# What's Ted's Montana Grill like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376 "2010-04-08T03:56:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/1 "2010-04-08T03:56:58Z")
[http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/index.html](http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/index.html) Someone told me they have excellent burgers. I was a bit skeptical about the place, but I must say the menu is intriguing. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/2 "2010-04-08T04:02:23Z")
I go there every so often - say, once or twice a month. Only for lunch, mostly. I like their burgers a lot, but I only get the bison burgers. The last time I remember going there for dinner, I got a bison steak and it was fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/3 "2010-04-08T04:08:25Z")
I like it. Both the bison and the beef steaks are delicious. The apple cobbler is divine. It’s a little pricey for us to eat there too often. Last time we had a [restaurant.com](http://restaurant.com) coupon. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/4 "2010-04-08T12:34:34Z")
Ate there once, when I landed in Denver on the way to Vail. Excellent bison burger. I wish they had one in central NJ. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/5 "2010-04-08T12:45:51Z")
I’ve only had burgers there, and they are indeed excellent, if a little pricey. I like both the beef and bison, but personally I prefer beef. You ought to try the bison at least once though. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/6 "2010-04-08T12:46:42Z")
Love the bison burgers. They will make a burger rare for me, which is the sign of a good burger joint. The only meal that I’ve ever had there that I didn’t like was the Beer Can Chicken special. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/7 "2010-04-08T12:55:59Z")
I’ll add that I love the bison burger there but I rarely go. Mostly due to location and other dining options but ohhhhhh man, that bison burger is phenominal! ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/8 "2010-04-08T13:07:17Z")
I’ve eaten at the one in Alexandria a few times. I’ve only had the burgers and they were pretty good. Thick, juicy, huge. The onion rings were the size of Frisbees. If I recall, they always seemed to have a burger & beer special that was pretty reasonable, like a burger and a pint for under $10. That was a couple of years ago though. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/9 "2010-04-08T15:35:47Z")
I want to like it, but it seems the store in Durham NC isn’t well-run. The penultimate time I went there, my burger was considerably underdone (raw in the center), and I sent it back. Their solution was to throw the burger, complete with traces of my saliva on it, back on the grill, and then give it back to me. I tried it again a year or two later, and I got a slow service and a dirty glass for my Coke. I ordered a chopped salad, and it turned out to be some weird concoction with corn and chickpeas in it. I don’t think I’ll be going back. ---
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/10 "2010-04-08T16:29:38Z")
I enjoy ours here in Nashville, one of the best burgers in town. And their bison chili is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/11 "2010-04-08T16:49:58Z")
I’ve liked their bison burger and the cedar plank salmon (with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans) was very good also. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/12 "2010-04-08T17:09:46Z")
Nitpick: Ted’s California Grill. We didn’t even get one in Montana until there were over 30 elsewhere in the country, and any Montanan will tell you that Ted’s not one of us. Don’t go thinking there’s any actual connection to Montana. Bison is good meat, but there are plenty of other places around here where you can get it for a lot cheaper (heck, they sometimes serve bison in the university cafeteria). I don’t actually know anyone who’s gone to the Ted’s here in town, and I assume they cater mostly to tourists. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/13 "2010-04-08T18:58:42Z")
There is one here in Kansas City. They do serve a burger without a bun, although they don’t appear to have it on a bowl of mixed greens like [The Counter](http://www.thecounterburger.com/menu/). Why oh why do these dumb bunnies keep putting their menus in Flash? I can’t link to an individual item if it’s encased in Flash! Flash doesn’t show up in search. Morons. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/14 "2010-04-08T21:01:30Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Nitpick: Ted’s California Grill. We didn’t even get one in Montana until there were over 30 elsewhere in the country, and any Montanan will tell you that Ted’s not one of us. Don’t go thinking there’s any actual connection to Montana. > > Bison is good meat, but there are plenty of other places around here where you can get it for a lot cheaper (heck, they sometimes serve bison in the university cafeteria). I don’t actually know anyone who’s gone to the Ted’s here in town, and I assume they cater mostly to tourists. Other than some of the meat coming from a ranch in [Montana](http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/03/news/economy/pluggedin_gunther_bison.fortune/index.htm). And why would you call it Ted’s California Grill and not Ted’s Ohio Grill, since Ohio is where the first one was opened? Just so you know though, my guess is most folks picked up on the name being a marketing gimmick. You don’t go around making sure people know Outback Steakhouse isn’t “real” Australian food, do you? ETA: I guess I assumed y’all knew the Ted in Ted’s Montana Grill is Ted Turner ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/15 "2010-04-08T22:00:40Z")
> [@diku](#): > > I enjoy ours here in Nashville, one of the best burgers in town. And their bison chili is fantastic. :eek: There’s one in Nashville? _researches_ Ooooh… West End. I’ll have to come up with an excuse to get over there. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/16 "2010-04-08T22:54:41Z")
It occupies an interesting niche - it’s an upscale Chili’s or a downscale steakhouse. The menu is really basic stuff - steaks, burgers, chicken, salmon - but everything is fresh, including all the sides. The vegetables are actually nice to eat, not just a thing to add color and fill up a plate. You see this style in local independant places, but I don’t know if there is another chain that caters to this niche. I was impressed with it and have gone back a few times. It isn’t trying to be fine dining, and it does what it does very well. I don’t recall it being that expensive. Maybe you’d pay a couple of bucks more than you would in a Chili’s. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/17 "2010-04-08T22:57:51Z")
> [@](#): > > And why would you call it Ted’s California Grill and not Ted’s Ohio Grill, since Ohio is where the first one was opened? Lesson 1 of Montanan culture: Anyone from anywhere other than Montana, the immediately-surrounding states or provinces, or Alaska is a Californian (or, if one is being less polite, a Califoreigner or a Californicator). It’s a stand-in label for anyone who wants to call themselves a rancher just because they have a lot of money, and go back to warmer climates as soon as the snow starts falling. Ted Turner is an exemplar of the category: Do you honestly think he’s ever actually done any ranching himself? ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/18 "2010-04-09T05:33:11Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > I want to like it, but it seems the store in Durham NC isn’t well-run. The penultimate time I went there, my burger was considerably underdone (raw in the center), and I sent it back. Their solution was to throw the burger, complete with traces of my saliva on it, back on the grill, and then give it back to me. > > I tried it again a year or two later, and I got a slow service and a dirty glass for my Coke. I ordered a chopped salad, and it turned out to be some weird concoction with corn and chickpeas in it. > > I don’t think I’ll be going back. The one at Triangle Town Center on Capital at 540 is much better. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/19 "2010-04-09T19:01:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Do you honestly think he’s ever actually done any ranching himself? Nope. I don’t think they eat Bloomin’ Onions in the outback either. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376/20 "2010-04-10T20:53:52Z")
Y’know, I was probably coming off too strongly. If it’s the only place local to you that serves bison (likely true, in much of the country), then by all means check it out. If you like beef, then you’ll love bison. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-teds-montana-grill-like/535376.md?page=2)