Good evening Ladies & Gentlemen. Welcome to the Main Event. [Que Rocky's Theme "Gonna Fly Now" by Bill Conti ] Tonight's heavyweight bout features the defending champ, a local 5-star BBQ favorite with national awards. Slow's BBQ of Detroit. And in the opposite corner, the opponent, an upstart from the south, Famous Dave's BBQ. Dandy Don, does a chain restaurant such as Famous Dave's really have a chance in the ring with the heavyweight champ? Well Howard, Famous Dave's is certainly at a disadvantage with this perennial champ. But there is a chance if they can deliver the goods and strike deep at the heart of their opponent. They could just pull off an upset. The keys to this bout are RS3... Ribs, Sauce, Sides and Service. [Que Michael Buffer - "Let's get ready to rumble!"] Round 1 - Ribs The round begins with both opponents delivering tender, meaty, juicy, bones, slow roasted with a dry rub coating. Slows half slab weights in a $18.99 while the Famous Dave's half slab offers the same number of bones for $14.99. In a surprise first round, my scorecard calls it a draw. Round 2 - Sauce Both Slow's and Famous Dave's offer 5 different BBQ sauces on the table for personal rib customization. Stepping through the Famous Dave's Sauces are several worthy attempts to satisfy any taste. The best of the bunch is the "Texas Pit" BBQ Sauce which is tangy with a nice peppery bite without being a flame thrower like the "Devil's Pit" sauce. But this round goes to Slow's whose Applewood Sauce just can't be beat on Pork. Round 3 - Sides Famous Dave's pulled out the stops offering 4 sides with the meal. Corn on the Cobb and a Corn bread muffin are standard fare, plus you get the choice of two additional sides. I choose the Amaretto Baked Apples and Garlic Mashed potatoes. The Corn Bread Muffin was stale and crumbly. Garlic Mashed potatoes were bland with little hint of garlic, but the Baked Apples were very good and made up for the others. Overall, Round 3 goes to Slow's whose Mac & Cheese side dish slays all opponents. Round 4 - Service This is where the challenger landed deep body blows and had the champ pinned into the corner. Gina, our waitress, was simply fabulous. She handled my lunch group (we're not exactly easy) with humor, efficiency and a nice smile. My glass was never empty. The champ has earned a reputation of namesake service... i.e. slow. This round goes to Famous Dave's. [Que "The Final Bell" by Bill Conti ] Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a Split Decision! Two judges call it 3-4, while four judges call it 4-1 in favor of the current heavy weight champion. Dandy Don, Famous Dave's gave it a noble effort and offered great taste and great value. The champ looked like it was in trouble when it came to service... What happened? Well Howard, to unseat the champ you need to deliver a knockout punch. While this was a 5-star performance by Famous Dave's, there were no knockout punches on either side. [Que the Sports Center theme music ] BREAKING NEWS... This just in... The Champ has granted Famous Dave's a rematch. This is exciting news Dandy Don... This rematch could become known as the "Thriller from Downriver".
(5)
David K.
The best brisket I have had at a Famous Daves. The Daves XXXXX sauce is pretty damn hot. And I love hot.
(3)
Phil S.
Food was decent today, wait was wayyyy to long for an early Sunday dinner sat in lobby for 35 minutes, well stood I guess cause all the seats were taken. ....waitress was pretty awesome today can't remember her name though. Bad part of visit was getting home and not having the bottle of Georgia mustard sauce I thought I was getting. Made my whole visit turn to crap
(4)
Mary K.
We visited Famous Dave's on the recommendation of my boyfriend's brother. He raved... we thought it was pretty good... well "okay plus." In my opinion the prices are a little on the high side, but we had an all-around pretty good meal. I got the beef brisket -- this was good. It was a good portion, although maybe a little small for the price. The corn muffin that came with it was awesome, the mac and cheese was sub par and the green beans were good. One bonus: the meals come with two sides (plus - overcooked - corn on the cob), which is appreciated. They aren't huge but they are reasonable. My boyfriend got BBQ chicken, which was tasty, and he loved the baked beans and steak fries. The fries were big and very dense -- very potato-ey if that makes sense. Personally I like crispier fries but to each his own. As far as the service goes, it was... meh. When we walked in the hostess asked if she could sit us at the high top in the bar area near the door... we were servers for years and know how hard it is to seat those tables by the door... we sat there and it was okay. But it was very, very unprofessional to be like dancing around and making robot voices (seriously) in hearing range the whole time we were there. It's a very casual joint, so it was more funny than anything, but come on! The server was also the bartender, so most of the time she was okay but the rhythm of drink refills and such was off. The food came nice and quickly. We noticed that they seem to have really good happy hour specials and $1.00 PBR pints! We did not partake but that is cool. The coolest thing was the 5 types of BBQ sauce on the table -- all of them were tasty, too, albeit a little similar to each other (with the exception of the Georgia Mustard sauce -- most of them were sweet and spicy, but that one was more savory). Overall I would visit again if I was in the area but wouldn't go out of my way to go there.
(3)
Lori H.
With a name like this, and me only eating seafood, I had doubts about this place. However, friends picked it for a get together, so I figured at worst, I would get a salad. Anyway, super yummy food! Great service, and fun atmosphere. The BBQ salmon is aMAZing, as is the mac and cheese. great prices, and I get coupons sent to my email all the time which get us free apps, free dessert, etc. HIghly recommend.
(4)
Mike S.
The spare ribs were tough and chewy and definitely overpriced. (Even if they were good). The corn bread and the BBQ sauce was good, but not good enough to make up for the 20 bucks I wasted on this meal. I won't be going back. It blows my mind that these chain BBQ restaurants can't get their ribs perfect every time, especially when you're shelling out $20 for a slab. The Chicken Shack manages to get their ribs pretty close to perfect every time and they're a chicken joint! You'd think a BBQ place would have the secret to consistent ribs, but this place doesn't.
