Famous Dave’s

Dave Anderson grew up in Chicago with love for BBQ instilled in him by his dad who was a Choctaw Indian and loved to smoke BBQ. It was that inspiration and passion that led Anderson to open the original Famous Dave’s in Hayward, Wisconsin in 1994. Although he no longer owns the chain that bears his name, he has never stopped his love and passion for BBQ and restaurants. In fact, he’s created a new restaurant, BBQ of course, after all, he is “America’s Rib King.”

 

General Restaurant Information

Food Type: Barbecue

Restaurant Type: Casual Dining

U.S. Locations: 173

States: 33 states, Famous Dave’s Locations

Company Slogan: America’s Favorite BBQ

 

Contact Information

Website: famousdaves.com

Questions: Contact Information

Phone number: 952-294-1300

Email: Contact Form Only

Blog: No

FAQ Page: No

 

Ownership

Who Owns Famous Dave’s? Famous Dave’s of America

Headquartered: Minnetonka, MN

Contact Information: 

Website: famousdaves.com/

Email/contact page: Contact Information

Phone: 952-294-1300

Address: 12701 Whitewater Drive, Suite 200, Minnetonka, MN 55343

Do They Franchise? Franchise Information

 

What Is It Like To Work At Famous Dave’s?

Employment Page

3.8/5 or 76%; 848 Reviews (indeed.com)

3.4/5, or 68%; 267 Reviews (glassdoor.com)

What to expect when working at Famous Dave’s (job-applications.com)

 

The History of Famous Dave’s

Original Location: 9971 N Grand Pines Lane, Hayward, Wisconsin (burned down November 2014) 

Founded: May 1994

Founded By: Dave Anderson

Biography Articles:

Meet Dave (famousdaves.com)

David W. Anderson (wikiwand.com)

Chef Dave Anderson – Biography (starchefs.com)

Dave Anderson is opening a new barbecue restaurant (startribune.com)

Dave Anderson (texaztaste.com)

Founder Obituary: Still Living

Name Origin: Name based on the founder, Dave Anderson. You can read more of his story and how he became “Famous Dave”

History Page: Company History Page

Current View of Original Location: 9971 N Grand Pines Lane as it is today (link may not work on mobile devices without Google Maps)

Historical Articles: 

The Legend of Famous Dave’s (famousdavesbbqco.com)

 

Social Awareness

Charity Focus: Food for hungry, Disaster relief

Green | Eco-Friendly: No resources found

Animal Cruelty: No resources found

 

Discounts At Famous Dave’s

Rewards Program: Famous Dave’s Reward Program 

Do Kids Eat Free at Famous Dave’s?

What day do kids eat free? Some locations offer it on Monday, some on Tuesdays

Summary: Most locations if offering kids eat free will offer on Mondays, but some participating locations use Tuesday. Also, some locations may charge $.99 as opposed to offering it free. As always, check your local restaurant for details and information.

Does Famous Dave’s Offer Military Discounts?

Summary: Yes, Veteran’s Day, all active and former military personnel receive a free two meat combo. 

What Does Famous Dave’s offer for My Birthday!?

Summary: Currently, when you join their Famous Nation reward program they will give you “a tasty gift for your birthday, just for signing up”.

Does Famous Dave’s Offer First Responder Discounts?

Summary: No resources found

Does Famous Dave’s Offer Senior Citizen | AARP Discounts?

Summary: All customers 50 years or older receive two entrees for 12.99 or a feast meal for 2 at 24.99 on select days at participating locations

Are There Any Other Discounts or Benefits at Famous Dave’s?

Summary: When you join their Famous Nation rewards program, they offer special promotions throughout the year as well as barbecue tips.

 

Amenities

Order Online: Online Order

WiFi Available: Yes

Use Apple Pay: No  

Reservations: No  

Catering: Catering Menu  

Drive-Thru: No 

Open 24 Hours: No  

 

Customer Reviews of Famous Dave’s

Yelp: 3.3/5 or 66%, 3,445 reviews sampled

Tripadvisor: 4.2/5 or 83%, 1,987 reviews sampled

Overall (weighted) Average: 3.62/5 or 72%, 15,600 reviews sampled

 

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Food & Nutrition

Menu: Famous Dave’s Menu

Kids Menu: Famous Dave’s Kids Menu

Secret Menu: No resources found

Most Popular Menu Item: No resources found

Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi

Serve Alcohol: Yes

Nutritional Information: Famous Dave’s Nutrition Guide

Vegetarian | Vegan Options: 

