eats - Ted's Restaurant, Meriden, CT
Meriden is located in the middle of CT. it was a thriving manufacturing town in the 40s and 50s, supplying the war machine in WWII and later GM's New Venture plant. as manufacturing moved off shore, the town has sadly declined and remains a hard luck town. passing through the other week, I finally got to stop in to Ted's, home of the world famous steamed cheeseburger. established in 1959 (also my est. year), this tiny (tiny!) joint has been a tasty draw from near and far. the process is simple. heat an enclosed ss shelved cabinet with water over a gas stove, fill tiny trays with hamburger meat (and a slab of mozzarella cheese and onions if you like), slide the tray into the cabinet until cooked and serve on a soft vienna roll. pretty ingenious and the burgers never vary - always juicy and tender. I am a big fan of the White Castle steamed 'sliders', but Ted's has nothing in common.
The place is always packed but the tables and counter turns over fairly quickly. F I M approved.
Ted's is located at 1046 Broad Street in Meriden, CT
Thats my kinda joint! Youz guys need to come down my way & have a roast beast or pork sandwich at dinics & a cheesesteak at gaetanos. Philly may be famous for their grub spots but the real gems reside on the east side of the river.