Famous Dave’s

Wow I have eaten at many different Famous Dave’s restaurants and had mostly good experiences. They are my favorite ribs in Minnesota but our experience this time was horrible. The ribs were burnt and dry. The brisket was rubbery and barely edible. What the heck? Was it a bad night or is this restaurant the exception to normally good food? Don’t know, but I’m not risking it again.

Yet again, consistently good all around.
The three of us actually ditched an after funeral dinner at a nearby Asian restaurant (which sucks), but I’ll leave that for another review. We drove across Main Street and ate at Famous Dave’s instead.
We knew what to expect at Famous Dave’s, good food and good service at a decent price. The three of us shared the Feast For Two. They didn’t disappoint us. The food was excellent and the service was great.
Thanks!
–Daddy Maxx Retro

RIP Famous Daves (Coon Rapids)…
This review makes me sad to even write. Famous Dave’s has been one of my family’s absolute favorite restaurants. Usually I walk into this restaurant, order food and have way too much that I walk out with leftovers. I loved the southern bbq style food, all the way down to the presentation and atmosphere.
Unfortunately, they now serve their food on little white plates, with smaller portions. I ordered some new rib item (which was still pretty good) for $ 18.99. I received a smaller portion of fries and a little cup of their mac and cheese. I walked in wanting good portioned bbq food/​experience and felt like their brand is becoming some confused higher end Minneapolis restaurant with southern bbq style décor.
The staff was very friendly, however, lacked attention to detail (which is uncommon, so it could be a one time thing). We didn’t receive our cornbread the first couple of times we asked, and then we received one at the end of the meal. We had to ask again for our other order. No one even asked if we needed a refresh on our drinks. I had to hunt someone down.
Overall it was a very underwhelming experience.
I appreciate the many years you have served us Famous Daves Coon Rapids. I think this will be the last time we visit.
If you like Famous Daves, you may get a better experience at the ones in Forest Lake, Roseville, or Mall of America.

Great service and the food was amazing! The ribs and brisket were perfect and the cornbread was fresh and moist. My new favorite location for sure. Highly recommended!

Order: Catfish, red skin potato and pine apple spears. Texas Briskets. Red skin potatoes and corn on the cob. BBQ sauce: sweet and zest!
The food is priced really well, the food is amazing! You have to try the BBQ sauce!
I will be back! ;)

Ate here with hubby on Friday, ⁷⁄₁₂. We arrived at 7pm and only had a short wait.
I had chopped pork, hubby had ribs. For my dish, it was yummy! The only thing keeping me from giving 5 stars instead of 4 is that my meat was very salty, and I didn’t put a thing on it. Everything else — red skinned mashed potatoes and broccoli — was delicious. Don’t get me wrong, the meat was delicious too, I just prefer it a little less seasoned.

Love the appetizers!

Famous Dave’s has certainly been around forever and they are everywhere.
This location is quite nice, with a large, separate bar area and ample dining area to accommodate the seemingly endless flow of people that come here. My family comes here, so we usually have a group of 8, and they are usually able to get us in right away, sometimes with a short wait during busy times.
I have tried many things on the menu, ranging from chicken to salmon to ribs. I have to say, my favorite dish is the salmon. It is cooked well and is the perfect portion; extra bonus for being on the ‘under 600 calories’ portion of the menu.
Unfortunately for this BBQ rib joint, I did not like the ribs! I was completely not impressed, they were overcooked and had barely any meat on the bones. My half slab meal (6 ribs) still made me full because of the two sides you choose, but I seriously had only a couple bites of real meat. Such a disappointment.
Fortunately for this BBQ rib joint, they have fantastic sides! Obviously the corn muffins are superb and worth every single calorie; I believe they come with every meal choice, but don’t quote me on that. My two side choices are usually baked beans and fries, but the have many others like mashed potatoes, green means, and coleslaw… choose what would go best with your meal choice for the best experience. You don’t really want beans with salmon, get the coleslaw instead.
Overall, this place usually has superb service. The wait staff always keeps your glass full, even without asking sometimes (unless its alcohol, they always ask then). My family of 8 usually ends up spending a solid 150 bucks, so bring your checkbook.

I like Dave’s and this location is one of the better ones. We usually dine in but lately we have been using the take out. My wife likes Dickey’s but I think the quality of the food and the taste is much better at Dave’s.

This is one of the few «chain» restaurants that I go to. I love taking the kids here. I also love that they actually have something else on the kids menu besides chicken nuggets and french fries!

The sauce is the key selling point here. The BBQ is OK for a chian place and the prices are really good. You can feed a family of 5 for less than $ 100 and have leftovers. Not bad. They have a variety of sauces ranging from sweet to spicy and they have them all on the table.
The family platter gets you pretty much everything, but if you dont have that many people. Get the ribs. The brisket is way too dry as is the chicken. None of the food really has that nice smoke that you are supposed to get with BBQ, but like I said, the sauce can add flavor and moisture to just about anything. Cornbread muffins are solid and the fries are crispy, so all and all, not bad.