Famous Dave's, give me a break!

I have seen that there is a BBQ franchise in Minnesota called "Famous Dave's".

OK, a BBQ place, in Minnesota (Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha). Real BBQ is made in the south, in Memphis, in Texas, in Georgia, by a sweaty black man or a sunburned yee-haw redneck.

Do you see lutefisk served in Mississippi? No! BBQ is regional. BBQ has soul. Minnesota and Iowa lack this completely. They probably smoke a pig, throw some ketchup on it, serve beans and say "Wah lah, BBQ" served by someone who would say "Would ya' like a bottle of pop with that? Salt? You betcha!"

YEE HAW!

Senor

Real is what one defines it to be.

*shrug*

There are (in my view) a number of good BBQ places here in Cincinnati. Not a large number, but there they are, nonetheless. Cincinnati is nowhere near any of the places you list.....I'm not defending Famous Daves BBQ here anymore than I am defending the hamburgers at McDonalds or Burger King, but they both produce a product that is popular among many, many people. No reason to laugh.

Friends invited us out to dinner at a Famous Dave's in suburban Chicago. Ordinarily I wouldn't eat at a franchised chain restuarant, but being social creatures we went. It is obviously a franchised chain, but everything we ate was pretty good. Certinly better than I expected. I checked out their web site and see they have restuarants in GA, AL,TN,KY,AR,OK and VA so that should count for something.
http://www.famousdaves.com/index.cfm

I've had great bbq at a place in Ames, Ia whose name I don't remember. I regularly eat at a local joint called Uncle Bub's in Westmont, IL which has excellent hickory smoked meats. It's owner is a fanatic who spends his vacations driving around the country eating bbq, taking pictures of bbq shacks, and collecting bbq souviners. It's the cook that makes the food, not the location.

quote:

Originally posted by senor boogie woogie


I have seen that there is a BBQ franchise in Minnesota called "Famous Dave's".

OK, a BBQ place, in Minnesota (Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha). Real BBQ is made in the south, in Memphis, in Texas, in Georgia, by a sweaty black man or a sunburned yee-haw redneck.

Do you see lutefisk served in Mississippi? No! BBQ is regional. BBQ has soul. Minnesota and Iowa lack this completely. They probably smoke a pig, throw some ketchup on it, serve beans and say "Wah lah, BBQ" served by someone who would say "Would ya' like a bottle of pop with that? Salt? You betcha!"

YEE HAW!

Senor

What prompts you to make personal attacks against the citizens of Minnesota and Iowa.

quote:

Originally posted by senor boogie woogie


I have seen that there is a BBQ franchise in Minnesota called "Famous Dave's".

OK, a BBQ place, in Minnesota (Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha). Real BBQ is made in the south, in Memphis, in Texas, in Georgia, by a sweaty black man or a sunburned yee-haw redneck.

Do you see lutefisk served in Mississippi? No! BBQ is regional. BBQ has soul. Minnesota and Iowa lack this completely. They probably smoke a pig, throw some ketchup on it, serve beans and say "Wah lah, BBQ" served by someone who would say "Would ya' like a bottle of pop with that? Salt? You betcha!"

YEE HAW!

Senor

Ahem....moderators, puhleese..........

Famous Dave is really David Anderson, a Native American and now head of the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. There are a number of articles around about this, but I just grabbed the first short one I could find. See below.
hungrycharlie




from Minneapolis-St. Paul "The Business Journal":

LATEST NEWS
December 10, 2003
Famous Dave confirmed as head of Bureau of Indian Affairs
Dave Anderson, the former CEO of Eden Prairie-based Famous Dave's of America Inc. restaurants, was confirmed as head of the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.

His appointment had been on hold since he had been approved by the Senate's Indian Affairs committee on Oct. 22.

As one of its last acts before adjourning for the holiday season, the Senate unanimously approved Anderson's appointment on Tuesday.

Anderson is an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Lake Superior Band of Ojibwa.



© 2003 American City Business Journals Inc.

Senor...and other's
If you don't like a place...or a chain, as the result of testing it and finding it lacking in whatever you happen to think is important to you ...Then feel free to write-up your negative comments. If you are opposed to chain operation as a political subversion of the foundations of the food industry in America, There are Forums where those comments are welcomed...ok, maybe tolerated is a better term.
I do not think it is appropriate to slam a company because you think it's geographic location detracks from it's ability to get the specific job done. Example- I don't care much for Tony Roma's or Damon's BBQ- My negative thoughts are based on poor quality food and cruddy service I have received at several stores in each chain, in sevral areas of the country. I think I have enough information to make what I consider a personal evaluation. F D's is a rapidly growing company, employing a bunch of people. If you have tried them...hopefully more than once, and found them lacking, FINE. Write'em up.
But don't sit back on you kister, saying
1. It is a Chain so it is automatically Terrible...How many units does it take to make a chain anyway?
2.It isn't fitting your sterotype of what you think a BBQ- or Lobster shack- or Burger joint should be. Therefore it is bad.
I must admit I grow tired of listening to people bitch about the chain story. At times it is more "convenient" to find something to eat when on the road...by getting off the freeway, going thru the drivethru and getting back on the freeway, eating as you go.
I explore the backroads and check out strange looking places where great meals appear from a smokie room quite frequently...But not everytime I get behind the wheel.
MODERATION, my friends is my watchword. Have your preferences, but don't assume that what you see and do and eat is better than what I see and do and eat.
NOW I am not going to delete the opening post on this topic, but I will say that it is not what I consider an intelligent evaluation of the Famous Dave's business.

