Another Mediocre Meal at Ted & Jo’s
Rain was pouring down, we didn’t have much in the fridge, and we weren’t in the mood to order in, so we went to Ted & Jo’s (on the corner of 11th and Park), since it is a short walk away and reasonably priced. We have been to Ted & Jo’s many times, and the food and service are both spotty. We had one experience where we were seated and then just forgotten about until we got up and asked someone for service after about 15 minutes. Another time our waitress kept forgetting about us. Other times our orders have been messed up. I will say, however, that when the owner is present, he stays on top of things to ensure the service is good.
Experiences with their food have not been much more consistent. Any dish involving grilled chicken, such as the Barbecue Chicken Salad or “The Clinton” chicken sandwich, almost always comes out with the chicken overcooked. When we tried the Fish and Chips, the fish was over-fried and dark brown. Most of the time, we order from the specials menu, because the specials tend to be pretty decent.
This time the service was good from the beginning–we were seated promptly and we ordered drinks right away. I had a Blue Moon, and Ashley had a glass of Ruffino Chianti. The night was off to a good start.
As we overlooked the menus, I was reminded that I’m not crazy about the menu at Ted & Jo’s. The menu seems rather limited, and there never seems to be anything on it that excites me, especially after being disappointed more often than not.
Ashley ordered the chicken pot pie, because she wanted to compare it to the one at Maxwell’s, which is right up the street. She had a chicken pot pie at Maxwell’s a few weeks ago, and although she enjoyed it, she said there was room for improvement.
When the meal arrived, it was not a chicken pot pie at all, but rather just a bowl filled with all the stuff that would be inside a pot pie. It was topped with a small puff pastry. Although the dish was not quite what she expected, Ashley gave it a chance, thinking that sometimes “different is good”. But not this time–it tasted disappointingly bland. I tried a few bites and agreed. Even after loading it up with salt and pepper, it still had very little flavor.
I ordered a burger, cooked medium-well (which is how I like my burgers), with provolone and mushrooms. Since I had eaten fries for lunch that day, I asked if I could substitute my fries with a small side salad, which was no problem. The meat was cooked perfectly, and although the bun it was served on didn’t have much flavor, I have to say it was a pretty good burger overall.
Our waitress, who was very nice, kept coming back at regular intervals. When I finished my Blue Moon, I ordered another. But that was the last we heard from our waitress until we were done with our meals, about 15 minutes later, when she finally brought me my second beer.
I guess we couldn’t complain too much, since the bill was only $38.
Ted & Jo’s is the kind of place that I wish I liked, but I just can’t because of the experiences we’ve had. It’s a small local Irish bar & grill that looks very appealing from the outside, and has a nice, clean, relaxed atmosphere inside. There is also outdoor seating. In fact, I think the visual appeal is what keeps us coming back–we keep giving it another chance after enough time passes that any negative experiences don’t seem so bad anymore. I feel like the place has so much potential, but continues to fall short.
As we walked home, we talked about our experience. Ashley remarked, “Well, another mediocre meal at Ted & Jo’s. Who makes a chicken pot pie like that?”
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