Famous Dave’s

Best BBQ around. Their ribs are delicious their fries and corn bread are amazing and the baked potato soup is unlike any others! Totally recommend them. I will be a regular.

I’ve been to Famous Dave’s many times in Long Beach, CA and Simi Valley, CA and I have to say THIS was the disappointing Dave’s…
Differences we noticed:
–No waiting area other than a single bench in the front lobby. It was 40* outside and we had to stand right between the reception desk and the food pickup counter which was really awkward.
–No chips! At other Dave’s they bring out a very small plate of BBQ potato chips and give you full explanation of the 6 sauces on the table… this Dave’s did no such thing.
–Servers at other Dave’s always promote the BBQ ambiance a bit, they ask you if you’ve been there before and give you a quick explanation of the 6 BBQ sauces… this place did not do this.
–MISSING SAUCE! At every Dave’s there are 6 sauces in a small rack on the table, this place had 5 sauces and a bottle of Ketchup! Fortunately we asked for the missing sauce by name from memory (Habanero based «Wilbur’s Revenge»)… they said they would «bring some out» and they didn’t keep it on the table because a lot of kids eat there… ??? A lot of kids eat at every Dave’s! I don’t need my restaurant to be my nanny, I came for the «revenge!»
–Feast for Two don’t come with Brisket! That’s news to us, every other Dave’s gives you corn, ribs, cornbread, chicken, beans, fries, coleslaw and BRISKET! Maybe it’s different back East, but our Feast came with Georgia Chopped Pork instead of Brisket…
–No moist towelettes! I figured moist towelettes at the conclusion of your meal is like a badge of honor to a BBQ place… this Dave’s leave’s you walking out with sticky fingers and sauce on your face…
All-​in-​all it was just okay, but won’t be visiting THIS Dave’s again. Spent a lot of time waiting on our server even though it wasn’t very busy, and had to ask for different items several times… When you ask for «Wilbur’s Revenge,» they bring it out in a dipping cup! They won’t even bring you the bottle! LAME!

We had 3 adults, 3 kids plus a toddler. Our server Famous Carmen was attentive and thoughtful of our needs being such a large group with children. We got the All American Feast and a Chicken Tender dinner with Pineapple steaks and Broccoli. The food came out very quickly and was hot. The chicken tenders were juicy and flavorful but the dipping sauce they came with was not good. We had so much food we needed 2 to-​go boxes to fit it all. Carmen even brought us 2 round to-​go containers with lids for the beans and coleslaw plus a bag. She was amazing. I would absolutely reccomend this place if you like barbecue and want a great atmosphere.

The hubby and I have eaten here about three times now and just don’t care for it. We have friends that love it though. I guess it depends on your own personal taste preferences. Worth a try!

Famous Daves is the best barbecue place in Knoxville Tennessee. Highly recommend their burgers and ribs with cornbread on the side. Don’t forget their bread pudding for dessert Peavine

Dreadful experience. My father in law found actual whole bones in his pulled chicken. We informed out waitress, who finally advised the «manager», who didn’t apologize or offer him a refund. A child could have choked or been injured if this had been served to them. I didn’t expect much going into the place, but geez. Pick a local business if you want good BBQ.

We grabbed take out at work for lunch recently. We shared one of the trash can lids full of food (sounds appetizing, I know). It’s supposed to feed two… it fed five. No lie. So. Much. Food!
I must say, the quantity outweighed the quality in this one. It was insane. Personally, I had the pulled pork. It was pre-​portioned out on some Texas toast. Very disappointing because this made the bread incredibly soggy, especially once we got it back to the office. I didn’t love the original «rich and sassy» sauce, and unfortunately, we weren’t given others to try. I did have the cole slaw, which was creamy and slightly sweet. Yum. I also had a couple of potato wedges, which I thoroughly enjoyed. They were super crisp and well-​seasoned.
I just can’t give a higher rating due to the presentation of the meat. I mean, it’s a barbecue joint, so that’s where my judgement lies!

Not sure why it is famous. Nothing jumped out as so great. Sides were ok. Ribs were dry and 1 – 2 were burnt my fault I did not sent it back but I was hungry and in a hurry. The service was fast and friendly but what I really expected was great Bbq and disappointed with ok Bbq

I would like to rescind my positive review. After being hospitalized for three days bc of infectious colitis, STAY AWAY unless you want to experience a myriad of pain & internal bleeding. My recovery is still ongoing after 3 years, & I will probably be paying for years on the hospital bill that stemmed from a $ 7 lunch. I hope the health department did an investigation, this could have been tragic for someone that is not in good health.

By far one of my favorite restaurants in Knoxville! Great service and the food is amazing! If you haven’t eaten there I highly recommend it if you love bbq!!!

I like the ribs the best. Always good and tender with a good amount of meat on each bone. It doesn’t need sauce. Corn bread is sweet, just the way I like it. The rest of the sides are only ok, that’s why I give 4 stars instead of 5. Good service and prices are reasonable.

