Famous Dave’s

I have been going to FD for many, many years. Unfortunately, over the years they have been cutting corners, and today I have found that they do this way too much and now and I have reached my breaking point – I do not believe I will return.
The reasons for not returning are several, but after becoming ill after my last visit that was a big red flag for me.
Prior to 2012 you would get a nice juicy corn on the cob as part of your meal… no more. Also, they had generous portions and the ribs were meaty and not greasy… no more. You would be able to eat a meal and take some home for a snack… no more.
If you are starving for lunch, trust me you will leave hungry if you have anything from their lunch menu because the portions are so small. At some point they must have changed distributors because the ribs are smaller, have less meat and are way too greasy – they were not like that before.
The generous servings are gone forever and now you have to watch it as I (and my lunch companion) became ill with the same symptoms several hours after eating lunch there.
Only their bread pudding dessert has remained exactly the same in taste, but smaller in portion size.
PROS
Parking is great
Cozy atmosphere
Nice waitstaff most of the time
BBQ!
Great beans
Excellent dessert pudding
CONS
Waitstaff is hit or miss in regard to attentiveness/​speed
Greasy ribs with skimpy meat
Nuked catfish (always overcooked/​dry/​hard)
Pricey for amount of food given
Bathroom is falling apart/​old and too small/​awkward in placement of sink and door
They need to clean the seats, menus and condiment bottles in a more consistent manner

I was in the mood for some Q and decided to try something different. This place has survived for quite a while, so I had fairly high expectations.
The décor is pseudo north Midwest hunting lodge, with a lot of advertising signs for fishing gear and such. That should have warned me. Being hungry, I ordered the Feast for One, a tray full of a variety of their offerings and a good deal strictly on a quantity/​price basis at $ 18.99.
Going in increasing order of tastiness:
Corn on the cob: perfect 3″ controlled portion and impaired texture indicate that it was frozen.
Cornbread: actually a muffin with the paper still on. Sweet, soft, Northern style. Barely better than Jiffy mix.
Slaw: decent vegetables, but the dressing was runny and way too sweet.
Beans: Campbell’s doctored with a bit of meat and added sugar, salt and cayenne.
Georgia chopped pork: Served over a slice of Texas toast with a dousing of sauce with way too much salt and heat. The meat itself was tender and moist, but had no smoke flavor.
Fries: interesting ripple/​wedge cut. Pretty well cooked.
Chicken: Again, moist meat but no smoke flavor. Sauce was not quite as overpowering as the pork.
Ribs: A BBQ joint lives or dies on the quality of its ribs. The meat was quite good, with solid smoke flavor and the proper slight chew to the texture. It almost saved them from Meh but for (you guessed it) the sauce. Ordering it «naked» and sparsely applying your choice of the six sauces on the table might make a decent meal.
Service was attentive, but then there was only one other party in the room. The staff tee shirts read «Life is too short for bad BBQ». The food isn’t really bad (and I’m an Army vet, don’t get me started on bad food) but in my experience it’s not good. «I’ve experienced better» is exactly on point —

We went for dinner, and while the service was great and the atmosphere was excellent, the food itself wasn’t worth the effort. Granted it wasn’t very expensive, but even for what it cost, I expected more than a few slices of meat on a stale piece of bread and a cold blob of tasteless mashed potatoes. I ordered the Texas beef brisket, which the menu said was rubbed with pepper and spices, and served with sauce. Great. Except it tasted more like it was doused with lighter fluid, and looked as though it had been left under a warming light while they made the rest of the meals. Which wouldn’t shock me, since, as I mentioned before, the total prep for the meal couldn’t have been more than slicing off four pieces from a slab and tossing it onto a piece of bread.
The menu said that the mashed potatoes were «garlic» flavored, but that’s either a lie or they simply didn’t bother with the garlic part. They were completely flavorless, and may as well have come in a box. From what I could tell I think they might have been microwaved, as they had that crackling around the bottom that you get from reheating potatoes. If I wanted a microwaved meal I would buy something from Marie Calendar.
My meal did come with a cornbread muffin, but I gave that to my friend, so I can’t say anything about it’s taste. He liked it.
One of the people at our table ordered the brisket taco appetizer. I’d love to know exactly how this constitutes an appetizer, as it’s two full sized, loaded tacos. Appetizers are meant to serve multiple people, that’s a meal.
I really like barbecue, and I was excited to finally try this place. I won’t be going back. Unless you like the thought of paying $ 15 for something you could throw together with $ 5 at a gas station, I suggest trying one of the other barbecue chains.

I have been to about a half dozen Famous Dave’s in the DC area and this one by far cooks their ribs the best. Always tender and not tough and chewy like at other locations. And what I like best for lunch when you order your food it will arrive in 5 minutes or less! This location was also recently remodel so everything is clean and new looking. This store does a large carry out business also and orders have always been correct when I picked up my order. The fries, baked beans, and corn bread are also always yummy.

