meatloaf and the cheese had a not so delightful plastic-y texture. The bun is far too big for the oddly thick and lacking circumference sized burger. Over all, this burger borders on inedible and slightly repulsive. read more

Went to the new ted's in north haven. The food was gross. The steamed burgers were tasteless. How about making the burger fit the bun!!! The "home fries" were nothing more than a pile of unappealing, mushy starch. You can't even pick them up one at a time. Can't give them zero stars, so they get one star only because the server was nice. Oh, yeah, if you want a hot dog, bring your own bun. read more

Ted's really is as good as it gets. I might be biased because I was born and raised in Meriden, but a restaurant just doesn't get as famous as Ted's without some merit, and Ted's has a lot. When I try to explain a steamed cheeseburger to someone who's never had one, I tell them about how Ted's is thick and juicy, but not greasy, and covered with a mound of delicious melted cheese that's awesomely gooey because it was also in the steamer. I've had other steamed cheeseburgers, but none of them come close to Ted's because everything about this burger really stands out. I usually get the same order - a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, salt and pepper - sometimes adding mayo or brown mustard, depending on my mood. I sometimes go on Ted's kicks and have to stop in at least once a week for some time. Then I go on a hiatus before I need to get it like three times in one week. It's that good, and I love that it's a part of my hometown. read more

Oh gosh. I hate to do this. Oh wait, no I don't, I just hate the burgers at Ted's, apparently. Listen, I get it. They're steamed, and the place is the epitome of the blue-collar, regional charm , quirky hole-in-the-wall place I usually love. Luvvvvv. But Teds I don't. The burgers are bad. I would be all for steamed burgers if they were tasty but they weren't. I thought the cheese would save 'em but no, it was just a big fat flavorless gob of dairy-jello sitting on top of gray boiled meat. Even worse the bun was big and bulky and bready. I ate the whole burger but only about half the bread. Homefries weren't anything special. They were heavily seasoned but still needed a lot of salt. I'd say go once to see if you like it because obviously a lot of people do but otherwise I've had my Ted's experience and that was enough. read more

I heard a lot of good hype about Ted's from my friends who tried it before and from random showcasings on the food network, so during my stay at Hartford, me and a few buddies want to drive there and check it out. The place itself is very small and cramped, although there is outdoor seating, where they can bring your orders after you give it to them inside. The waitress/ server taking our orders was very polite and the menu itself was nice and simple. Theres also a Five Guys type of style, in which you can order a selection of toppings and sauces to put in your burger for no extra charge, so that was a nice touch. Since I was very hungry, I order two cheeseburgers with mustard, jalepenos, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and an order of home fries with a diet Dr. Pepper. We sat outside and there wasn't much downtime between ordering and getting our food, since the burgers were steamed afterall. The homefries I got was very mediocre and nothing special, although it is nice to see that they actually cut and cook actual potatoes and its not frozen, but the fries was very bland tasting and not very crunchy and soft like good homefries should be, need a lot of salt and ketchup. The burgers finally arrived and I must say it didn't really meet up to expectations. It was relatively dry, and if a burger needed ketchup, then it isn't that great of a burger. However, the only saving grace was the cheese, since Ted's provides a nice whomping serving of melted cheese on top, which was nice and melty, it definitely helped the burger tremendously. Overall, the experience was not terrible, but not great either. But, considering the price, I can't complain. Definitely worth trying out once to see what's the hype all about, but not a place I would heavily vouch going to a 2nd time. read more

Three visits, because I was working in the area, and because this place has such a solid place in the Connecticut food hall of fame (which I just made up). Sorry, but with the explosion of burger joints who use fresh ingredients and interesting twists, Teds is probably the most overrated famous eating spot in CT. The burger has a too-long-frozen taste, the tomatoes on top taste like styrofoam, and the service is "be thankful you're here" without the charm that sometimes goes along with old fashioned diner/type restaurants. The cheese, I'm ashamed to admit is good out of the steamer, and the home fries taste good if a bit greasy. I think this place is resting on its laurels, and needs some reworking of its ingredient quality and certainly it's service to compete in the raging burger arena. Wake up, Teds!!! read more

Why is this a cheeseburger monument? just because it got on the Travel Channel? I like my cheeseburgers grilled, with that char flavor. I had the 'Momma Mia;' hubster had a regular cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato. The Momma Mia had marinara sauce, parmesan cheese, sauteed onions and roasted red peppers. The Momma Mia was tasty overall, but I could tell the meat didn't have much flavor. Also -- they don't have fries, just soggy homefries. what gives? i like the crisp! Well, if uniquely cooked burgers and homefries are your thang, then this is for you! But it wasn't for me, but I'm still glad I was able to have a nice meal with my partner in crime in their little outdoor seating area. read more

