Don't judge me when I say this, but I am not a huge fan of BBQ food to start with. I am a fan of happy hour though! Even though they have trimmed down the happy hour offerings as of late, we are still able to eat for about $5 per person! Let me break it down for you star by star... First Star: as a general rule, I often give the first star out of goodwill (they are open, ready for business, greet me with a smile, friendly staff, etc.) Second Star: I love that we can waltz in, seat ourselves at a clean bar, and get served right away. Bypassing the dining room wait always makes us feel like VIP's! Third star: the BBQ is decent here and the happy hour prices are a steal. The family feast used to be our "go-to" when we visited with a group, but we haven't even thought of sitting in the main dining room or ordering an entire meal since we found out about their happy hour menu. $5 rib tips are where it's at. Comes with pickled red onions, sweet pickles, their southside sauce, and fries. Just know, when you order the rib tips, it's about to get messy. There is no way to avoid getting sauce all over your hands and face! LOL Luckily, a roll of paper towels and little trays of hand wipes are at arms reach anywhere you sit along the bar. (The burnt ends used to be our favorite on the HH menu, but sadly, that has been removed from the list. You can still order them for full price though, which is about $12.) Other than that, you can also get yourself a couple of ribs for HH according to the bartender, it just isn't listed on the menu anymore. Fourth Star: Country music videos, baseball games playing on the flat screens, libations, and cool bartenders. We look forward to the plate of kettle chips and BBQ sauce while we wait for our food too. We are easily pleased with this set up and will keep coming back for more! read more

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Excellent job cratering our large celebration. Generous portions, attentive staff. Thank you to the team for making the celebration a huge success. read more

We went during Happy hour. To be fair the hostess told us they were shorthanded. We should have walked out then. We waited about 10 minutes for a table. My boyfriend had a margarita that tasted terrible. Fried pickles were so spicy and burnt. The rib tips had no flavor and dry. The only reason I'm giving 2 stars is that our waiter was pretty good. It looked like he worked the whole dining room. Sorry, but I won't be returning. read more

We went here today for lunch with my son. They were busy and we had to wait to be seated in the booth in the bar area. Obviously they were under staffed. But I don't know why it was better to wait in the lobby it the empty bar area. The server was overwhelmed. The food was good. Great fried pickles but small portion for the price. My pork sandwich was warm but not ho. We had to flag down a person for drinks-2nd round. Service was ok. But I don't think they were expecting the number of people. BTW- do not enforce the their Mask rule. Several men walked in and around the bar area no mask. I don't want to hear about staying home if I am concerned. I am talking basic consideration of others. Why have it posted but not enforce it read more

Delicious!! Had The Feast For Two & It Was! All Sides Really Good Corn Cob Baked Beans Taters Brisket +Pulled Pork+ Ribs & Fresh Coleslaw Two Yummy CornBread Muffins Would Have Loved The Water We Ordered & A Little More Attention But All In All Good Visit Sign Up 4 Emails Too Get Offers read more

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I was dissatisfied with my meal at Mesa's Famous Dave's. I visit both the Chandler and Mesa location, and stop in for Rib tips on occasion. I ordered the meal, not the happy hour special. They served me four small tips that they cut in half. Which made them bite size. Only nothing there to bite! I know what they typically serve, and this was sad. I let the server and bartender know my dissatisfaction, and said this is constructive. They didn't care enough to send over the manager. read more

The brisket and chicken was cooked to perfection! Had soo much flavor and tenderness. The Mac and cheese was delicious. The fries had little to no taste. Cornbread was good as expected but the cake was a major disappointment. There was no info about the size of cake when ordering but I expected that since it was $10 it would be at least half a cake . It was only 1 single slice which is ridiculous. read more

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Yummy pulled pork and their rich and sassy sauce is delicious! Kids menu includes ribs. Made my grandchildren soooooooooooo happy!

