Famous Dave’s

The food was great, despite the fact that I arrived at 4:00 pm on Memorial Day, an the restaurant was out of baked beans. The dessert was terrible. I ordered the bread pudding, which was mushy and disgusting. I was told that I received the last helping of praline sauce. The bowl, and spoon that it was served in was dirty. It had greasy fingerprints all over it. I love Famous Dave’s, but I don’t think I’ll visit this location again because it’s not managed well at all.

This is about their To Go service. I’m asked to hold on immediately. I wait for 3 mins for someone to come back to take my order. I’m now placing the order and am told they are out of baked beans. Tell her I will take apples. She has to check if they have apples. I’m on hold 7 mins. Someone picks up the phone and hangs it up. I call back three times and someone picks up the phone and immediately hangs up. Now I can’t get anyone to pick up the phone at all. I just want to speak to a manager at this point. Horrible.

These food places here are a joke. It’s like they hire people for the sake of saying they are fully staffed. I walk in on the to-​go side of the restaurant and there’s no one at the register. I’m like. REALLY. Keep in mind it’s after 7pm and the place should be super busy. The fact that there’s only 1 couple eating at a table and 6 at the bar should have been a red flag. So after waiting for about 10 minutes here comes the host asking if I needed to be seated I’m like No. I want someone to come over to the to-​go counter. Then the girl comes. This is the same girl I saw walking around looking busy but not doing a thing but talking to her coworkers in on the floor and in the kitchen. She takes my order swipes my card for payment and then has to search around for a pen the next 2 minutes because there’s nothing to write with already out. Gee no wonder folks aren’t in this place. Warning if you can make it out to Waldorf keep your business there this will be gone soon just like bonefish grill is.

I went to this location this past weekend and will probably never go back. First, they told me the wait was ten minutes, yet another family walks in 15 minutes later and gets seated before me. As a result, I stated that they told me ten minutes and it’s been at least 15 then after complaining I was seated. Also, they didn’t offer to give me one of those buzzers that let’s you know that it’s time for your party to be seated, so I don’t know if they didn’t have them or they didn’t want to use them, but it would’ve been a better option than waiting to have my name called, which, by the way, didn’t happen.
The waiter was friendly, however, he was slow, I had to ask him for ketchup at least two times before he brought it and by then I didn’t need it. When I got ready to leave it took him like ten minutes to bring me my bill. The food was good, but the service is nothing to be desired, so I will probably never go there again, I’ll go back to the Famous Dave’s in Columbia where service is better.

Where do I start? I don’t want to turn Unilocal into a forum of complaining so I will start off with the good things. They have a military discount but I will get to that later. The place is also very nice with a seating area upstairs for more privacy.
I went there with coworkers and we had about 13 people in our group. Upon entering the first sign you see entering Famous Daves is that there is 20% gratuity added to parties of eight or more. Our orders were placed rather quickly and I admit for the party we had it was fairly quick (about 15 minutes). I went with the two-​meat (sausage and rib tips) lunch special that came with your choice of side (jalapeño mac n cheese) and a corn muffin. The food was ok and the portion size was very decent for the price. I have to say pouring bbq sauce over baked chicken does not make it bbq chicken. It looked like it was put on as the server was leaving the kitchen and the chef hurried to the door to squirt some sauce over the chicken. The mac n cheese was said to be spicy but it did not have that much of a kick despite seeing the bits of jalapeño in it. If you like your meat saucy you have a plethora of the Famous Dave sauces. You have a very extensive menu here if you decide to go with the lunch option offered from 11 to 4. A choice of 14 sides and 8 meats to choose from.
Here is where Famous Daves needs to improve. If you ordered anything besides water for drinks it was a challenge for our waitress who I will keep nameless to get you the correct drink. I asked if they had a military discount and she said yes so I assumed it would automatically be on our checks since we were all in uniform. We all eventually got our checks but it took about 25 minutes to get everything sorted out. At this point everyone said forget getting the discount and just wanted to go. Not I as I believe if you don’t use it you lose it. Not all of us even got receipts as the waitress said to one of my coworkers «You got the same thing as him so just look at his check.» WTH. For real. Then despite writing our orders down she said that she did not know who ordered what. It was good I work with some honest people because many people would have just left. I stayed to get my discount and when she finally came back she asked me what some of the money that was left by coworkers. Remember that one who did not get their receipt? My eyes began to roll. I finally got the correction of my receipt and one of the waitress coworkers said to me that she is lucky that I was a patient person. I gave her the money to pay for my food and she asked did I need change. Once again another WTH. I have no problem with the added gratuity but that should also come with good service.
I feel conflicted and not sure if I was being compensated for my wait but I was told that the military discount was 10% but when I got my check 25% was removed from my meal. So all in all it kind of balanced out but not an expereince I am willing to endure again. Hey who am I to tell someone how to do their job. One and done.

