If you really want to try all the options and still have tasty meats left over order the "Feast." I ordered the (Feast) which included a slab of pork ribs that were very tender with cooked in succulent sauce with sides of chopped pork, smoked chicken parts, baked beans a little watery), cold slaw, muffins and steak fries. A few sides need a little more work whereas the ribs, chicken, muffins, and cold slaw were outstanding due to freshness, seasoning and the tenderness in each bite. All in all the entire feast was very savory casting a flavor bomb making you want more of the tender pork ribs. As a whole, the meats were very tender with seasoning you smell and taste. Perhaps my only wish is a little more smoke on the meats and thickness to the baked beans. The ordering online is quick and easy online for pick up. The pick up park lane is in front of the to go pick up and front entrance providing you the safety needed to park in a clean and visible area. read more

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Worst "burnt ends" I've ever seen in my life tasted like dog food but if you were trying kill a hippo with the salt content didn't even taste like what it was supposed to gas station make better bbq than this, the ribs were ight I dumped sauce on it and it saved the brisket was ok as well the bread was the best item in my 3 meat 2 side plate I ordered and the sauce saved that as well the Mac and cheese tasted like it was left in the plastic container overnight and microwaved the corn is the 24 pack $4.81 great value bag it was terrible don't waste your money don't waste your time the service was good read more

Wow I was blown away with how delicious everything was! Famous Dave's deserves to be recognized more for really great BBQ in the West Des Moines area. Asked about dairy free and everything was able to be accommodated. Ordered two racks of ribs- regular St Louis and baby back. All were amazing. Hot and fresh. Pulled pork was wonderful. Kids had a blast sitting out in the patio on a nice day. Service was nice. Quick and polite. Food came out timely. Would definitely highly recommend and will be back! read more

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It is always good You can trust everything about them. The best in DesMoines We'll be back read more

Probably my favorite place for BBQ in Des Moines, I know it's a chain restaurant but I honestly think it's better than the other options. The staff is wonderful and the food is consistently delicious. Plus hands down the best desert options than the other BBQ places. I highly recommend you giving it a try. read more

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Fabulous!!! Service outstanding, food out of this world. It was simply PERFECT! Got the food to-go. This is my place and I will be back!!!

Famous Dave's is just nostalgia for me. I love walking in and the smell hits you. Most of the meat options are not up to par with the great bbq places around the area anymore but you don't go to famous Dave's for the brisket,chicken or pulled pork. You go for the ribs and the rib tips. The rib tips are my fav app and the big slab of ribs are my go to order with fries and beans for a side and an extra corn muffin. You'll be burping up that delish rib taste for a day straight. It takes me back 20 plus years to being a kid and going for the first time. Don't forget to end the meal with bread pudding!!! read more

The wait staff here is fabulous. They are very fast and friendly. There are 10 meals under $10 at lunch. So very affordable. I love the bbq options for kids. Love the sweet and spicy bbq and homemade pickles. The burnt ends are a must! read more

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The food was decent but the portions were incredibly small for the price. The food temperature was great however I am not full after the entire meal so I would not return. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Whole Chickens - Barbeque Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Didn't taste real fresh, but I ate most of it because I was really hungry. Ordered with door dash, restaurant to me in less than 10 min. Everything tasted good, but Luke warm. Food texture seemed like microwaved leftovers. All 3 meats with lots of fatty pieces were piled on top of soggy cold Texas toast. Im not real fancy or picky, but this wasn't great read more

Look, I hope this chain gets the love it derserves. The ribs are top notch. I know everyone loves the local spots, but sometimes chains became cahins for a reason. I had 3 great experiences in September, when they were doing the free app (great flipping deal). On the 4th visit, the ribs were tough. Quick call to the store, and manager (Brett I believe?) took care of me without question. As Jon Taffer that bar rescue dork says, you get em 3 times you get em for life. Ill probably add Famous Daves to the rotation. Good shiiiit. read more

