As you all know by now, I love to keep a variety of Famous Dave’s barbeque sauces on hand because that “stuff” tastes good on everything. So last summer when Famous Dave’s opened a restaurant in the heart of Bel Air, I raced right in to try it. No longer would I have to drive to Owings Mills, Columbia or Annapolis to get some good ole barbeque with all the fixins. Since their grand opening, I have dined there many times, ordered some party food from their catering menu (yes, I cheated!) and of course have stopped in to purchase sauces and rubs to use at home. And surprise, surprise, my all time favorite item on the menu is not the ribs, as you would expect. It is the Sweetwater Catfish Fingers which are lightly breaded in a Cajun cornmeal, fried, and then served with a remoulade sauce and also what they call a Sweet Soul Jalapeno Sauce. Finger licking good!!
Falling under the Appetizer category, Famous Dave’s offers a selection of soups and salads, including a Caesar salad with chicken or salmon, a BBQ Chicken salad, a Chicken Wild Rice Soup and chili. However, I have to admit that I have yet to try any of these. Although they look tasty, who honestly wants to eat a salad when there are so many other artery clogging foods to sample?
At the beginning of the meal, your server will ask if you are a first time visitor. If you are, he/she will give you a tour of their sauces – Texas Pit, Rich & Sassy, Georgia Mustard, Sweet & Zesty and Devils Spit. They are all good, but a frosty beer makes them even better.
Moving on to what Famous Dave’s is actually famous for – their ribs. Hand-rubbed with a secret blend of tongue-tingling spices, pit-smoked for 3-4 hours, slathered in sauce, then flame-kissed on the grill, you can’t really go wrong here can you? The best part might be that they are served in a metal garbage can lid. With plenty of paper towels of course. And the side dishes are worth a little extra time on the treadmill – you can choose from Wilbur beans, potato salad, sauteed apples, macaroni & cheese, mashed taters, french fries and cole slaw. Don’t skip that slaw – it is sweet but also tangy and not too wet. Although it might seem like the corn bread is thrown on your plate as an afterthought, it is extraordinary. The macaroni and the baked beans have a little pep in their step, so children might not like them.
If you aren’t in the mood for ribs, you can always get a burger, chicken sandwich, steak tenderloin, citrus grilled shrimp, pork sandwich or beef brisket. The list is endless so hopefully your appetite is as well. My nephew said that the burger is the best one he has ever had. Now granted he is only 11 years old, but I still believe him. The Ultimate BBQ Burger is described as a juicy ground beef patty beneath a pile of Georgia chopped pork with two strips of jalapeño bacon, melted Cheddar cheese, and our signature Beam & Cola BBQ sauce. Again, make sure you order that beer! Unless you are 11 of course.
After a night of catfish, ribs and all the sides, I’ve never had room to try any of their desserts. Next time I will get some to-go because I’ve never met a bread pudding that I didn’t like and theirs sounds delicious. It’s served with a pecan praline sauce and vanilla bean ice cream. You can also order the pecan praline sauce on an ice cream sundae. A Hot Fudge Kahlua Brownie or Pecan Pie round out the dessert list.
The only thing consistently wrong with Famous Dave’s is the corn on the cob. Being born and raised in Maryland, perhaps I have become a “corn snob”, but I refuse to eat frozen corn! It just ain’t right.
If your name is Dave (or even David) stop in on August 14, show a photo I.D. and you will get a free entrée up to $15 ($7.50 if your middle name is Dave).
Now that your mouth is watering for barbeque, think about checking out the Barbeque Bash in downtown Bel Air on August 12 from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. and August 13 from Noon until 10 p.m.
Famous Dave’s
615-B Bel Air Road
Bel Air, MD 21014
(410) 638-8955
www.famousdaves.com
I did not like the ribs at famous daves, very tough,greasy, not like the fall off the bone type at Tgi fridays or outback.we got the st Louis style because the waiter said they were the tenderest of the two. 3 of us got full racks we each ate about 3 ribs and brought the rest home to the dogs. When we asked the waiter why they were so tough he said because they don’t boil them first like the competition. They should then you could eat them. Will never go back big waste of money. Had better ribs at Bolden corral and they sucked..