This place is lucky I can't give it minus amounts of stars. I have seen this place hyped up to the point where I purposefully left my house to come and see what the hoopla was about. I should have stood home. I order a "steamed burger" and they returned an oversized bun almost twice the size of the burger. Not a big deal, maybe the steam shrunk the meat who knows. Upon getting the burger, I just figured, wow, this must be so good, they have to skimp on the meat or something. Huh? Where is the taste? I don't know maybe someone could clue me in on what I was supposed to be tasting because these burgers tasted like nothing period. Fries? Nada. Hey at least the soda was good and the DQ right next to it helped me actually get some nourishment into my system. Unsure what Ted was aiming for, but if he was simply throwing poo at the wall, well it worked. read more

So I stopped here on the way back from Boston. I saw it on Man v. Food and it looked delicious. Maybe it's because I'm from the Midwest, but the cheese had no flavor at all. Come to think of it, neither did the burger. It was the first time I had tried a steamed burger and was looking forward to the supposed goodness of having the juices captured inside the meat vice the loss of it due to grilling. The meat was not very juicy at all...maybe it evaporated. Even the tomato had no juice to it. The cheese fries were nearly impossible to cut through with a plastic fork and knife. The ooey gooey cheese Man v. Food promised is merely rubber to me. I was leery of this place when I pulled up as it was a nice summer Saturday Afternoon and only three other people were there. It was made to order and the service was nice which is a star and it wasn't the worst burger ive ever had which is another star. But overall, not very impressed. read more

UGH Steamed meat. High school cafeteria nostalgia? Then dig in, otherwise run away fast! They should go vegetarian and make cheese burgers, sans the meat. The cheese is steamed until it melts into a huge puddle of cheesy goodness. My friend from overseas always orders his without the burger, HAH. the only way to go here. Can never figure out why people come back? Must be the ones who liked hot lunch in school. read more

Bagged another TV Trophy place! I was up in New Haven, visiting my nephew the Surgeon-In-Training, who is attending med school at Yale. Interesting Trivia - Yale has the 2nd largest tennis center in the nation! The Surgeon-In-Training is one of my most healthy guy's I know. Runs 3-6 miles a day, eats like a parsimonious rabbit, drinks less than a teetotaler. He probably had more calories and fat during my visit than his combined diet over the last 6 months (I visited him 7 months ago). So off to Ted's we go. We had the steamed cheeseburgers with the steamed white cheddar and grilled onions. If you look at the photos of the cooking area, the aluminium cabinet is the steaming chamber. They put he beef patties and rectangles of white cheddar into little tins, then slide them into the steaming chamber. Excess oil and fat drip down a catch bin and drain off (no need to fret, plenty of fat stays with the burger). The burgers are plenty moist, are salted and peppered nicely, and come out pretty tasty (for steamed). We also ordered the cheese covered fries. Decent. They put a full rectangle of melted cheddar on the order of fries. The wait staff are friendly, and even took a moment to demonstrate the steam chamber. This is a road-side diner that is generations old, and seems pretty popular. Pricing is cheap. When we got there, we found plenty of easy street parking. I did not see a parking lot. It's a little off the beaten path (I-95), so I may not come back. Definitely a burger-seekers bucket list place! read more

Ted's Restaurant is a famous burger joint for their steamed burgers and cheese. Positives: Famous: It's famous after being featured on Travel Channel's Man V. Food, so it must be good. Burgers- They sound weird, but they are delicious!! The melty cheese is to die for and you can always choose to add more toppings. Oh, and the fries are fantastic! Price- Very good price, inexpensive Other Customers- I know that this isn't really the restaurant but when I went with my brother and mom, socializing with the other friendly customers took our minds off of the wait and tight squeeze. Negatives: Size- for the amount of people that walk in, it is way too small. Literally maybe a 10 by 5 area including the kitchen and counter. Staff- I understand that the staff has to juggle a lot of orders for a long period of time, but they do seem to get rude and impatient sometimes. Wait- Again, I understand that there were A LOT of people in that little restaurant, not to mention people waiting outside, but it took about 40 mins for our three burgers. Parking- You have to park on the street and since Ted's is always crowded, it can be tough to find a parking spot. I would go back to Ted's because the burger was worth it, but sometimes the wait and tight squeeze pushes it. Ted's really should expand, it would help their business and our experience! -Kim :) read more

