The food was pretty good however I was a bit disappointed by my ribs. I paid nearly $30 for the 9 bone rack of ribs and half of them were burnt to the point where the meat wasn't edible. Flavor was there though. read more

Ordered Famous Dave's for a work event. We got beef brisket and bbq pulled chicken, along with sides of mac & cheese, sweet corn (on the cob), potato salad, and garden salad. When the delivery driver arrived, I was worried that there wasn't going to be enough food for some reason. I don't know if it was the way it was packaged or what, but I was very wrong! We had so much delicious food! The brisket and the chicken were both huge hits. Famous Dave's provided us with a variety of bbq sauces and wet wipes which was great. Plenty of buns for sandwiches as well. The sides were all great. The mac & cheese was a big hit! Note - there is corn in the mac which is something I have never had before, but it was delish! Just something to be aware of for anyone with corn sensitivities. The salad was really impressive. It was just your basic ingredients, but everything was very fresh and crisp. The best part was the cheese! It was shredded, SMOKED, cheddar. I've never had smoked cheese on a salad before, but now I am hooked! Overall I am very happy with the food and service. Will probably order catering from them again in the future. read more

This is a wonderful place to to eat we had a great time yummy. The food is not very expensive and you get a lot for a little, the sampler was delicious. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Despite the fact the service was a bit spotty, we had a good meal. When we arrived at the restaurant it wasn't too busy. As soon as we sat down and started looking at the menus the place got a major rush. At that moment we predicted service could suffer and it did. Our server was a bit flustered because she had to serve all of the new people who came in. I ordered the 4 rib and pork burnt ends with greens , coleslaw, fries and corn bread. My wife ordered the pulled pork and chicken wing dinner with greens, rice, corn bread with a side Caesar salad. The server bought our food out, but we didn't have our greens and my wife's Caesar salad. We waited a while, but we finally got our sides and salad along with some extra fries, I think that was a mistake, but we ate them nonetheless. The waitress recognized the issues and got permission to adjust our checks, I actually was not that put off and was willing to pay for the sides. We thanked her and left her her a tip as we usually do. Both meals were tasty and we had a good time. read more

Went it today at lunch time. I had 1/2 rack of Ribs, Beans & Coleslaw. I got my food quick and everything tasted very good. Cammy was the Bartender/Server she was Smiley and very friendly. I give her and Dave's 2 Thumbs up if I had 4 thumbs I would give her more. I will go back again Great Job Cammy!!! read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

When my boyfriend and I were seated at this location, we waited 20 minutes before we decided to just get up and leave. Nobody got us drinks. Nobody apologized for the wait. We were just ignored and passed over. A couple was seated near us about 10 minutes into our wait and 10 minutes later someone came to serve them. The server walked away and still nobody came to us so we just got up and left. Again no apologies or anything. Could have possibly gotten more than just one star if we even got any food but unfortunately this is the only experience I have to base this rating off of. First and definitely last time visiting a Famous Daves. Would not recommend. read more

Super rude service, food might be decent but customer service is terrible so do not recommend eating in AT ALL. Find better workers or keep loosing business. read more

We came in at 8:30 knowing they close at 9pm. We expected to be turned away, but the staff (specifically the manager Kyle) made our experience amazing. The food was delicious, but Kyle was the real treat. We were the only people in the restaurant and didn't feel rushed at all. We left around 9:12pm because we didn't want to keep the staff waiting. However, Kyle reassured us to enjoy our food and not rush. We left extremely thankful and incredibly "sauced". Thank you Kyle and staff!!! read more

Always good BBQ at this chain. Prices are very reasonable for what you get. Their lunch specials are even more reasonably priced than their dinner menu options. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Shredded Pork and catfish fingers lunch platter - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Kind of a bummer of a meal taste-wise. The chicken wings were a little cold. The ribs and fries were overly salty. The chicken and the brisket were just okay. And the sides (corn, beans, and slaw were not appetizing at all). Overall it was just below average for me, hence the rating. The place does have some decent seating for bigger groups and the food comes out fairly quick. read more

