Famous Dave’s BBQ Chain is Coming to Midtown
According to a tipster, and confirmed on their website, World famous (?) BBQ chain Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que is opening their first Manhattan branch right smack dab in the middle of Midtown Lunch central (on 47th btw. 6+7th). I would be down with some good BBQ in these parts (right now, the Daisy May’s BBQ cart on 50th btw. 6+7th is about all I can fully get behind) but considering how many touristy, big box BBQ joints we already have in Midtown (Dallas BBQ, Virgil’s, & Spanky’s) this may not be the answer to our prayers.
I don’t have anything against BBQ chains (if Corky’s opened a NYC branch, I’d probably pass out from excitement), and I’ve never been to a Famous Dave’s, which apparently has locations all over the U.S., but the background info doesn’t seem reassuring: it was founded in Minnesota (huh?) about 15 years ago by the same guy who helped found the “Rainforest Cafe“. Sweet!
There is a menu posted on their website, but there aren’t any prices, so I’m not sure if this place is even going to fall under the Midtown Lunch price range. I’m not holding my breath. Have you been to a Famous Dave’s? Let us know in the comments if we should be excited…
A interior taken-through-the-cracks-of-the-plywood photo is after the jump (if such a thing excites you).
Posted: 2:00 pm, January 12th, 2009 under BBQ, Famous Dave's BBQ.
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39 Comments
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A little digging on the website menu showed the prices in another NY location — Smithtown NY (obviously city prices will likely be higher).
Lunch & Early Bird Specials
Same great taste, just smaller portions of a few of our favorites served up for lunch.
Real ‘Que Sandwich Specials
•Georgia chopped pork •Texas beef brisket •Pulled BBQ chicken with Jack cheese Sandwiches served with your choice of one side. $6.99
Platter and Combo Specials – Choose two different meats from below — $8.49
Platter and Combo Specials – Choose one meat from below — $7.69
Meat Selections:
• St. Louis-style spareribs • Country-roasted or barbeque chicken • Sweetwater catfish • Texas beef brisket • Georgia chopped pork • Hot link sausage • Rib tips • Chicken tenders Chicken wings
Combos and Platters served with a corn bread muffin, corn-on-the-cob and your choice of one side.
Lunch Size SaladsSmaller versions of our entrée salads, served with a corn bread muffin. • Dave’s sassy BBQ salad • Crispy chicken salad • Smoked salmon Caesar salad • Grilled chicken Caesar salad — $7.49
BBQ Stuffed Potato
Loaded baked potato topped with choice of Texas beef brisket, Georgia chopped pork or pulled BBQ chicken. $7.49
Soup, Salad and Potato Specials Camera Icon
Choose two from below. Served with a corn bread muffin. • Cup of soup or Dave’s famous chili • Fresh garden salad or side Caesar salad • Baked potato loaded with your choice of whipped butter, sour cream, Cheddar cheese, and bacon bits — $7.19
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I’ve been to the Famous Dave’s in Philly and it wasn’t that bad. The barbeque better than what you would get at a similar chain, say Chili’s and it’s priced nicely. I fully expect the prices to be much higher in Midtown, but I’m sure they’ll have a few sandwiches w/fries for under $10.
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“Wasn’t that bad” is a terrible endorsement for a food establishment in New York City where choices abound (it’s not like we don’t have great ‘cue here)
Sadly, @ben was spot on- my visit to a MN location was very forgettable.
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Those Smithtown prices are definitely cheaper than I expected… maybe we’ll get lucky.
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Skrewed, actaully we don’t abound in great ‘cue here in midtown. And “wasn’t” that bad” is on the context of “chain” restaurants, not the sum of New York dining.
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I’m famliar with Famous Dave’s. They opened one in Westbury/Carle place across the street from Target. It’s pretty good. It’s not as good as BBQ competition food, or Corky’s, or southern homestyle type joints, but it’s good for this area. There’s lots of Famous Dave’s down south.
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No one will confuse anything eaten at Famous Dave’s with great bbq. All famous Dave locations have closed in my NFL city after a run of less than a year, and no, we also do not have good bbq here. Not even average when compared to all dining choices, not just bbq choices. Also: The smoking is done off premises
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With the sole exception of Farmer Bar in Southold, there is no good ‘que on LI. That being said, FD in Westbury comes *pretty* close…. Their rib platters are fat and juicy, and their sides are pretty damn good. As substitutes and also-rans go, this one is mighty fine….
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“A interior taken-through-the-cracks-of-the-plywood photo is after the jump (if such a thing excites you).”