(1)
Olivia H.
Excellent food,fun environment, great staff. The ribs are my favorite next to the brisket sandwich (texas man handler)
(5)
Cara M.
WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE, EVER! I have dined in multiple times and the service is always so slowwwww. Also, forget if you want sides of sauces or refills on drinks....our waitresses always disappear and come around for the bare minimum. Also, my mom ordered carry out for a family party and asked if I could go pick it up with her debit card. I got there with just enough time to pay and come home before our guests arrived. The manager told me because it wasn't my card that I would have to go find an ATM and pay in cash....couldn't they have told me that over the phone when we placed the order?!?! The manager was not understanding and was very brief about the situation. We were spending $100 dollars on carry out for a family party. I cannot believe the inconvenienced that was caused.
(2)
Tina K.
Best place to eat at ever, loved the food it was wonderful. Service was amazing, my waitress "famous Lindsey" was awesome, really nice and funny. I'll defiantly be back soon. (:
(5)
Gary W.
What a great place to eat. I like barbeque so I had expectations. They have great food and the last time I was there fast service. Personal favorites bone in rib tips.. Yum and the Texas brisket it awesome. Great cornbread ,potatoes, green beans. I didn't think the burgers were that good .and fries are big and tasteless . That my only complaint but it is a BBQ joint. Not to mention all the different sauces. Great experience from staff. Recommended.
(4)
Jim B.
Very good meal and our server Katie was very attentive and personable. If you have enough room for desert I highly recommend the Kahlua chocolate cake.
(5)
Amanda L.
Okay I love famous daves this is my first time and last time at this location. Originally got sat at a table but after 10 mins and no service we moved to the bar. A nine seat bar and the service is still horrible appears to be two bartenders one taking tables. Note there are four people at the bar we have been waiting 40mins for our food. Highly disappointed.
(1)
CJ P.
Food was underwhelming. Everything was over sauced, probably to make up for the lack of taste and quality to the meat served. Ribs and brisket were dry and bland but sauce was overly sweet Baked beans tasted like eating a jar of molasses. How many cups of brown sugar did they dump into the beans for crying out loud? Menu also needs to be updated to reflect changes in their recipes We ordered nachos for an appetizer and it came with everything but the kitchen sink, would've probably been passable for me, but eating with a finnicky eater.. That got sent back like a bowl of soup with hair in it. All I can say is "meh" Nothing to write home about
(2)
Mike J.
I had the beef brisket with the mac and cheese and coleslaw. The brisket had a good taste and very tender. The mac and cheese was very good. It had jalapeño pepper piece in it, great flavor. The service was excellent and my server was very friendly.
(4)
Kris A.
Went in for lunch with colleagues today. I had the Texas Manhandler topped with cole slaw (at our servers recommendation) and a side of fries. The sandwich is made up of sandwich beef brisket and zesty hot link sausage, sliced thin & piled high. The brisket was tender, the sausage juicy & spicy, and best thing of all...it had JUST the right amount of BBQ sauce on it. Not overshadowing the taste of the meats & slaw. The place was clean & service was excellent to top it all off. It was truly a good day for lunch!
(4)
Lenny S.
I can't believe we just came for dessert... All this BBQ looks so good! But I guess you can just come for dessert... I had "better than mom's pecan pie"! Holy crap it was good! A huge slice(good for 3 people) served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I also sampled the bread pudding which was really good...and i don't like bread puddin...(also enough to serve 3!) It seems like a fun spot. Good for A chill date night with your regular chic if you don't mind getting messy. The atmosphere was a bit loud, the tables are a bit close together and it was like we were up in everyone's conversation. This place "helps pigs reach their full potential..." ...and "smoking is allowed, as long as you have hickory!"
(5)
Wally S.
Consistency is the hallmark of a restaurant. I've eaten at Famous Dave's before and had reasonably experiences, but this just wasn't one of them. All of my sides; cole slaw, green beans, and garlic mashed potatoes we acceptable. The cornbread muffin was excellent. The beef brisket was way off the mark. The rub used was heavy in salt which overpowered the natural smoky flavor of what brisket is supposed to be. The meat could have used about an hour extra of cooking since it lacked the tenderness and the pull apart quality that I expect from brisket. So overall I was rather disappointed in Famous Dave's and will move it far down in my list of goto barbecue places.
(2)
Liz T.
It's Famous Dave's - decent food at a decent price.
(3)
Mickie W.
I'm not much for chains but we were out and I was hungry. We arrived during dinner service and it wasn't too busy. It was a week night so I didn't expect it to be. We were seated quickly and waited a short time for our drinks. Our waitress seemed pretty distracted with straightening up empty tables and small talk. It wasn't terribly annoying but it took 10 minutes longer for her to head to the kitchen and find our food. We placed our order and watched 2 tables after ours finish theirs before ours came out. Eh, everyone has an off day and we were there enjoying my husbands birthday. HAPPY BIrTHDAY HONEY!! My brisket was super duper dry and our waitress was very kind and quickly brought out something else. (Great job) Here's the sour part... The staff came out 4 times making a HUGE ruckus and singing a birthday song for several tables. They toted out some desert plate and clapped and got silly. I really don't mind a little celebration but sheesh!!!! We couldn't talk to each other or even think as 3 of the tables were next to ours. So we got our food and every 5 minutes they were singing. Kudos to the waitress for fixing my meal. Quick seating Food was good except brisket. Tone down the clapping and super loud singing.
(3)
Kara W.
