{"id":905759,"date":"2026-07-01T16:02:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T16:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/905759\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T16:02:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T16:02:27","slug":"can-the-chandler-teds-hot-dogs-compete-with-the-tempe-classic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/905759\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the Chandler Ted\u2019s Hot Dogs compete with the Tempe classic?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Hot dogs are inherently nostalgic. They\u2019re ingrained in the red, white and blue vision of a classic American summer. The simple frank-on-a-bun combination has been a staple at ballparks, state fairs, picnics and backyard cookouts for generations.<\/p>\n<p>In Tempe, one spot known for its hot dogs has also been a staple for generations.<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tedshotdogs.com\/\"> Ted\u2019s Hot Dogs<\/a>, a chain from Buffalo, New York, opened a lone Arizona location on the southwest corner of Broadway Road and McClintock Drive in 1983. For the following 43 years, it has churned out charcoal-grilled hot dogs of multiple shapes and sizes on a large grill behind the counter.<\/p>\n<p>Over the decades, the Tempe eatery has undergone a few facelifts, with modern TV screen menus hung above the counter and a fresh lick of red paint in the dining room. But for neighbors and students from nearby Arizona State University, Ted\u2019s has been a consistent destination for old-school eats for years.<\/p>\n<p>Then, on May 23, Ted\u2019s opened a second Arizona location, bringing its nostalgic brand to Chandler.<\/p>\n<p>Sign up now for free updates on openings, closings and all the food news that matters.<\/p>\n<p>THANK YOU!<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;re all set.<\/p>\n<p>CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>That made us wonder, after all these years, could an expansion live up to the original? Could a new location of such an institution really work? Could it even, perhaps, be better? Would new or nostalgic win out? <\/p>\n<p>We headed to the East Valley to find out.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2856\" height=\"2142\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-40678910\" data-id=\"40678910\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1024 \/ 768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TedsTempeOutsideTB.jpg\"  \/>Tempe\u2019s Ted\u2019s sits in a rectangular building in front of a sleepy strip mall.\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2856\" height=\"2142\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-40678914\" data-id=\"40678914\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1024 \/ 768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TedsDogTempeTB.jpg\"  \/>Ted\u2019s all beef hot dog from the Tempe store.\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2856\" height=\"2142\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-40678913\" data-id=\"40678913\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1024 \/ 768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TedsFoodTempeTB.jpg\"  \/>A spread from Ted\u2019s in Tempe, which has been serving similar meals for 43 years.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>43 years in Tempe<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In Tempe, Ted\u2019s Hot Dogs occupies a small, rectangular building on the corner of a sleepy strip mall. Outside, a couple of seats huddle under the shade of the roof\u2019s overhang, and a few pressed-concrete picnic tables sit near the Ted\u2019s sign, topped with retro, metal umbrellas painted with red and white stripes.<\/p>\n<p>On a Friday afternoon in June, peak hot dog-eating season, the restaurant is almost empty. A couple of customers brave the heat and sit outside. The staff behind the counter look a little bored.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After perusing the digital menus, we slide up to the counter, order an all-beef dog with ketchup and mustard, a footlong chili dog, fries, onion rings and Ted\u2019s famous loganberry juice. The cashier hands us a paper soda cup and points to a small, almost empty plastic drink dispenser next to the napkins and straws. After pouring a cup of the dark red juice, we grab a seat on one of the wooden bench booths in the middle of the dining room.<\/p>\n<p>A red neon sign glows. Black-and-white photographs from moments in Ted\u2019s history line the walls. A newspaper stand displays today\u2019s issue of The Buffalo News.<\/p>\n<p>Ted\u2019s was founded in 1927 by Theodore Spiro Liaros, who immigrated from Greece in 1913. With no money and unable to speak English, he started selling hot dogs out of a tool shed in Buffalo.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, the small business expanded and now operates nine locations in Western New York. Liaros\u2019 son Spiro traded snow for sunshine and moved to Phoenix, where he opened Arizona\u2019s only Ted\u2019s in Tempe in 1983. He eventually passed the restaurant to his daughter, Thecly, who passed it on to her son, the company\u2019s current president and owner, Evan Ortolani.<\/p>\n<p>The company started to formulate plans for a Chandler location in 2017. Delays ran into the pandemic, and the expansion stalled. In 2024, the plan was revived and Evan announced plans to bring Arizona\u2019s second Ted\u2019s to life. Just prior to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.phoenixnewtimes.com\/food-drink\/teds-hot-dogs-expands-with-new-chandler-location-40651346\/\">the Chandler opening, <\/a>he told Phoenix New Times that if it proves successful, he hopes to bring more locations to the Valley.<\/p>\n<p>At the Tempe restaurant, our number is called, and we slide out of the booth to grab our tray. The fries are a little cold. The thin-sliced onion rings a tad greasy. But the hot dogs remind us why Ted\u2019s is such a staple.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sourced from Sahlen\u2019s, another Buffalo-based business, the all-beef frank snaps with each bite. Topped simply with mustard and ketchup, it makes us question, are hot dogs usually this good? No, they\u2019re not. This is exceptional. The footlong chili dog is pure, messy fun, with a small-grained all-meat chili slathered on top.<\/p>\n<p>The empty, square dining room with its drop ceiling tiles and fluorescent overhead lighting left us wanting more from this dated, vintage spot. But hot dogs are what Ted\u2019s is famous for, and on hot dogs, it delivers.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2856\" height=\"2142\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-40678911\" data-id=\"40678911\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1024 \/ 768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TedsChandlerOutsideTB.jpg\"  \/>Ted\u2019s opened its second Arizona location in Chandler in late May.