145 Vegan Chain Restaurant Menus Every Vegan Needs to Know (urbantastebud.com)

Farm to Table | Organic Options | Clean | Non-GMO: No resources found

Miscellaneous Nutrition Resources: 

Nutrition Information (livestrong.com) (fatsecret.com) (nutrition-charts.com)

How to Eat Healthy at Famous Dave’s (oureverydaylife.com)

Famous Dave’s BBQ Menu (rise.us)

Allergy Information

Allergen Information: Famous Dave’s Allergen Guide

Gluten Free Options: 

Famous Dave’s Gluten Free Menu (urbantastebud.com)

Dairy Free Options: No resources found, but the following may be helpful to you.

Restaurant Guide For Dairy-Free Dining (godairyfree.org)

Peanut Free Options: 

Famous Dave’s Peanut & Allergy Information (famousdaves.com)

Food Allergy Guides For Many Chain Restaurants (verywellhealth.com)

Ways to Eliminate Risks of Peanut Allergy When Dining Out (healthguidance.org)

 

Does Famous Dave’s Have Any Secret Recipes?

Secret Recipes:  

Corn Muffins (topsecretrecipes.com)

Barbecue Spareribs (foodnetwork.com)

BBQ Sauce (geniuskitchen.com)

BBQ Recipes (allrestaurantrecipes.com)

Cornbread Muffins (eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com)

 

Did You Know?

Fun Facts: 

Don’t let the apron fool you. Dave’s not only a bbq pitmaster but also holds a Master’s Degree from Harvard (Wikipedia)

He was one of the original investors in Rainforest Cafe (Wikipedia)

The Uptown Minneapolis restaurant is called Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues

Dave’s dad was a Choctaw Indian

After the original location of burned down on November 3, 2014, the site was cleared and a new restaurant called Props Landing was put in its place. The new restaurant also has new owners.

Dave grew up in Chicago

Anderson left the company in March 2014 after disagreements with management only to return to the company he founded in 2016 as a consultant after declining sales forced the decision to ask Dave to return.

After leaving the company, Anderson created Old Southern BBQ (also known as Jimmie’s Old Southern BBQ) that has multiple locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota

Anderson owns the Grand Pines Resort and Hotel in Hayward, Wisconsin which was home to the original restaurant restaurant now Props Landing.

Dave lives in Edina, Wisconsin with his wife Kathy. The couple has two (grown), children

Interesting Articles:

Dave Anderson aims to make Famous Dave’s famous again (twincities.com)

Dave Anderson, to be Honored by American Royal as 2017 Inductee for the Barbecue Hall of Fame (globenewswire.com)

Dave Anderson is opening a new barbecue restaurant (startribune.com)

Famous Dave’s shuttered 13 units since July (nrn.com)

Dave Anderson outlines ‘fight for survival’ (nrn.com)

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Famous Dave’s (2geekswhoeat.com)

 

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Social Media

Followers (as of September 2018) –  

Facebook: 385,081

Twitter: 29,700

Instagram: 9,087

Mobile Apps

Alternatives

Better Options: Coming Soon

Similar Restaurants: 

Bill Miller Bar-B-Q

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que

 

In Summary

In researching the barbecue chain, there is, of course, the information about the restaurant chain itself but beyond that, the underlying story is more about the man to which the restaurant is named. “Famous Dave” as he is known, is an icon in the BBQ industry. He has received countless awards and was awarded the title “America’s Rib King.” He followed his love and passion for BBQ instilled in him by his dad, a Choctaw Indian and opened his first restaurant in 1994. He was not only successful at making great BBQ but with the restaurant business as well, as he grew his one restaurant to a chain. He has continued to be successful despite setbacks in his life. His first restaurant location burned in November 2014, and despite vowing to rebuild, he ended up not pursuing that and in the end allowed Props Landing to take its place. He would also go on to leave the company he started which was one of the hardest decisions of his life. After declining sales when Dave left the restaurant, the ownership reached out to him to come back to help which had to make him feel validated. He would then go on to open a new restaurant chain, Old Southern BBQ in honor of his dad. He calls Edina, Wisconsin home and continues doing what he’s always done, making people happy with his award-winning barbecue.

 

 

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