I love BBQ and try to hit a restaurant in any city I visit, especially the south. For a chain restaurant, Famous Dave's isn't bad. It's not great but isn't not terrible either. This location was very loud and the food was slow. About 45 minutes from when we ordered until the food arrived. The food was about 3 stars. I like good char, which this definitely lacked. Flavor was mild and the meats were dry. I prefer when you don't need to add sauce, their's definately needed it to both add flavor and moisture. You may wonder why I gave them 4 stars... our service was excellent. I wish I could remember his name (I think it was Nate). He was prompt, friendly, and attentive, even on a busy night. Always made sure we had what we needed and drinks were full. He was great with our kids, which for me, as a dad, is always a big deal. I would give him 5 stars, which is why I averaged the visit at 4. read more

We usually go to The Naked Barbeque but I had family in town and they have a FD where they are from and they asked to come here. They now say they regret that decision and that I get to choose the restaurant from now on! Lunchtime on a Sunday and we had a party of nine. No wait for a table so we sat right away....but then they proceed to seat our server with FOUR other tables at the same time. Now she is visibly strained and running around like crazy and it takes forever for us to get to order. They brought out a few chips that were cold and kind of blah...two tiny bowls for all nine of us so we had to ask the hostess to bring more. I asked for an allergen menu/list and had to go get it myself at the hostess stand. Now, the food... The brisket was solid fat. I paid the extra dollar for the Texas style beef brisket and all I got was a lump of fat. I actually had to ask the manager for a better portion it was ridiculous. It was also cold. Some family members got the feast for two and the brisket on that was also super greasy and fatty to the point no one ate it. The chicken was just okay and it had a weird smell to it. My cousin got a fried chicken sandwich and it was black/burnt and dry (he sent it back)... The manager was not exactly helpful, he kind of seemed unconcerned with our experience and a little out of touch. The waitress was apologetic and nice but frazzled. Over all we won't ever come back here or suggest it to others. read more

There is a mid-age Hispanic employee who can speak Spanish with black hair and black clothing who worked at night helping out in the kitchen area. On 2/8, we ordered a lot of food, so we wanted to take bbq sauce packets and hand towelettes to go. I went to ask for the bbq packets from this lady, while my grandma was grabbing the hand towels from the table. This lady then abruptly left our interaction to rudely stop my grandma from grabbing the hand towels. She rudely said to put the towelettes back and essentially forced her. This was an aggressive action that she did against my grandma and my grandma felt completely humiliated. This was the first time that we experienced this extreme rudeness from an employee. I will ensure that none of my friends, family or coworkers come to this restaurant. She should not work there if she continues with this attitude. read more

We had the best meal and service tonight. We sat at the bar and service from Esperanza was fantastic. If you hadn't tried the cornbread muffins they are to die for! read more

Famous Dave's has always been consistent. It's pretty okay BBQ grub, for the masses, but it's missing the depths of flavors and personality that comes from a joint run by a true Pit Master. The downside of pleasing and serving en masse is that their dishes are somewhat average. Their menu seemed a bit smaller that it used to be. A few new items. I typically order a mixed meat plate, because I can rarely make up my mind. This visit we had the St. Louis ribs, burnt ends, and Texas brisket. All were good, as always. The Mesa location is very casual and clean, not as rustic as some of the other locations I've been to. Several TV's showing sports - many with planters hung directly in front of them, which made no sense. Very good service and the food always comes quickly. A good choice to get your BBQ fix. read more

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The service was good which is why I'm giving them 3 stars. These were the worst rib tips I think I've ever had, anywhere! I mean, at least remove some of the cartilage! I struggled to est one and left the rest on my plate. The waitress didn't even question why they were untouched. Hopefully next time, it'll be a more pleasant experience for what you pay. Definitely disappointed. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Rib tips...hard pass! - Barbeque Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

