Ted Cooks 19th Hole BBQ

Order ahead, order early! This place was sold out of its apparently-popular brisket by 8:15pm on a Friday evening. I’ll definitely come back to try to place sound again, as it looks like a busy, and reputable establishment. FYI, this is a little takeout place, there aren’t any tables inside to dine in.

Ted Cook’s 19th Hole BBQ is outstanding. The sauce is spicy, sweet, tangy and thick. The marinated meat is rich with the aroma of hickory smoke. Delicious!!! Tonight we ordered half a chicken and the full slab of pork ribs. They always pile on the jojo (pronounced HoHo) potatoes on top of it. We also love the baked beans, coleslaw, etc. Try the hot links sometime! You won’t be disappointed.

I just want to start by saying Mn has the worst food ever! The beef ribs at this place were very delicious it came as a dinner with a sauce cup sized can beans and coleslaw. The coleslaw was good as well. I ordered collard greens, black eyed peas and peach cobbler. The greens were tasteless no meat, no flavor no nothing! The black eyed peas same. No taste just a spicy flavor . As for the peach cobbler it was cold and soupy. Peach cobbler is a pie it should be warm. This place has no restroom might as add. It’s among the many places in Minneapolis that doesn’t low customers to use the bathroom. Also I paid $47 bucks for samples. The portion size is sample sized. The black eyed peas was big enough to share but they are not good.

Really good food. Don't miss the pork ribs or the beef - sides are all amazing. Check it out!

Excellent cuisine, attentive assistance, and friendly individuals are the cornerstones of a memorable experience. Every dish presented is crafted with skill, offering a delightful array of flavors to savor. The staff's dedication to providing top-notch service ensures a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere. Ultimately, the combination of culinary expertise and genuine hospitality makes a remarkable experience.

TERRIBLE!! Do not waste your money. Years ago this place was the same as John Hardy’s. It was sold and the new owners screwed it up. I picked up there, the sauce is nothing but ketchup, pepper and cayenne. I ordered a side of extra sauce and it’s terrible. If you want John Hardy’s you just have to go to Rochester. They are cutting corners here and need to give up and shut down. Or sell to somebody who cares.

I remember Ted's 19th Hole from when he first opened in the late 60's. Having recently moved to Minneapolis from Texas, and only a few blocks from where we lived, I found Ted's to be my new favorite BBQ restaurant! I would mow lawns, shovel snow, even collect pop bottles to get enough money to get that tasty BBQ Chicken! I hope that all that great taste has not been lost over the years, it was truly a benchmark of all the BBQ recipe's.

Ted Cooks has great BBQ food at a reasonable price. First, their house BBQ sauce is incredible. Sweet, tangy, and with some heat to it as well (you can specify heat level in the sauce). The half chicken was juicy with great smokey flavor. The ribs had a nice dry rub on them and great flavor as well. I also enjoyed the spicy sausage and jojos combo plate. I will stop in again just based on their delicious BBQ sauce alone! This place knows how to do BBQ right. They’ve been at it for such a long time too!

I visited this place based on a friend's recommendation. Although there's no seating, and you have to order at the counter, I was pleasantly surprised. Typically, I'm skeptical of BBQ spots that likely reheat smoked meat to keep it always available, as I believe the best BBQ is served in limited runs. However, this place exceeded my expectations. I ordered without BBQ sauce, which was provided on the side, to assess the bark and dryness. The meat was excellent! It wasn't too dry, and the bark was perfectly crisp. We especially enjoyed the ribs, which were far superior to the tips.

Great BBQ and great sides. Small inside have to get your food to go no where to eat in there but, totally worth it. Go support small business that's been around for years and years. Friendly staff and perfect ambiance for great food !

Wonderful BBQ Ribs and favorite sauce anywhere. We've enjoyed Ted Cooks ribs many times for many when visiting friends who frequent Ted's.

The food is delicious and I love how consistent it's been over the years. I couldn't get through over the phone and had to come in. To order but that's fine. They don't have tables and there isn't much for outdoor dining but as long as you plan ahead, they're a great choice.