Famous Dave's is one of those places you land after a busy day on Eureka Rd doing errands, and you just can't resist that amazing smell anymore. That said, going in, I was not expecting much from a chain BBQ restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised. Nothing I had was bad; in fact, some of the food I devoured and almost licked my plate clean. Service wise, I was impressed. One of the occasions we were there, we had both our 4 and 2 year olds with us, and our 2 year old dumped a completely full glass of soda on the ground. I couldn't even get down there to start cleaning up before there were 3 employees in the ground, all saying "don't worry about it - we've got it - it happens!" I was very impressed. Never had an empty glass, and there were always lots of extra napkins - important for a BBQ restaurant haha. Overall, I was pleased with both the food and the service we found here. Will definitely be going back.
(4)
Vince N.
I have been to this location multiple times. Some of the best chain BBQ I have ever had. Burnt Ends - flavorful and tender Ribs - were cooked to perfection, not overcooked fall of the bone, or undercooked and to chewy. I always order them naked. Mac & Cheese- avg Fries- avg Corn Bread Muffin - Star of the show, could easily eat a dozen. Service - friendly and prompt. Sauces are all very good, with Texas Pit being my favorite, I always have a bottle at home in my fridge. P.S. I am sort of a BBQ snob, and do own 2 smokers at home. Ate at Corky's in Memphis last summer, and prefer Famous Daves anytime.
(4)
James M.
My favorite barbecue restaurant of ALL time! "LOVE" their St . Louis ribs & their burnt ends are "PHENOMENAL!!!" House salad is really good & their ranch (which has a lot of dill) is the "BEST!!!" Love their wedges, with the Georgia Mustard sauce. Other sides will not disappoint either. Service is usually really good too. GO :-)
(5)
Austin R.
This place is so friendly. When ordering the staff is patient and they are very helpful. I haven't been around courtiest staff. *I forgot how to spell it lol* Overall this is a great place when you want to order quickly but you don't want to be around in social areas with people. I love it!
(4)
Kate B.
Well, my sister had to give it another try. She had a coupon for a free appetizer and must have forgot how sick she was last time because she decided to eat here after Xmas shopping. It's a basic chain restaurant with a fishing/hunting/Bubba therme. If your boyfriend proposes to go here, it's not to give you a ring...but you might get to romp in the bed of his truck for dessert. Paper towels on the table, flat screens on the wall, very hard wooden chairs tell you to "Eat and leave!" Mullets and mohawks, Christmas sweats and baseball caps are the fashion choices. A six pack of barbecue sauces on the table is the main focus. The bottles are grimy from the previous guests. Choices range from Rich and Sassy to Devil's Spit. Taste before dousing your meat so you don't get surprised. We ordered the sampler platter which had onion strings and pickled veggies, pork, chicken tenders, catfish fingers and dipping sauces. I ordered a stuffed potato with cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter and bacon. It came with a side of coleslaw and a corn muffin. There was about a tablespoon of toppings for a large baked potato. I had to add salt and some of the blue cheese dressing to make it taste like something. My sister had a similar problem with her drink. She added sugar to balance the flavors. Throughout the meal, we were doctoring and fiddling with things to get them to taste good. The service was fast and competent. We were seated by a work station and heard all about the call-offs and problems they were plagued with but they kept things rolling. The staff did seem that they were just treading water until their shifts ended. They weren't having fun and their attitude extended to the customers as well. We didn't finish our meal or order dessert. We did take the remains home and will see what we can do with them. Did we get sick this time? No, the food was fine. But I didn't feel that I'd have to come back.
(3)
RE A.
I don't think it's fair to pay a tip when you don't get service wait staff make their money selling food I should think about that when they want a tip especially if they don't provide any service.
(1)
Norm S.
I absolutely love this place. The traditional wings are some of the best I've had. Always go with Wilbur's revenge hot sauce. It's the best hot sauce I've had on wings north of Louisiana. The staff is always super friendly and I've never had bad service. The beer selection isn't too shabby either.
(5)
Sarah B.
Busy busy busy!!! But love love love!!! Crystal is such an awesome server! Fast friendly and efficient! Bartenders drinks are always on point but it's the jalapeño Mac and cheese and their crazy sauces that I love to put on my wings that keep me coming back!!
(5)
De'Angelo L.
perfect lunch spot amazing food and it's not even a mile away from my job great lunch deals plus if you ask for a lunch punch card you get a free lunch after the 7th visit....
(5)
Nikki C.
Went here to utilize my birthday freebie (BOGO Meal with $15.99 value) with friends. I sat at the bar to wait for them to arrive. The bartender chick was nowhere to be found... so a colleague poured my beer and said the bartender would be right over. That drink kept me busy for a bit, then my friends started to arrive and finally, the bartender did, too. I would have ordered more from her, but who knows if she would have been around to either take another order or bring me my bill, so I asked for the bill as soon as I had her attention. We were seated and had a pleasant meal. The prices are Famous Dave's aren't bad for the quantity of food that you get. Everything tasted fantastic and we didn't wait long for anything in the dining area. The waitress was friendly and accomodating. I'd go back, but not to the bar! Plus, no drink specials or happy hour?? Really, Famous Dave's??
(3)
Brian K.
Okay....it had been two years or more that my wife and I were here. MUCH better service as well as food - We had the burnt ends (wow, very good) and the You Pick Two (Her: chicken and brisket) and (Me: Brisket & pulled pork). Both were good, slightly moist and descent flavor....The only reason that got 4 stars was the sauce, well, was okay at best...
(4)
Kelly S.
I love Famous Daves...I've never had a meal here I didn't like. The place can get a little crammed up, like you basically have to sit in someone's lap if you are heading to the restroom & someone else is coming your way but other than that I have no complaints. Good food, good service, good bar, good times!
(4)
Phil M.
I've been here many times and overall it's always been pretty good for a chain. The service can be hit or miss and it can be very loud in the dinning area. I love the bread pudding.