I wanted to give a shout out to Curtis the Manager. I really appreciated the level of commitment he gave to ensure customer satisfaction. He actually took charge of a situation which he thought should have never happened. We were out New Year's day and expected it to be packed. It was not, but our food still came out cold. Curtis approached me and ask if I needed something. I explained about the food and he quickly apologized and actually whipped that meal up himself and brought it back to us with a quickness. He told us to keep the first order at no charge even after I offered to pay something for it. Pamela the server was the cherry on top. Service was great!!!! Again, I really appreciate all their efforts to make our eating experience better than it would have been if we had to eat or pay for a meal we weren't completely satisfied with. read more

We like Famous Dave's so much that we actually let them cater our wedding! The ribs and chicken and bbq sauce are good but I feel like the sides are where Famous Dave's really shines--amazing cornbread, mashed red potatoes, corn on the cob, chili, fries--heck, even the fried beans are good! Very nice servers, enormous portions so you get good bang for your buck, and just an overall friendly experience eating here. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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We were on the way to eat at Cracker Barrel when we ran into Famous Dave in the same shopping mall. We decided to do a turn around as the reviews about the Cracker Barrel weren't too enticing. We came about 3 PM on a Saturday and were surprised that the restaurant had quite a few diners in both the bar and restaurant area. As soon as we sat down our waiter greeted us and gave us our menus. When I asked if they had smaller lunch special portions, I was pleasantly surprised to find out they did. So instead of usually ordering a $15.99 meal it went down to half that price for a two meat combo. Having eaten at the Las Vegas Flamingo location for many years we were very familiar with the menu. I always ordered the 2 meat combo with the ribs and hot links and my husband the 2 meat combo with brisket and chicken. When our food came out I was ready to dig in as I was famished but the food came out the way I don't like it and that was lukewarm. Food that isn't hot is a complete turn off. Rather then complain and having to wait for them to reheat or make another order, I just picked at it and decided to take home most of the food to eat at another time. The taste of the food is consistent with the other locations we've eaten at, it is what it is. The only thing that needed major improvement was the coleslaw, it was so drippy and not at all fresh tasting. I took one fork full and immediately stopped eating it. This restaurant is very nicely maintained, the bathrooms spotless and we got good service. Now we know where this location is we'll try to return and hope our $30 plus lunch meal comes out hot next time. read more

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I went here in celebration of my sisters graduation and the food was amazing! Pamala was our server and she did an amazing job by anticipating our refill needs. She also recommended a big food platter for our big group of 11 people and two platters had food for all of us and more for a good price too! I also loved how the restaurant was so inviting! You could hear the cooks singing along to the radio and everyone seems to be enjoying their jobs :) read more

I just have to say that we have eaten at this chandler famous Dave's several times and the food is excellent,the service is excellent, and they keep everything clean. They run this restaurant very well. It is always a pleasure to eat there. Thank you to all who work so hard. read more

Don't normally do reviews for chain restaurants but being out of state, I will. I've eaten at a couple of Famous Dave's in California before and they were good meals but nothing great. Eating here was great not because of the food as much as the total experience. Service was good, Zack was are this evening. He took good care of our entire table, from a couple of beer samples, to menu suggestions and just being on call...nice. All the food was good, we ordered the feast, totally enough for the four of us and left overs. Last words... I'd do it again. read more

10/10 service and food, love that this famous Dave's hasn't changed one bit unlike some in the Midwest that are more like fast food joints!

