Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-b-que

I really can’t think of anything to complain about! The service was great. The waiter had this amazingly low voice with a twang that had me at «good evening» but I digress. We got the nachos which were delish! I got the chicken dinner. I forget what is was called but sooooo good! The guy got a burger with pulled pork on top and he was very happy with it as well. I WILL be going back. I wish they were open a bit later, but… you can’t have it all I guess!

Took a friend to dinner last night as I have been before and the food is good. Seated right away, ordered mixed drinks which turned out well. Ordered dinner and it came out timely, hot, and fresh. Service was good, price for the two of us including tip was $ 37.00 which was great. The meals here (I have tried several now) are all really good. It’s typical barbeque fare but always done right, the sides are delicious, and best of all the meal’s are hot and freshly prepared. Definitely plan on returning.

Ten times better than Sticky Lips. Quite comparable to Dinosaur BBQ, yet cheaper! The corn bread is to die for.

The last time I was here the service was horrible. We were ignored and not waited on. We ended up leaving after 15 minutes of no one coming to our table. The manager on duty that night apologised and offered to take care of us, but we were going somewhere else. We went to Applebee’s instead.

I technically hate b-​b-​que sauce and bbq food. I’ve only come here for pick up and had chicken wings in wilburs revenge sauce and they were great and super hot.

Let me start by saying that I really want to give a 5 stars for this place… But i can’t because Some of the food isn’t consistent. Like the Beef brisket… I have ordered from daves at least 6 times now through out the years and Sometimes the beef brisket will be tough. almost rubbery like. Which makes me think they don’t actually smoke it on premise. Other time it will melt in your mouth. Was it a coincidence that the one time it was god awful, was when i used a groupon? Not sure. Sometimes it will be cut thin. completely uniform (as if it came pre-​sliced in a sealed bag).Other times it will be cut thick and rough. like someone used a knife… I myself have come to the conclusion that its much better to order later in the night. Near closing… Than earlier in the day. I think the Brisket taste much better at night… the fat is more rendered and it becomes that «melt in your mouth consistency»
Favorite BBQ sauce? Pineapple Rage. They don’t put it out on the tables for some reason. You have to ask for it.
Why did i give this National chain 4 stars? Well the spareribs alone warrant this place a 4 star. BEST RIBS IN ROCHESTER… Sorry sticky lips! Before I dubbed Famous Daves my regular BBQ joint to order from… I was regularly ordering from Sticky… Which is very good… don’t get me wrong. But… Famous daves Ribs are like for real on point.
Also the chopped pork is very good… The bread that Daves puts their BBQ on is way better than Stickylips. Thick and hearty and it actually makes me want to eat it… Unlike the wonder bread sticky lips uses. Also daves grills their bread.
Sides…Ok some of the sides i like at daves and others i don’t. Like for instance the WIlbur Beans… They are basically baked beans with jalapenos in them. and smoked pork… On paper they sound fabulous but when you actually get them.eh.their downfall is the sugar overload. They should change the name to diabetic beans. But yet i order them every time… and every time after i take 1 bite i’m like. yea i’m done.
–Mac n Cheese– Very good. It’s thick. I usually don’t like the thick mac but this is good.
–Sweet Corn (on the cob) it’s basic.
–Drunkin Apples– So good… they are like apples with a light caramel sauce thats Not too sweet. and there is just the right amount of tartness from the apples
–Famous daves Fries– nothing special but they are good. I recommend dipping them in the pineapple rage BBQ sauce.
–CreamyColeslaw– Very good coleslaw. Lives up to the name. Its definitely more creamy than «mayonnaisey» .Has a background hint of mustard. and its sweet but not sickening sweet.
Oh and i forgot to mention their Hot links… Unlike any sausage you will find in rochester… and 1 serving is the size of about a half of polish sausage. its massive. Smokey… and yummy.

No complaints at all… great bbq. Not too over bearing with the smoky or bbq sauce wise, my opinion very underrated restaurant. Great prices along with the service. I prefer this one over sticky lips by culver rd any day.

I had not ate here in awhile. It was always just ok. This time however it was very good. Had ribs and brisket. It was perfectly done. I heard the management had changed since my last visit. Hopefully they will keep doing a good job.

Ribs are amazing and sides are okay. This is one of my favorite places in Rochester for ribs my aunt got me some ribs from here a month or two ago. The ribs were smoked perfectly and very yummy

Dude, I love cornbread and chicken. I’m from Georgia aka The South. However, my husband, a Rochesterian, demanded that Famous Dave’s has the best barbecue in Rochester… Ok. I was reluctant, but wanted him to have his day gloating.
We needed to grab some serious lunch before getting ready to attend a wedding at 3pm, so this was actually conveniently located behind the hotel we were staying at. Driving there was kind of crazy as if you go the wrong way– you end up on the highway as it did happen to us two days prior. Finally, we took this opportunity to carefully navigate into Famous Dave’s parking lot as he wanted the food and I was hangry as a hog!
The server we had was a sweetheart! So I ordered a big salad with grilled chicken and requested the honey barbecue dressing (sauce) on the side. My husband had the ribs, mac salad, and cornbread.
The salad arrived and it was huuuuge. I took the chance to try all of the sauces offered at the table. I’d say that the Texas Pit and Devil’s Spit were my favorite. Also, the honey barbecue sauce that my salad was to be tossed in was really good as well.
The cornbread, in my opinion was a bit too cake-​like. Too sweet, smooth, and moist. I would have preferred it to be a bit gritty, not too sweet, and with chunks of real corn in it. I guess my granny is the only one who can get it right.