We keep going because my wife likes it. But only on special occasions, and only when she requests it. I grew up near one of the original restaurants in Minnesota, and I remember the food when Dave Anderson still oversaw things. It was always a special treat. The meat fell of the bone, tender, and juicy. The amount of sauce was perfect. Now, the ribs are tough, chewy, and dry and they drown them in sauce. Also, they didn't cut them between the bones, so I had to pick out bits of bone before eating each rib. We got takeout for Mother's Day, and I'm not even going to eat the leftovers. In my experience, these changes happened years ago when Dave sold the chain. Since then, every bite tastes like corporate cost-cutting. But that was long ago,so why am I writing a review now? Well, the bits of bone thing mentioned above, and also they seem to have changed the recipe of the baked beans. Now, there are tons of tiny, crunchy onions in it--at least the order I got. Are there really people out there who like barely cooked onions in their beans? The salad is a standard iceberg lettuce salad. Probably from a vacuum sealed bag. The croutons were stale and chewy. The staff at the Madison location is great. My kids like the chicken fingers and cheeseburger. And I always get a 6-pack of corn muffins, which I think are still very good. We'll go back (when my wife asks), but I'm done with their ribs and baked beans. I will either order something else or just won't order anything. If I want ribs, I'll go elsewhere. read more

I was lured in by 2 specials - buy $100 GC, get $40 bonus certificates and BOGO appetizers. It had been a while since I'd visited FD's, and I'd forgotten how much I liked it. This visit, I had the Smokin' Island Tea and Black Cherry Smash, both of which I liked - preparation of the Smokin' Island Tea is entertaining, too - they really do put smoke in it. I had 2 appetizers, Catfish Fingers and Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage, both of which were excellent. For my entree, I had a hamburger, which was also great. Couldn't eat it all, so I have some leftovers for today. read more

Would give NEGATIVE stars if I could! Talked to the manager, Cliff or Clint in December about catering my wedding. He sent me an invoice. I emailed in August (wedding in September) to verify and ask about how I should pay. Never heard back. Ended up calling and getting told that we are not in the books. THREE WEEKS BEFORE MY WEDDING! The guy who we talked to kept telling me we were wrong and must not have booked. Even though we had an invoice. Talked to corporate, who were very nice! And they were able to get us on the books. Wedding day comes, and they show up AN HOUR LATE!!!!!! When I called the store to make sure someone was actually coming, I got told "oh honey, call the caterer". Which goes to corporate, who are only here during business hours! Was able to talk to a manager and verify that someone was actually on their way. Food was super cold and ribs were extremely tough. Not even worth the wait. read more

This was a horrible experience, we got in and it was not busy we were seated and proceeded to wait as the hostess instructed us that the server would be right with us. 10 minutes later and still no one to ask if we wanted drinks let alone for them to know they would be right with us. We decided to wait a little longer and a couple that came in after us were waited on nearly right away . 20 minutes past and still no one came to ask for our orders or drinks. I was the only colored person in the restaurant and everyone else was Caucasian those who came in after my girlfriend and I were waited on and orders taken. Will never go to another famous daves read more

I gotta say that I had low expectations for Famous Dave's. It gives off a real chainy vibe. However, their barbecue is pretty decent. They also have a lot of sauces instead just the same old sugary ketchupy barbecue sauce at most places. Their corn bread is also tasty and addicting. What i like about famous dave's is their all american platters. It's really fun to get some friends together and share a big plate of barbecue food. However, I wasnt a fan of most of their sides. They weren't bad, but nothing really stood out. read more

Famous Dave's is kind of like the McDonalds of barbeque. You know exactly how it's going to taste. It's not all that authentic, but it's still tasty. However, there are much better barbeque places in this town, so why waste your time here? read more

