Nuttin' Like Eatin Pig off the Bone
Written: Sep 07 '01 (Updated Sep 07 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Jabba no bother.
Cons: Trendy, I suppose
The Bottom Line: Give it a try, will you? Famous Dave needs to feed his family too. After all, Fame doesn't pay the bills.
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| Roark_8's Full Review: Famous Daves |
I didn’t eat a shred of meat for 2 years. I grew up on pepperoni pizza and bacon cheeseburgers and for some reason, decided to give the whole vegetarian thing a try. Although I loved the fact that it forced me to try exotic new things such as tofu and vegetables, I never figured out really why I was doing it in the first place. I read many compelling arguments for the meat-free lifestyle like food efficiency, not killing baby cows that never see the light of day, energy conservation, etc. The list goes on and on, but being as selfish as I am, none of these really stuck with me as my number 1 reason to say when I got the inevitable question, “So, why don’t you eat meat?” I was sick of fumbling my way through an answer and so I started eating chicken again. Often called the gateway meat, chicken started me down the slippery slope and soon I was eating brats with bacon wrapped around them as I had before. However, one thing that I never got back into was ribs. It just seemed so Gingus Khan to me, like while eating them, I should scream out with sauce over my chin, “Tonight we feast, tomorrow we die!” It also seemed like too much work for me. I like to have 2 steps, cut food, eat food. I don’t want to be searching around a bone for a little bit of meat. Lastly, being the tight wads I am, it seemed like you got so little meat for what you paid. If I pay $10, I want to be full afterwards and I wasn’t sure that would happen with ribs. Obviously from my rating you can deduce that that all ended when I went to Famous Dave’s BBQ.
Note that I didn’t go in by my accord. After a grill out was forced to be canceled by rain, my friends convinced me that Famous Dave’s would sufficiently quench my carnivorous needs. I had had a few beers waiting for the rain to stop, so with a clouded judgement, I agreed.
Atmosphere
We entered and I was pleasantly surprised to hear a southern blues melody humming over the sound system. After closing my eyes for a couple of seconds so I could rip out a few chords on my air guitar I decided to look around a bit. It was your typical BBQ restaurant: 1950’s gas station signs and cute cartoons of pigs in chef’s hats. This is something I will never understand. Aren’t people turned off by this? SNL cleverly stated my feeling better than I ever could a few years back when they had a parody commercial for KFC showing a severed chicken head hovering over a grill saying “Wow! Look at me sizzle! I look gooood!” Only BBQ’s places take it a step farther, they always show evil pigs that somehow derive enjoyment cooking up their fellow pig-kind. Maybe I’m missing something. The menu is printed on the wall in front of the counter and I was convinced by my friends to go with the ribs. The large rack is reasonably priced at $12.99 with sizes at $9.99 and $15.99 to fit your needs as well. Now here’s the genius of the operation: You order at the front counter and they then bring your food out to you and let you be. Meaning no server! No tip to be calculated based on the pleasantness of the waiter, no one bothering you about getting desert, no annoyances. I rejoiced for I had found my new home. I will grin and bear a meal at Macaroni Grill and their ridiculous servers with their writing on the table and their constant badgering to try this and that, SOLEY because they serve such good food. Last time I went, a man approached our table and asked to sing us a song. I felt bad for laughing in his face, but for god’s sake just let me eat. At Famous Dave’s, you avoid all of that “Hi, would you like to hear about our specials?” but you still get the enjoyment of eating out. Genius. If I ever find that Dave, he gets a big sloppy kiss from me.
Food
So I wait for my food and I enjoy a Leinenkugel’s Red Lager. Another plus, along with the regulars of Bud and Miller, Dave’s serves up an array of local brews (in bottles) and Twisted Tea type drinks. Along with their ribs, they serve much for those who don’t dig on swine. Chicken, hamburgers, even salads are all on the menu. But as I said, I figured when in Rome… and a big rack of ribs was plopped down in front of me. I tear of a rib and try it; flavorful, smoky, and very ample on every bone. My fears about ribs were put to rest. I add some sauce. I love sauce. I love to dip. Sue me, I’m an American and if there is meat, it needs to have some sort of condiment smothered over the top of it or in some sort of container for me to dip in. Famous Dave’s has 4-5 different sauces on the table for you to use. From “Sweet and Sassy” to “Devils’ Spit,” the names are unoriginal but damn, are they tasty (but again, with pigs on the bottles). I move to the sides. Dave’s has the usual sides to choose from and I went with the beans and steak fries. The fries could actually be considered potato wedges and probably could be considered the highlight of Dave’s repertoire: somewhat crispy exterior with a hot potato interior. With the wide array of sauces to alternate with, the fries could constitute an entire meal. As an added bonus, each meal also comes with a half ear of corn, and a cornbread biscuit. The corn is usually pretty soggy, but I see that as just icing and enjoy it anyway. The biscuit balances out the entire meal wonderfully.
Overall
Since being dragged here, I have made Famous Dave’s my #1 suggestion when deciding on places to go. It’s inviting, casual, but at the same time the food is incredible. The restaurants do vary on how they operate (some even have drive thru). The one in Uptown, MN has a stage and features live blues acts on the weekends. I’ve heard some places do not have the order and sit process, but rather have the standard server system. This would be a major downer for me, but I’d probably endure it anyway.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Roark_8
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Location: Twin Cities, MN
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 43 members
About Me:
I pity da fool who don't write good reviews.
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