Was not impressed. Sides taste like they came out of a can, and there is no meat on the ribs. Plus our food was barely warm. Gross
I ordered their sides as part of their catering order and they were very good. No leftovers! Now I will say that we did not order the macaroni & cheese because my Southern hubby cooks an excellent one.
Give Magoo’s Smokehouse in Fallston a try. It’s new and delicious!
This is a third rate establishment all the way. Food is boring. Meat just ok. Sides tasteless. Took a foreign friend who is familiar with American food and good food in general. He was underwhelmed. So were we. There is good que around. This isn’t.
Whoa! I liked it fine but I don’t usually eat sides. I go for the meat and when I eat the meat I don’t have room for sides. Or dessert. This is pretty good chain barbecue. I haven’t had better in a restaurant way out here in Harford County which is still a litle shy on good places to eat but comng along. Of course, until you have eaten barbecue at barbecue joints in Texas (beef) or the Carolinas (usually pork) you don’t really know what barbecue is supposed to taste like. I agree it shouldn’t be tough. Mine wasn’t.
All I know is that I can’t seem to get in the place when I want to because there is always a long line and the parking lot is full. They must be doing something right.
People voted for Bush in massive numbers too. There’s no accounting for some people’s tastes.
Making a restaurant review political.
Classy move, David. Real classy.
Hey Phil… the comment is directed at people’s willingness to believe things are wonderful when they are not. Sorry you missed the metaphor.
We all could see what you did. I apologize for nothing.
And David you sir are still a moron… Go vote for Obama and Owemalley again and get off of the food site.
Yeah, and they also voted for Obama. Nevermind. That wouldn’t take just bad food. That should make one vomit!
The parking lot is full due to the population of the area and the fact that most transplanted harford county residents don’t know where the real spots are, which is fine by me.
I hope they continue to populate the clapped out restaurants that buy food from the SYSCO truck. LMFAO
that is not really a fair assessment because Dave’s isn’t all Sysco…they do have many proprietary products that they incorporate into their food.
however, the spirit of your comment is right on
Steel Horse on Rt 40 in Aberdeen for the best BBQ/Pit Beef in the county. If you don’t know, now you know!
Daves is a rip! Way too much money for very little and just ok food. I still drive down to Andy Nelson’s better food and reasonable price! I bet they are out of business there in 5 years, it might just be that one location but I won’t ever go there again.
I’m with you, sheeple. Surprised more people haven’t mentioned Andy Nelson’s in the comments. Great BBQ place! They’re outgrowing that tiny location too. I suggest opening a second restaurant in Bel Air.
Famous Daves serves mediocore BBQ, at best. Their “Not’cho Ordinary Nachos” appetizer sounds good, but it is actually pretty gross.
Also, in my opinion, the Dagger should highlight local, non-chain restaurants. If you ever see the lines at the Bel Air chain restaurants on weekends, they clearly don’t need the additional publicity!
I’m a fan of Sean Bolan’s on Main Street and CR Wings. I find the staff friendly and the food consistently good.
ideally, dagger would review only locally owned restaurants, but there really aren’t enough to go around, and, for that matter, even chains should be held accountable for the (usually) unhealthy food they serve. however, it would be nice if dagger hired a critic (with an edge) instead of a reviewer…puff pieces like we usually read here are simply publicity pieces. a critic is a much higher calling and intends to shape opinion of a particular establishment and possibly create change for the better…for the local populace.
Thanks for the tip on Magoo’s and Steel Horse. I have not been to either of these.
I’ll be the contrarian and say that Famous Dave’s is my favorite chain restaurant overall because of theme, price, quality, and quantity. Decent beer choices as well.
It’s a new restuarant for the area, but I’ve been going to their other locations for years. I’ve only been to this one 2 or 3 times (twice to-go), and I found it be comparable.