(3)
R T.
Famous Dave's is famous for its ribs. It even mentions Memphis style ribs. To this day, a rib dinner at Corky's in Memphis has been the single best rib dinner I've ever had. It's a high I had been chasing for years. Here was Famous Dave's, 5 miles from the Detroit Metro Airport, which mentioned Memphis and ribs on the same entree. I had to go. I ordered the full slab of baby backs. The ribs had great flavor. The outside had that Memphis-style dry rub. You could get 2 sides and the wedge fries were nice and crispy outside, mealy inside. The cole slaw was great -- the best taste and crunch. There was a fairly good selection of beers on tap -- I had a lemony summer shandy. Nice and lemony, great with the meal. Never had that before. Service was excellent -- super efficient and attentive to my every need. But it's all about the ribs, right? I covered the best of it but let's be fair. Famous Dave was NOT able to supply the true Memphis rib experience that I remembered. The ribs I remember at Corky's were juicy, with lots of meat and really was falling-of- the-bone soft. Though Famous Dave was able to get really good flavor, they just plain fell down on the falling-of-the-bone part. These ribs were dry. And a little tough. Pulling them off the bone took a bit of effort. I knew there was going to be a lot of flossing later. Again, it was tasty, but Dave, could you just tell it straight? Famous Dave's menu says "pit-smoked for 3-4 hours till it's fallin'- off-the-bone tender." That's just wrong! Maybe, I'm not being fair. Maybe I should have known better. How can a chain (Famous Dave's operates restaurants across the country and there are several in the Detroit area) compete with a local specialty restaurant that's been making ribs the same way for the same people for generations? But wait. Corky's BBQ is a chain. I suggest Famous Dave get back to basics. If it really is all about the ribs, as the paraphernalia hanging on the lobby suggests, and as the t-shirt on the wait staff say ("we dig the pig") then select some better ribs, really have a pit boss, slow cook the ribs just right. I'm not saying a chain can't make good food, but Famous Dave seems to have fallen victim to a strategy at overpromises with marketing and underdelivers on the rib experience.
(2)
Andrew B.
Let me start by letting you know that Famous Daves has the greatest drink special EVER! Wilbur Wednesdays WOW! On Wednesdays Guinness is only $1 a pint not a perfect pour by any means but a $1 dollar Guinness. WOW! If Guinness isn't your thing (you suck) but the do offer other beers at that price like Blue Moon, Bud etc. Unfortunately the food is...well... Meh. Not the greatest it certainly isn't the worst but you can do better. Sadly Wilbur Wednesdays are no more :(
(3)
Steven B.
Best BBQ this side of the equator. Nothing in Metro Detroit compare to these ribs! Excellent service and great sides as well. Very good value.
(5)
Donna R.
Stopped here on a Friday night to use our PIG Club birthday bonus, which is a buy-one, get the second dinner half-off deal.... the coolest part being you can us it on carry-out. YAY! Because I hate eating ribs in public. I want to go full-out with my ribs and just cant do it while sitting with strangers. So we rolled in and ordered carryout from the super friendly carry out girl. Considering it was a very busy evening "before the snowstorm" our wait wasn't long at all. We ordered the Original baby back ribs and bbq chicken dinner, and a Texas brisket with bbq chicken combo. Then we sat down to share it all between the two of us. The baby backs were sauced and awesome. The brisket was really tasty but the rub was a tad salty...but they inspired me to buy a brisket at the butchers and graze QVC for a cool smoker to do them in. And the bbq chicken was a small quarter chicken (leg and thigh, or wing and breast) tasty, but SMALL. That chicken needed to grow up some. Our sides were good: the corn muffin was good and moist; my well done wedge fries were plentiful and perfectly seasoned; the coleslaw is chopped, crunchy, on the mildly sweet side, and really, really good (I am super-picky about cole slaw) the Wilbur beans were to die for. The macaroni and cheese was adequate, although I have had better from this location. Its has a kick to it and also has corn kernels in it...strange...but it WORKS! We also ordered a side bowl of Dave's Famous Chili with our savings from the PIG Club promotion. The Mr. hurt himself devouring that. We did not get the corn this time, but when we have, it was supreme. FD is very generous with additional sauce packs, wipes, utensils and the like. No problems there. When you take a look at your food before you sit down to chow, you think..."no....this will never be enough...I will still be hungry." WRONG. Although the portions seem smallish (except for the fabulous wedge fries!) trust me, this is filling food. The only real bitch I have is, if you order an extra side (like we did with the mac and cheese) its pricey. 2.29 for an extra half cup of mac and cheese, beans, coleslaw, whatever...that stuff is cheap....seems like they could scale that charge back some. I'd actually prefer to see them offer a larger side portion that feeds more than 1 person...how about a quart sized side of whatever so everyone in the house can have some without breaking the bank? This is why we order and share like we do - its just too spendy to add on smallish sides for the most part. I'll continue to eat Famous Dave's, as it is good food and not the same old pizza, chicken, Chinese, typical Friday night fare......its good and its different, and in the middle of winter, it tastes like SUMMER! My problem is, once I am hooked on one dish I like, I hate to try other stuff. That Georgia chopped pork and the Burnt Ends are calling my name...but is it loud enough for me to give up my beloved baby back ribs? Not too sure.
(4)
Cheryl W.
Best BBQ chicken..ribs are good too..this is the only place i will eat ribs at..I usually do my own cooking.
(5)
Chris J.
I have been to this Famous Daves several times and the food and service was great, But my visit on 03/01/14 was not a good the service was great but the first order of ribs had burn sauce on them that gave the ribs a burnt after taste in your mouth so we sent those back only to receive some that where to tough to eat so now to the beef brisket had a good taste but just to tough to eat sent back replaced with pulled pork which was really good I think the next time i go to a FD it will be the one in westland
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Craig M.
