Ted's Hot Dogs — Restaurant in Tempe

After running an errand last evening we were quite famished and in search of sustenance when we happened to spy Ted’s Hot Dogs at Broadway and McClintock in Tempe. We had never heard of Ted’s, but were drawn to the place by the aroma of the wood fired grill and the really neat look of the place. So with great hopes of satisfying our hunger we pulled in and parked.

Upon entry we were greeted by a very friendly staff as well as enthusiastic fellow patrons who seemed to be regulars at Ted’s. The woman at the grill was very helpful with menu recommendations and answering any questions that we had. The menu is very straightforward; regular dogs, footlongs, all beef hot dogs, bratwurst, etc. We really appreciated that Ted’s allows you to add all the toppings you want at no extra charge, including the typical condiments as well as items like sauerkraut. They do offer a few premium toppings like chili and cheese for a small fee. Among the choices for sides Ted’s offers French fries and onion rings. Ted’s menu also boasts burgers, chicken sandwiches and fish sandwiches.

The grill is placed right out in the open so you can watch as your dog is cooked on the oak wood fired grill. After a few moments of contemplation, we opted for an all-beef dog each with a side of fries. We also decided to sample what Ted’s calls a White Hot; a sausage made of a blend of veal and pork. Additionally, we decided to taste their chocolate milkshake.

The all-beef hot dogs were fantastic! We were quite impressed with the flavor and quality. The dogs are served on potato buns which are not fresh baked, but still very tasty nonetheless. The White Hot has a very distinct flavor which we did like, but some folks may not if they are expecting a typical hot dog taste and texture. The fries were not especially remarkable, but were still very good and you get a generous portion. The milkshake was very flavorful and creamy, but was not your standard thick shake.

Our overall experience was very enjoyable. The big selling points for us were the fun atmosphere, great tasting dogs and friendly staff. We highly recommend that you stop by Ted’s and treat yourself to an awesome grilled hot...

Out for a drive and looking for something small. I've seen Ted's dozens of times over the years, but never had the opportunity to partake. Looked at it tonight since I finally had time, and thought it said drive thru. Got here and was disappointed to find it wasn't, but caught a whiff of the charcoal smell and I had to stop in. The entry way is a little odd that you actually order with the person at the grill, then once it is ready, you go down to the register. Only noticed the small "Order Here" sign over the cook once she had called me over. Since I didn't want anything too big, got a regular hot dog (since if it's in the name, it better be the best) and a corn dog with a large drink. Cooking took only a few minutes, so it wasn't too long to wait. Dinning area is a bit like a Canes, or other slightly-nicer-than-fast-food places. Sat down and tried the hot dog first. I've never had a charcoal hot dog to my knowledge, so this was the best hot dog I've had. Granted, it's either been microwaved, boiled or cooked over a propane flame, but this is by far the best way to have a hot dog. Was plain (because I'm weird AND because I wanted to just taste the basic) so enjoyed the smoky flavor and the well cooked part port, part beef of their dog's. Was slightly hampered by the regular, off the shelf buns they had, but it was still delicious. Dipped it in a smidgen of ketchup and that was great too. The corn dog was good, but not beyond my expectations. It was proper beer batter, so it was fine. The stick said 'Vienna Beef' so not sure if that means it wasn't one of their signature dogs covered in batter. Either way, was good. Drink was fountain drink Barqs. The best, and I will fight you on that. For $11 (in today's stupid economy) it wasn't bad and I am extremely satisfied with the quality and taste I got to enjoy. Definitely...

Went to Ted’s yesterday evening with my best and her girlfriend, an annual tradition. As with a lot of things, prices are gauged and you get less. My order was over $20 just for two beef dogs and onion rings! What was more disrespectful than the price gauging was the service. Immediately upon entering and looking up the menu, the cooks were gossiping and making looks at us- there was no one else in line behind us. If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t continue. You’re only embarrassing yourself. The initial cook who had started our orders (I think he was going on his break) handed his task off to another, who, was STILL gossiping with the girl placing the food toppings- to the point where he almost burned all of the orders on the grill. Thankfully my friend decided to add another entree so the cook paid attention. When our orders were coming off of the grill, I let the associate in charge of toppings know that I had asked for the long cut pickles, and had even pointed them out previously. She tried to get sassy and aggressively took off the round cut pickles off of the hot dogs, and aggressively threw the round pickles away and haphazardly placed the correct ones on. Maybe it was time for a nap, Sweetie, if you’re going to throw a tantrum for a mistake of your own doing. Perhaps if you had listened to the customers’ order requests instead of being hyper-focused on gossiping, your mistake could’ve been avoided. Hopefully next year’s visit...