Dave’s All American Pizza and Eatery

We’ve eaten at Dave’s All American Pizza a handful of times. It’s ok but certainly nothing extraordinary. The salad bar is adequate at best and it darn well should be now that Dave’s charging $ 9. The fruit is canned… meh…and I love how Dave puts the blue cheese dressing at the very back to discourage usage… blue cheese dressing as you know is the more expensive dressing so that should tell you what your dealing with here. In that same vein, Dave doesn’t allow tips to be put on your credit card… noooo, you see that means he would have to pay that 3% CC fee. I refer you back to the blue cheese story. This is an efficiently run business you see but the sad part is many diners show up without cash and therefore the waitresses go wanting. Too bad ladies. Ok now on to our recent visit. This last visit, and I underscore last, both of us ordered the salad bar and I ordered the «plain spud», at least I think that’s what it’s called… butter and sour cream with no accoutrements. You can get it garnished with cheese as I recall for an additional 50 cents but I opted for the plain jane. After finishing my salad I schlepped my plain spud back to the $ 9 salad bar and topped it with shredded cheese… yessss. When the waitress, who happened to be Dave’s better half, dropped off the bill I noticed I was charged for the spud with accoutrements… i.e. an additional 50 cents. The injustice I muttered and called her over to point out her mistake. She said oh yes that’s a mistake… but then added «well you did put cheese on it from the salad bar». Wow… just wow! I essentially stole a handful of grated cheese… who knows what kind of processed cheese it was… from my $ 9 salad bar. I muttered some other choice mutterings and we headed for the cashier and a hasty exit. Then I remembered the bit about Dave refusing to allow tips on credit cards. I looked in my wallet and all I could find was a couple of twenties… sorry Mrs. Dave, looks like you’ll have to survive on that no doubt lucrative hourly wage that Dave pays.

Been here several times. Usually a great experience. Tonight though was a different story. Waited 40 minutes for dinner, and we finally gave up and left. Waitress might have been able to keep us there, but that required at a stop by the table.

Love the salad bar! It is a meal by it self. Tuesday night they have soup.

This place is cool. They have parking spaces reserved for each branch of the military, that is great. They have a good salad bar and a sundae bar, the sundae bar costs extra. Their pizza is yummy, as are the sandwiches. It is cool because they have a room with local Indiana teams-​Purdue, IU.

The service here is fantastic – in fact, I’ve never had bad service here.
The food is fine. The pizza isn’t inedible, but it’s not the best I’ve had.
Policy at this place is what gets stars dinged immediately. At Dave’s, you’ll enjoy a curmudgeonly, «you kids get off my lawn!» environment where technology is feared. Tipping with a card is not allowed – which must really be horrible for the waitstaff because not many people carry cash anymore.
Also, cell phone usage is outright banned. I don’t like overhearing loud phone conversations as much as the next guy, but it’s a little ridiculous when you get death glares from what looks like management for taking your phone out of your pocket for five seconds to respond to a text. There are pictures people have taken of their meals here on Unilocal,and it’s beyond me how these users were even able to do that without inciting some kind of riot.
I do appreciate the gesture of supporting the troops. I have plenty of friends who have served, and they deserve that recognition. I don’t appreciate the stiff policies, nor do I appreciate the jabs all around this place targeting people who are a different political persuasion than Dave. I really could give two hoots about politics, but I really don’t see how these little digs add to the theme of supporting the troops. Considering both conservatives and liberals alike have fought and died for this country, the subtle political bashing just seems counterproductive.
A restaurant review is supposed to be about food, right? I honestly don’t care about atmosphere if the food is good, and I just spent 98% of this review writing about how bad the atmosphere is. That should tell you something.

Gordon Ramsey needs to check this place out. I love the salad bar but the rest. Not so good.

