Famous Dave’s Barbeque

So very sad … Loved Famous Dave’s… Heard they closed the Vista location today.
Please say a prayer for all of their employees.

(They have a location over by Chili’s.)
I love the inside of the restaurant. Very clean while having a western feel. If you’ve ever been to a Cattlemens, this place has the same feel, but a little now classy.
The food is very good and I really like the soups. That being said, they charge far too much for the food in my own opinion. It’s yummy but come on, it’s barbecue. I’m not paying that much for a hamburger, it’s a little ridiculous.
I’ll still go though on rare occasions but yeah, rarely.

@Famous_Daves ranks pretty well on my list of rib joints in San Diego North County.
My list, best to worst:
— That Boy Good Oceanside
— Phil’s San Marcos
— Famous Daves Vista
— Enzo’s Oceanside
— Brett’s BBQ Encinitas
— Felix’s BBQ with Soul Oceanside
— Mike’s BBQ in Escondido
— Smokey J’s Oceanside

Really loved both the brisket and baby back ribs, slow cooked to perfection, also they make the only coleslaw I’ve ever liked. The waitresses were attentive, always making sure we were well taken care of.
Unfortunately their Vista location closed today at noon, I will miss them! (7÷13÷2015)

The BBQ here is quite tasty. I had the burnt ends sandwich and fries. They have a selection of sauces to choose from including one that is too hot for my taste. The portions are good and staff is friendly. Good for kids and large groups. Clean facility, wheelchair friendly. If you sign up for their email alerts, you will get a free sandwich or burger that day if you show the waiter the email. I enjoyed my food, but not the best BBQ that I have eaten.

Ran into this place on accident and was so excited to try it since I buy their BBQ sauce at my local grocery store. I ordered the spare ribs and burnt tips. Personally I think phills bbq has better meat but daves has better sauce. Both meats were very fatty and chewy and the food came out warm/​cold like it was sitting out for a bit. My expectations were high but I wasn’t pleased. I’ll give this place a second chance but I wouldn’t order the ribs again.

For southern California where we DONT have good bbq on every corner this is a gem. The décor reminds me of one of the steakhouses or bbq joints I have been in in tx or ok. I liked it, and the food is the best! My son (he is ten) and has a big appetite were able to split the two item combo and be extremely full. I tried the burnt ends ribs and beef brisket, both were so tender they melted in my mouth. I love love love their signature sauces and spicy pickles and onions. This is very welcome to North County and truly had a good experience.

I’m extremely picky about BBQ. The sauce srlection is nice and the burnt ends really good. The rest is decent, but not great. We had the bbq chicken, spare ribs and burnt ends with 2 sides.
Greens are smoky but chopped too small. It’s like eating spinach. Coleslaw finely chopped and swimming in watery cream based dressing. Cornbread served without butter.
Wait staff helpful and pleasant. Unfortunately I have to compare them to That Boy Good in Oceanside, and Dave’s comes up short.

Great portions and flavor. Tried the half rack baby back ribs. Jalapeño mac and cheese yummy. BBQ sauce good flavor. Cornbread homemade and yummy. Usually go to Phil’s bbq in San Marcos were I live. I will definitely come back to Dave’s if I am in the area.

I love Dave’s! I love it better than Phil’s. I can’t get enough of their sweet and spicy bbq sauce and the Devil’s Spit sauce. Their Wilbur baked beans are loaded with smoked pork, brisket, hot link sausage and jalapeño peppers, and are amazing. The Collard Greens have bacon, garlic, onion, Hot Link Sausage and a touch of southern hot sauce. Not my favorite but for this type of green they were pretty good. A bit tough like Kale and I didn’t like the chunks of meats in there. The boneless wings were more like heavily breaded chunks of chicken and fried. I’d pass on those. They come with some celery and carrot and ranch or Blue Cheese. The bbq chicken fell off the bone and was quite good once the skin was removed. Tender and flavorful, not at all dry. They had a Spare Rib special at lunch for 1.25 each rib, so we had to have one. The meat was tasty and fell off the bone and even better once dipped n their spicy sauce. Full bar with quite a few tv’s. Spacious, easy to park. Large restaurant with lots of table and booths. They give you a roll of paper towels with your meal as well as a try full of 4 – 5 bbq sauces. Just good down home food. The corn muffins are really good too. If I ever make it to Vista, I make it a point to pop in. Great to go with 4 – 6 people and order a huge round try of different bbq meats and sides.