Came here for lunch. Was greeted by a hostess immediately, but I sat at the bar. The bartender was quick to serve me. I had the brisket tacos. They were fine. nothing super special about them. The taco itself was flaky (in a good way), had lettuce, pico, cilantro, jalapeño, and some kind of sauce that was a little sweet. I wanted something small for lunch, so these were a good choice as the order came with two tacos. I’ve been to other Famous Dave’s before and the ribs are (obviously) where it’s at, so that’s what you should probably order when you come to BBQ places like this. Overall, it was good.

The food is ok, but there are better places like Mission BBQ. Their wifi is useless, you have to through a login process that circles back to the login screen, so you can never get access.

I’m not much of barbecue fan but came here because my boyfriend insisted. (Our friend is the bartender). We started with the rib tips for our appetizer which surprisingly was pretty good. I could do with less sauce but that’s besides the point. I ended up going with the salmon with mac n cheese as a side. The mac n cheese is amazing. The salmon was pretty good too. Thank goodness I got the sauce on the side because I wasn’t a fan of it. Next time I go back I’ll stick with the chicken fingers.

I love Famous Dave’s the ribs are really delicious. We usually go to the location and Alexandria or in Mays Landing New Jersey, but this time we decided to check out the Laurel location. The service was really great the waitress was courteous and efficient. She took the order and I have food arrive very quickly, hot, and delicious. This time we decided not to get dessert, just a tad bit too full and had food to bring home as well. The location had a clean dining room and bathrooms also. I would highly recommend this location to get hot food, and awesome customer service.

We were a party of 4 upon arriving we were greeted and seated our server arrived and took our order he was polite however 10 minutes later came back and said the kitchen was closing because they closed at 10 p.m. however we arrived at 930 and was seated the waiter offered chicken wings and french fries when the food arrived it was cold since we were hungry we decided to eat and not complain the bill was around $ 60 I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone I would not ever dine at any famous Dave establishments ever

Just what I expected! Good service, delicious food. Centrally located in Laurel, MD, we were seated in a booth immediately and had a good evening.

Went to eat there tonight and watch the second half of the Super Bowl. Sat in the bar area at a booth. Place was empty, but that was to be expected. Anyways, the bartender/​server who waited on our table, who btw had so little to do that she sat at a table playing on her phone most of the time, was ok at first, the food came out fast and was delicious., all was good till towards the end when she just came right over and dropped the check off without asking us if we wanted anything else… I of course wanted another beer and my girl wanted desert to take home. I’m assuming that because it was so slow I’m there that even one table was just to much for her that she wanted to rush us out. Also, she never once came back to the table and asked if everything was good. I had to get up at one point, walk over to her while she was messing with her phone, and ask for a coke., I thought it’s the servers job to walk over to us and ask if WE wanted anything
I actually told her at the beginning that I used to work there so she should have knew that I know the proper way to wait on a guest… Guess not. I planned on watching the rest of the game there but was cut short.
To sum it all it up, food was great but the service was wack. Just can’t seem to find and even ground when you go out to eat anywhere these days.

Love this place. Staff is very friendly and cater to your particular needs. Food is the best. Its hard to drive by them.

Another looooong review for your entertainment.
I would really need to have a sit down and chat with Mr Dave myself. My friend and I decided to try this place out based on ALL the great reviews. like who are these people leaving these great reviews like do you not have taste buds.
Disclaimer we did not have the famed ribs. because it was pork and not beef. who still eats the swine? Now to the special sauce. umm that’s definitely sweet baby rays BBQ sauce with franks hot sauce added to it okay.
We were seated near the bar. I could probably eat off the plate of the guy who was sitting at the bar that’s how close we were it was uncomfortable.
I ordered Dave’s famous burger or something along those lines, with the famous fries. there was nothing famous about this dish. the fries were basic wedges, I wasn’t impressed. The burger came with iceberg lettuce cheese and tomatoes on a greasy bun, with what seemed to be a cross between bread & butter and sweet pickles… who eats sweet pickles? I wasn’t prepared and I almost hurled. The pickle was so bad that I was in disbelief so I had to eat another one to actually comprehend how disgusting that pickle was. to drink I had sweet tea, which was not so sweet, I almost asked our server to just warm it up for me so I could just have warm lipton tea. Oh and I cannot forget about the mac n cheese. I never thought anyone could mess up on mac n cheese like Mr. Dave did. man oh man it is called MAC and CHEESE. why was there jalapenos and corn in the mac and cheese. you ruined a classic dish. who does that?
BUT wait here is the kicker, once we finished our meal, my friend said her stomach felt funny, then minutes later I begin to experience the same thing. So Mr. Dave there was a break in sanitation. what’s going on in your kitchen, did someone not wash their hands when they came from the restroom. Did you touch some raw meat ad then my burger bun, or did you forget to wash the lettuce, idk, but .Dave I give you an F, You won’t see my money again.