This is one of my favorite Barbeque places in town. All the BBQ is great, along with a good selection of Barbeque sauces. The service is also descent, the manager actually walks the floor to check on everyone. We will definitely be back again. Oh, and the strawberry shortcake is delicious. I do believe it's seasonal though, so get it while you can. read more

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First time ever trying this chain , nice place, the service is good, maybe overly nice, explaining how COVID was making business slow, so tips were bad. The onion hay stack is not as good as Red Robin, they are good though, a little greasy. My pile of meat, pork was pretty good, coleslaw was fair. The sauces were okay, devil's spit was the spiciest but weird eating spit ( ha). The sauces are all very sweet. My wife enjoyed the double cheeseburger and fries. Should've snapped photos read more

I frequent this place often I can almost call myself a "regular" the last time I was here for my usual rib tips appetizer takeout of course the rib tips fell a little short of my expectations well I mentioned it to Shawna and she says we will make them "extra famous" today, Yeeazzzz Shawna come on through for me!!! I don't know what happened but the ribs looked amazing!! But were a little tough.. Shawna says NP and we just went with the St Louis ribs just to be safe, Kudos to Shawna I like my meat naked (no sauce) and fell to mention that, even though the ribs had sauce on them I was Very Satisfied!!!! read more

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This place is mass produced Seems like there food is just cooked in the morning or night before was heated and served to us then asked us if we want a box Togo absolutely not is what I said and keep in mind it wasn't the service it was the food that terrible All meats were dry! the best part hands down was the corn if they messed up on that then jeeze I wouldn't know we're to go from there But then we told the nice server that the food was terrible and then the boss came up not even to say sorry or what was wrong but was confused why he was sent to our table we didn't want to go any further then telling the server But regardless he came to us and ask us what he can do for us And we said nothing cause we deep down will not or accept a gift card or free food next time from this place But if you guys can actually cook real bbq food and make it how its suppose to be done I go to multiple bbq place that isn't even on this par but was way better then this place I can't express how much more dissatisfied I was about this place will never return nothing needs to be done besides either u guys start making better food or just close down cause sorry to say this place worse worse place I've ever been too in Arizona or anywhere for bbq and the fact that the boss came up to us and ask us what we can do and we said nothing he shrug and walked of was the topping on the cake was okay I can't help you with anything and shrug and walked off and I still tipped pissed me off Deep down you guys know that u guys serve terrible food And this was my cheat day and dieted all week to eat this crap Sorry not sorry will never come back ever again EVER read more

Famous Dave's is nothing like Joe's Real BBQ. The meat was tough, slathered in not-very-good bbq sauce, and overpriced for what you get. I had chopped pork which all I could taste was BBQ sauce, "fatty" brisket which was not fatty at all, and pork ribs which were sooo dry but tasted good. Disappointing because I love fatty meat since that's where all the flavor is. The pork ribs were the best, but had very little meat on them. Texas Roadhouse has far superior, fall-of-the-bone ribs (sorry to the vegans out there, for the graphic description). Even Cheddars pork ribs are better and meatier. I wouldn't return here for BBQ or anything. The food wasn't bad, but not good either. Just average BBQ. read more

My husband and I came here for dinner the other night with my moms parents, and we had such a good time. There is so much going on in the restaurant that there's something new to look at every time. The staff are all friendly and outgoing, when we went for dinner they were fairly busy but we were seated within 15 minutes. Our waiter was friendly and kept the conversation going. My husband and I shared the three meat platter which was the perfect amount of food for us to share, there are so many options that there is something for everyone. Although the options are pricey, the food is delicious and the barbecue sauces are fantastic. The table, our booth, and the facility in general were fairly clean. Would recommend for date night or a night with the family! read more

I honestly feel like this is one of the best chains for BBQ!! I've never had a poor experience at this location, and whenever my dad is in town it is always the first place we go to. I always browse the menu but end up getting the same thing~ the rib tips! They are my favorite thing on the menu and you get so Mdnu with your meal. I like that you get to pick two sides, and I always get the beans and something else. The beans are mixed with meat and are absolutely delicious. I also really like the brussel sprouts that have a lot of flavor since they are grilled. What I love about this location is that everyone is always so kind as soon as you walk in the door. This time, we went around 4:15 and it was the perfect time because the dinner rush hadn't come in yet and we got seated right away. I always look forward to eating here! read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Southside Rib Tips Platter - Barbeque Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