Good evening Ladies & Gentlemen. Welcome to the Main Event. [Que Rocky's Theme "Gonna Fly Now" by Bill Conti ] Tonight's heavyweight bout features the defending champ, a local 5-star BBQ favorite with national awards. Slow's BBQ of Detroit. And in the opposite corner, the opponent, an upstart from the south, Famous Dave's BBQ. Dandy Don, does a chain restaurant such as Famous Dave's really have a chance in the ring with the heavyweight champ? Well Howard, Famous Dave's is certainly at a disadvantage with this perennial champ. But there is a chance if they can deliver the goods and strike deep at the heart of their opponent. They could just pull off an upset. The keys to this bout are RS3... Ribs, Sauce, Sides and Service. [Que Michael Buffer - "Let's get ready to rumble!"] Round 1 - Ribs The round begins with both opponents delivering tender, meaty, juicy, bones, slow roasted with a dry rub coating. Slows half slab weights in a $18.99 while the Famous Dave's half slab offers the same number of bones for $14.99. In a surprise first round, my scorecard calls it a draw. Round 2 - Sauce Both Slow's and Famous Dave's offer 5 different BBQ sauces on the table for personal rib customization. Stepping through the Famous Dave's Sauces are several worthy attempts to satisfy any taste. The best of the bunch is the "Texas Pit" BBQ Sauce which is tangy with a nice peppery bite without being a flame thrower like the "Devil's Pit" sauce. But this round goes to Slow's whose Applewood Sauce just can't be beat on Pork. Round 3 - Sides Famous Dave's pulled out the stops offering 4 sides with the meal. Corn on the Cobb and a Corn bread muffin are standard fare, plus you get the choice of two additional sides. I choose the Amaretto Baked Apples and Garlic Mashed potatoes. The Corn Bread Muffin was stale and crumbly. Garlic Mashed potatoes were bland with little hint of garlic, but the Baked Apples were very good and made up for the others. Overall, Round 3 goes to Slow's whose Mac & Cheese side dish slays all opponents. Round 4 - Service This is where the challenger landed deep body blows and had the champ pinned into the corner. Gina, our waitress, was simply fabulous. She handled my lunch group (we're not exactly easy) with humor, efficiency and a nice smile. My glass was never empty. The champ has earned a reputation of namesake service... i.e. slow. This round goes to Famous Dave's. [Que "The Final Bell" by Bill Conti ] Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a Split Decision! Two judges call it 3-4, while four judges call it 4-1 in favor of the current heavy weight champion. Dandy Don, Famous Dave's gave it a noble effort and offered great taste and great value. The champ looked like it was in trouble when it came to service... What happened? Well Howard, to unseat the champ you need to deliver a knockout punch. While this was a 5-star performance by Famous Dave's, there were no knockout punches on either side. [Que the Sports Center theme music ] BREAKING NEWS... This just in... The Champ has granted Famous Dave's a rematch. This is exciting news Dandy Don... This rematch could become known as the "Thriller from Downriver".
(5)David K.
The best brisket I have had at a Famous Daves. The Daves XXXXX sauce is pretty damn hot. And I love hot.
(3)Phil S.
Food was decent today, wait was wayyyy to long for an early Sunday dinner sat in lobby for 35 minutes, well stood I guess cause all the seats were taken. ....waitress was pretty awesome today can't remember her name though. Bad part of visit was getting home and not having the bottle of Georgia mustard sauce I thought I was getting. Made my whole visit turn to crap
(4)Mary K.
We visited Famous Dave's on the recommendation of my boyfriend's brother. He raved... we thought it was pretty good... well "okay plus." In my opinion the prices are a little on the high side, but we had an all-around pretty good meal. I got the beef brisket -- this was good. It was a good portion, although maybe a little small for the price. The corn muffin that came with it was awesome, the mac and cheese was sub par and the green beans were good. One bonus: the meals come with two sides (plus - overcooked - corn on the cob), which is appreciated. They aren't huge but they are reasonable. My boyfriend got BBQ chicken, which was tasty, and he loved the baked beans and steak fries. The fries were big and very dense -- very potato-ey if that makes sense. Personally I like crispier fries but to each his own. As far as the service goes, it was... meh. When we walked in the hostess asked if she could sit us at the high top in the bar area near the door... we were servers for years and know how hard it is to seat those tables by the door... we sat there and it was okay. But it was very, very unprofessional to be like dancing around and making robot voices (seriously) in hearing range the whole time we were there. It's a very casual joint, so it was more funny than anything, but come on! The server was also the bartender, so most of the time she was okay but the rhythm of drink refills and such was off. The food came nice and quickly. We noticed that they seem to have really good happy hour specials and $1.00 PBR pints! We did not partake but that is cool. The coolest thing was the 5 types of BBQ sauce on the table -- all of them were tasty, too, albeit a little similar to each other (with the exception of the Georgia Mustard sauce -- most of them were sweet and spicy, but that one was more savory). Overall I would visit again if I was in the area but wouldn't go out of my way to go there.
(3)Lori H.
With a name like this, and me only eating seafood, I had doubts about this place. However, friends picked it for a get together, so I figured at worst, I would get a salad. Anyway, super yummy food! Great service, and fun atmosphere. The BBQ salmon is aMAZing, as is the mac and cheese. great prices, and I get coupons sent to my email all the time which get us free apps, free dessert, etc. HIghly recommend.
(4)Mike S.
The spare ribs were tough and chewy and definitely overpriced. (Even if they were good). The corn bread and the BBQ sauce was good, but not good enough to make up for the 20 bucks I wasted on this meal. I won't be going back. It blows my mind that these chain BBQ restaurants can't get their ribs perfect every time, especially when you're shelling out $20 for a slab. The Chicken Shack manages to get their ribs pretty close to perfect every time and they're a chicken joint! You'd think a BBQ place would have the secret to consistent ribs, but this place doesn't.
