Theodore’s Red Hots

I didn’t realize when I was driving down the road and pulled into Theodores that I was dropping right into culinary warfare. Ted’s, Louie’s, Theodore’s and many more all claim to have the best red hots in Buffalo. Evidently, an authentic Buffalo Red Hot is a foot long cooked over charcoal with chili mustard and onions.
While I have always known Buffalo for their controversy over who had the first or best Buffalo wings and Beef on Weck, who knew that Buffalo was big enough for not just one, not two, but three gastronomical feuds.
Unfortunately, based on my visit to Theodores, I just don’t know what all the hubbub is about. It was a decent foot long wiener with bland chili and a forgettable roll. The fries were underdone and the onion rings were greasy.
When I come back to Buffalo, I will try one of the other red hot pioneers to see if my indifference is misplaced, but — for right now — I think my time is better spent with a series of Duffs vs Anchor Bar wing offs.

Please note this review is also posted on my Tripadvisor page :
Theodore’s is run by the same family responsible for the famous «Ted’s Hot Dog’s» and I believe exists because of some internal family struggle.
So what you get is a restaurant with a similar name, very similar menu and similar pricing, in fact the food tastes the same (which is a good thing) and the menu is very similar (although I noticed a couple of differences)
I ordered the 1/​3lb burger and «frings» (mixture of onion rings and fries) all of which were extremely tasty and i’m certainly glad I skipped breakfast as the burger is HUGE !!!
With a drink it came to $ 15 which isn’t cheap in my opinion however admittedly it was ALOT of food.
I came away impressed, although i’ve always been very impressed with the quality of the food at Ted’s.
I have to knock a star off the rating though as the lady who took my order was surly at best and clearly didn’t want to be there. However it really is a toss up between «Ted’s» and «Theodore’s» I guess it really depends on which one is closer for you as there really isn’t anything to differentiate them.

I came after working out at the LA Fitness up the road. I ordered a hot dog with chili, cheese, and onions. I also got fries and onion rings mix. The hot dog was pretty good, but I would really like real cheese. The fries and onions rings were just ok, maybe because I got it togo and took it all the way home, so could have been better if I ate it there. The batter on the onion rings was a bit thin. There was an interesting selection of drinks, will probably try one the next time I’m there.

Just had lunch with former Buffalonians in town for a few days craving char grilled hot dogs. Theodore’s did not disappoint! Great dogs, burgers, and secret hot sauce. Grilled chicken sandwich was also a nice surprise. Tender, with a great spice rub on it. And as anticipated, those great onion rings. Noticed they have soup and chili and a fish sandwich for those who may not want grill food. Highly recommend a trip to Theodore’s for locals and visitors for a true taste of Buffalo.

Burgers are a lil on the greasy side and should give out more pickle spears. but everything else was good. Nice and clean inside tho!

Theodore’s is owned by none other than Keanu «Ted Theodore Logan» Reeves, who said that he wanted to make a Point to Break the profit margins experienced by rival Hot Dog chain Ted’s. His biggest month is usually Sweet November, although Ted’s is now playing Hardball and selling everything half off in November to try and compete. They have 2 printers, a LaserJet and a Dot Matrix, and The Matrix is the better one. The ink cartridge recently ran out, so now they’re using The Matrix Reloaded. The employees want a new printer, and have been campaigning for it, a series of campaigns they are calling «The Matrix Revolutions.» The Speed of service is excellent, and the co-​owner Johnny came up with a really cool Mnemonic that all the employees remember.
In all seriousness though, Theodore’s is a rival of Ted’s, with an almost identical menu due to the fact that one of the original founders of Ted’s broke away, and started this chain. They serve Onion Rings, French Fries, Hot Dogs, and so on. However I have to be brutally honest and say that I think, for some reason, Ted’s tastes slightly better. This stuff is still really good though, hence it earns the 4 stars. But make sure you try Ted’s too (down the road… although there are multiple locations of both), and see for yourself which is better.

Great for quick, cheap bite to eat. Stopped here between a trip to the Eastern Hills Mall & Home Depot, on a errand-​run Sunday.
We ordered a foot long, regular hot dog, and a «fring» (fry and onion ring mix). Very reasonably priced; $ 10 for two people. The hot dogs are delicious. I was a little disappointed with their fries, but the onion rings were good.
We were in and out (eating included) in less than 20 minutes. Perfect if you’re on the run.

Great for kids. Fresh & new. Very friendly staff and nice location give this place a try. I was reluctant to try this instead of the original old standby but I’m glad I did and will be back

I have now been to Grand Island, Cheektowaga and Amherst stores. ALL are the GREAT…

Disclaimer: I used to work at Ted’s for a long time, and I know a number of people over at Theodore’s.
Nothing beats two hot dogs, one with cheese and the other with ketchup and pickle, with a side of cheese fries and a side of pickles. I don’t live in Buffalo anymore, so I always make sure to stop in when I’m in town. I can cook hot dogs at home (I’ve cooked plenty of them), but it’s not the same. I could have easily eaten more. The frings (half order of fries, half order of rings) are very popular with my wife and her family. The burgers are chicken are excellent too. I probably would have visited every day I was in town if I could. I miss it that much.
The staff is very attentive, and want to make sure you get the best food they can possibly make. It is very clean, cleaner and newer than most other restaurants.

This place is great! Good hot dogs and burgers. Try the Fring if you can’t decide between fries and onion rings. This is my «go-​to» place for lunch. It is very clean and the staff is really friendly.

As good as the original Teds. Dogs were cooked to perfection, rings and fries on par. The Atmosphere was a little too bright and sterile though. Will have to alternate each time we visit Buffalo now.

Don’t tell Ted but I like Theodore better than him!!!
I ordered a chicken sandwich, Kilroy style (some sort of spice rub), with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and light mayo. It came on a Costanzo’s roll and it was delicious! This is so much better than the Ted’s chicken sammie, which is unflavored on a plain old dry hamburger bun.
My mom and I split an order of Frings (half fries, half rings). I LOVED the fries. They are crinkle cut AND thin, unlike the thin and soggy of Ted’s. The rings are really good too! Not exactly the stringy delight of Ted’s but good.
Overall, I’m certainly a fan of Theodore’s! It’s making me rethink my 5-​star rating of Ted’s… Shhhh… ;)