So — since we wanted beef ribs and Phil’s was out of beef we drove to Famous Dave’s — only to find that they don’t even serve beef ribs. I tried the baby back ribs, and my wife had no choice (beef) than the brisket. Turns out the brisket was tender and she enjoyed it.
As for my baby backs I honestly thought it was impossible to make them dry — but Famous Dave somehow managed to burn every bit of juice and flavor out of those puppies tonight.
Won’t be back:(

Great food! Prices can be on the steeper side for BBQ, but right now they are running a deal on Tues. called Feast For Two! It’s normally $ 44.99 but have it for $ 31.99. For me that makes it worth it! :)))
It’s my hubby’s favorite too. They serve the whole thing on a trash can lid, lol! It comes with spare ribs, chicken, and then you pick your other meat (pulled pork, brisket or sausage links), 2 corn breads, 4 corn on the cobs, fries, beans and cole slaw. Sooo yummy! Only thing I thought it was missing was maybe a side of mac n cheese, but we could have always ordered it separate.
The service was great! Super friendly staff, very attentive. Food came out surprisingly fast.
Only reason I knocked off a star is the regular prices are pretty high. If it were not for the special then we only come here for special occasions.
Also they can be a bit restrictive on the refills. We got a Raspberry lemonade (which was super good btw), but no refills there, which I was like ok. But then turns my youngest who got an apple juice; also doesn’t get refills. So not sure, if kids drinks don’t even get refills maybe none of there drinks do? Oh well.
All in all I enjoyed my time there. I hope they keep this Tuesday special going for awhile. :))

I’d signed up for Famous Dave’s email club after our visit to the Long Beach location, and had received a coupon for a free sandwich last week. So, on my way home from visiting my girlfriend last night, I made a trip to the Vista location from the Oceanside Metrolink station.
I was looking forward to a decent meal… but was very surprised to see the interior of Famous Dave’s. It was as if the interior of the Long Beach location had been transported to the Vista locale — EVERYTHING was the same, from the trophies at the entrance, to the vintage ads thoughout the restaurant and the restrooms (which were in an identical space to Long Beach), and even the placement of the moose head on the fireplace near the counter. I’d heard of franchisees having the same menu, but the same restaurant layout? Sheesh — at least McDonald’s locations look different!
But, the reason I gave this Famous Dave’s a 4-​star was for the food — I went with their Manhandler (normally $ 10.99; it’s made with Georgia Chopped Pork topped with slices of their Hot Link Sausage and Hellfire Pickles on a lightly toasted bun), and it was so filling I had to bring half of it home. Then again, it could also be because I’d ordered a side of Catfish Fingers ($ 8.99) — these were coated in seasoned cornmeal and flash fried to a crispy coating. I was surprised at how good these were, even if the Cajun remoulade didn’t really suit the fish (tartar sauce would be more apropos).
My server was a bit surly, but at least she made sure my Diet Coke was refilled. Perhaps she was having an off night…
Still, despite the overly familiar surroundings, I’d like to come back again for more of the offerings (and even to bring my lady here).

Five stars. Fall off the bones ribs with a zesty, tangy, and sweet flavor (but not too overpoweringly sweet). The boyfriend and i shared the big baby (full rack) of baby back ribs. We got the Chicago-​style ribs and did we devour it. They have two types — 1) Chicago style ribs (comes with the sweet and zesty sauce); and 2) Memphis style a dry-​rubbed style of ribs. But I prefer the Chicago style with sauce all over. The meal comes with two appetizers and one corn bread muffin. We had the mac and cheese and famous fries. The mac and cheese was comforting and had a mix of jalapeño which was different and delicious. The fries though was my favorite as they weren’t overly fluffy and had a bit of crunch to them. Plus the seasoning on them just made them addicting. The corn bread muffin too was good just thought it would have paired better if it came with honey.
They also have all sorts of different sauces to go crazy over available right on your table. No need to bug your waitress for more. If you enjoy their sweet and zesty there’s a bottle of that. If you like a little bit more balsamic vinegar/​mustard (Georgia Mustard) they have that. If you like more smokey, go for the Texas Pit. If you want a bit spicy but not too much go for Devil’s Spit. Or if you dare want something really hot (w/​serrano peppers), go for Wilber’s Revenge. My favorite out of them all was sweet & zesty and Georgia mustard. A surprisingly interesting mix but on their ribs wow.
Will be back for more. Plus this plus is a sit down restaurant (unlike phil’s were you gawk at whoever is about to leave their table and pounce). And its cutely decorated.