(1)Olivia H.
Excellent food,fun environment, great staff. The ribs are my favorite next to the brisket sandwich (texas man handler)
(5)Cara M.
WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE, EVER! I have dined in multiple times and the service is always so slowwwww. Also, forget if you want sides of sauces or refills on drinks....our waitresses always disappear and come around for the bare minimum. Also, my mom ordered carry out for a family party and asked if I could go pick it up with her debit card. I got there with just enough time to pay and come home before our guests arrived. The manager told me because it wasn't my card that I would have to go find an ATM and pay in cash....couldn't they have told me that over the phone when we placed the order?!?! The manager was not understanding and was very brief about the situation. We were spending $100 dollars on carry out for a family party. I cannot believe the inconvenienced that was caused.
(2)Tina K.
Best place to eat at ever, loved the food it was wonderful. Service was amazing, my waitress "famous Lindsey" was awesome, really nice and funny. I'll defiantly be back soon. (:
(5)Gary W.
What a great place to eat. I like barbeque so I had expectations. They have great food and the last time I was there fast service. Personal favorites bone in rib tips.. Yum and the Texas brisket it awesome. Great cornbread ,potatoes, green beans. I didn't think the burgers were that good .and fries are big and tasteless . That my only complaint but it is a BBQ joint. Not to mention all the different sauces. Great experience from staff. Recommended.
(4)Jim B.
Very good meal and our server Katie was very attentive and personable. If you have enough room for desert I highly recommend the Kahlua chocolate cake.
(5)Amanda L.
Okay I love famous daves this is my first time and last time at this location. Originally got sat at a table but after 10 mins and no service we moved to the bar. A nine seat bar and the service is still horrible appears to be two bartenders one taking tables. Note there are four people at the bar we have been waiting 40mins for our food. Highly disappointed.
(1)CJ P.
Food was underwhelming. Everything was over sauced, probably to make up for the lack of taste and quality to the meat served. Ribs and brisket were dry and bland but sauce was overly sweet Baked beans tasted like eating a jar of molasses. How many cups of brown sugar did they dump into the beans for crying out loud? Menu also needs to be updated to reflect changes in their recipes We ordered nachos for an appetizer and it came with everything but the kitchen sink, would've probably been passable for me, but eating with a finnicky eater.. That got sent back like a bowl of soup with hair in it. All I can say is "meh" Nothing to write home about
(2)Mike J.
I had the beef brisket with the mac and cheese and coleslaw. The brisket had a good taste and very tender. The mac and cheese was very good. It had jalapeño pepper piece in it, great flavor. The service was excellent and my server was very friendly.
(4)Kris A.
Went in for lunch with colleagues today. I had the Texas Manhandler topped with cole slaw (at our servers recommendation) and a side of fries. The sandwich is made up of sandwich beef brisket and zesty hot link sausage, sliced thin & piled high. The brisket was tender, the sausage juicy & spicy, and best thing of all...it had JUST the right amount of BBQ sauce on it. Not overshadowing the taste of the meats & slaw. The place was clean & service was excellent to top it all off. It was truly a good day for lunch!
(4)Lenny S.
I can't believe we just came for dessert... All this BBQ looks so good! But I guess you can just come for dessert... I had "better than mom's pecan pie"! Holy crap it was good! A huge slice(good for 3 people) served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I also sampled the bread pudding which was really good...and i don't like bread puddin...(also enough to serve 3!) It seems like a fun spot. Good for A chill date night with your regular chic if you don't mind getting messy. The atmosphere was a bit loud, the tables are a bit close together and it was like we were up in everyone's conversation. This place "helps pigs reach their full potential..." ...and "smoking is allowed, as long as you have hickory!"
(5)Wally S.
Consistency is the hallmark of a restaurant. I've eaten at Famous Dave's before and had reasonably experiences, but this just wasn't one of them. All of my sides; cole slaw, green beans, and garlic mashed potatoes we acceptable. The cornbread muffin was excellent. The beef brisket was way off the mark. The rub used was heavy in salt which overpowered the natural smoky flavor of what brisket is supposed to be. The meat could have used about an hour extra of cooking since it lacked the tenderness and the pull apart quality that I expect from brisket. So overall I was rather disappointed in Famous Dave's and will move it far down in my list of goto barbecue places.
(2)Liz T.
It's Famous Dave's - decent food at a decent price.
(3)Mickie W.
I'm not much for chains but we were out and I was hungry. We arrived during dinner service and it wasn't too busy. It was a week night so I didn't expect it to be. We were seated quickly and waited a short time for our drinks. Our waitress seemed pretty distracted with straightening up empty tables and small talk. It wasn't terribly annoying but it took 10 minutes longer for her to head to the kitchen and find our food. We placed our order and watched 2 tables after ours finish theirs before ours came out. Eh, everyone has an off day and we were there enjoying my husbands birthday. HAPPY BIrTHDAY HONEY!! My brisket was super duper dry and our waitress was very kind and quickly brought out something else. (Great job) Here's the sour part... The staff came out 4 times making a HUGE ruckus and singing a birthday song for several tables. They toted out some desert plate and clapped and got silly. I really don't mind a little celebration but sheesh!!!! We couldn't talk to each other or even think as 3 of the tables were next to ours. So we got our food and every 5 minutes they were singing. Kudos to the waitress for fixing my meal. Quick seating Food was good except brisket. Tone down the clapping and super loud singing.
(3)Kara W.