I used to frequent Teds when I lived in Connecticut. I'm home visiting family for the holidays and thought I would stop in to get one of those awesome steamed cheeseburgers. From what I understand the grandson or nephew is now running the place. While the burgers are still good the price has gone up to $6.50 for a hamburger and over $11 for double meat. I guess the new management wants to work half as hard as the dad and charge double the price. We gave Ted's 2 stars based on quality of food and value for the dollar. I feel sad that I just ate my last Ted's steam cheeseburger since we will not be returning. read more

I made a special trip to eat here after seeing it on "Hamburger America." How could I not have known about this place after living in CT most of my life? Anyway, Ted's seems to be one of those neighborhood places which is beloved for good reason. It's small, no-frills, and you get the feeling that you are always welcome there. As far as their steamed cheeseburgers go, I'd have to say that, well, they're just ok. It doesn't bother me that, once cooked, they're gray blobs of beef, or that the cheese is gooier than the mayo or ketchup you will put on it. It's just that, well, other than the method of cooking, I don't think they're that special. This isn't to say that they're bad, because they aren't. But they're certainly not legendary. I've seen people write that Ted's burgers are better than Louis Lunch. If they're talking about the friendliness and warmth of the people who work there, I'll give them that, but the burgers themselves don't even come close. Louis' kills Ted's. The reason Ted's doesn't care if you put ketchup or mustard on your burger is because it's a gray blob of sadness. You have to put condiments on the burger or else it would be flavorless. But, Ted's is cool for the novelty, if nothing else. Look, I'm not trying to burn the place down or anything. All I'm saying is that I wouldn't make it a point to drive 25 minutes to get here. But, for people who live close by, I can see why it holds a special place in their hearts. read more

Avoid at all costs. This is the scrapple of the burger world, if you were raised on it you like it, if not you realize the tragedy with your first bite. Steam is hot water, and boiling hamburgers is a bad idea unless you like tasteless and rubbery patties. They must have paid off The Food Network (not likely based on the condition of the place) or they ran out of time to shoot another spot. Soggy home fries to match the rubber meatloaf patties. read more

what can I say if you have never been here andyou like birgers then you have to try Teds. with that being said I am not a great fan of steamed burgers it is missing something maybe carmelization. The meat is fresh and the home fries are very good. staff is very friendly. give them a shot it might be your cup of tea. Ciao... read more

Good, not outstanding. Steamed cheesburger.....not a lot of flavor. But the cheese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a total cheese person and this was amazing. Wish they offered regular french fries, or better HF. read more

I simply do not understand the concept of steamed cheeseburgers. After innumerable people telling me I NEEDED to try Ted's, I stopped by after work. When I got inside, looked like a nice little greasy spoon dive, which I love. Had to try their specialty, the steamed cheeseburger. As I now know, a steamed cheeseburger is essentially a meatloaf with a (literal) pile of cheese on top... Gave up on the burger and tried the home fries, not a fan of their style either... You may love their fare, I did not. Good service though. read more

On the way back from Maine my wife and I were eager to try this place since we've heard so much about it. I have to say, it was pretty meh. It took about 30 to get our order, and there wasn't much of an area to wait, it's a small joint and gets pretty crowded. I wouldn't have minded the wait except the burger was just kind of bland. It was neither dry nor moist, had a slight pleasant gaminess to it. It reminded me of a very thick white castle patty with less flavor. The cheese was gooey a bit on the rubbery side. The bun was a bit large for the burger which made eating it a little difficult since the patty would slide every time you bite into it. While I'm glad I tried it, but that would really be the only reason to go, trying something new. I probably won't be coming back, I am disappoint. read more

Let's be fair: this place is remarkable only because of the way they cook the burger. So let's talk about that burger. The burger is okay. It's not great, it's not terrible. Anyone who thinks it's astonishingly, mind-bogglingly delicious has probably not had a lot of burgers. Or, they've just got bad taste. You know what steamed meat tastes like, so you can probably imagine what a steamed cheeseburger tastes like. That is, not much, because steaming takes a lot of flavor out of meat. The patty is big, it's juicy, but the lack of caramelization definitely is not a plus. But the cheese...yeah, that's where it's a winner. Turns out, a block of steamed cheese becomes a gooey pile of deliciousness. The place is small, the people are nice, they serve canned soda and home fries instead of regular fries. Would I go back? Sure, if I were within a reasonable distance. But is it worth driving thirty miles out of your way for? Hmmm...can't say that it is. read more