Well what can I say!!! You want good bbq, I mean real good bbq, come here! We got the feast for 2. A bit on the pricey side at $ 42.99 but you can feed 4 at least with this meal. The ribs practically melt in your mouth, the brisket is nice and tender, and the chicken is amazing!!!
I tried the «other» bbq place in San Marcos. Ummmm no comparison!!! The food chain claimed to be rated as top bbq restaurant for 2013– unless all those who voted had no taste buds, there’s no way they can beat Famous Daves!
Come on in, you’re gonna leave full and happy!

Food: was good typical American BBQ. Huge portions, so share! Food can be a little on the salty side, but u can order the food «naked» no sauces.
Service: is prompt and friendly.

Came here with my family of 5 and spent under $ 100 on an abundant meal using a BOGO ½ off entrée coupon.
We shared…
Feast for 2 which comes with ½ slab of ribs, pulled pork or hot links, 2 cornbread muffins, side of coleslaw (can be substituted), & wedge cut fries.
BBQ Brisket Combo & Southside Rib Tip Combo, both which came with 2 sides (we chose double collard greens & double mac n’ cheese) and cornbread muffins.
As another Unilocaler indicated, note that the mac n’ cheese does contain bits of jalapeños. I wasn’t impressed.
Needless to say we had a bit of everything. We also had plenty left over.
There are 6 sauces, but they really aren’t all the hype. It’s just nice to have options. I recommend mixing your own concoction versus choosing one. I requested a bowl and mixed Texas Pit, Sweet & Zesty, and Rich & Sassy and found it quite tasty.
Our wait service was good but not exceptional. The waitress did her job but none more than asked. No major complaints. It was tough watching the waiter at the table next to ours be exceptional. He offered more information without request. Would have been nice since we had newbies in our group, which the waitress was aware of.
It’s no secret that the alternative best BBQ in San Diego is Phil’s BBQ. Phil’s will satisfy you and be tasty and not so harsh on your wallet (to each it’s own). Depending on the size of your party, your bill can get pretty high at Famous Dave’s, as the entrees range between $ 12-​$ 20, but you’re definitely going to enjoy your meal!
You’ll leave full for sure. There’s a mall nearby… walk it off! :)

My friend loves her BBQ! She loves getting the barbecue sauce all over her face and ultimately finger lickin good food. I love BBQ, not much as her, but it’s still good. She’s almost a BBQ connoisseur and this is her favorite BBQ place.
I love the atmosphere and the names for the BBQ sauces, which my personal favorite is Sweet and Zesty and Rich and Sassy (describes my personality). I’ve tried their Shredded BBQ Chicken sandwich which is really good served with crispy potato wedges for lunch and then for dinner I have tried the Classic BBQ combo with barbeque chicken and beef brisket with Mac n Cheese and Corn as my sides plus that corn bread.
Everything was really good but the Mac n Cheese was lacking a bit of flavor. Customer service has always been great and is more than happy to give you multiple wet naps so you can get all that finger lickin food off your face!
Also I would plan to first go to a movie first then come to dinner afterwards or else you’ll be falling asleep in the theater due to your food coma!

I wish I could give it 10 stars! It is such deliciousness !! The cornbread was so yummy … Service was on point, Summer was a delightful server. I had burnt ends and they were so much better than some other BBQ places I’ve been to in SD. I know this is a chain, but chain dine right!
Restroom was clean and cute, lots of team members made service flawless! Good job famous Dave’s

Came in after the infamous Camp Pendleton mud run and I was starving! My friend and I opted for the meal for 2. We decided to order corn, corn bread, chicken, ribs, brisket, baked beans and coleslaw.
I love the fact that they have different bbq sauce to your liking. Unlike Phil’s, you have the opportunity to order the meal for 2 and sample various meats and side dishes. The only dish I didn’t care for was the coleslaw. Everything else was delicious.
The meats were all cooked perfectly and the sides that we ordered were a great compliment.
Our server was awesome that day. We came in on a Saturday early afternoon and it wasn’t busy at all.
I would definitely return to Famous Dave’s if I’m ever in the area again and I am craving some BBQ. Though my friend and I were starving when we got there, we had more than enough food to eat and take home. The food tasted great the day after as well!