It's on a busy street but we've driven by hundreds of times without noticing this gem. I'm always on the lookout for some good local ribs so was pleased to see Ted Cook's in a convenient spot. Parking at the curb was easy and it was just a few steps into the small eatery. It's all takeout with comfortable chairs for waiting. There was one friendly person at the counter and a jolly cook in the kitchen, just visible through a small window behind the counter. I got a half rack of baby backs with mild sauce. The ribs were plump and very tender. The sauce was plentiful, sweet and flavorful. The price was less than $20. Service was quick and there were two orders ahead of mine. It was a pleasant experience and I enjoyed the ribs at home. Now I know.

The service was quick and I would recommend this joint to anybody looking for some good barbeque and you don't have to just get pork they have a variety of beef and pork and that's important to me because I don't dine with the swine.

First thing's first: incredible BBQ. The pork ribs were my favorite and my whole group was impressed by the fall-off-the-bone chicken. Fast and very friendly service and great prices.

We've been coming to Ted Cook's for over 30 years and we are never disappointed. The ribs are fresh, meaty, and flavorful. The BBQ sauce is very tasty. The Jojo's and coleslaw go perfectly with the ribs. Also the price is fair!

100 People Give Two Thumbs Up! We picked up pulled pork for a picnic, everyone loved it! Teds was very accommodating & the service was great! Thank you!

Ribs are really flavorful and juicy and I like that when we pickup the food it's always hot. The sauce is always good. The jojos are really good love that there's some soft ones and some crisp ones. Staff is ok nothing good or bad to say about them.

This late afternoon's order was disappointing. I got a half-rack around 5:00 P.M. The ribs were overdone, dried up. The crust was hard to chew. They looked smaller, like they shrunk in size. It makes me wonder if these were from yesterday's supply. Otherwise, everything else was fine; just miss those two slices of bread, and the generosity with the sauce.

Ted chill asf and I love the attendant she's super nice whenever I order! Get you a plate fr it's good food

The food was delicious, meat tender and juicy. The service they had was extremely welcoming and polite. It was clean and I didn't have to wait long to get my food.

Good bbq in the Twin Cities. I only wish that they had fries instead of the jojos. Coming from Saint Louis, it's not the best bbq but it gets the job done

We ordered BBQ from here to try it and see if it would be worthy of serving on Christmas Eve. We got smoked chicken, pork ribs, rib tips, cole slaw, potatoes, and beans. Nothing was bad, but the sides just didn't stand out. However, the ribs were stellar. We decided to ordered a ton of ribs for Eve and made our own sides. I have to say, although I'm not a huge pork fan, these ribs are amazing. Can't wait to have more!

I've been a customer for many years but sadly the food here is no longer worth the time or money. The ribs have great flavor but are entirely too tough. Bought tip dinner and was like chewing rubber. This was my 3rd and final try post Covid. Will not be going back.

Been getting BBQ here since 60's. It has slipped a little as far as the quality of the meat. And for heavens sake guys charging $1.00 for a little tiny container of extra sauce is really off putting! Especially as cost has really increased. I dont come in as often as I used to. Has changed owners a couple of times.

Just get a slab of ribs and forget the rest. I've been going to Ted Cooks for a long time. I'm from the neighborhood. They even catered my son's christening party. Today, it was mediocre at best. It's clear that they're cutting corners. The food does not even look close to the photos posted from other reviews. It used to though. The pork ribs are still worth every penny. Get them without the sauce or with the sauce on the side. Even the sauce seemed funky this time. I have family in Kansas City, the home of Arther Bryant and Gates and numerous outstanding bbq. Ted Cook's used to be very equivalent to these epic restaurants. Not so much.

Very good QUE!!! Qorth the money and the trip (in my case walk). The lady behind the counter was very helpful.

We stopped by yesterday for my 70th birthday, and we were not disappointed. Although I have had their ribs in the past, yesterday they were exceptional. They were some of the meatiest ribs I have ever ordered and the sauce was absolutely delicious.

Keep driving!!! Local grocery store sells better frozen ribs! Jo Jo's we're as hard as potato chips. Keep driving over priced food! Bygone memories of this place were way better then the food

The ribs are so flavorful and fall off the bones. I consider myself a rib snob and hands down the best ribs in town and glad to support a black owned business as well.