All American BBQ feast, $ 58.99 not including drinks.
We were not greeted with all the «famous» stuff that I have heard people say that they tend to do, we were seated and given time to look over the menu, as the waitress got us drinks, this was the first time any of the group had been there.
I live in Florida and was visiting Knoxville and my family thought I would like some good olé’ bbq, well let me tell you, enjoyed it very well.
I was actually sad when I left thought that the food was awesome.
Corn bread was great, but thought the brisket though flavorful was a bit dry, the least thing I like on the entire menu.
The ribs had plenty of meat on them, and thought the coleslaw was creamy.
Since this was my first time, I wanted to try their mac and spicy cheese, well I liked it too.
Overall I thought that they do a good job, our waitress was kind and helpful.
On the downside, they could not get out drinks right and though we asked for dessert she brought us a bill instead, so did feel rushed on a night that wasnt to busy.
They need to work on their listening to customers a little, if they want them to return since Sonny’s has shut down.
I will return on my next trip to TN

I’ve been here a few times. It is a good place with great pricing. Dinner was superb with plenty to go around. I wouldn’t take a date here, I think it’s more for «the guys».

BBQ was very tender and flavorful. We had the brisket and roasted chicken. Had many different sauces to choose from at the table. The side dishes were delish and the pickles were «oh WOW!» Our server was Amber and she was very attentive. The building was a little dated but hey… It’s a BBQ house right?

Stopped in with the wife and 2 kids for some «Famous» BBQ after a trip to the Knoxville Zoo. We started out with some «burnt ends» that were decadent and then went onto some very good BBQ ribs.
Famous Dave’s made a believer out of us and we’ll be back for sure. Good stuff!

My new favorite BBQ place! The brisket was really good. I don’t care for the decorations on the inside. I felt like I was sitting in a thrift shop. The service was good as well.

Walking into Famous Dave’s was sort of new for me. I’ve been wanting to try out a BBQ place since I’ve gotten to TN. Lets just say, inside is super decorated! It had an ambiance of cabin fever mixed with some «macho» feeling that can only be portrayed in some imagination of Lewis and Clark’s cabin on their journey to the west.
Lets get down to the BBQ, because that’s where we came here for! My thoughts:
Not bad! Definitely a place where I would consider if I had another BBQ craving. I have another place that I want to check out, but until that happens this will have to do! I ordered the Babyback-​N-​Meat Combo, which came with half a slab of baby back ribs and 1 of the meats and 2 sides. For the meat side I got the Texas Brisket, which were pretty delicious. My 2 sides were Mac-​N-​Cheese as well as the potato salad.
Meal:
Baby back ribs, good. Texas brisket, good. I personally can’t say it was absolutely amazing, but it was definitely a place I am willing to go back to if I wanted BBQ and a place that’s not far.
Sides:
Mac N Cheese was pretty awesome. Not going to lie, I do like a good mac n cheese. And this one was cheesy and filling. Potato salad wasn’t crazy, just an average potato salad.
Service:
Wonderful! Didn’t have a problem with waiters and they were always there to help out especially if you’re an indecisive eater that can’t decide.
Conclusion:
If you’re craving for some BBQ, give this place a try. I’m sure I’ll come back for another round of their different types of BBQ and their sauces.

First review on Unilocal.
Famous Dave’s is an incredible BBQ place. Famous Alye was our waitress.
He was very friendly and provided us with great service.
I totally would recommend checking this place out.
Prices are not bad, very reasonable especially if you splitting the food between 2 people. The food was properly cooked, the meat came off the bone perfectly.
Very tasty and delicious food.

He said: Due to work, I have had the opportunity to eat at a LOT of BBQ places in the last 6 weeks and Dave’s is my Fave. We didn’t get over «famoused» like some have. The brisket is good and the chicken is awesome but the sides were real stars. I loved the mac n cheese (is spicy) and the beans (spicy) and the slaw (spicy) all were unusual and tasty. Got a Feast for 2 to take back to the hotel and it traveled well. I’m a fan.
She said: This place has great food! It is consistently good. We’ve been here three times so far and will most definitely be back! I’m a fan of the BBQ baked potato and the BBQ chicken. Yum!!!

My parents love a good deal just like I do — so when we arrived in Knoxville after a long 8-​hr drive from DC, my mom suggested we order take-​out from Famous Dave’s: specifically the Tuesday «$ 19.95 Feast for 2» special. They’d gotten the feast a couple times before, and said there was so much food, they were able to make three meals out of it.
And they were right. The feast included a ½ slab of St. Louis style spareribs, ½ chicken, ½ lb. Texas beef brisket (or you can choose to get ½ lb. Georgia chopped pork), 2 corn-​on-​the-​cob, 2 cornbread muffins, baked beans, cole slaw, and a pile of fried potato wedges. My favorites were probably the beef brisket, chicken, cole slaw, and the potato wedges.
The food was definitely tasty but too salty in my opinion. I could taste coconut oil in the cornbread. I became concerned that my parents were eating this kind of stuff given their age. For everyone else though, the Tuesday special is a great deal :) FYI — the regular price is $ 30.99.