I went to this Famous Dave’s tonight 2÷21÷16. I’ve never written a review for a restaurant before, whether the service was good or bad, but I have to say something about this place. The service my friends and I received tonight was horrible. A friend place an order for soup, however she wasn’t informed that they were out of soup until everyone else’s order came out. Another friend ordered broccoli with her entrée, but received fries instead. When she asked our waitress about the broccoli, she just sort of shrugged and told her that she’ll take it back. She didn’t acknowledge her mistake at all, showing me that she didn’t care.
The mashed potato side portions were extremely small, and my friends who ordered it weren’t filled at all. My other friends who wanted the soup, decided to get a chicken Caesar salad instead. Everyone was half way through their meals by the time her salad came. The broccoli was taking too long to come out, so my friend decided not to get it. When she told the waitress not to bring out the broccoli, the waitress then said «We have a large group so they probably forgot about it anyway.» Who says that to a guest?!
So finally, we were ready for our bill. There were 4 of us at the table. We wanted to bill split 3 ways. She messed it up so bad, I can’t even put it all into words. I ordered a chicken Caesar salad and grilled pineapple. My bill had those 2 items, plus two sweet tea’s. (I only had water. My 3 friends had the tea) I told her about the mistake, she took back the check, and brought back a check with AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ITEM ON IT! IT WAS MY FRIENDS CHECK FOR $ 10.28! Mine should have been around $ 15+ tax. At this rate, we were ALL frustrated and ready to leave, so I left the second check alone and went to use the restroom while she ran our cards. (The bathroom was also filthy) When I came back, I got a charged receipt for $ 18.31. I don’t know where this came from. When I asked her about it again, she seemed to be getting frustrated. I was over the entire experience and just decided to keep the second check. I signed it and left.

This famous Dave is new and the Prince Georges County area. Great customer service. But the food is to be desired. The taste of the food needs more seasoning and the barbecue needs to have more barbecue flavor. It taste like it was cooked on a electric grill. I may try this restaurant again in the future once they have been open for more time. They have a great happy hour doing the week and would love to try it out with coworkers.

Got there lunch special, you pick 2 meats out of about 12 I think. Great portions, didn’t finish the sausage or barely finished the rib tips. Neadless to say, I did not have dinner that day, i would definitly come back!

My review is purely based on the LACK of customer service at this establishment — from the my waitress to the manager response to my concerns. I visited in December 2015, and I was seated immediately. That changed as soon as my waitress finally walked over. Which took 10 minutes. I ordered an alcoholic beverage and a glass of water. She stated that she would come back for my food order, so that the bartender could start making my drink because it might take a minute — for the five other people in the restaurant. That was a HUGE mistake because when she finally came back to take my food order, she didn’t have my drink nor my water. I placed my order and reminder her about my drink and my water. She came back with only my drink — still no water. So I gave up on even asking for it anymore. I received my food in a reasonable amount of time. No complaints about that… but then she disappeared again for another 30 minutes. Never came back to check on me, to see if I may have needed anything else while I was eating. When I saw her checking on another table, I waved her down to get my check and to-​go containers for my meal and drink. She walked off and I didn’t see her for another 20 minutes.
Please don’t forget that there is STILL NOT BUSY in the restaurant.
So she finally brings me a to-​go container and my check, but still manage to disappear AGAIN for like 15 more minutes. During that period of time I was looking for the manager to complain but I couldn’t find him. I had to ask another waiter for a small container and I should’ve asked him to also cash my check. But when my waitress finally resurfaced, she tells me, «I had you waiting for awhile, didn’t I?» Like she did that on purpose. Just rude… I paid my check and left.
But when I contacted the company to state how displeased I was with my service. The manager of this location called me and I missed the call. When I called back, he didn’t answer and haven’t called me back and I left messages.
I rather drive to Waldorf, MD location, where I know I will get good service.

I literally just left today, it’s Monday 6:45pm. After it taking five minutes to seat us in a nearly empty restaurant, there was a bug in my drink. We didn’t even order food. Just walked out. I left a few dollars on the table for the drinks though.

