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Ted's Restaurant in Meriden, Connecticut, is a hamburger restaurant known for its steamed cheeseburger.
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History
The steamed cheeseburger is believed to have been invented at a restaurant called "Jack's Place" in Middletown, Connecticut, in the 1930s. However, as with many such restaurant food icons, the origin is somewhat unclear. Nevertheless, it is undisputed that Ted Duberek opened his namesake restaurant serving the steamed burgers in 1930 in Meriden, catering to the then significant local factory worker population. Early on, as the local factories were working round the clock, Ted's would stay open until 4:00 A.M.
Times changed and the factories began moving their manufacturing overseas. Yet Ted's remained in business, though with shorter hours. After Ted Duberek died in the early 1970s, his son, Paul Duberek, took over, running the business until 2007. That year, Paul sold out to his nephew, Bill Foreman, who had worked at Ted's while he attended high school and college. Bill has continued running the business with few changes and the steamed cheeseburger remains the featured menu item. One innovation the restaurant has introduced is the "Steam Machine," a food truck which is making the signature burgers as well as cheese-covered hot dogs available to a broader audience.
Steamed cheeseburger
The steamed cheeseburger is cooked in a stainless-steel cabinet which contains small trays that hold either an individual hamburger or a chunk of cheese to be melted. The cheeseburger is served by scooping the meat onto a bun and pouring the melted cheese over the meat. This method of cooking causes the fats in the meat to melt away, leaving a moist burger which is then covered with the melted cheese. The burger is served with a number of customary toppings.
Media coverage
In addition to a strong local following in Meriden, Ted's has attracted more widespread attention with its appearance in the documentary Hamburger America, as well as such publications as the US News and World Report, Yankee Magazine and Connecticut Magazine. It has been shown and mentioned on several Travel Channel shows, including Hamburger Paradise, Man v. Food with host Adam Richman, and Burger Land with host George Motz.