It’s never going to stand up to a non-chain, mom and pop, or southern bbq joint, because it’s not any of those things. But if you want standard reliable bbq, it does the job. I like that this location has outdoor seating, because others do not.
Also try a Red Hot and Blue, which is very similar, but slightly better in my opinion.
I’ve had better and worse days at FD’s, but I’ve never been disappointed in probably 20 trips.
Famous Days sucks really bad.
If you want ribs, head down to the Corner Stable.
Mehhh, Ribs equivalent to eating your boot.
I agree on the corner stable reference.
Triple that on Corner Stable, among the best in the region. I used to live right down the street and went there several times.
But too far me now to be worth the trip, on balance of price and quality, when there are other places nearby, including Dave’s, which doesn’t “suck”.
Famous daves blows hard. Better, non-sysco food can be had elsewhere. Not sure why people get all hot and bothered by this third-rate poop factory.
JimJam
thanks for the eloquent remarks
It’s a chain. You get chain food, which isn’t always bad, but the bar is generally lower. I prefer to support small, local businesses.
I’m not a big bbq fan so I got the grilled salmon and it was really good. I have to agree with the corn statement…just doesn’t compare to eastern shore corn.
It’s kind of funny that this ok-ish chain got a special review just before the BBQ Bash competition comes to town and we all get to sample what truly exceptional BBQ is all about.
I suspect collusion. How much was The Dagger paid to have this review highlighted at the top of it’s page while burying the story of the BBQ bash?
You should know that neither The Dagger nor I received any compensation for this or any other food article that I have written. The purpose of my food articles is to write an objective review of Harford County establishments. I do appreciate comments from each and every one of you. I will try to visit some of the places that our readers mentioned and then write my viewpoints in an upcoming article.
I have never attended a BBQ Bash in the past but I’m sure it is great fun & delicious food.
ANONYMOUS,
You suspect collusion? You look in the mirror and suspect conspiracy to defame. Grow up. Or shut up.
There food sucks whale nuts ! Waste of money, then when I saw how goofy Dave was on tv I definitely wouldn’t what nothing that pedifile cooked
nice to know that you don’t get money – still, I remember when the Aegis used to have a restaurant review and they never said anything bad about any restaurant except for Donna’s when the bookstore was open. They talked about how odd the salads were. Comments here are pretty much right on. Harford is a chain county. Just because the lot is full, doesn’t mean the food is good. I find most people don’t know good food. I admit to being a food snob, but it’s hard to find a decent restaurant here.
Larraine,
“It’s hard to find a decent restaurant here”. There are a lot of decent restaurants in Harford County but no really great ones. Your a food snob? The people who have the training and talent to really judge food preparation and presentation never refer to themselvs as food snobs. Food snobs are people who look at the prices on the menu and figure if it costs more it must taste better. I agree with you about The Aegis, but then the only people the Aegis ever offended were the people that expected a newspaper to spell words correctly. Finally we have someone who is willing to tell the truth about restaurants in Harford County.
Alex, I probably used the wrong term when I said “food snob.” There are a few decent restaurants here. I really like Laurrapin Grille in Havre De Grace a lot. I also like La Tolteca. Fuji Sushi is really good also. I haven’t tried Chiaparelli’s in HDG although I ate at their original location years ago and didn’t find it to be that great. I haven’t tried Liberatore’s either. Just not a huge fan of chain restaurants. When we travel, my husband and I look for local food whenever we can. I don’t eat things like burgers and fries and have yet to find a decent pizza here. To me it’s not about pricing. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I’m not impressed by pricing. At the risk of sounding like a snob, I lived in Germany for 7 yrs, traveled to France on a regular basis since we lived just across the border and ate great meals in 18 different countries including many fine meals in Germany. I’m not impressed by fancy tablecloths or a multitude of silverware. I like PF Chang’s even though it’s a chain. So perhaps food snob is not the word. I just prefer to get the best alue for my $$$.