Channeling DocChuck?
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I actually like Famous Dave’s better than Corky’s, but I’ve only been to the Corky’s in Atlantic City. That might not be the best example. :)
Apart from FD, the only other decent BBQ place I’ve been to on LI was a place called Swingbelly’s in Long Beach. Definitely more of a summertime place but pretty good nonetheless.
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God I need to visit North Carolina soon!! I want pulled pork now!
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@ Manga and @ Harry — I think The Spare Rib on Long Island makes pretty good bbq, granted it’s no Dinosaur BBQ, but I think it’s very good (locations in Commack and Hicksville if I remember correctly).
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Mamacita, I’ll get the car if you pay for the gas. I’ve been dying to visit ed “you want some ribs” mitchell.
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Cue Waynes pulled pork/Mamacita line.
And, ‘thebooth’…its a food blog not the gettysburg address.
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If you love Olive Garden you’ll love Famous Dave’s.
Owned by a guy who puts restaurants in Iowa’s strip malls.
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And calls his salads “sassy.”
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@Ben: I have to agree that Midtown doesn’t abound in good ‘cue- that’s why I said “New York City”. I don’t like to distinguish between chains and mom and pops personally. A place is either good or bad and serves their food one place or many. Further distinction seems arbitrary and elitist :)
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DocChuck is right: I love Olive Garden and I love Famous Dave’s.
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Famous Dave’s is pretty good for what it is: a chain and really cheap. I’ve been twice or three times to the one in LI (the closer to Queens one) and found it reasonable enough to have bday dinners (with the family, necessitating a kid-friendly place) there. Lunch specials are super cheap (5.99+) there so I’d imagine add a dollar or two for Manhattan premium pricing. I can’t say it’s amazing but … good for what it is and the price. I never posted pictures because I had too much other stuff going on at the time, but I can whip them out for you if you’d like Zach.
One annoying thing is how every waitstaff person will say “Hi I’m Famous[insert name]!” when they greet you. Like “I’m Famous Kirsten!” and “I’m Famous Idiot!” or whatever. It gets tiring after you’re there for 15 minutes and 5 people have approached your table to tell you this.Oh, and The Spare Rib – haven’t been in a while but the quality went way down maybe 5 years ago? So I stopped going.
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Doc Chuck has been to an Iowa trip mall. It is where he met Hogzilla while she was dumpster diving for leftover Happy Meals.
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You guys shouldn’t let the other New York state location’s prices get you all excited. Let’s keep in mind where this midtown location is; it’s virtually catty-corner to the new TKTS booth (now new and improved with red steps!) practically right in the middle of Times Square, the one in New York City! Add at least $5 to every price at that other location and we may get the minimum of what we should expect. Either way, can’t wait to try it out.
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As regards FD, I have eaten at both LI locations, and I like it. What do I like the most, you ask? I know you want to know… It is this:
All-American BBQ Feast®
A full slab of St. Louis-style spareribs, a whole chicken, 1/2 lb. of either Texas beef brisket or Georgia chopped pork, coleslaw, Famous Fries, Wilbur Beans, four corn-on-the-cob, and four corn bread muffins. Serves 4-5. Pick a location to see pricingFeast for Two
All the flavor, but half the size of our All-American BBQ Feast®. Serves 2-3. Pick a location to see pricingMy wife and I, both big eaters, would split the combo for 2 and we’d still be eating it for 3 days.See, you get the choice between the brisket or the pork? We asked if we could have both and they always added it for a few bucks more.
Plus, they serve it on a garbage can lid. Really.
Is it the best BBQ? Maybe not… but man, so much food, the price was cheap and BBQ is hard to find on LI.
Also, do you think we will get a FD Shill here? I love shills!
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Famous Dave’s is terrible – save for their cornbread and their $1 drafts (Guiness, Blue Moon, Great Lakes, et al.) on Wednesday nights.
At least that’s how it is in Ohio….
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I went to the Famous Dave’s in Maple Grove, MN and was more entertained by the server’s accent than the food. Its BBQ quality in NYC would probably land somewhere between Dallas BBQ (crap) and Virgil’s (meh). It was, however, a sleazy thrill to eat off a trash can lid.
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Famous Dave’s is great for chain BBQ. In Kansas City Missouri, there outpost actually ranks as one of the better places in this storied BBQ town, this is a little far fetch, yes, but I have been to the one in Westbury LI, many times, it is by Rosevelt Filed Races Way. And it is pretty good, they have tasty wings, and pretty decent cue. Now remeber, any BBQ place that opens in midtown has to use an electric smoker, so this could lead to some variation, lets hope not. Oh and they have half price happy hour aps, at the bar, at least in LI, so that was a pretty good deal on wings.