I had seen Ted's on a few different food shows espousing how great their steamed burgers were. It definitely sounded different and I'll try anything once so I made a plan to detour off of the Merritt Pkwy and give it a try. I stopped in and grabbed a seat at the counter. I ordered one of their steamed cheeseburgers and a side of their home fries. The steamed burgers are supposed to be extremely "juicy" but honestly to me seemed to just be wet. With a bite into the burger there were juices running all over, but the juices were rather flavorless. The cheese was also underwhelming, I was expecting it be oozing all over, instead it was just a congealing blob. The home fries were also underwhelming. I've had bigger portions of better home fries for less money at my local diner. In conclusion it wasn't a terrible experience, but it definitely didn't live up to the hype. read more

Bad bun to meat ratio, dry....... I can't in good faith reccommend making the trip to Meriden! Skip it! In other words. "Ted's doin just fine ! Ted drives a Corvette!" read more

On my way to a BBQ competition in New Hampshire, I decided that I had to try Ted's Restaurant. I saw this place on Man V Food (I think) and it just looked so damn good. I got there about 20 minutes before the place opened so I sat outside in their mini picnic area. It was nice enough. When I got inside to order (4 guys walked in front of me a few minutes before scheduled opening) I was able to sit inside at the 'bar'. I ordered 2 cheeseburgers and a soda. I looked at the little trays that they steam the burgers in and figured, ey, they are small. well I was wrong! The first burger comes and it is a dense brick of meat with amazingly melted cheese on top of it. I sat there and enjoyed my burger but I have to say, it was so-so at best. It lacked any noticeable beef flavor, likely due to the steaming. In fact, for a brief second, if I closed my eyes, I tasted white castle (who also steams there burgers). I am glad I checked out this historic place, but the method isn't for me. I would recommend it for any foodie though - but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

There is way this burger joint deserves 4 or even 5 stars.....I really cannot believe this place has stayed in business all these years....let's start with the home fries....completely tasteless! I had to put soo much salt that it would have probably been healthier to eat a large McDonalds fries. Then I was hoping for a break out burger....stunned! It was completely tasteless, small and the bun was not fresh. There are some things in life you just cannot substitute ....for one a greasy grilled cheeseburger. Do your self a favor eat less of other foods and treat your self to a real burger and I don't mean a Ted burger. Very disappointed, i cannot believe they made it to a TV show. Shocked! read more

Steamed cheeseburgers are a unique way of cooking just about limited to the Meriden Wallingford CT area.They are excellent and the cheese is very tasty The only downfall is they are small.For the price they should be bigger.You need two to fill you up.I think their competitor K LaMays also in Meriden are much bigger.So just about same taste Just about same price but bigger You make the choice. I have to admit Ted's has better tasting cheese Just trying to be honest. But everyone's taste is different .Either way steamed cheeseburgers should be on your bucket list read more

Steamed Hamburgers. Below average potatoes. Pros: They have outdoor seating. The burger was juicy and made of fresh meat. Cons: Burgers need some seasoning. Salt and pepper would be a good start. Burgers are very greasy, which is weird for steamed. Homefries are bland. I think people go here because its kind of kitschy and has a quirky reputation, but the burgers are kind of greasy and tasteless. Homefries are pretty bad. read more

The novelty of the custom made burger (and cheese) steamer is worth the visit. The smallness of this place is great too-- a nice neighborhood feel. Not sure why one would bother with normal highway fastfood when Ted's is just a little ways off the highway. Essentially, they take a block of beef and a block of cheese (both about the same volume as a deck of cards), put them in individual trays, and steam the bejesus out of them. The cheese is quite good (a little chewy and pretty flavorful) while the burger is pretty standard. Some people absolutely swear by this place, but I don't think it's up there with the best burgers I've ever had. Pretty good, though. read more

I have not been back in a long time. I thought I recalled that they served beer and that the burgers could be tasted through the buns. I visited some other new locations and neither was true. Sadly, at the original Ted's they also serve a tiny burger on a bun the size of Rhode Island. The cheese is bland (I thought I recalled it having flavor way back in the day) but everything else was as I recalled it. If you've never tried a steamed cheeseburger, that would be a good reason to stop. Peel off one side of the bun, fold it in half and you'll get a decent flavor. I've travelling around to a bunch of steamed cheeseburger places and so far the only one that is using a good cheddar instead of a bland all-purpose (except tasting it) cheese is K. Lamay's on East Main St. in Meriden. I'll be checking out others read more

I wanted to like this place, but very underwhelmed. Steaming the burger seems to reduce the flavor, but I think this would have worked better on a soft bun then a kaiser-like roll, which rendered the burger that much dryer. Roll was also too large for the size of the burger. The cheese was gooey but surprisingly light on flavor. After several bites the whole damn thing fell apart. I did really like the home fries. Meh. read more