I have eaten here for years. I've loved it for years. But recently, the food quality is getting spotty, and the service has had real issues. I eat there a couple times a month. At least i did. The last few times I've been there the smoky meat smell has diminished and there is a faint smell of spoiled meat under it. That has been worrisome. I went in to get the same damn order I've made a good 200 times. I always tell them to please watch for overcooked tips as I have bad teeth. (They are sometimes badly overcooked and can hurt my teeth) This has NEVER once been a problem. Not once. Today, I went in there and nobody was at the counter I had to ask for somebody to come out and take my order. They were very angry and sullen. Then the fun begins. The same cook I've ordered from many times before yelled at me "I don't care about your teeth, its not my problem!" he yelled some other things as well but with his accent it was difficult to understand. I've had issues before when during the height of Covid he refused to take any COVID precautions masking included despite the law. That time I refused to order food and he followed me out to my car yelling at me. But I thought we were past that. This was the fianl straw, the prices are going up and the quality is going down, and now the service has gone to hell. I've recommended this place to many people over the years, but never again, I'm done. They were good, but no way are they "verbal abuse" good. Don't bother,

Alway a tasty meal good service and nice portions and not to many or bbq spots have beef ribs so that's also a big plus

Unfortunately, Ted's present ownership does not have the food quality standards that the restaurant was known for. The ribs were an over cooked, tough, sloppy with bbq sauce mess. Threw the meal away. Very disappointing.

You don't go here for the service or the ambiance. It is take out only and they usually don't answer the phone. There is a small, boring waiting room with no chairs; it reminds of prison, if I had ever gone to prison. You go here for the large quantity of fast, good, hot food. The menu is limited, and it's all good. If you get the jojos as your side, you get a massive quantity. So if you're not looking for a carb coma, ask for a different side. Don't be put off by the high prices; the meals only come in size giant, so either come hungry, looking to share, or wanting left overs.

Used Ted Cook's for a catered dinner for clients after a golf tournament. The catering menu they have online was super easy to navigate, there was not too much food and not too little, the amounts they estimate were right on. They were able to deliver the food for a fee because I was close and ordered above a certain amount. The food was DELICIOUS and everyone said it was some of the best BBQ they've had. Will absolutely order again!

Ted Cook's was recommended to us by a friend who had been going to get their bbq for years. It was OK. I liked the pecan pie! The peach cobbler was swimming in juice. My hubby got the ribs, they didn't have much meat on them. I got the half chicken, the sauce wasn't to my liking. We will not be going back.

Great pulled pork with awesome flavor. The half chicken was just ok. Will definitely be back to try the ribs.

This lil neighborhood restaurant has been around for many years, while there is no indoor seating it is strictly to go. they have good food, fresh and are always generous with portions. pictured is the jojo potatoes, bbq pork ribs and coleslaw.

Been wanting to try this for awhile but the mix of reviews was discouraging. I bought the Beef Rib Dinner, comes w/ 2 sides. The coleslaw is in a tiny 3oz container. It's 3 bites and done. The Jojo fries aren't anything except sliced potato's. Some cooked to that of a thick potato chip- some just cooked but not crisp? (they were strange) I'm sorry but if you're ploppin down 20 bucks for dinner= the sides should be WAY MORE ample then that. Now, for the ribs. I ate half of them and threw the rest in the garbage. They were totally awful. I couldn't taste the beef- it was so saturated in smoke, it just tasted like I was eating smoke. But the worst part was they were so overcooked it was as if you were eating beef jerky- off the bone. Just the driest, chewiest yuck I've ever eaten. I felt so duped I wanted to cancel my payment on my card. Maybe their other dishes are better- but I'll never know as I wouldn't go there again to eat if it was free. Might've been some of the worst food I've ever eaten. As an aside, I got the bbq sauce Med- it was very good. Too bad only half of the ribs had sauce on them and it wasn't very much. They should just be dipping the entire rib in sauce, though drowning it in it couldn't have made them anymore edible. I'm amazed this place is in buisness. My 2 cents.

My husband said he knew the food was going to be good when he saw that it was packaged for takeout in a brown paper bag. He was absolutely right. The ribs were seasoned and cooked very well. The meat was tender. The sauce was amazing. Best barbque in MN so far.

Love the food, great for family meals and always fresh one of the only places I eat pork sandwiches the service is amazing

I've been back here many many times. Always for the lunch special. Pork or Beef, you can't go wrong. The key is to ask them for extra crispy Jo Jos and with sauce on top of the Jos. It's the best lunch deal in the area. Always friendly and quick service. This is strictly a take out place. But it's always damn good.

