Ted's Luncheonette — Restaurant in Largo

I’ve been coming to Ted’s Luncheonette for decades, and let me tell you: this isn’t just food, it’s a divine experience. I don’t know what kind of deal Ted made with the heavens, but I’m convinced that God Himself said, “Let there be flavor” and then created a specialized cook just for me—and sent that cook straight to Ted’s. Every plate feels like it was designed in the culinary laboratories of paradise.

The service? Impeccable. Even a chicken couldn’t peck it, and believe me, I’ve seen some picky chickens in my day. The staff treat you like royalty, but not the stuffy kind of royalty—the fun kind that gets unlimited coffee refills and a wink with their pancakes.

The omelets? So fluffy I thought NASA had repurposed them as weather balloons. The bacon? Crispier than a comedian’s punchline. The pancakes? If I stacked them high enough, I could probably climb up to heaven and thank the chef personally.

Other restaurants try. Ted’s succeeds so hard it makes those other places look like they’re still in cooking kindergarten. Honestly, I worry about writing this because once people realize Ted’s is basically the culinary Fountain of Youth, there won’t be a seat left for me. But the world deserves to know.

If you think I’m exaggerating, then clearly you haven’t been here. If I could give them more than five stars, I’d give them the entire galaxy.

Ted’s isn’t just a luncheonette—it’s the reason taste buds...

A Classic, but Mediocre

Ted’s has been around for many, many years. I’ve been there for lunch lots of times. But this was my first breakfast visit. And it will probably be my last. Ted’s has classic diner atmosphere—worn around the edges with little attempt at modernization. The sense seems to be “it’s good enough”. Prices are fair.

Service, unfortunately, was poor. It was busy, but there seemed to be plenty of servers. Mine just didn’t like to go out into the dining area. I had to ask other servers for coffee, a to-go box, a check…

The food was a mixed bag. The eggs were fine and the biscuit was good. The normal ham that comes with the plate is thin deli ham, according to the waitress, so I upgraded to the ham steak and it was good. It should have had a better sear on it, but it was nice nevertheless. The grits were poor—OK on the consistency, but bland. Salt, pepper and butter helped a bit. The French toast had collapsed into a mass and was more like bread pudding. I took most of it home and toasted it to give some crunch.

If you want classic diner, Ted’s is your place. But I suggest that you...

When we pulled into the parking lot, we were skeptical. It didn’t look like much. Two parties were seated (1 & 3), and about six feet apart. We chose a table 6 feet from both. We wore masks into the restaurant, but took them off when we sat down. Our waiter had on his mask, and was friendly. He brought our drinks, and took our order. Husband was disappointed when his hamburger could not come with cheddar cheese (he got American) or onion rings or corn (he got fries). I got the quarter pounder, too, with slaw. Our waiter said it would be creamy, and I hoped he was right. He apologized for not having the items Husband wanted, and explained that the pandemic was upsetting their deliveries.

Our food came in an appropriate amount of time. Burgers WERE delicious. Slaw was good, too - creamy and sweet. Fries were plentiful and good. We enjoyed the music, too. I think the station on the radio was tuned to 98.5 - the soft rock was nice.

We’re not sure when we’ll be back this way, but when we come close to Ted’s, we’ll stop here: good food, excellent service, pleasant ambience,...