Famous Dave, or should I say not so Famous Dave! Ha ha! I’m joking. I haven’t had a bad experience here and the food is pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. It’s great for catering or group gatherings/​big dinners. Don’t get me wrong though. There is this one dish that they have that I like very much! It’s the two meats deal with ribs and fish. It’s so good! With that cornbread and the sauce for the fish! Anyway, it’s not a favorite spot of fine, but when I do go I get the fish and ribs. The fish are a must try!

They were okay. But not as bad as people said they were. My food was hot and fresh. My cocktail was basic — but good for a chain restaurant.
What needs to happen is more residents of Prince George’s County should support these businesses and give honest feedback to prompt management to improve or sustain.
Will I come back — likely. It was a good meal on an evening where I left work late.

This is your typical Famous Dave’s meaning they serve your typical Famous Dave’s food. And for a large chain bbq, Famous Dave’s food waivers from 3 to 3.5 stars. The best bbq tends to be at the hole in the wall or side of the road places. But Famous Dave’s does well for a sit-​down chain. Mostly, I tend to like the meats here (wings, brisket, ribs, fish, etc.) My most recent favorite meat option is called burnt ends, delicately charred juicy brisket morsels. They are small, tender beef brisket pieces tossed in bbq sauce with the fat of the meat contributing to their smoky flavor. It pairs well with the coleslaw and came in a combo with a third of a slab of ribs and another side for about $ 19. The portion sizes are beyond satisfactory, as is often the case with bbq. I find in general however that the side dishes leave much to be desired. So I stick to fries as not to experience further disappointment. I believe firmly that restaurant reviewers should allow restaurants to stay in their lanes.
What really sets this Famous Dave’s apart is the atmosphere. With a sort of industrial chic look, you can tell thought went into the décor. The light is set to a comfortable dim. The high ceilings are adorned with pictures of African American blues legends and brick accents. The tables and booths mimic the warm and cool mix seen everywhere else, with some natural wood elements blended with metals and metallics. The wait staff have friendly attitudes. This is certainly a nice addition to the BLVD and I hope it sticks around.

First of all lets me completely clear this is NOT a Famous Dave’s. Not as you know it anyway. It has a lot of the same items but it’s not even the same menu. The Mac-​n-​cheese has corn, scallions, and peppers in it! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Upon walking in there were only 3 people at the bar so we chose to have a seat there. The bartender (doing nothing) failed to greet us and even walked away, joked around with someone and came back. We ordered are drinks and our mediocre food came out super quick. That made me nervous. It wasn’t even enough time to cook. The bartender again doing nothing did not ask how our meals were and stayed in conversation with another gentleman at the bar. We paid our bill and left. We won’t be returning.

As I was driving along 495 and my friends and I were hungry for barbecue. We settled at the Famous Dave’s where US Air Area was once was. It wasn’t packed. Hostess was cool. We sat down immediately. We got our drinks. The margaritas were good better than some of the Mexican restaurants I go to. Since it was still lunch time hour we settled for the lunch menu. I got pulled barbecue sandwich it came with a baked potato and sweet pickles. The sandwich was good but next time I’ll order it without cheese. They have 4 different sauces, I like the sweeter one. The only thing I didn’t like was my baked potato. It wasn’t fully cooked. It wasn’t soft. I had a lot of firm potato, if that makes sense. My friends got ribs, and love it. Cornbread was good but a little bit to sweet and the paper cupcake liner stuck to the cornbread which made mine crumble. Our server was a nice guy. Always checking on us and kept our glasses full. I like this location and will return and will have to check out the whole shopping center.

They’re so childish. I try to go to the to-​go area & they NEVER greet you and one hostesst/​to-​go specialist is told to wipe down the counter & tells the manager «you got me bent»…I left after realizing immediately tha they don’t keep the place clean. I’ll be calling the health inspector… ratchet ghetto employees… ugh! If you can’t clean a d@mn counter I can only imagine what your kitchen looks like. They need to stop hiring these ratchet kids.

A friend and I visited this location a couple of weeks ago… I’ve always been a fan of famous Dave’s and after coming here I’m still a fan. I got the feast for one with jalapeño macaroni and cheese, fries and baked beans. My food was delicious and everything well prepared (with the exception of a few fries being undercooked). My friend got bbq chicken and didn’t particularly care for her meal. She wasn’t in the mood for bbq so it wasn’t satisfying to her — not famous Dave’s fault.
The service was great, no qualms there. It was a Saturday afternoon so the restaurant was nearly empty and we were seated promptly and allowed to choose a booth.
I will return; this restaurant is a great addition to the blvd and I’m happy to have it.