On July 21, we took our friends to eat at famous Dave's barbecue at Mesa Riverview. The barbecue was good but the service was mediocre as we Had to ask two times to get water and we ordered salads with our meal and never got them. The surprise came at the end of the meal when we got our check and found that they had added an additional surcharge, called a liquor tax of a dollar. We had gone there during happy hour to get a good prices on our drinks so it was upsetting to see we had to pay extra for the so-called liquor tax. We were NOT happy about this particularly especially as we were never informed that this charge would be added to our bill. Additionally, there's nothing on the menu to indicate that you're going to pay an additional tax for the liquor you order. It's my understanding that there has been recent litigation against restaurants who were adding a labor surcharge to customers bills of approximately 15% without advising customers that this was being added to their bill. This Litigation has resulted in the county attorney prosecuting these restaurants for charging additional fees without informing its customers first. So for those of you, that order drinks at famous Dave's barbecue make sure you look for and ask about the liquor tax that you're going to be charged before you order! P.S. I tried their new, barbecue whiskey, flavored blackberry mule, and it was terrible. I sent it back. read more

The bbq was very good. Okay, not the very best I've had but pretty good. The chicken was dry though. It's a large a bright restaurant with friendly service and plenty of parking. The cornbread was amazing and it was one of the best I've had in recent memory. I'd go back and order the brisket which I thought was the best from what our table ordered. read more

I love how the tables move and the benches are low enough for us short people to reach the ground! The 4 bones come with two sides and a sweet corn muffin. I get them " naked" the meat is so juicy and delicious. They have 5 different bbq sauces if you like that. The sweet tea is perfect and always lots of ice! The staff is always happy. The place is always clean when we come. The only thing I would change a bit is they give you chips before your meal and it's covered in a seasoning I would not put so much on. Also they can fit large groups. For my birthday I had 20 people and we fit with ease. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - 4 bones " naked" - Barbeque Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

I love Famous Dave's and this was my first time at this location. Of course when you walk in, you're greeted by the collection of trophies from BBQ competitions, and great hospitality of the hostess. Paul was our server, and he was awesome! Very friendly, and always around when we needed him. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals was on, and he kept great conversation with us about the NBA this season (everyone in our party is a sports person, so this was great for us!). The food was pretty good, not as great as other locations I've been too. Meat was a little dry, but I'd still recommend giving this location on shot. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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I've written about Famous Dave's BBQ before, but this one deals strictly with Food Allergies, celiac disease and the waitstaff at Daves. Tonight, my wife and I celebrated our 39th anniversary at Famous Dave's BBQ in Mesa Riverview shopping center on Dobson and the 202 Red Mountain freeway. We've been here before but I wanted to really check out their allergy awareness this time. After being seated, I asked the hostess to bring an allergen list or a gluten free menu. She brought a 4 page menu with Every Single Item listed according to what allergens might be present. Gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs, soy. You name, it was on the list. I spoke to our waiter, Kaleb, and told him about our needs and he was very knowledgeable. Obviously, sandwiches were out but he mentioned that certain meals cane with bread or cornbread and the Wilbur beans were not safe. Now, my wife has tried the beans before but knowing that they are not considered gluten free really made the decision easy to ask for a substitute. Kaleb offered 2 or 3 options of sides that are considered safe so the cole slaw, corn and French fries really made the meal smazing. Do they have a dedicated kitchen? No. But having a knowledgeable staff and a menu that really lays it out for you can make dinner selection so much easier. So here's the deal. I get it when people with allergies ask for information about restaurants and foods. Every eating out experience requires a TON of studies and phone calls. But checking food reviews on YELP has helped in so many ways, that I wanted to give back to all the people that have researched and written about their challenges. No. Famous Dave's does not have a dedicated kitchen or prep space. Yes, their menu and staff are knowledgeable. At least the location We went to. I hope my post helps. Have fun but be safe put there! read more