I'm surprised that I'm even leaving a four star review since my experiences here a few years ago weren't that stellar. Alas, due to Covid, my delivery options for BBQ options have been very limited and so we decided to give Famous Dave's another try. We are pretty happy we did. This is the second time we have opted for delivery and both times they have done an excellent job. Not only have our orders been delivered 20-30 minutes earlier than expected but everything has been correct and with no issues! For this delivery, we chose the Feast for Two and the Flying Pig Feast. Included are Ribs, Whole Chicken, Brisket, Chicken Wings, Smoked Ribs, and Pulled Pork for the meats. For sides we had Mac and Cheese, Cole Slaw, Fries, Beans, Corn and Corn Muffins. They also included utensils, wet wipes, and a good amount of their BBQ Sauces in to-go packets. My favorites from these platters are the Pulled Pork, Brisket, Chicken and Chicken Wings. The Corn Muffins are also another top favorite. These platters are said to feed 2-4 depending on platter/person. In our family, it could definitely feed more. I can't say anything for dine-in service but delivery during the day has been great thus far! Will be back! read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Flying Pig Feast & Feast for Two - Barbeque Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

We rolled through famous daves on a sunday night to indulge the night before i was due to get my wisdom teeth out. I was not disappointed. The food came out super fast, and i really liked the wings. We ordered the sampler platter, which i definately recommend. The little cornbread muffins are excellent. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Mc n cheese - Barbeque Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

The staff was so accommodating. I called while trying to order a delivery that would tempt my chemo patient wife to eat. All she wanted was a grilled chicken breast and a muffin. Shanna, the manager, assured me she would make the modification from the regular menu item (it is on a sandwich but not just the breast). I think the service is better even than their food and that is saying a lot. read more

First off Dave's Mac and cheese was horrible ,the sausage was cold ,the brisket was more than half fat and greasy gave some to my friends and they almost threw it up .the only good part of Dave's was the server she did good and the bread pudding was actually awesome read more

For the 3rd time in a month I got cold food. They cannot even heat food up that is sad. Get rid of the cooks and the managers and start over and save this place. Owners of franchises in this area have to much money to care about the food. read more

We're new to Iowa so we've been eating our way around the Des Moines area and trying out restaurants that we haven't been to before. My daughter and I walked into Famous Dave's at around 6:30pm today. We didn't receive a greeting even though there were employees standing there. I approached an employee and said 2 for dinner. The employee spent a good amount of time fumbling for silverware and menus. We were seated and a waitress came and took our drink order and delivered it to us and said she'd give us a few minutes and she'd be back to take our order. I watched the waitress visit with a person that appeared to be the manager, then she visited with other employees. Then i saw her go into the bathroom, I think. She was gone for awhile and during this time my daughter and I talked about leaving because there are so many places to eat around town that we didn't need to wait this long. As we agreed to leave $3 on the table for my ice tea, the waitress came out from wherever she was and looked our way. I told my daughter she was headed our way and started to put the $3 back in my purse thinking we'd get to order our food because we really wanted to try the bbq. Sadly the waitress went to the table behind us and asked the customers if they needed a to go box to which the customers said no. So she left without even saying a word to us. That was our queue to leave. We ended up going to a competitor, Jethro's BBQ and had a great experience. Now I know why Dave's parking lot was pretty empty compared to Jethro's parking lot - Jethro's has great food and great service. I don't know if Famous Dave's has good food, what I do know is they have lousy service. I don't think I'll go back to that location but if I'm in another town or state and see a Famous Dave's, maybe I'll stop in. read more

Sunday Funday at Famous Dave's!!! Such a fun place to stop - the staff is super friendly just like you would expect at a Mom and Pop joint. They have drink specials on Sundays so watch out -- you could get caught here longer than you expected!! Great barbecue -- I'm not a BBQ snob, and in my opinion you get great value for what you buy here. There are other over priced BBQ places in town that are over hyped -- the friendly staff and great food make this a better investment! Great sauces and sides to go with your meat of choice. Don't count Famous Dave's out -- if you haven't been here in awhile you need to stop back in!! read more