One of my favorite places to eat. Today I got lunch. I was in a bad traffic jam. I got the idea to call my order in. Wow it was waiting for me when I arrived. Hot food yea boy. I love it.
Food quality is excellent I love the brisket sandwich. The chili is always a keeper

We had a really nice experience at Famous Dave’s at lunchtime yesterday. I was craving a pulled chicken bbq sandwich so started reading Unilocal reviews and checking out restaurant menus. Husband and I only eat poultry and seafood, so sometimes finding a restaurant geared towards meat, meat and more meat is a challenge. We decided on Famous Dave’s because they had a good variety of sides, chicken and seafood dishes, and decent reviews.
When we entered the restaurant I noticed a bunch of jackets and hats hanging on the coat rack and thought, wow, people here are forgetful. But then I realized it was part of the «hunting lodge» décor. That hunting lodge décor prevailed throughout the multiple rooms. We were seated in a main dining room that included a fireplace. It looked like a gas fireplace but I never got close enough to confirm and whatever, it looked authentic and added a nice ambiance.
When I first looked at my menu I thought it was dirty, but I compared it with my husband’s and saw they were just printed «unevenly» to continue the rustic theme. A few minutes after we were seated, our server, Dwight, came to our table to take our orders. Dwight was one of the most genuinely enthusiastic servers I’ve ever had. It wasn’t forced like some chain restaurants, but he really seemed to believe in his restaurant and in his fellow employees, including his manager. We ordered drinks, a margarita and a draft beer, to start with and continued to debate what we wanted to order for lunch. I got my bbq sandwich with fries as my side dish. When I read the menu I was sorry to hear they were wedge fries, but these were delicious and really crispy. The chicken sandwich was very good and perfectly satisfied my craving for one. Husband ordered a half bbq chicken with mac and cheese and greens as his sides. His chicken was moist and nicely sauced. On the table were 2 bottles with different sauces and he did add a little of each to his plate as a dipping sauce. We both liked the greens (and ignored that they are cooked with pork). The mac and cheese was creamy with a little corn added. I prefer my mac and cheese more cheesy than creamy, but husband prefers his creamy so gave it high reviews.
After we finished stuffing ourselves, Dwight came and offered us dessert. There was no way we could eat another bite. A few minutes later he came back with a bottle of Famous Dave’s bbq sauce. Oh, I thought he’s going to try to sell it to us, but no, it was gratis. No idea what we did to deserve it but it was a welcome gift. When our check arrived we were told if we filled out a short survey on our phones right then we would get a confirmation number to record on the bill and it would entitle us to a free dessert to take home. Sure, why not, so we filled out a quick survey and selected the brownie for our take-​home dessert. I was so impressed at how it was packaged, not to mention how delicious it was, and I’m not even a dessert fan. It arrived in a cardboard box like you might get a slice of pizza in at a ball game. Inside the box was that awesome brownie, plus a small container of whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a small vanilla ice cream. The box had instructions for warming the brownie and sauce.
I know it’s a chain restaurant but we still very much enjoyed our food and the little extras. We were also surprised at how reasonable the check was considering all the food we had, plus 3 drinks. We’ll be back again and we will ask for Dwight as our server, if he’s available.

What can I say but yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy… Did I say yummy?
The food was so delicious… We had never been there at our friend told us we should go we had the barbecue potato chips OMG I’m hooked!!!
We order the family platter I don’t remember the name but it was yummy and honestly we will be having it again
The service was a little slow but other than that everything was delicious and the corn muffins oh Lord… SOOO GOOD

The St. Louis ribs are awesome. The restaurant is clean and the staff is friendly. The prices are average.
I would like if they would extend their dessert menu. Maybe add cheesecake and some sort of pie.
My food is always fresh and hot, the menu has changed a little and they have increased the prices. Overall it’s a great place for dine in or takeout

Man there food is good!!! I ordered the Feast For One. It came with sweet beans, ribs, brisket, fries, coleslaw, corn on the cob, chicken and a corn muffin! The portions were ridiculously big. I am not complaining! When I tell you their food has a lot of flavor, it has a lot of flavor ! Great service, great food!

Chain BBQ places can be good, but usually cannot match the Mom & Pop places across the country. Maryland is not BBQ country, so it’s off to the chains to get your BBQ fix. Problem with them is that they are hit or miss. They can be really good or really bad. Many times, I get beef jerky since they overcook or overheat their meats. Famous Dave is one of the better chain. I had better luck at the Annapolis branch than here, but it wasn’t bad. Good and friendly service.

Good and bad man… geez.
Sometimes, you want some yummy barbecue. You know the kind where you want to lick your fingers after the bites? Geez. I needed some pork slathered in some rich and sassy sauce. Craved the Wilbur beans. Needed a sweet corn muffin. Gawd.
They didn’t disappoint. I even tried the beef brisket for the first time, and that was blame good too, chillin on that Texas toast with all the drippins and shiggity. Damn good.
Service was pretty chill, she was attentive. Not bad for a chain.
Now, had that bathroom looked a bit better, y’all would have gotten four stars. We can’t have everything, can we?
I enjoyed the food, really I did, I mean I always do, but the bathroom… cheese and crackers. Not sure if I’d go back.