Famous Dave's

Barbecued food is nothing new when it comes to restaurant concepts. Most everyone has a taste for barbecued ribs, chicken, pork, and beef at some point and there are plenty of eating establishments with a barbecue emphasis to satisfy cravings.

But as popular as barbecue might be as a concept, there are only a handful of national chains that feature barbecued food as the primary menu staple. One of these is Famous Dave’s, a restaurant chain known for its barbecued ribs. This food service chain was founded by Dave Anderson who opened his first Famous Dave’s in Hayward, Wisconsin, in 1994. The chain now has more than 100 locations scattered across 29 states.

Menu Selection:

Famous Dave’s offers a large number of selections on its fold- out menus, with food choices grouped into the following categories:

Appetizers- Choose between choices like chicken tenders, catfish fingers, bread with smoked salmon spread, buffalo chicken wings or BBQ chicken wings.

Soup/Salads- Caesar salad, chicken salad, BBQ salad (with your choice of meat), chili, chicken rice soup, etc. are among the choices in this area of the menu.

Ribs- BBQ spareribs are the specialty at Famous Dave’s. Select among extra large, large, and medium slabs of ribs, ala carte or as a platter with side dishes.

Classics and Combos- Chopped pork, barbecued chicken, rib tips, roasted chicken, and a rib and meat combo are among the options in this area.

Chicken and Burgers- Large burgers, Cajun chicken sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, and other items can be selected here.

Famous Feasts- Choose between a “feast for four” and a “feast for two”, which include spareribs, chicken, choice of beef brisket or chopped pork, coleslaw, beans, fries, corn muffins, and corn on the cob.

Desserts- Sundaes, brownies, and pies are among the choices on the dessert menu.

Famous Dave’s also offers kid’s meals with choices like chicken tenders, chopped pork sandwiches, cheeseburgers, and ribs. And side dishes like mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, fries, green beans, baked potatoes, cole slaw, and other foods can be added to any meal for a small additional cost.

Atmosphere:

Famous Dave’s features an atmosphere that has an outdoorsman theme. Walking inside, you will notice plenty of wood: wooden walls, wooden seats, etc., giving it the feel of an outdoor cabin in the woods. Stuffed animal heads, deer antlers, hunting clothing, and other related items can be found on the walls, making customers feel like they are sitting down for a home- cooked meal prepared with ingredients that were alive only a short time ago.

Pricing:

Pricing at Famous Dave’s is moderate. Compared to other barbecue restaurants, like Sonny’s, Famous Dave’s is just a little more expensive, but not by much. Most every item on the menu is priced between $7 and $12. Only the large slabs of ribs require customers to pay a larger than normal amount. But even though this restaurant is a little more costly than a place like Sonny’s Barbecue, it is still less expensive than many other chain restaurants.

Customer Service:

I had no problems with customer service, in part because I went late (about 10pm) when I visited for the first time (and I usually go late) and more than half the seats were empty. I had a small amount of trouble getting my drinks served in decent time, but other than that, the service was good.

Final Thoughts:

Famous Dave’s is an interesting place for an occasional dining experience. Founded by American Indian Dave Anderson, this restaurant has been expanding at a fast clip since its founding in 1994 and it has been the recipient of several restaurant awards, like the first place prize in the American Royal Barbecue Sauce competition.

Judging the food as a whole, I like the home style cooking that Famous Dave’s emphasizes. Having side dishes like drunken apples (gotta love a name like that), corn bread, corn on the cob, green beans, and other alternatives makes for a nice, well- rounded meal. And it fits in perfectly with the atmosphere, which is like dining in a log cabin in the woods. This rustic feeling goes well with the food, which is simple and unsophisticated in every way.

Now, as far as the ribs go, I don’t feel like they are the greatest thing since sliced bread, like some fans of Famous Dave’s have made them out to be. They are good, and a great deal of how they taste depends on the style of sauce you choose. But they are not the greatest ribs I have ever tried. They lack the melt in your mouth tenderness that I have experienced at some local rib joints (non- restaurant chain) in different cities around the country.

Like other barbecue- style restaurants, Famous Dave’s gives you the meat free of any type of sauce so that you, the customer, can choose exactly what you like. The restaurant has bottles of the different Famous Dave’s sauces on each table, ready to sample. You can choose among sauces like “Rich and Sassy”, “Texas Pit”, “Georgia Mustard”, “Sweet and Zesty”, “Devil’s Spit”, and “Smoky Chipotle” (some locations may have more flavors). It’s best to sample a small amount of each before you start squirting barbecue sauce all over your food. Personally, I like the Sweet and Zesty, but it’s all a matter of taste.

Famous Dave’s has some good- tasting large burgers, containing a half- pound of beef, and some nice chicken sandwiches, too. But when I have visited, my preference is to purchase the “Feast” menu choices. You can select between “Feast for two” or “Feast for four”, depending on how many guests are in your party. What I like about this menu selection is the home style food options that come with the meat and the fact that there is enough variety that everyone in your group will find something satisfying. Maybe you prefer chicken and only a few bites of pork while another person likes the spareribs best but doesn’t mind a small amount of chicken. The “Feast” menu option is best in these instances because you get a little bit of different meats, along with plenty of cornbread and vegetables to make everyone full and satisfied.

Another thing I like about Famous Dave’s is the large booths. I went here once with a party of six people and it was nice that they had booths large enough to hold six. Most restaurants limit the booth sizes to hold only four adults. Large parties either have to divide up or wait for a table with enough chairs to seat everyone. But Famous Dave’s has larger booths that can accommodate larger groups of people. This is nice for those who prefer booth seating to table seating.

Desserts and beverages are somewhat limited at Famous Dave’s. The dessert menu has only about four or five choices that I can remember. Of course, it might be like this intentionally, since the management at Famous Dave’s knows the food is very filling and most people will not have room for dessert. Beverages are also limited, with only a few soft drinks, tea, and some bad beer. Mr. Anderson really needs to make some improvements to the selection of mass- produced American lagers on draft. The right beer would make a meal of ribs, barbecued chicken, and large beef burgers a notch or two better.

Overall, Famous Dave’s is a good chain restaurant that I will likely continue to visit in the future. I don’t feel the ribs are as first- class as some other patrons feel and I have tasted better at other places. But the atmosphere, the home style food, and the reasonable prices make Famous Dave’s a restaurant worth trying when the craving for barbecued food strikes hard and won’t go away. It’s a nice dining experience, courtesy of Mr. Dave Anderson.