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Had lunch at famous Dave's today for lunch. Chef put a lot of love in their food today had the platter for up to 6 people and fried pickles excellent. Hosts were very polite place was clean, or service from Emily well she seemed to be having a day slow service my husband never did get his second cocktail she could have had a higher tip but she didn't earn it. She forgot to give us straws, could have combined bringing the water and took our order, but we got waters then our drinks then took our order on her third trip never cleared any dishes out of the way. She did end her with you two have a great rest of our day with a smile. read more

We remembered this chain as being much better than it is or was today. The brisket was awful, tough and ridiculously fatty with very little meat. The ribs were just ok. The rib tips app was horrid and mostly fat. Won't be back. Look for a local non-chain BBQ place (which we typically do and avoid chains) - needed a quick dinner with no wait. read more

Ordered a lunch plate. This is a good value for $10--your choice of two meats, a side dish, and a corn muffin. Fries were boring--unseasoned. I swear they used to have wedges. Brisket comes sliced and was served on Texas toast. The chicken was seasoned nicely. With the lunch combo, you get 1/4 of a chicken. Other options include boneless wings, chopped pork, and catfish fingers. I also wish they had a Carolina style BBQ sauce... The two stars comes from the fact their credit card system went down. I had to wait an additional 15-20 minutes to settle up. No one from management showed up to apologize for the issue--and nothing was done to compensate for my lost time. I thought they could have at least removed my iced tea. Apparently this will be an issue moving forward--system upgrades at 230 pm on Thursdays. I'd avoid or at least bring cash, as checks aren't accepted. read more

Took my boss there for bosses day..waitress was sweet and attentive. Seated right away..boss got pulled pork sandwich..looked good..could have probably had more pork on it. But it was on special for Wednesday. And it was lunch. Smaller portions maybe. Coworker got ribs and brisket. Ribs looked good..he liked them. Brisket looked good but have seen better. I ordered the burnt ends and got corn on the cob and garlic skin on mashed potatoes. Potatoes were great. Corn was soggy and ok. Previously frozen half ear kind. Corn bread muffin was da bomb as usual. Could probably make a meal out of those alone. Lol..and then the burnt ends. Probably a 6 on scale of 1-10, 10 being smokey d's in des moines..but thought I would give them a shot. More chewing then melting in my mouth. Overall decent visit. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Burnt ends meal. - Barbeque Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Stopped in on a Sunday, not busy. Service was good from the start, taking a look at their menu, as I have never been here before. The prices for sandwiches, appetizer seemed reasonable. The entree's way on the pricey side, with most of the pick 1, 2 or 3 item selections adding an extra $1 for them, really? the prices for entrees start at $17 to $19 dollars already. Entrees come, brisket served on a piece of soggy bread, and the portions, brisket was cold, and presentation of the plate well, not great. Sides, very skimpy. Server was good, Lindsey great, loved her. Its overpriced folks. I have had REAL Texas BBQ many times from many restaurants there, as I just moved from TX and this was far from it. For 2 entrees, and 1 drink $42.00 bucks!!! Brisket isn't that great, mine had too much fat on it to even eat. Brisket when prepared and smoked well should melt in your mouth, mine was very "chewy". Definitely not up to true Texas BBQ. Could at least pour warm BBQ sauce OVER the entree or serve on the side. Very dissappointed here, unfortunately, cannot recommend. I'd give a zero for poor product if I could. Go someplace else. read more

I love this place!! It had amazing food & great service. The server was friendly & checked on us several times. When my kids weren't sure what to get she made great recommendations & the kids loved them. read more

food is great, service is amazing, the atmosphere is always good. we always have no problems. you should never leave here hungry.

Too salty the food is never fresh or hot and I stopped going there unless I'm at a location somewhere I'm visiting.