Famous Dave's is one of those places you land after a busy day on Eureka Rd doing errands, and you just can't resist that amazing smell anymore. That said, going in, I was not expecting much from a chain BBQ restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised. Nothing I had was bad; in fact, some of the food I devoured and almost licked my plate clean. Service wise, I was impressed. One of the occasions we were there, we had both our 4 and 2 year olds with us, and our 2 year old dumped a completely full glass of soda on the ground. I couldn't even get down there to start cleaning up before there were 3 employees in the ground, all saying "don't worry about it - we've got it - it happens!" I was very impressed. Never had an empty glass, and there were always lots of extra napkins - important for a BBQ restaurant haha. Overall, I was pleased with both the food and the service we found here. Will definitely be going back.
(4)Vince N.
I have been to this location multiple times. Some of the best chain BBQ I have ever had. Burnt Ends - flavorful and tender Ribs - were cooked to perfection, not overcooked fall of the bone, or undercooked and to chewy. I always order them naked. Mac & Cheese- avg Fries- avg Corn Bread Muffin - Star of the show, could easily eat a dozen. Service - friendly and prompt. Sauces are all very good, with Texas Pit being my favorite, I always have a bottle at home in my fridge. P.S. I am sort of a BBQ snob, and do own 2 smokers at home. Ate at Corky's in Memphis last summer, and prefer Famous Daves anytime.
(4)James M.
My favorite barbecue restaurant of ALL time! "LOVE" their St . Louis ribs & their burnt ends are "PHENOMENAL!!!" House salad is really good & their ranch (which has a lot of dill) is the "BEST!!!" Love their wedges, with the Georgia Mustard sauce. Other sides will not disappoint either. Service is usually really good too. GO :-)
(5)Austin R.
This place is so friendly. When ordering the staff is patient and they are very helpful. I haven't been around courtiest staff. *I forgot how to spell it lol* Overall this is a great place when you want to order quickly but you don't want to be around in social areas with people. I love it!
(4)Kate B.
Well, my sister had to give it another try. She had a coupon for a free appetizer and must have forgot how sick she was last time because she decided to eat here after Xmas shopping. It's a basic chain restaurant with a fishing/hunting/Bubba therme. If your boyfriend proposes to go here, it's not to give you a ring...but you might get to romp in the bed of his truck for dessert. Paper towels on the table, flat screens on the wall, very hard wooden chairs tell you to "Eat and leave!" Mullets and mohawks, Christmas sweats and baseball caps are the fashion choices. A six pack of barbecue sauces on the table is the main focus. The bottles are grimy from the previous guests. Choices range from Rich and Sassy to Devil's Spit. Taste before dousing your meat so you don't get surprised. We ordered the sampler platter which had onion strings and pickled veggies, pork, chicken tenders, catfish fingers and dipping sauces. I ordered a stuffed potato with cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter and bacon. It came with a side of coleslaw and a corn muffin. There was about a tablespoon of toppings for a large baked potato. I had to add salt and some of the blue cheese dressing to make it taste like something. My sister had a similar problem with her drink. She added sugar to balance the flavors. Throughout the meal, we were doctoring and fiddling with things to get them to taste good. The service was fast and competent. We were seated by a work station and heard all about the call-offs and problems they were plagued with but they kept things rolling. The staff did seem that they were just treading water until their shifts ended. They weren't having fun and their attitude extended to the customers as well. We didn't finish our meal or order dessert. We did take the remains home and will see what we can do with them. Did we get sick this time? No, the food was fine. But I didn't feel that I'd have to come back.
(3)RE A.
I don't think it's fair to pay a tip when you don't get service wait staff make their money selling food I should think about that when they want a tip especially if they don't provide any service.
(1)Norm S.
I absolutely love this place. The traditional wings are some of the best I've had. Always go with Wilbur's revenge hot sauce. It's the best hot sauce I've had on wings north of Louisiana. The staff is always super friendly and I've never had bad service. The beer selection isn't too shabby either.
(5)Sarah B.
Busy busy busy!!! But love love love!!! Crystal is such an awesome server! Fast friendly and efficient! Bartenders drinks are always on point but it's the jalapeño Mac and cheese and their crazy sauces that I love to put on my wings that keep me coming back!!
(5)De'Angelo L.
perfect lunch spot amazing food and it's not even a mile away from my job great lunch deals plus if you ask for a lunch punch card you get a free lunch after the 7th visit....
(5)Nikki C.
Went here to utilize my birthday freebie (BOGO Meal with $15.99 value) with friends. I sat at the bar to wait for them to arrive. The bartender chick was nowhere to be found... so a colleague poured my beer and said the bartender would be right over. That drink kept me busy for a bit, then my friends started to arrive and finally, the bartender did, too. I would have ordered more from her, but who knows if she would have been around to either take another order or bring me my bill, so I asked for the bill as soon as I had her attention. We were seated and had a pleasant meal. The prices are Famous Dave's aren't bad for the quantity of food that you get. Everything tasted fantastic and we didn't wait long for anything in the dining area. The waitress was friendly and accomodating. I'd go back, but not to the bar! Plus, no drink specials or happy hour?? Really, Famous Dave's??
(3)Brian K.
Okay....it had been two years or more that my wife and I were here. MUCH better service as well as food - We had the burnt ends (wow, very good) and the You Pick Two (Her: chicken and brisket) and (Me: Brisket & pulled pork). Both were good, slightly moist and descent flavor....The only reason that got 4 stars was the sauce, well, was okay at best...
(4)Kelly S.
I love Famous Daves...I've never had a meal here I didn't like. The place can get a little crammed up, like you basically have to sit in someone's lap if you are heading to the restroom & someone else is coming your way but other than that I have no complaints. Good food, good service, good bar, good times!
(4)Phil M.
I've been here many times and overall it's always been pretty good for a chain. The service can be hit or miss and it can be very loud in the dinning area. I love the bread pudding.
(3)R T.