I finally made it to the Powderhorn neighborhood. The quiet area is primarily a residential area with businesses every other block. So quiet you can here a mouse fart. There isn't much in the area with a few local businesses. But this bright light BBQ joint is one of the few jumpin' businesses in the area. Especially during dinnertime, in which, I had to wait a bit to order because of the long line. The long line is not as long as Phil's BBQ, Saigon Sandwich, or Blue Bottle though. When it was my turn to order, I chose the half slab pork rib dinner. For $14.00 the dinner comes with a slab of pork rib that is cooked for 12 hours and covered in a spicy BBQ sauce. I also get side of homemade Jo-Jo potato chips with my meal. As I was waiting for my meal, I was staring at the lunch special posted on the wall: Beef Brisket sandwich with the Jo-Jo potato Chips for $8.99. I might try that on a hopeful visit. I was admiring all the awards and recognition given to this place. So the food must be good. There is no dining area here. Therefore all meals are take-outs. So I took my meal back to my hotel room. "I'm not back home and eating my meal in a train station is unethical!" When I got to my room and sipping on my remaining beers purchased at Lunds, I opened the styrofoam container and still see a fat steam still coming out from my meal. The train-ride to and from and Government Plaza (my hotel) to the BBQ place (Lake Street/Midtown Station) took only 15 minutes. One bite of the rib, the meat was very tender and spiced very well. The second piece of rib was a different story and too tough to chew. My meal was good on the tender pieces, but not okay on the tough part. The meal was just okay. My meal: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/PHy5DdQoOMTxu4sv51UbhQ?select=EWNgRn1xZ04JXyApeEVUdQ#1ij8eD8pKbflVxquRywvXQ However, I did come back the following day for lunch and indeed try that BBQ Beef Brisket sandwich meal for $8.99. The beef was very tender with the combine mixture of the homemade BBQ sauce. This was a much better deal and meal (Sorry, I forgot to take pictures on my lunch). But the lunch is better than my dinner. This place does accept my Visa. I am sure the state of Minnesota has some better barbecue places.

I have been getting take out here for more than 34 years. The pork ribs were as awesome as they were the first time i visited. The red beans and rice, black eyed peas and collards were made with skill. The pulled pork and jojo fries rounded out this visit. I no longer live in the neighborhood, but still stop over for my real BBQ fix.

Used Ted Cook's for a catered dinner for clients after a golf tournament. The catering menu they have online was super easy to navigate, there was not too much food and not too little, the amounts they estimate were right on. They were gracious enough to deliver the food for a fee because I was close and ordered above a certain amount. The food was DELICIOUS, looked great over a long period of time, was easy setup and takedown, everyone said it was some of the best BBQ they've had. Will absolutely order again!

I'm not going to sugar coat it...Ted Cook's food was a tremendous disappointment. Yes, I wouldn't expect to find BBQ in Minneapolis that's on par with Austin, Memphis, Carolina, or Kansas City, but I would expect a place with this much hype to be at least as good as BBQ spots in SF, Seattle, Boston, or Chicago...or even other BBQ places in the Twin Cities. However, the food was, at best, mediocre. Most of the meat was way, way, way overdone, with heaps of a very sweet, bbq-flavored syrup (I wouldn't call it sauce) on top. We got the ribs, beef, and sausage, and none of them were all that good. The beans and rice and corn bread were ok, but the collard greens were lacking in flavor. While the service was fast and the prices were reasonable, there are many other BBQ places in town with much better food.

This place could be 4 stars - but every time they get the order wrong. Today I ordered a full rack mild with extra sauce. What I got was a full rack, with just a little sauce (and the sauce was thin - I'm convinced they added water) and no extra sauce. For $28 why can't they get it right? They seem to have a succession of owners / managers - every 5 to 10 years. Today there was a Mexican boy (no more than 16 years old). They shouldn't have someone this young taking orders, if he can't get them right. After a good long wait, I finally got my ribs - his mother and maybe 14 year old sister was helping.