This place is a throwback to the year 1987, when Reagan was running up the debt and stacking the Supreme Court with nimrods, and Indiana Republicans were in a fugue state about their short-​lived political hegemony in the House of Representatives, which climaxed mightily with the coronation of Hoosier Dan Quayle as GOP heir apparent. Lol in CAPS! But it’s a 1987, as it must have seemed to a 52 year old Nixon lover who was already outdated in that era. No Springsteen, no Ghostbusters, no Michael Jackson in this time machine.
Frankly the place is kind of a museum to conservative America– the walls are lined with framed form letters sent to the owner from a passel of insignificant fringe conservative legislators and republican PACs, lauding him for his support for clintons impeachment, the the watering town of gun laws, etc. Most of them are dated, and notched between two rooms of relatively interesting military paraphernalia from every branch. (Respect.)
It’s worth going here for a look at a restaurant that might outdo the absurd exaggerations of the Indiana of Parks and Rec. Leslie Knope would have been doing the worm on the edge of that four foot long «salad bar.» Which features ground radishes as a highlight.
That salad bar is about on par with that of an interstate Pizza hut. If people come here to take salads with them, oh forget it… I can’t even think of a smart-​ass line that conveys how trulyridiculous the thought is.
Reset. Here’s my condensed review:
Come to Dave’s to enjoy an atmosphere of grumpiness and annoyance conveyed by the menu itself, which warns against «sharing,» and demands all tips be in cash, and by the staff of aging, limping, pissed off waitresses who labor beneath the watchful gaze of Dwight Eisenhower and General McArthur, without so much as a smile for anyone who’s not a regular. The salad bar is awful. Seriously. Epically bad. But the heavily marked up baked potatoes are so loaded, that they come out looking like a beach bucket of melted cheese. If you want to see a restaurant that actually gets away with charging 9 bucks for a 74 cent baker, this is your place. If you are looking for pizza reminiscent of the time back when you lost your job and lived by putting Ragu which you bought at an interstate truckstop on top of saltines you snagged from Wendy’s before they let you go for playing floor hockey with their frozen burgers, then this is the joint!
I have it one star, because it’s worth a look if only for notes on the postmodern wasteland that once was the rural Midwest. Times have changed. (Don’t tell Dave!) And because I can’t give zero stars to a place that actually offers a featured mashups like «Ham and Cheese Fettucine» and «spaghetti gumbo.» (And also because Unilocal won’t let me give zero stars!)
Relive the arrogance and posturing of Alexander Haig and David Stockman! Pause at the shrine to a leather faced Ronald Reagan and reflect on the fact that W was actually even worse than the Gipper. And we survived! We survived. You will survive Dave’s All-​American Eatery too. Just don’t tip in cash!

Didn’t dine in but if I had a dollar for every time I drove by this wannabe legion and saw there sign saying Now Hiring I could fund Obama care lol

Good food, but a little too much political stuff. Also, no hand soap in bathroom. Management does not allow tip to be included in the credit card payment!

First time here was today Valentine’s Day. We ordered a large pizza, 2 salad bars and a baked potato. The salad bar was surprisingly good and clean. There was always always someone up there cleaning the salad bar and filling up the vegetables. The baked potato I could have done without because I was that satisfied w the salad bar. Everyone loved the pizza. The crust is really unique almost cracker like but good. Very cheesy and the sauce is delicious.
All the servers were nice. At the end of our meal we received a complimentary valentines cupcake for everyone. That was a nice touch.
Keep in mind tips must be in cash which I was glad I had some in my purse. I hope the servers do not get stiffed on this a lot bc they really are great.

This place is perfect for family dinner. It’s decorated with military memorabilia and there are so many interesting things to see. They have the freshest salad bar around, but be careful not to fill up on it. The best is yet to come. They serve Italian food made with Daves homemade sauce; spaghetti, pizza, ect. They also have huge spuds with a variety of toppings and many other items. You won’t regret this dinner choice!

Nice atmosphere and good food, what more could you want? Oh yeah, the prices aren’t too bad either. My parents love going for the salad bar but I love going for the spaghetti. The fluffy stuff from the salad bar is also lovely.

Great family atmosphere with the freshest salad bar will you will find. This hidden gem is nestled just west of Danville and must I if you are in the area.
There weekly specials includes a spud night. The spuds are very fresh and extremely large in size. The spud and salad are guaranteed to leave you stuffed.

Always my «go to» in town for pizza. The sauce is great and the ingredients are always fresh. They have dine in and a fresh salad bar but I usually opt for take out as it is close to home.