Before I started Yelping here in Madison, we lived for 13 years in the Twin Cities, the adopted hometown of Famous Dave Anderson, where he turned his original, Hayward, Wis., BBQ joint into a multi-state chain. We have been to Famous Dave's dozens of times in close to a dozen locations. Their quality is very consistent -- solid, not spectacular, although their portion sizes have shrunk over the years. We'll be back to Famous Dave's many more times, I'm sure. For now, I'm just going to letter grade all the menu items I remember trying: Brisket: A-. Some of the best I've had. Nice smoke ring, tender, deep flavor. The minus is for the small portions and occasional grisly days. Use the Texas Pit sauce. Pulled pork: B+. I'm not a huge pulled pork fan but theirs is pretty good. I like it with the Georgia Mustard, Devil's Spit or Wilbur's Revenge sauce. Ribs/rib tips: B+/A-. The ribs are pricey but tender and smoky. Sometimes overcooked. The tips come in a generous portion, naked with a rub, and a tangy sauce. They get a minus only because they're tips, not ribs. Still, I'd get them over the ribs just for the value. Hot links: B. Good smoked sausage, nothing special. They seem overcooked sometimes, as well. I like them with the brisket on the Texas Manhandler sandwich. Chicken: smoked - B; roasted - C. Kinda greasy and made with scrawny chickens, but the BBQ chicken holds the smoke flavor well. Skip the roast chicken. It's got a sweet flavor with a hint of citrus. Lemon, maybe? I don't get it. New: Burnt ends. B+. Would be an A if the portion was bigger. These are very tender, hold their smoke flavor and definitely worth trying. Just order an extra side so you don't leave hungry. Wings: Skip them. My son thinks they made him sick. Possible, because they're just not good. Go to a wing joint for wings. Sides: Beans C, potato salad B, coleslaw B+, fries B+, corn muffins B, corn cobs C-, garlic mashed potatoes B-, drunken apples B+ (my kids' fav side). read more

This was a tough one for me to write as overall I like Famous Dave's quite a bit but I have had a couple of "not so good" experiences as of late, and I thought I should let people know about them. FIRST - Do not get take out from this location - I cannot comment about other locations but this one is just not good. It seems to me they save the best ribs for those dining in and give the old, dry, cold ones to the take out people.....BOOOOOOO. Secondly - the restaurant as a whole just seems to be in decline. We live very close to this location and I drive by it regularly and it just seems to always be very slow around the place. Not sure if it is the poor quality of food they are putting out or what but something should change. I absolutely love ribs and their sauces are the best but come on Famous Dave.....get your quality back up and maybe just maybe you will get people back in the door. read more

We ordered carry out and my advice is to check EVERYTHING before you leave. What we found out when we got home is that meal inclusions, listed on the menus, were actually NOT included and if you don't ask for BBQ sauce...you WONT get any. When I called the next day, I was told that some menu item offerings had changed and they had no control as to if/when a menu update would occur. My response: Soooooo...no one could have told me that when we ordered?? In regards to my missing items that I paid for and they just simply did not put them in our bags...well, if I'd like to drive back there today and pick them up...they would have them ready for me... Really?! As for the BBQ sauce...well apparently that's all my fault for not asking for any sauce and expecting there to be at least one pack of BBQ sauce in either of our two large carry out bags. Sooooooo, I don't think we'll be frequenting famous Dave's anytime soon...if ever again...and will stick to Smoky John's or the new Butter Beef BBQ joint on Northport Drive. Which is fine seeing that the person I spoke with today at famous Dave's seemed completely unbothered by the poor service we'd received. read more

Great sauce can go only so far... Madison's Famous Dave's is on par with 4/5 of the 'Famous' franchises that I have visited. Excellent prices, intriguing menu, entertaining atmosphere of shi*hole nostalgia and cheesy Dave photo manipulations. The main difference with this franchise is the lack of a wait. S. Park Street's Famous franchise is in a lower-midlin stretch of town with little in terms of decent choices (spare me with Edo's diatribes). It has plenty of parking and open tables (yes, I know Madison is far from the BBQ mecca of the world, but ... AYE!?!?!). The main draw to Dave's is the sauce. There is not a BBQ experience like it ... the table feature at least five sauces (sadly missing chipotle) including the best ever ... Texas Pit (tangy/peppery drippings from BBQ heaven). Food costs are reasonable and the offerings can be madcap fun (IE. the HIGHLY recommended feasts served on aluminum trash lids). All these positives and only four stars ... what gives? It's meat quality! Wisconsin Dells location has the best grade of like meat available. Several times I have stopped over to their restaurant only to be floored by the seemingly more tender and less fat saturated ribs and beef brisket. Over here (like the other franchise), I've been less than impressed with fatty and inconsistent meat tenderness. Although this location is not perfect, it's still my 2ND favorite BBQ joint that I had the opportunity to slop in. read more

