Ted's World Famous Steamed Burgers

I just returned back to the office from a lunch trip to Ted’s in Meriden, CT. And, since I am way too full to actually work, I figured I’d blog instead.

I have heard a lot about Ted’s prior to today. It has been featured on the Travel Channel’s Hamburger Paradise, written about in Connecticut Magazine, US News, and mentioned in Hamburger America, just to name a few. With a place as famous as this practically in my back yard, I couldn’t not go.

So, we pull up to this tiny little building, and I recalled words of wisdom I have heard (on television). It’s the little grease holes like this that usually have the best food. So, in we go, bumping elbows with everyone else in the place. All four of them. From the outside it’s small. From the inside, it’s tiny. Three booths that sit four (two comfortably) and a counter with eight or so stools at it. I ordered the steamed cheeseburger with all the sides and some cheese fries.

The fries came first, and since I had read up on my gastronomic destination for the day, I was not surprised to see that they were in fact home fries. Chucks of potatoes left on a flat top griddle to crisp upon the outside, yet stay nice and soft on the inside. All topped with a hunk of steam-melted cheddar. Kinda greasy. Very tasty.


When the burger arrived, I actually drooled a little. It might have been from the cheese off the potatoes scalding the top of my mouth, but I’m not sure. One bite into the burger, and the juicy goodness that is steamed cheeseburgers began to run down my hand. The burger was very moist, but did not have that much flavor itself. The meat kind of reminded me of when my mother used to microwave frozen burger patties when we got our first microwave, except these were not dried out and didn’t tire my jaw to chew. Or like if you’ve ever browned ground meat in a pan with no seasonings, then tasted it before adding anything else.


My lunch was topped with ketchup, mustard, mayo, onions, lettuce, and another hunk of melted cheese. I added a dash of salt & pepper to complete the seasonings. All in all, a good burger. Definitely not the best I have ever had, but it’s hard to compare. A steamed cheeseburger is something completely different than a grilled burger.

So, as I loosen my belt and return to work I leave you with this. If you are ever in the area of Meriden, CT, I would highly suggest stopping at Ted’s and trying a steamed burger. It’s not the best burger in the world, but it is surely worth a try, and an honorable mention.