If there was a way to give negative stars I would. I had spaghetti which was red colored water in top of noodles. Service was A hit rise and just overall not a good experience.

The salad bar during the week is a little sad compared to the weekends. The variety just isn’t there. Also, some of the vegs seem like they have been in the same container for some time and may have even been soaked in water. So, if your are going for the salad bar… go on weekends. The French Onion soup is usually very good. Every time I have ordered the Prime Rib, it has been very good and the baked potatoes are a meal in themselves. Burgers are okay but don’t expect fries because they don’t offer them.
The restaurant is loaded with unique military items and one room is dedicated to IU.
So, if you go, make sure you visit on a weekend.

Dave’s is a Danville staple, the décor reminds us of what small town Indiana is all about! Basketball… farming…and patriotism!
They have surprisingly good and diverse salad bar, and their spuds can’t be matched! Being from Idaho, I can say these are the quality potatoes… it helps they are the super sized one as well. My personal favorite is the original spaghetti with garlic toast.

Meh. Mediocre food — salad bar is decent. Pizzas OK. Potatoes overpriced. Steaks are not of the best quality.
Beyond the mediocre food, I have a couple of other issues with the place.
First, I worry that the waitresses often get stiffed on tips, as customers aren’t allowed to add tips to credit card slips. As a person who mostly uses a debit card (I simply don’t carry cash!) not being able to tip is reason enough to avoid the place.
Along with the military tributes (which are nice) are several digs at liberals and Democrats throughout the restaurant. That’s certainly Dave’s right, but it’s also my right to avoid a place that insults a substantial portion of his customer base. My family jokes about Dave’s as a place that serves only serves Republican food.

Dave’s has made it’s reputation as an military restaurant. From the minute you pull into the parking lot you’ll see military signs, paraphernalia, mannequins and photos. What you won’t see is a military discount.
I suppose that it’s good enough for my husband to serve, but not get a free drink or salad bar?
We aren’t the type to go looking for a freebie, but when every single surface of the restaurant is covered in «support our troops» garb we thought he meant it!
Also…the word around town is that Dave won’t allow you to tip on a credit card because he doesn’t want to pay the surcharge, so his wait staff suffers. Nice.
Oh, and the food is decent.

Serving up a tribute to those who served and are serving our country along with some good «nothing fried» food !!
Trying new places is always fun, especially when you have your grandkids with you, and there is something to entertain them. Dave’s All American offers just that. From the minute you walk in the front door you know you are safe, just by the look of the life size Marine in combat gear statue standing by the window looking out. A lot of memorabilia representing America and the Armed Forces placed around the walls to keep the little eyes busy.
This eatery is all about honoring those who have served and are still serving in the Armed Forces. From the parking spots with signs to the inside you have no doubt that many at the tables are there not only for the good food, but because there is respect hovering in every inch of the place for what they have done. Having been the wife of an Army Soldier for 20 years this is something I have admiration for.
My grandson is one of the «picky eaters» you hear horror stories about –and there were no frowns when we pulled his sandwich from home to go along with the breadsticks and drink. The kids menu is a nice one and gives them nice healthy choices.
The menu offers mostly Italian but there are sandwiches and dinners of a different flavor along with a daily special that will make you wallet sing at the end of the meal. There is a FRESH salad bar with a nice assortment of goodies you can add to a meal also.
I was thrilled to see a «Frosty» SUPER Rootbeer on the menu. (and super was in size — 32 oz. frosted mug.!! All drinks come in a nice size «real» glass so you don’t have to constantly be asking for a refill. (there is something about glass that makes everything taste different than when served in plastic)
The service was friendly and prompt — and the food… very good. The spaghetti sauce is «homemade» and I give it a thumbs up. My daughter was wowed by the personal size pizza and the toppings.
We were both impressed that nothing on the menu is fried. Don’t look for french fries here… none to be found. You won’t miss them though… this is a nice change of pace for a local place that caters to «hometown» people who would like to gather and have a meal along side each other. Plenty of large tables for the families and smaller area’s for those that are couple dining.
This is a great place to visit for a casual meal — no frills. Just good eating and good service and easy on the wallet.