Larraine,
“It’s hard to find a decent restaurant here”. There are a lot of decent restaurants in Harford County but no really great ones. Your a food snob? The people who have the training and talent to really judge food preparation and presentation never refer to themselvs as food snobs. Food snobs are people who look at the prices on the menu and figure if it costs more it must taste better. I agree with you about The Aegis, but then the only people the Aegis ever offended were the people that expected a newspaper to spell words correctly. Finally we have someone who is willing to tell the truth about restaurants in Harford County.
Im getting so fed up with Chain restaraunts, The customer service is crappy, The food is served cold alot of times, the meals just suck, For a Good place I enjoy is the Bayou, I would give that a rating of 7 out of ten, its not real real fancy, but the food is Good, good customer service, and homemade foods, not packaged crap
Im getting so fed up with local restaraunts, The customer service is crappy, The food is served cold alot of times, the meals just suck
I used to work for daves and the ribs you don’t eat get put on other trays in the kitchen and served to other people. Very dirty in kitchen
gino
you can’t make unsupported allegations like that. very hard to believe; re-using food violates a lot of regulations and would put Dave’s at risk of losing their valuable stake in Bel Air, so you’re comment is officially declared BS
gino
you can’t make unsupported allegations like that. very hard to believe; re-using food violates a lot of regulations and would put Dave’s at risk of losing their valuable stake in Bel Air, so your comment is officially declared BS
I don’t believe you.
That’s cool either way. You don’t have to believe gino but everytime you’re in that what was desrcibed as a third rate poop factory one will have the paranoia of the kitchen staff dropping food on the floor and putting back on the plate.
GINO,
I really hate to see people on Dagger Press referred to as morons. In your case I have made an exception. Sorry, but I was compelled to do it. The evidence is overwhelming.
Gino,
Not that I really care, but you should probably know that false statements can be grounds for a suit. If you think that you post to the Dagger and it is 100% anonymous, you are mistaken. A court order can require that the poster info be reported for evidence. If the business loses business based on your comment, I believe you could be liable. So, if you are going to post something on the Dagger that may reflect negativley on a person or business, being able to back it up might be advisable.
I didn’t like unos there either menu was too limited, neo.g bond big boy back there , great breakfast buffet
Bring back bins bigboy to that location, great breakfast buffet
Bobs bigboy, dam spellchecker
Besides the ribs being too tough to eat the seating was tight, they put this big paper towel dispenser mounted in a gas pipe on the table you can’t move and it takes up a whole seat and there was a rack that held about 10 bottles of barbecue sauce that was so big it could have used its own table. Was very uncomfortable. The table and seat wasent wiped off good either, my wife did that. Almost sat in barbecue sauce on the seat from the last people.
Famous Dave’s is “Ol’ Fashioned BBQ”…what planet are you from. Good “Ol Fashioned BBQ” is not chained in frozen (then reheated) sides my friend. Its the joints south of here in VA with prize winning Pit masters (one owner..direct to customer). Thats like saying Red Lobster is “Good Ol Fashioned Seafood”. Taco Bell “Authentic Mexican”. Take your roast down to VA or even out to KC, Memphis TN, etc. The BBQ Joints where the menu is written out on dry erase boards, above large cutting boards of beef, as Beef plates, pork plates, etc. Pathetic. The local presbyterian church has better BBQ than that place on their PIT BEEF fund raisers. GET REAL
Dear Jennifer Williams,
Corner Stable @ Padonia Station………….
It’s like comparing Ruth Chris to McDonalds. FD’s ribs are pathetic. Everything else is just mediocre. Chiles in Bel Air blows FD’s out of the water.
Dear Readers,
How is that new BBQ place in Fallston?
Corner Stable? Might be okay but I really don’t want to drive to Timonium to eat ribs. What’s with Harford County?
Chili’s? Puhleese. Service is sooooo bad. Food struggles to be average. New place in Fallston? Good question. But I don’t see an answers posted. One thing they might do is fix their web site so it actually says when they are open. Just saying.