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I have been to the one in Westbury/Garden City, Long Island… Its OK, I would rather go to Virgils… unless it is that much cheaper, but I dont think it will be.
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While this and Virgil’s are spitting distance of my office, I won’t be frequenting either anytime soon. Not that it’s bad barbecue, it’s just mediocre chain barbecue mass produced for the masses. For the real deal, I’d hit up Blue Smoke (the originator of quality NYC que), RUB, Daisy Mays, Hill Country, or Wildwood (and don’t forget Dr. BBQ at Southern Hospitality). But what do I know? ;)
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If Queens counts as Long Island (and they are certainly contiguous), the best BBQ I’ve had on LI is Legend’s in Jackson Heights. It’s also the best in the city. Famous Dave’s isn’t bad though in Westbury.
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There was a Famous Dave’s location in Winona, MN. My dad loved it, so much so that he single handedly tried to keep it’s doors open by dragging the entire family there weekly. It closed despite our best efforts. This restaurant’s greatest competition in Winona was a Perkins. That about sums it up.
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When my good friend Jess(see above) told me about this I was ecstatic! This is my all time favorite bbq joint and I should know being from Kansas. With their 6 pack of BBQ sauce on each table how can you go wrong?! The wait for this place back home is at least 45 minutes usually.
Awesome!
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My DH loves the one in Mountainside, NJ near his work. He even had them cater his office picnic.
Now he can visit me :)
(But don’t go by me, I’m still jealous he has a Hometown Buffet near his work also!)
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i’ve eaten at FD in Mall of America, MN and the one in Westbury and it’s not bad. aren’t they known more for their sauces rather than food? on a gluttonous splurge, my bf and i shared the appetizer sampler AND the feast for two. after eating as much as we could, we still had enough leftovers for the both of us the next day for two meals. cornbread was good, rib meat was extremely tender and they serve it on a trash can lid. what can you really expect from a chain?
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FAMOUS DAVE’S! I visited a FD in Indiana and it was great. The ‘All American BBQ Feast’ was supposed to feed 4-5, but it easily could have fed 6(perhaps even 7)! Yeah…it was that large. And the food is very tasty. The server was so friendly and the wait time was supposed to be 1hour but we got served within 30mins. BUT seeing as how this will be NYC,…I don’t think it’ll be the same. Chains are never the same when they come to NYC, but hopefully the food will still be awesome.
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Daves is outrageously great! The food is delicious (all of it, even the warm corn muffins), and what a friendly wait staff and management. We went to the Suffolk restaurant and had a wonderful experience. In addition, we got the sampler for four- tons of delicious foods at a bargain price. I highly recommend.
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I love Dave’s! We had one here in CT (New Britain), until it closed in April, 2008. In the last month, I’ve had Dave’s in Philly and also in Springfield, MA. Any idea when the Manhattan location will open? I will be frequenting them once they’re ready to go, and are open for buisness!
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Dallas BBQ < Hill Country < Blue Smoke < Famous Dave’s. That’s all the ‘cue I’ve had in the city. Frankly, very underwhelmed by Blue Smoke and Hill Country. I still need to hit Dinosaur BBQ and I guess Virgil’s from what people have posted. Where else can you get good ‘cue in manhattan? Moved from Louisville, KY were good stuff abounded, including Famous Dave’s (what’s with all the BBQ snobs from NYC – Ha!).
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Dinosaur and Daisy May’s are the best in the city for my tastes. Blue Smoke was underwealming and expensive. Never been to a Famous Dave’s, but the location works for me… all depends on the beer selection I think because from the reviews, its unlikely they will be in the same league as Daisy’s or Dinos.
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Lived in Virginia for 1 year and ate at sevearal FDs at least 1x per week in Alexandria/Arlington area. I thought the food was great, but what would I know as a New Yorker!
I would agree that the Times Sq store will be pricey – got to be.Stoped in there yesterday to have lunch and stood in the doorway for 5 minutes. Not one of the10 assorted managers, hosts, etc even greeted me. They weren’t busy, I guess they don’t care. They lost me as a potential customer. If I want NY barbecue I will go somewhere else.
A predection – they will close in less than a year. Too many places in NY where they have decent food and CUSTOMER SERVICE~
If Corky’s opened in NYC any hope of me never breaking the 300lb barrier would be lost forever.