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen

Senor...and other's
If you don't like a place...or a chain, as the result of testing it and finding it lacking in whatever you happen to think is important to you ...Then feel free to write-up your negative comments. If you are opposed to chain operation as a political subversion of the foundations of the food industry in America, There are Forums where those comments are welcomed...ok, maybe tolerated is a better term.
I do not think it is appropriate to slam a company because you think it's geographic location detracks from it's ability to get the specific job done. Example- I don't care much for Tony Roma's or Damon's BBQ- My negative thoughts are based on poor quality food and cruddy service I have received at several stores in each chain, in sevral areas of the country. I think I have enough information to make what I consider a personal evaluation. F D's is a rapidly growing company, employing a bunch of people. If you have tried them...hopefully more than once, and found them lacking, FINE. Write'em up.
But don't sit back on you kister, saying
1. It is a Chain so it is automatically Terrible...How many units does it take to make a chain anyway?
2.It isn't fitting your sterotype of what you think a BBQ- or Lobster shack- or Burger joint should be. Therefore it is bad.
I must admit I grow tired of listening to people bitch about the chain story. At times it is more "convenient" to find something to eat when on the road...by getting off the freeway, going thru the drivethru and getting back on the freeway, eating as you go.
I explore the backroads and check out strange looking places where great meals appear from a smokie room quite frequently...But not everytime I get behind the wheel.
MODERATION, my friends is my watchword. Have your preferences, but don't assume that what you see and do and eat is better than what I see and do and eat.
NOW I am not going to delete the opening post on this topic, but I will say that it is not what I consider an intelligent evaluation of the Famous Dave's business.

Thank you Mr. Mayor.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Ross

I checked out their web site and see they have restuarants in GA, AL,TN,KY,AR,OK and VA so that should count for something.
http://www.famousdaves.com/index.cfm

I'm not sure why they don't mention it on the website, but they also have at least one location in Ohio (right here in Cincinnati, not far from where I work)

Hey Tom, Using the Web address you provided, I looked for Famous Dave's locations by state and here's what popped up for Ohio:

Famous Dave's Barbeque
12185 Springfield Pike
Springdale, OH 45246
Phone: 513.671.7427
Fax: 513.671.2741

Famous Dave's Barbeque - Coming Soon
3261 Village Drive
Franklin, OH 45005

I first tried Famous Dave's about ten years ago in Minneapolis at their location not far from the airport. Since then I have been to several other locations including one here in Knoxville that opened about a year ago.

In my opinion they serve above average BBQ but not anywhere close to Dreamland in Mobile. You get your money's worth. Ribs and rib tips are very good.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I agree wholeheartly with the basic conclusions that Famous Dave's serves mediocre barbeque, at best. It's a good place to go in a pinch, but only if desperate. In Northern Virginia where I live, we have a number of good barbeque options: Dixie Bones, Ben's Whole Hog, Rocklands . . . . as well as a regional chain, Red Hot & Blue. I'd rather go to ANY of these than the local Famous Dave's. Mind you, I've given Famous Dave's a fair shot, and have eaten there 4 times over the last couple of years. Famous Dave's does get points for a having a family-friendly atmosphere. The barbeque at Famous Dave's isn't BAD, as such, so much as it isn't actually GOOD. If you have good local barbeque, Famous Dave's isn't worth your time. If you don't, well, heck, desperate situations call for desperate responses, and middle of the road barbeque is better than no barbeque at all.

As for the question of whether a Minnesotean could ever compete with a Southron in a barbeque battle, it's a question of competition. Down in the South, there are many barbeque options, and a long standing tradition of barbeque. For an operation to be successful in the South, it should need to be better than good. For a barbeque to survive in Minnesota, let's face it, the competition isn't quite as fierce. That doesn't mean that it COULDN'T be as good as in the South (stranger things have happened) . . . but the odds certainly aren't in favor. It's similar to Tex-Mex cuisine in that way.

In summary, the odds were indeed against Famous Dave's, and unfortunately, Famous Dave's does not surmount these odds.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Real is what one defines it to be.