I just like this place, better than Dinosaur and sticky lips. The food is consistently good and waiters are friendly.

Love the BBQ, and service is good. Some of my favorite BBQ in the area. Consistent and reliable.

I’m giving 3 stars bc I liked my sons food better than mine.
Service was decent nothing crazy. He took our order and gave us food and that was it.
When I inquired about dry rub seasoning for ribs he didn’t give me much. I typically always prefer dry over sauce.
I wish he would have steered me into the direction of the dry rub rub tips bc that’s what my son got and they were way better than my half rack. I didn’t even eat my meal and out server didn’t even ask if there was something wrong. Usually that’s a sign the patron doesn’t like their food.
No big deal lesson learned. I know what to order now.
Having a groupon tho is the only reason I’ll go back.

Much better than I expected! Best chain bbq I’ve ever had. The meal for 2 is more than enough ad my wife and I have gone there 2 weeks in a row. Great atmosphere and great drinks too! In my opinion the corn muffins are the best!!!

This place was clean. The brisket was very good and the chicken, soft and juicy. Good early bird menu. The staff was pleasant and service was at a good pace.
It is not often that I would venture to unknown BBQ but this was a nice surprise. The sides were okay as well. Give them a try

I have to admit, I didn’t expect to have the great service I experienced during a Friday evening. We ordered the Feast For 2 and it was served in record time of any restaurant I’ve ever been to.
The waitress was awesome. She recommended a wine that paired wonderfully with my meal.
The Feast For 2 can easily feed 3 – 4 people so don’t let the name fool you. The cornbread is so good! I’ve had better ribs elsewhere but they were decent. I would return the next time I crave BBQ.

I am a fan! I really love ribs more than any other item when having BBQ, and the ones prepared here are consistently very good. Tender, falling off the bone but not all fatty the way they can be at some places. My very favorite BBQ restaurant which I shan’t mention is a bit of a drive from where we live, and the wait time there is also sometimes crazy. Famous Daves is a very acceptable alternative for Westsiders! I like the comfortable, casual atmosphere here, complete with fireplace which is really cozy in the winter! Service here is always great on our visits. We have never had to wait more than a few minutes to be seated. Beer on tap leaves something to be desired but that is about the biggest complaint I have.

We had an internet coupon and got some BBQ to go. FYI There is a specific window to pick up orders on the side of the restaurant and there was a line around dinner time but moved quickly. They open up all the boxes of your order in front of you to make sure they are right and I appreciate that.
My husband got the ribs and pulled pork which were both good — ribs especially tasty. The beans were good and had pieces oaf BBQ in them. The fries not crispy nothing special. Corn bread was sweet and flavorful. Burnt ends app was really tender and Smokey and came with crispy onion strings which were good. I had the Rib tips which were tough and I wouldn’t get again and BBQ brisket which was okay but I was jealous of my husbands meal. The catfish tasted off «too fishy» if that make sense. Cole slaw was good with a little salt.
Love the rich and sassy sauce and like that they sell bottles for 2.99 and can get a bunch of packets at the pick up window. Overall not bad with the internet coupon but if you’re not up to a trip downtown to Dinosaur then this is acceptable but no way close comparison.

The first time I went to Famous Dave’s, I was impressed by the food. The past two times I went, everybody in my party was extremely underwhelmed.
Pork isn’t particularly flavorful. The sauces are good, but that’s about it.
I usually have more to say, but Famous Dave’s has been leaving me just «bleh». Nothing has impressed me enough to say it’s better than Dinosaur or Sticky Lips. It’s just as expensive, if not more, for less flavor and worse service.

Got to say, I haven’t been here in a while but Famous Dave’s is always a very consistently good BBQ restaurant. Stopped in for lunch and couldn’t resist the burnt ends appetizer. There was a decent portion of meat (almost a lunch in itself) and it came with onion strings, firecracker pickles and a few pickled onions. The ends were surprisingly tender and tasty. 8.99
My lunch came from the lunch menu of two meats and a side. Went with the St. Louis ribs and Texas brisket with a side of red skinned mashed potato (also a corn muffin was included). The meats were very good. Flavorful and tender. The ribs had a nice amount of meat on them and the bones came clean. Brisket was excellent. Very beefy flavored and tender. I stepped outside of my box a little and got the mashed side. Not great, there was something that wasn’t working about it. I normally am a collard greens or slaw guy so it could be me but I can’t recommend the mashed. (Wish I would’ve ordered more of the pickles). Lunch was only 8.99 as well.
Disappointing potatoes aside, Dave’s again stepped up and provided an enjoyable meal. Clean bones and a happy stomach. Pics included.