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Went Famous Dave's today. They had a new menu. Saw they had a shrimp boil. Ok who goes to a BBQ restaurant for a shrimp boil. Price was good so we tried it. It was awesome. Will definitely go back and have it again read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - The shrimp boil. - Barbeque Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

Very nice !!! I'm from California and it was my first time . Love the food employees were somewhat friendly. Best barbecue I've had besides my own . I tried to go to the location I'm Chandler but it wasn't open so I drove over to Mesa worth the drive worth the wait read more

The dinner catfish came with two sides. I picked the chili and mac and cheese. I didn't know the chili was an extra $1.75 the meal itself was $14.99 and sweet iced tea was $1.99 All for one meal is quite pricey! Over $22 plus tip and tax The food is always great, but it's surprisingly a lot for just one person to eat. Good food, but don't expect to pay under $10 a person. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Catfish dinner with chili and mac & cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

It's been a while since there. Drove all the way from cave creek. I had the rack of ribs, potato & salad, wife had brisket, mashed potato. The food simply was not good. All edible but less than average. We sat outside as nice weather but the male server was beyond horrid. The wait time after meal to get check had to have been 30 min plus. 2.5 rating proper if not for waiter experience for that reason it's a 1. No plans to return EVER! read more

WOW! I finally ate here for the first time Saturday night, and was impressed with my experience here. I have been wanting to try Famous Dave's for a while now, and finally got the chance to experience some wonderful food. I am addicted to this place! My friend Angie and I walked in on a Saturday night and were greeted immediately by the hostess. I was also thrilled becuase there was no wait! We were seated immediately and offered drinks by the server. Mind you, I have never been here before, so the menu was new to me. We both took the time to review it, and the waitress also explained to us how to order. They have meals for two with lots of food, entrees that are large as well, and also smaller sized meals (which I went with) that are more BBQ sandwiches of sorts, in case you don't feel like pigging out. I really liked how they had big "family meals" with all the fixings. Makes me think of a place back home in MI I used to eat at with my family when I was in college. I went with the BBQ Brisket sandwich, and it was delicious! It came with 1 side, and the roasted garlic potatoes. Delicous!!! YUMMY! I devoured every morsel of it, and my friend liked her Brisket entree as well. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how they have a HUGE selection of menu items! Chicken, brisket, beef, pork, everything a girl could dream up! Service was marvelous, and food was worth every bite. I could never get sick of this place. read more

The three of us ate at Famous Dave's last evening and had a really nice time! We stopped in around 5:30 or so and were seated at a booth in the bar area. It was still early, so there was plenty of seating throughout the restaurant. Our server came by a few moments after we were seated and asked about our drink order. Nice. If you have never been to a Famous Dave's, it's sort of like a Texas Roadhouse, which is a complement. I've had some really good BBQ over the years in local Roadhouses throughout the US, and clearly this chain has copied the model. We started with some onion strings and chicken tenders off the Happy Hour menu along with our drinks. Both were good, but ordinary. What made them good was Dave's sauce. At each table you have five or six choices, as well as the sauce that came from the kitchen. For dinner we order a Pulled-Pork sandwich with sides, a large BBQ Huli platter and some Texas steak tips grande nachos. Each was delicious and large enough that we couldn't finish. One observation on portions, they are large -- like two Styrofoam take home boxes large For dessert we order some $1.98 mini puddings and brownies. Just the right size for everyone after a large dinner. Fellow Yelper Scott D put it best in his 7/23/10 review: "Famous Dave's consistently delivers no matter which location you go to". Our party of three heartily agrees! The tab came to $69.49, including taxes but without tip. We thought that was fair given the serving size and the tastiness of the food. We will be back! Enjoy! read more

Old Faithful For A Good Meal! Famous Dave's is always a safe bet for a good lunch or dinner. The staff is usually friendly and the tea is actually sweet like it should be. I really like the Sweetwater Catfish with drunken apples and green beans. Good music and a cool atmosphere make for a good spot to snack.... read more

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