«Stick to the Ribs»
Intro: Here goes. I had intentions of giving this place a high rating because I had the takeout once and it was delicious; and also because I root for local (PG) restaurants to succeed. However, I have to maintain the integrity of Unilocal and keep it 100.
Atmosphere: The place is clean with a nice layout and lots of TVs. It has big, vintage portraits above and is spacious. It even has 2 levels, although the upper level was not active. I suppose that’s probably only used on busy nights like Friday and Saturday. I went on a Sunday evening.
Food: We split the rib tips as an appetizer and those were well prepared. I decided on the brisket with collard greens and fries. It’s weird because the first one or two bites of my brisket were OK and then I got a weird feeling where I suddenly wanted to throw up and my food just turned me off. I don’t know if it was a seasoning/​smell of the collard greens combined with the brisket, or because I don’t eat beef often, but I couldn’t get through the meal. I didn’t even take a to-​go box. I’m not going to say that the food was nasty because it may have just been me.
On the contrary, the other person got the ribs and catfish sticks and really enjoyed her meal. I tasted the catfish sticks and they were pretty good. The cornbread muffin is a nice compliment. I’d recommend just coming here for the ribs.
Service: The place is basically staffed by all teenagers. Initially, I was impressed because the host was really nice and efficient, and the teenaged staff appeared to be active and invested. My waitress approached our table immediately and took our drink orders. Great!
As the night progressed, the flaws started to arise. Twice, we were brought food that was not ours and asked if it was what we ordered. It’s not a big deal, but I feel like the waiters are not communicating well with the runners since they have no idea where to deliver the food.
Secondly, we had a Sunshine Anderson waitress. A Sunshine Anderson is when the waitress gives you broken promises and eventually makes you think, «I’ve heard it all befoooore… Let me explain. Baby… it’s not what you think» But guess what waitress, «your lies ain’t workin now. Look who’s hurtin now! Said I had to shut you down. I had to shut you dooown!» OK, I’m done. Anyway, she promised a refill that never came. It was so bad that I started intentionally slurping my empty cup as loud as I could whenever staff walked by. In her defense, she provided the drinks instantly when I reminded her at the end of the meal.
I was puzzled when I ordered an UNsweetened tea and she verbally confirmed the unsweetened tea, yet provided me with a sweet tea. Then, she promised me the refill, she said, «I’ll get you another unsweetened tea.» When the refill FINALLY came, it was yet another sweet tea. I didn’t complain, but found it bizarre. Ironically, when the bill comes out, it has «sweet tea» on the tab. Go figure.
Closing remarks: Despite not having a perfectly night, our waitress seemed like a sweet (much like my tea) young lady. I feel like a jerk writing about this because she is young and probably 100 lbs soaking wet with boots on. She may have been a little shy, so I still tipped her 20%. My suggestion to the establishment is to hire one or two adult employees to keep the kids organized.
My advice to the Unilocaler is to give this place a try, despite my two star rating. I was underwhelmed, but I plan on going back and hopefully being able to give a better rating. Maybe stick to the ribs, which is Famous Dave’s specialty. Call me crazy (OK «Crazy»), but I see the boulevard possibly having a revitalization within the next 5 years and I’m hoping that this establishment can be a positive.

I’ve been to Famous Dave’s before. I have always thought it was OK.
This location was pretty empty at 12:30PM which was kind of a shocker. But I had very limited time and I was hungry and did not want to eat at a real fast food place. I sat at the bar, and ordered.
The food came quick and the service was great: NOT A GIVEN with an empty restaurant. I had brisket off the lunch menu: meat on a slice of Texas toast with a small side of dirty mashed potatoes and a little cornbread muffin.
It was good. I don’t love their sauce and wish they would not put it on in the kitchen. But it was good, just enough and hit the spot.
First, lets start with the idea that it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a real chain-​store barbecue restaurant. I don’t love chain restaurants but there are times when it is good to have them. They are a known thing, and not too bad. Not great, not amazing and rarely are they ever an experience but they are OK.
Dave’s is OK.

**This is me doing the happy dance!** Why am I doing the happy dance? Because Famous Dave’s is finally nearby and I’m no longer forced to drive all the way to Alexandria or Laurel or Waldorf just to get some of the goodness they are offering.
This location is much needed and highly welcomed. There is a separate entrance for dining-​in and take-​out, which are marked clearly so there’s no confusion.
I stopped in quickly for a takeout meal and the staff was super friendly and helpful and my food was ready and delivered quickly.
And that meal? Delicious!
I love this place already!