That’s right. You heard it here first: Ted’s Burgers is opening in Wynwood (315 NW 25th Street) in the old GoBistro space, next door to the Taco Stand. Ted’s new spot has enough seating inside and outside for fifty folks. While the date has not been set, expect the restaurant to be open before the end of the year.
This pales in comparison to the other news coming out of Ted’s Burger camp: the birth of his son Eliot Armas last week. Congrats to Ted and his Stephanie!
I’ve watched Ted’s Burgers rise from a Hialeah kid doing burger pop-ups in Palm Bay, Florida, to the guy whose burgers are responsible for the endless number of smash burger pop-up copycats all over Miami.
How did Ted Get Back to Miami?
Let’s go back some years to the 2020 South Beach Burger Bash weekend. George Motz was in town doing a pop-up at El Rey de las Fritas on Flagler.
After speaking to George, this guy approached me and told me he was a big fan of mine and wanted me to try his burger. This “guy” was Ted of Ted’s Burgers fame.
On August 29th, 2020, his first smashing session happened with delivery in Florida’s Palm Bay, Melbourne, and Malabar areas. He reached out to me via Instagram and mentioned that if I was heading up to Central Florida anytime, I should stop for one of his smash burgers.
Game On
When we went to Orlando for a few days in November, he was busy visiting burger joints in California, and I missed my first opportunity to try one of his now-famous burgers. Once he returned home to Palm Bay, he reached out again about a pop-up he planned to do at his mother-in-law’s house in Miami Gardens.
I called Fredo, who worked at Union Beer Store, and asked about Ted popping up there, but it was a no-go. Fredo then called J. Wakefield, who said yes—game on.
I relayed the great news to Ted, and they settled on a debut date. On Wednesday, November 25th, 2020, the first Ted’s Burgers pop-up in South Florida happened at J. Wakefield. He would also pop up that Saturday and Sunday; all were sellouts.
The following week, I made the trek to Wynwood to see what all the hubbub was about. Yup, it’s freaking delicious.
We were in the middle of the pandemic madness, and the South Beach Wine and Food Festival was pushed from February to May 2021. During a conversation with the Burger Bash powers that be, Ted’s Burgers was discussed, and the next thing, you know, he’s involved in the Super Bowl of burgers.
On May 22nd, 2021, Ted’s Burgers won the Schweid and Sons Judges’ Award for Best Burger. Fuckin’ A.
“I’m covered head to toe in onion juice from slicing onions all day, but it was worth it.”
-Ted Armas to Laine Doss, one of the Burger Bash judges
Ted’s Burgers proved me right when he won the 2021 Burger Bash 🏆. It’s kinda cool to think that now I’m a fan of his, and this burger quest has come full circle.
But it’s not over; the next chapter starts when Ted’s Burgers opens in Wynwood. Burger lovers can’t wait to see what the restaurant menu will be like, and I’m hoping to get a sneak peek.
Ted’s Burgers
315 NW 25th Street
Miami, FL 33127
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/teds_burgers
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/p/Teds-Burgers-100021212117278
Ted’s Burgers and Burger Beast Over The Years
While we wait, here are some pictures I’ve taken over the years.
On May 11th, 2022, Ted collaborated with Eleventh Street Pizza on a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. While waiting for our food, Ted left his notebook so we could look at his ideal restaurant’s layout.
We teamed up for a series of events as the Burger Broskys. The first event was at Pikadiyo on September 18th, 2022, for National Cheeseburger Day. His OKC Burger and my Beast Burger were sold at the initial event.
We would eventually do three more pop-ups together as the Burger Broskys through November 2022 at Joanna’s Marketplace, Mojo Donuts, and Arbetter Hot Dogs.
We haven’t collaborated again since the Burger Broskys, but who knows? The Ted’s Burgers restaurant might be the right spot for our return.