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“Not as good as other Ted's”

Ted's Cafe Escondido
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Ranked #3 of 221 Restaurants in Lawton
Cuisines: Mexican
Restaurant details
Reviewed 2 April 2017

We've eaten at all the other Ted's in OKC, Edmond and Norman and expected this one to be the same but it was a bit of a disappointment.

It has a huge lobby with tons of seating (the most we've ever seen at a Ted's) so I'm guessing it's quite the popular place during peak hours. It's probably the biggest restaurant of theirs also with what looked like a separate eating area for smokers(?) that was glassed in and TV's like what you see at Buffalo Wild Wings.

The cheese was thick, cold and came in a half-filled bowl. The salsa was the usual tasty flavor, but the consistency was not the same. It was chunky with uneven slices of tomatoes, not the finely diced like you normally see. We actually asked for fresh-made instead and got hot cheese and more consistently made salsa. Much better.

We ordered the Best Mexican Tacos in the steak flavor, and I ordered mine with light onions and got no onions and barely any cilantro. The manager came out and offered to remake it but the flavor of the steak was so good that I didn't miss it. The steak at other Ted's is also finely diced and again, this Ted's made it with large chunks instead. More like fajita meat but still tasty.

Their rice is probably my least favorite item they serve. I wish they would make improvements to it. It's always dry and tasteless and the texture is barely cooked. Needs a complete overhaul as far as I'm concerned.

Overall, we love their Mexican Tacos the best, their cheese and salsa when consistent and their light tortilla chips. We always get consistently good service too and will continue to eat here. Just know that they don't all cook their food the same everywhere you go.

Date of visit: April 2017
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
Thank Charrie S
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David F, Owner at Ted's Cafe Escondido, responded to this reviewResponded 5 April 2017

Charrie, thank you for giving this location a try! We're delighted you enjoy the Mexican tacos and chips and salsa so much. And we'll be sure to pass all of your feedback on to the kitchen so we can make sure you're always getting the same great food here that you would at any other Ted's. Hope to see you for another meal soon!

All the best,
Ted's Management

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Reviews (232)
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91 - 95 of 232 reviews

Reviewed 13 March 2017 via mobile

I have eaten at fast food Mexican restaurants that are better than Teds. Service is great, but it is the food that matters.

Date of visit: January 2017
Thank Jeffery F
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David F, Owner at Ted's Cafe Escondido, responded to this reviewResponded 16 March 2017

John,

We want the food to be just as amazing as the service, so we're sorry to hear you weren't impressed. We hope on your next visit we can help you find something on our menu that you'll adore.

All the best,
Ted's Management

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Reviewed 3 March 2017

Is this the Ted's Cafe Escondido that I believed was one of the best in the state? That was our question as we left today after our meal. We arrived at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon. The restaurant was not busy, never-the-less we waited several minutes before anyone approached out table. Our enchilada dinners arrived shortly. We selected a variety of enchiladas -- pulled pork, chicken, cheese and shredded beef. The flavor we were used to getting at Ted's was missing. The shredded beef was full of large chunks with little flavor as were the other enchiladas. The salsa was little more than chopped tomatoes -- needs a good work over. The cheese sauce and flour tortillas were excellent however. Over all our meal was a big disappointment. We are not from Lawton and it will be a long time before we consider returning or recommending Ted's in Lawton,. If the owners are reading this you should take a long, deep look at what is going on at your Lawton restaurant. This was once our favorite Mexican restaurant, but with the food not having the flavor we expected and very poor service it is now at the bottom of our list.

Date of visit: March 2017
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
1  Thank Stallion3
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David F, Owner at Ted's Cafe Escondido, responded to this reviewResponded 6 March 2017

We are sorry your visit was disappointing. Everything should be the same at all our locations. We use the same recipes at all our locations. We are saddened to hear that you will not be dining with us again. Please feel free to call the restaurant and speak with Charles Grooms. He is the General Manager at this location. He would love to speak with you about your experience.

Sincerely,
Ted's Management

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Reviewed 8 February 2017 via mobile

Very good food. Chips salsa and Cheese dip are great. Menu is pretty wide and food is very tasty. Service was very good fast and attentive. If you are in the area, it's worth a try.

Date of visit: February 2017
Thank Chip F
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David F, Owner at Ted's Cafe Escondido, responded to this reviewResponded 10 February 2017

Thanks, Chip! We're happy you enjoy our complimentary items as well as our speedy service. Hope to see you back again soon!

Until next time,
Ted's Management

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Reviewed 5 February 2017

My daughters drill sergeant recommended this place. I am not a fan of Mexican. But I have to say Ted's was a very nice surprise. My daughter and husband are fans. The homemade tortious are to die for. My husband says he has never had better tortilla chips ( both are complimentary with your meal). My daughter and I had the quesadilla which were great. I added chicken to mine. My husband had cheese enchiladas which he loved. His only complaint was that they used a chilli sauce instead of the traditional enchilada sauce. Over all it was a great meal, and a lot of it.

Date of visit: January 2017
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
Thank kathrynsT8480BK
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David F, Owner at Ted's Cafe Escondido, responded to this reviewResponded 9 February 2017

We're so happy that you were pleasantly surprised by our place! Sounds like you ordered some pretty delicious things between the three of you. Hope you have the chance to visit us again to try more things on our menu!

Until next time,
Ted's Management

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