Famous Dave’s is a BBQ restaurant chain in the United States. The restaurant serves authentic barbecue along with delicious entrée items and tasty side dishes. The company’s mission statement is “Be Famous”. They aim to achieve this mission by serving excellent, flavor intense food paired with exceptional service. The restaurant provides high quality food in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere filled with the amazing aroma of its own barbecue. The restaurant is committed to providing the best barbecue in the nation.

Famous Dave’s uses top quality meats and the freshest ingredients. Each day their pitmasters get the hickory logs smoking from early hours in the morning. They hand rub each piece of meat with fresh custom blend spices and then slow cook them for hours to bring out the natural flavors.  The ribs are then tossed on the grill to caramelize the sauces and lock in the sweet smoky flavor. All this hard work in preparing the food pays off as customers really enjoy the delicious meals and always return for more.

History

The official corporate name for the restaurant is Famous Dave’s of America, Inc.  The first restaurant was opened in 1994 in Hayward, Wisconsin by Dave Anderson, a Native American with a passion for barbecue. This first store was called Famous Dave’s of America. Dave Anderson, also known as “Famous Dave” was raised by barbecue lovers. His father shared his passion for delicious barbecue. Famous Dave spent many years going to various spots, including the Memphis storefront BBQ smokehouses in the Appalachians. He spent many cooking sessions trying to perfect his skills until he was ready to open his first barbecue spot in Hayward, Wisconsin.

Over the years, the chain expanded throughout the Midwest through its company owned operations and franchises. The second location was opened in 1995 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The third location was also opened in Minneapolis in 1996. The company underwent further expansion after going public in October 1996. The restaurant also implemented unique concepts into its restaurant, such as roadhouse, barbecue shack, blues club and hunting lodge themes. The establishment even offers an online store, which sells barbecue sauce, seasoning, marinade, t-shirts, hats, music, books, gift cards and gift sets.

Despite its expansion, the company experienced tremendous loss and the value of its stock fell significantly. In 1997, the company went through management changes. Dave Anderson remained as chairman of the board of the company. Douglas Lanham became the new chief executive officer and Mark Payne became the new president. As time went by, the company experienced numerous corporate layoffs due to unexpected loss. In 2000, the new president and chief executive officer, Martin O’Dowd, focused on improving and expanding the company. One of his improvements involved expansion through franchising.

The establishment earned its first profit in the fiscal year of 2000 since it went public in the year of 1996. The company exceeded expected revenues in the first quarter of 2001. By April 2001, the company operated 35 restaurants with 10 franchises. Today, there are over 200 restaurant locations in 33 states throughout the United States, including for example, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, North Dakota, New York, New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.  The restaurant also has several locations in Puerto Rico and Canada.

Reviews

Famous Dave’s offers a wide selection of barbecued meats as well as delicious sides. Meat items consist of chicken, beef brisket, and pork ribs. There is an assortment of different flavors of barbecue sauce, such as the Sweet & Zesty, Rich & Sassy, Buffalo, and Devil’s Spit sauces. The restaurant’s award winning ribs come as two options: the St. Louis-styled spareribs or the baby back ribs. The St. Louis-styled spareribs are priced between $22 and $23 for a full slab, $15 and $16 for a half slab, and $12 and $13 for a 1/3 slab. The baby back ribs are priced between $20 and $21 for a “big baby” and $14 and $15 for a “half baby”.

The restaurant’s menu classics range from $12 to $13. These classics include the Texas beef brisket, the country roasted chicken, the barbecue chicken, chicken tenders, the Sweetwater catfish, the cedar plank salmon, traditional or boneless wings, the Georgia chopped pork, and the Southside rib tips. There is also a wide selection of combos, ranging from $5 to $23, as well as a selection of brisket burgers ranging from $7 to $12. The restaurant also provides a lunch menu, as well as family styled options, including the “feasts” and the “family to go” menu selections.

There are also selections of salads, soups, sandwiches, sides and appetizers. Appetizers are priced between $7 and $9; salads and soups are priced between $3 and $11; sandwiches range from $8 to $12; and the sides are priced roughly at $2 to $3. The burnt ends, barbecue pulled pork, and the barbecue chicken are highly recommended. The beef brisket and the pork ribs are also favorites among customers.  The “feasts” are recommended for large parties. Favorite side items include the Wilbur beans, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, potato salad and the cornbread.

The restaurant offers a great, comfortable and casual ambiance for its guests to relax and enjoy delicious, authentic barbecue. The service is great and quick. Customers will likely have a wait time on busy nights, but they do accommodate for large groups. The restaurant’s hygiene is considered good as the facilities are kept quite clean and in good condition.  The food is excellent and tasty. The portions are large and the food is tasty and full of delicious flavor. Overall, this is a great place for barbecue lovers and a wonderful experience for those who want to try barbecue for the first time.