After last nights visit I will not be visiting this location again. Similar to the other poor reviews my experience was about as poor as one can imagine. From food not being correct to payment issues to the fact that the management thinks because they are a franchise they do not have to be accountable to their customers. When the management can blame the customer for the issues they create its time to move on. Not that anyone at this location cares, but I will spend my money elsewhere. Oh and if you bother to write in a complaint it goes right back to the manager that created the issue in the first place. With restaurants a dime a dozen its funny to see the lack of service this place has to offer. Best of luck - you are going to need it. read more

Authentic, perhaps not, yummy?- you bet! Famous Dave's is a little hokey, a little fakey, but still...the Dave's Ultimate Burger with bacon and chopped pork on top of an enormous burger is literally to die for! My personal fave is the Georgia chopped pork- as a platter it's a whole pile of food for ten bucks. the Mr. really loves the bread pudding on the rare occasion we order dessert! read more

Famous Daves, I got nothin' against you. Your food is good and I've had pleasant experiences at other locations. Not that I need to visit this place all the time, but, you know, it's good. Except this place. The particular night we came here was the result of a severe overcrowding at Concert on the Square. So we gave up and arrived around 6:00PM to a fairly empty restaurant. Our waitress took our drink orders and I promptly received my beer. My wife, ordering the common Spotted Cow, was informed nearly 15 minutes later the keg was tapped. So, she ordered a soda and we ordered our meal, and I ordered soup to get me started. Fast forward 20 minutes, and my wife has killed her soda. Our waitress is nowhere to be seen in a still-fairly-empty-for-dinnertime restaurant. I walk up to the bar to get her a refill. The bartender tells me he can't refill sodas. A few minutes later, a server shows up with my soup. Literally with another server right behind him with our entrees. Now, the food was just about on par with what I've had at other Famous Daves. But this one left me with a not so great impression. I give it two stars for the food, but hold back the rest for the service. read more

When it was lunch time there was only one place we wanted to try out and that's Famous Dave's BBQ. The lunch special was recommended by our very attractive waitress. The fried catfish lunch meal was just what the doctor ordered. Now since we are from GA. the sweet tea was pretty tastey I so might say. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Yummy catfish - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I would rate this establishment, if you can call it that, -2 stars. First off the food is average if I'm being generous. Also the ambiance of the place just didn't vibe well with my internal spirit. The water tasted like they just scooped it out of a crocodile pit and poured it over ice (suspicious). I also just don't believe that the owner is a stand up citizen. Also the chicken tasted like it didn't live a good life prior to being killed. read more

Awful service. I like Famous Dave's, the BBQ is consistently good. This particular location is terrible. Today I was seated and then completely ignored for 15 minutes. They were not busy, just totally disorganized. There was no one at the host station so I just left. According to people at corporate I have spoken to this is one of the worst performing stores in the chain. This is not the first time I received and been witness to this kind of thing. This is a management problem, whoever is running this place needs to get it together. read more

I grew up going to the original Famous Dave's in Hayward, WI, and so I'm a fan from way back. I have been repeatedly disappointed in this franchise, as I don't think our order has ever been correct...including tonight, when my husband had to repeatedly point out that we had three entrees and one dessert. Even after that, they forgot one of our sides (that we had to pay extra for, BTW.). They weren't at all busy and all of the staff seemed to be standing around chatting me when he picked up the food. It's really not that difficult. I'm not sure why we keep trying to go back, but we keep hoping things will improve. Sorry, FD, still not getting it together operationally. read more