Famous Dave's is famous for its ribs. It even mentions Memphis style ribs. To this day, a rib dinner at Corky's in Memphis has been the single best rib dinner I've ever had. It's a high I had been chasing for years. Here was Famous Dave's, 5 miles from the Detroit Metro Airport, which mentioned Memphis and ribs on the same entree. I had to go. I ordered the full slab of baby backs. The ribs had great flavor. The outside had that Memphis-style dry rub. You could get 2 sides and the wedge fries were nice and crispy outside, mealy inside. The cole slaw was great -- the best taste and crunch. There was a fairly good selection of beers on tap -- I had a lemony summer shandy. Nice and lemony, great with the meal. Never had that before. Service was excellent -- super efficient and attentive to my every need. But it's all about the ribs, right? I covered the best of it but let's be fair. Famous Dave was NOT able to supply the true Memphis rib experience that I remembered. The ribs I remember at Corky's were juicy, with lots of meat and really was falling-of- the-bone soft. Though Famous Dave was able to get really good flavor, they just plain fell down on the falling-of-the-bone part. These ribs were dry. And a little tough. Pulling them off the bone took a bit of effort. I knew there was going to be a lot of flossing later. Again, it was tasty, but Dave, could you just tell it straight? Famous Dave's menu says "pit-smoked for 3-4 hours till it's fallin'- off-the-bone tender." That's just wrong! Maybe, I'm not being fair. Maybe I should have known better. How can a chain (Famous Dave's operates restaurants across the country and there are several in the Detroit area) compete with a local specialty restaurant that's been making ribs the same way for the same people for generations? But wait. Corky's BBQ is a chain. I suggest Famous Dave get back to basics. If it really is all about the ribs, as the paraphernalia hanging on the lobby suggests, and as the t-shirt on the wait staff say ("we dig the pig") then select some better ribs, really have a pit boss, slow cook the ribs just right. I'm not saying a chain can't make good food, but Famous Dave seems to have fallen victim to a strategy at overpromises with marketing and underdelivers on the rib experience.
(2)Andrew B.
Let me start by letting you know that Famous Daves has the greatest drink special EVER! Wilbur Wednesdays WOW! On Wednesdays Guinness is only $1 a pint not a perfect pour by any means but a $1 dollar Guinness. WOW! If Guinness isn't your thing (you suck) but the do offer other beers at that price like Blue Moon, Bud etc. Unfortunately the food is...well... Meh. Not the greatest it certainly isn't the worst but you can do better. Sadly Wilbur Wednesdays are no more :(
(3)Steven B.
Best BBQ this side of the equator. Nothing in Metro Detroit compare to these ribs! Excellent service and great sides as well. Very good value.
(5)Donna R.
Stopped here on a Friday night to use our PIG Club birthday bonus, which is a buy-one, get the second dinner half-off deal.... the coolest part being you can us it on carry-out. YAY! Because I hate eating ribs in public. I want to go full-out with my ribs and just cant do it while sitting with strangers. So we rolled in and ordered carryout from the super friendly carry out girl. Considering it was a very busy evening "before the snowstorm" our wait wasn't long at all. We ordered the Original baby back ribs and bbq chicken dinner, and a Texas brisket with bbq chicken combo. Then we sat down to share it all between the two of us. The baby backs were sauced and awesome. The brisket was really tasty but the rub was a tad salty...but they inspired me to buy a brisket at the butchers and graze QVC for a cool smoker to do them in. And the bbq chicken was a small quarter chicken (leg and thigh, or wing and breast) tasty, but SMALL. That chicken needed to grow up some. Our sides were good: the corn muffin was good and moist; my well done wedge fries were plentiful and perfectly seasoned; the coleslaw is chopped, crunchy, on the mildly sweet side, and really, really good (I am super-picky about cole slaw) the Wilbur beans were to die for. The macaroni and cheese was adequate, although I have had better from this location. Its has a kick to it and also has corn kernels in it...strange...but it WORKS! We also ordered a side bowl of Dave's Famous Chili with our savings from the PIG Club promotion. The Mr. hurt himself devouring that. We did not get the corn this time, but when we have, it was supreme. FD is very generous with additional sauce packs, wipes, utensils and the like. No problems there. When you take a look at your food before you sit down to chow, you think..."no....this will never be enough...I will still be hungry." WRONG. Although the portions seem smallish (except for the fabulous wedge fries!) trust me, this is filling food. The only real bitch I have is, if you order an extra side (like we did with the mac and cheese) its pricey. 2.29 for an extra half cup of mac and cheese, beans, coleslaw, whatever...that stuff is cheap....seems like they could scale that charge back some. I'd actually prefer to see them offer a larger side portion that feeds more than 1 person...how about a quart sized side of whatever so everyone in the house can have some without breaking the bank? This is why we order and share like we do - its just too spendy to add on smallish sides for the most part. I'll continue to eat Famous Dave's, as it is good food and not the same old pizza, chicken, Chinese, typical Friday night fare......its good and its different, and in the middle of winter, it tastes like SUMMER! My problem is, once I am hooked on one dish I like, I hate to try other stuff. That Georgia chopped pork and the Burnt Ends are calling my name...but is it loud enough for me to give up my beloved baby back ribs? Not too sure.
(4)Cheryl W.
Best BBQ chicken..ribs are good too..this is the only place i will eat ribs at..I usually do my own cooking.
(5)Chris J.
I have been to this Famous Daves several times and the food and service was great, But my visit on 03/01/14 was not a good the service was great but the first order of ribs had burn sauce on them that gave the ribs a burnt after taste in your mouth so we sent those back only to receive some that where to tough to eat so now to the beef brisket had a good taste but just to tough to eat sent back replaced with pulled pork which was really good I think the next time i go to a FD it will be the one in westland
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