I am not always the biggest fan of chains but Famous Dave's is definitely an exception. It does have some amazing BQQ. BBQ has been one of my favorite food groups since high school. In high school a good friend of mine from Texas taught me what real BBQ was, and since I've been fairly picky about BBQ. My personal favorite type of BBQ is beef brisket and Famous Dave's has some of the best. There are many good local none chains in Iowa, but none seem to have as great of a beef brisket. The service is pretty good here, although I always have to ask for butter twice, before it shows up for my corn bread. As long as the keep the brisket up to high standards I will keep hitting this chain more than most chains. read more

I liked Famous Dave's ok before...but I have to tell you their burnt ends menu is a game changer. Ordered the burnt ends and ribs combo. Wow so good and they hook you up with a nice mound of tasty burnt ends. I will be back again and again for the burnt ends combo. Honestly, this place is as good or better than Woody's smoke shack. I know I am not a certified bbq judge but good is good. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Burnt ends combo...sooo good - Barbeque Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Today I walked in my friend and her son. The restaurant was completely empty and we were not greeted. Wasn't sure if we were supposed to sit ourselves or not. The the woman whom had us gave us a booth and threw the menus down and walked away. She was a blonde older woman. Then I told her as I seen her coming back we would be having another guest joining us. Her whole attitude screamed she didn't wanna be at work. But we felt so unwanted after getting a water we decided to go across the street to the buffet. Where we were welcomed as soon as we walked in and had excellent service from Joy. read more

Good BBQ here, Dave is famous for a reason. He has made a really good chain restaurant. They have a pretty good selection of bbq and sides here. I usually get brisket and ribs which are always good. I use all of the sauces they offer, since I love sauce on my food. I do like the Texas pit the best. The sides are yummy as well, I like the spicy mac n cheese and the garlic mashed potatoes. This is a great chain, that doesn't have cheap bbq. I know someone places can be watered down, but they do a great job of staying true to their form and serving a quality product.. read more

It's Mother's Day and twice Grubhub canceled our order and when I called after the first cancellation the restaurant manager said there was no issues with Grubhub he had drivers picking orders up so he suggested I try ordering again! I did that, upped the tip % which then worked as I had the driver contact me confirming delivery then poof 10 minutes before said delivery it was cancelled once again by Grubhub! Frustrated I called Grubhub's service representative and she proceeded to blame the restaurant ... then realized the driver had confirmed pickup so she attempted calling said driver which "surprise" didn't pickup! It's so hard to support restaurants/local drivers when you get this type of service... Grubhub suggested trying another restaurant... I choose another delivery service and different cuisine guess BBQ wasn't my Mother's Day meal! read more

Awful experience! My pulled pork sandwich was over cooked and dry. I asked for potato salad for my side and was told it was no longer on the menu! It was replaced with peach cobbler....a dessert! What kind of BBQ place doesn't offer potato salad! So I ordered the Mac and cheese as my side. It had jalapeño added to it! I couldn't eat it! Went home hungry and had have a bowl of cereal! Famous Dave's was one of my favorite places to eat, but I am not sure I will return anytime soon! read more

This was excellent had it delivered to our hotel room got the feast for two could of easily fed 3 maybe more and the sampler appetizer it was a ton of food meat was excellent didn't even need the bbq sauce thank you read more

Unfortunately it was terrible. This used to be our favorite place and it has gone way down hill. We got the platter for two. Everything was cold or flavorless. Save yourself time and money and go to Qued or Texas Roadhouse. read more

I haven't been here for awhile as there's been so many good B-B-Q places that have opened up throughout our great city. I came here for lunch with some coworkers as it's not too far down the street from where I work. One of the guys I work with was telling me that they have really good B-B-Q nachos so I gave them a try. They weren't too bad. I think for the price that the order should've been almost twice as big but it is what it is. I'm not sure that I'd go out of my way to stop here again but if we're going to be going out for lunch and that's where everyone wants to go then I'd tag along. read more