\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2856\" height=\"2142\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-40678918\" data-id=\"40678918\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1024 \/ 768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TedsChandler.jpg\"  \/>In Chandler, the dining room at Ted\u2019s is designed to look vintage.\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1290\" height=\"968\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-40678916\" data-id=\"40678916\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1024 \/ 768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TedsbannerChandlerTB.jpg\"  \/>Colorful, retro decor makes for a vibrant spot to eat a hot dog at Ted\u2019s in Chandler.\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1290\" height=\"968\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-40678915\" data-id=\"40678915\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1024 \/ 768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TedsChandlerDoorTB.jpg\"  \/>Ted\u2019s serves customers inside, at a drive-thru and from an ice cream window in Chandler.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>A month in Chandler<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With plenty of fans eagerly awaiting Ted\u2019s Chandler debut, the new location opened on May 23. There was a weekend-long celebration with free ice cream, live music, merch giveaways and excitement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At this location, within the Crossroads Towne Center at Germann and Gilbert roads, design is clearly a focal point. The small restaurant oozes curb appeal, with its sunny yellow umbrellas calling out across the sprawling shopping center. A small park area is filled with picnic tables and freshly planted trees. A smiling hot dog statue sits on a bench, begging families to stop for a photo. The angular wood-clad building looks like something straight out of the 1950s.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Inside, the retro theme continues, with bouncy turquoise booths, spherical glass lights and warm-toned wood. Instead of Tempe\u2019s TV screen menus, this location has vintage diner-style menu boards with options snapped into place letter by letter. Varsity felt pennants and banners proclaim statements like \u201con a roll since 1927\u201d and \u201cjumbo red hot dogs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some staple elements complete the design, including black-and-white photographs of Ted\u2019s history and a newspaper stand with today\u2019s copy of The Buffalo News.<\/p>\n<p>On another Friday afternoon in June, this location is packed. We stand in line to order and peruse the menu boards.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of the opening, Evan explained that the new location would debut a few new menu items, including steak and breakfast sandwiches. If they proved popular, they might find their way onto menus at other locations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A month after opening, however, and those menu items are still \u201ccoming soon.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" height=\"768\" width=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TedsfoodChandlerTB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40678917\"  \/>The spread from Ted\u2019s Hot Dogs in Chandler.<\/p>\n<p>For comparison\u2019s sake, we order the same thing: an all-beef hot dog with ketchup and mustard, a footlong chili dog, fries and onion rings. There\u2019s no loganberry juice on the menu, but we spy a loganberry milkshake and decide to give it a try.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That is, until we reach the front of the line and the cashier informs us that they don\u2019t, in fact, have any of Ted\u2019s famous loganberry. We opt for an orange cream shake instead.<\/p>\n<p>We grab a seat in one of the comfortable booths as bubbly music fills the colorful, sunny dining room. The songs are sharply interrupted each time a staff member comes over the very loud speaker, to announce that someone\u2019s order is ready.\u00a0In addition to the dining room, this location also has a drive-thru and a walk-up window just for ice cream.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Once our order is ready, we dig in. The hot dogs at this Ted\u2019s are almost identical to those in Tempe. Hot, savory, snappy and cravings-inducing. Here, perhaps due to the busy nature of the restaurant, the fries and onion rings are piping hot and fresh. That frying oil is brand new.<\/p>\n<p>The orange cream shake tastes of childhood summer vacations. The nostalgic flavor matches the retro restaurant, although we wished they had the loganberry they\u2019re known for.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So, can the new stand up to the nostalgia of the old? We didn\u2019t grow up going to Ted\u2019s in Tempe, so we can\u2019t speak to the personal connection tied to such an institution. And it\u2019s rare for the sequel to ever be as good as the original.<\/p>\n<p>But the Chandler Ted\u2019s may be a case of \u201cToy Story 3.\u201d The new location blows the old out of the water. The hot dogs are stellar at both. But in Chandler, yellow picnic umbrellas, turquoise booths, red felt flags and orange milkshakes infuse new color into a Valley classic. And after 43 years, we\u2019re sure glad it\u2019s here.<\/p>\n<p>Ted\u2019s Hot Dogs<\/p>\n<p><strong>1755 E. Broadway Road, Tempe<br \/>2700 E. Germann Road, Chandler<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hot dogs are inherently nostalgic. They\u2019re ingrained in the red, white and blue vision of a classic American&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":905760,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,13823,101582,141257,1589,26228,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-905759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-phoenix","tag-america","tag-arizona","tag-az","tag-chandler","tag-first-taste","tag-history-nostalgia","tag-phoenix","tag-tempe","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116845566817422681","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/905759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=905759"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/905759\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/905760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=905759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=905759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=905759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}