Why have I waited so long to go back to Ted's? First time back since Covid and wasn't disappointed. We ordered the full rack dinner, ribs were meaty and juicy and just the right amount of spice, (ordered medium spice). Quite a bit of kick but not mouth burning, tons of flavor. We've ordered BBQ around town lately but I'd have to say Ted Cooks kicks ass. Will definitely be ordering again when we get the hankering for mouth watering BBQ.

So, so disappointed! I have loved Ted Cook's for years. I usually go 2-3x's a year as a treat. But...I started noticing a change about 10 months ago. I just ordered through Grubhub (want to stay socially distant) and it was horrible! The sauce is not the same, almost all pepper taste - no hint of sweetness that used to make it so good. They totally messed up the order (which sometimes happens), but I got sliced some of kind of meat, when I had wanted beef ribs. Thought, I'll just eat this, it has to be good. I literally gagged as soon as I tasted it; I am not a picky eater. This was terrible. I couldn't even try a 2nd taste -it went in the garbage and I asked Grubhub for a refund since it was the wrong thing to begin with. The reg ribs- just pepper taste, no BBQ sauce sweet undertones. I had to add my own sauce to try to cover the original one. The slaw as horrible as well, and this was one of the few places that I liked their original slaw. The sweet potato pie went into the garbage as well. Again, I am not picky eater, so this reaction is one I almost never have. I guess Ted Cook is no longer my BBQ go-to place. My heart is sinking.

Legit the best BBQ in the twin cities! I refuse to go anywhere else and live for their rib tips!

Best BBQ in the twin cities! We got take out (during the shut down) and the ribs and chicken did not disappoint! We also ordered red beans and rice which also cane with Thor delicious coleslaw (which I'm normally not a fan of but theirs is on point). We got the medium bbq sauce but will probably go hot next time! Can't wait!

I did a Staycation and needed to leave the hotel for some food. Was craving BBQ and decided to give this place a try. About 4 ppl recommend it to me. Go on Yelp and was thinking "Okay, reviews nice and pics are mouth watering". Got there and happy that it was "aged" looking. I got a thing for spots like that, they normally serve the best food. Ordered the beef rib tips.....got to my room and was sadly disappointed. The meat wasn't tender and not enough BBQ sauce. After attempting to try to bite off meat on two rib tips, I end up giving up and not eating it. Not too much flavor either. On a more positive note, you definitely get alot of bang for your buck. I spent no more than 15 for my food and it could of feed two ppl. Maybe it was just a miss with the cook or maybe a different cook that day but I wasn't impressed.

Delicious! So glad I made the trip. Everyone was friendly and the food is finger licking good!

Stopped in yesterday to pick-up BBQ chicken, pulled pork, red beans and rice, greens and sweet potato pie. Easily the best walk up barbeque joint in the city hands down. The meat was moist under a blanket of sauce and the accompanying jo-jo's were the bomb. Thinly sliced potato goodness great for sopping up sauce. Beans and greens true Southern soul food as well. Sweet potato pie was a bit dry but still flavorful with hint of molasses. Don't go here expecting a swanky place. This place is a Powderhorn fixture that pumps out exceptional food year after year.

Again and again and again. Can't go wrong here. Great food, wonderful staff and easy takeout. Not an eat in spot, but it is cool to go inside. Very down to earth and just DAMN good!

Didn't feel like cooking and the other half was craving barbecue. So we looked up Ted Cooks because we passed it a few times and were always curious how good it was. So we drove there and walked in and we're greeted by a nice little older lady. She was very polite and helpful. We ordered the two meats, I picked chicken, and my other half chose the barbecue rib tips. We chose baked beans, and potato salad. After waiting a very short time are order was ready. We drove home and sat down to eat. The chicken was cut into four pieces which I really liked. The barbecue sauce was wonderful, you could also tell the meat was smoked to perfection. The jojo portion was a lot more then we anticipated, but they were good. The rib tips my other half said were perfect, she said the meat came right off the bone. The only thing I didn't care much for was the potato salad, presentation was an A+ but something was missing. So besides the potato salad everything else was perfect and I'll be back to taste the collard greens and other things on the menu.

I've ate Ted Cook's a few times, MMM those ribs! With the medium sauce. So tender, they just fall off the bone. To me there's nothing else that NEEDS to be ordered, the ribs are great enough. With the meal I've tried the potatoes (sop em in the bbq sauce), greens, baked beans and corn muffins. But hey, it's really about the ribs here.