My mom, sister, neice and I went to ur loacation around 7:00pm on Friday. Wevwere sat at a table close to were the wait staff was printing receipts out by the patio. We were never provided menus and the wait staff walked by us numerous times. We watched as the hostess walked another family into the dinner area and placed them over to the right of the restaurant, from where i was sitting facing the bar, next to the windows. A waiter came in from the patio area for the fourth time and started to help the new arrivals, as we sat continuing to wait. At this point we had been witing for 15 minutes, the new arrivals about 5. At this point we decided to get up and leave. The wait time was way too long. We had to wait to be greeted and seated. We waited at the table for over fifteen minutes without being greeted, provided menus, or asked about what we would like to drink. Then patrons that came in following us were served before us. The wait staff would pass by our tables several times without even acknowledging us. This was my mom's first time at Famous Dave's, my first time at this location, and will probably be our last. read more

My family comes here alot. At least 2 to 3 times a week. Very family friendly and WONDERFUL FOOD!! Love their Memphis dry rub on their ribs. My fiance and I come for lunch quiet a bit also. We are not from Iowa so finding a place we can call our favorite was defentialy a must for us. The manager takes the time to meet and greet his customers and the waitresses are very attentive and know the menu famously just like the name. We highly recommend this place and will continue to come as long as we are her in Good ol Des Moines Iowa. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Onion Straws Yum Yum - Barbeque Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Used to love this place. Went every week and never had a bad experience till today. Food was great as always, but server was awful. Brought the food out ok, but we hadn't even started to eat and she brought out the check and set it down. Wished us a good evening before even refilling the drinks. 78 year old mother in law was literally eating her corn on the cob when the server decided to take her plate out from her and walk away with it. With no place to set the eaten corn cob she just set it on the table. She brought back the check and PICKED UP the chewed on corn cob w her BARE HANDS and said "I took your plate away, that's my fault " and walked away with the corn cob. Came back 30 seconds later with another tables beer glass. ZERO CHANCE she washed her hands between handling that chewed up corn cob and that tables beer glass. Shame, love this place but it will be awhile till we come back. Felt sick walking out at what we just witnessed. Even in a non pandemic, that was disgusting and disappointing. read more

I've had my fair share of barbecue (including eating my way through Memphis and Kansas City), and Famous Dave's is consistently good barbecue, served in a clean and comfortable atmosphere at a fair price. I love the atmosphere. From the tongue-in-cheek hours on the front door, to the hardwood floors, rustic decorations, and the great blues music playing, you know you're in for some fantastic barbecue. I forgot to mention the great smell of smoke before you even walk in! Everything here is good. I'm a fan of the ribs, and the Memphis-style are done just right -- great bark on the outsides, tasty rub, and the meat is cooked to almost-fall-off-the-bone, but there's still a little bite to it. There's a variety of sauces to fit anyone's tastebuds, and the side dishes are equally stellar. I've had companions tell me the ribs are equally good "wet" (with sauce on them), and the beef brisket is allegedly to-die-for. The service is always friendly and fast. I've never had to wait for a table, and everything comes out faster than I would expect. Famous Dave's is everything you could want in a barbecue restaurant. It may be a chain, but it's a small chain, and everything is done the right way here. Highly recommended. read more

I've found Famous Dave's to be a bit on the hit or miss side for take out. Either you will get great ribs or you will bring home what seems like a bag full of bones and fat. I've found the dine-in experience to be good. Fast service and friendly wait staff. A clean restaurant. And very reasonable prices. The catfish fingers (which seems a bit over priced) are also very good. The staff is knowledgeable about what they sell (I know, this should be a given, but I've had wait staff before that knew nothing about what the restaurant was selling) and can accurately explain what a menu item is that you may have questions about. I've cut back on the amount of visits to Famous Dave's since I don't dine-in at the restaurant very often and sometimes I don't feel like rolling the dice to find out if I will have a good carry-out experience. But I've not completely written them off. read more