Excellent Bar-B-Que food. Just recently had the Salmon. Waiter was great and he said he's been there something like 8 years! What does that say for the place? They must take good care of their staff and also provide them with a place they love to work at. We love to eat there. Prices are a little above inexpensive. Atmosphere is nice. A little crowded. Bathrooms are pretty clean but not perfect. We really like this place. Wish it was larger. Update: Went here and ordered a burger. Something has changed because the meat itself was lousy. Nothing much different than a fast food burger and actually a little worse. What's up Famous Daves???? Update: Just tried their BBQ chicken sandwich. The flavor was just just ok. Not bad but not Dave's Delicious. The meat seemed a bit skimpy too. Never noticed before but their buns are all white wonder bread. Sorry Dave but that doesn't cut it with me. Can't you do a better bun than that? The service continues to be quite good here but I have to now say, stay away from their sandwiches. They are sort of fast food quality. Not what I expect from a good BBQ restaurant. Update: Went back again. The Salmon was ok to good but the shrimp was awful. It was like eating dry wads of newspaper. Way, way overcooked. No juiciness left in them. It was carry out so we ate what we could and tossed the rest. If I had been eating in they would have been sent back. Truly the worst shrimp I have ever been served. This is it for me. Won't be going back here for some time. They need a new chef. Big mess. Update: Gave them another try. (two years later) Had a delicious feast for two. One complaint. The corn sucks. It needs to be replaced with something else. Everything else was excellent. Cost with tip: 53 dollars. Not cheap. read more

Slow service but the food was great. Brisket plate and half slab of ribs....baked beans, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and corn muffins were all excellent!!!!! People mention the price is too high, I felt it was a good price for the volume of food we got. Called in for take out...was told that it would be ready in 10-15 minutes. 30 minutes later the food came out. Small trade for the dinner they provided.. read more

Food was great! Service was TERRIBLE. Seated immediately but took roughly 15-20 min to get a drink order in. Took another 10 to get our waters. There were nine people working and the place was at half capacity but it seemed as though all of the wait staff were out smoking or something. It took 40 minutes from when we ordered to when we got our food. We watched some people just get up and leave. After the meal it was impossible to get anyone for our bill. We ended up just leaving a $20 and leaving. The bill came to $18.49. If it were up to me, there would have been no tip. The tables in our section were obviously just as frustrated. read more

You have to be a certain type of special person to like this food and be in a certain special state of mind to want to come here....like you have to have a heart attack a few seconds after taking a bite. If that's you and that's what you want. Have a ball. I will be enjoying not having clogged arteries somewhere else.... read more

Pretty amazing place, and has great decoration and nice waiters/waitress. My boyfriend ordered the apple pie dessert but they didn't have it after 6 but he bread pudding was to die for read more

I would love to bump Famous Daves (FD) up to 4 stars. Even for someone who isn't crazy about BBQ, I can appreciate the great flavors you get from some good smokey BBQ. I really like FD's beef brisket and salt water catfish. The brisket is perfectly cooked encompassing all of the natural flavors of the cut of meat. The catfish, while small, are seasoned perfectly. Corn muffins are pretty damn good to be restaurant. Very buttery, moist and lighted toasted. Services generally has always been good. Now, where I have to knock off some points is their banana pudding. When they do have it in stock, I always get it because it is that damn good. Absolutely amazing. The only person I know that makes great banana pudding is my auntie. However, considering the non-instant kind of banana pudding is time consuming, she can't always make me a batch. It's nice to have a restaurant in town that serves it and serves it well. The last three times I've dined at FD, they were complete out. One time, we even asked the waiter if they had any and we were told yes. Well, when it comes time to order it, we are told they were out. What?! How can this be so!? Last time we dined, we (again) asked the waiter if they had any. He said yes. OK. About 15 minutes later, he tells us there was only enough to make 1 more serving. Our table had to share it. I am not sure how many batches they make during a day but I would recommend they make more. The last three times we've came, it as during general dinner hours so it is not like we are coming too late in the day and are just missing out. It seems that they simply do not make enough. Their banana pudding is the most popular dessert. That being said, why not make extra when there is high demand? Also, they got rid of the apples. Not sure why when they were very popular. read more