*shrug*

There are (in my view) a number of good BBQ places here in Cincinnati. Not a large number, but there they are, nonetheless. Cincinnati is nowhere near any of the places you list.....I'm not defending Famous Daves BBQ here anymore than I am defending the hamburgers at McDonalds or Burger King, but they both produce a product that is popular among many, many people. No reason to laugh.

Yup, even in Michigan there's GOOD BBQ! A place in Grand Rapids, in a shady part of town in a run down building called the "Que".. Many articles in the papers, on the news on this place! Be prepared to stand in line for food from here! A few hours after this guy fires up his grills, the south end of Downtown smells of sweet bbq! Just sort of draws you in... True Roadfood!

Drambuie
Good Points All. Your evaluation of F D's is a good one. That's what I tried to say about Tony Roma's and Damon's. Stick me at the edge of town...hungry and needing to stop soon. Put Arthur Bryant's or a place like it 20 miles down the road and Damon's within sight on my side of the busy road, and what choice will I make... I can last 20 more miles!! But if Roma's pops up when I am hungry and the only other place I know of is a burger stand. I will head in for some factory done ribs, most of the time..... or pray for inspiration about that wonderful place just over the horizon !!

Dave started out small -- or his operation did, at least. His goal was to feed those on BBQ where there was very little, and he became a succes by simply trying to fill a demand. He just loves to eat, and he loves to feed people. We handled his cookbook, of which he donated all of the profits to charity. We also media trained him, and he was about as big a roadfoodie (figuratively and literally) as one could be. He wanted to try every joint there was, and he loved every minute of it. His food was okay, but his heart was in the right place, which is a great deal more than I can say for those who run the big chains.

I took Senor Boogie Woogie's comments as all in good humor and cant see any reason why our friends should be upset about his
comments - but, then, I dont live in Minnesota....

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

I took Senor Boogie Woogie's comments as all in good humor and cant see any reason why our friends should be upset about his
comments - but, then, I dont live in Minnesota....

I too don't understand. When I was living in Seattle and suffering through awful Pizza, I always used to say that if the Pizza isn't cooked and served up by someone behind the counter who looks like Danny De Vito or Joe Pesci then it ain't good Pizza!

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

I took Senor Boogie Woogie's comments as all in good humor and cant see any reason why our friends should be upset about his
comments - but, then, I dont live in Minnesota....

Racial and regional humor is by definition mean spirited and ignorant. Ha ha ha ha ha, very funny.

Sorry, but I dont see anything offensive in a Black Man sweating or a Redneck having sunburn - may not be high humor , but certainly not offensive to any racial or ethnic group and I did not take it as such in Senor's post. Lighten up, folks....

I haven't tried Famous Dave's, but I have tried Roma's...It's....OK. Not bad, really, especially that the one nearest my house took over a lot formerly occupied by Cincy's vastly overrated Montgomery Inn. There's a Smoky Bones going in nearby, at the site of a former ChiChi's driven out of business by a sudden plethora of quite good Mexican places in our region of Greater Cincinnati. Smoky Bones says they have "respect for Barbecue tradition." I'd like to believe that; but they're owned by the same company that runs Olive Garden, so I tend to be a bit...suspicion.

Anybody eat at Smoky Bones?

The debating as to whether or not comments were ethnically-sensitive by a poster named "Senor Boogie Woogie" is ironic. Reminds me of that inquiry which Steve Buscemi's character in "Con Air" asked of Nicholas Cage's character (aboard a plane taken over by prisoners celebrating [in-flight] to the tune "Sweet Home Alabama"):

"Define irony: a bunch of idiots
dancing around on a plane to a song made famous
by a band that died in a plane crash."




P.S. I love Senor BW's handle. Makes me smirk everytime I see it.

quote:

OK, a BBQ place, in Minnesota (Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha). Real BBQ is made in the south, in Memphis, in Texas, in Georgia, by a sweaty black man or a sunburned yee-haw redneck.

That's just untrue & offensive (and I have a very dry sense of humor and still find it offensive. Others in this thread do not, but *shrug* perhaps they have thicker skins than I). And who has the right to say what "real" BBQ is? Or "real" anything?

quote:

BBQ is regional.

Please see reviews of "regional" BBQ - from all 50 states...http://www.bbq-porch.org/reviews/default.asp, including MN and IA (which got some high marks)

quote:

BBQ has soul. Minnesota and Iowa lack this completely.

I personally take offense at this point. My daughter is half-Minnesotan, and my former husband and his entire family are from Duluth, and they have plenty of soul (and they're not "sweaty black men" or "sunburnt yeehaw rednecks"). And wait - is the original poster saying that the entire states lack soul? Interesting - I'll have to go out there and judge for MYSELF.

quote:

They probably smoke a pig, throw some ketchup on it, serve beans and say "Wah lah, BBQ" served by someone who would say "Would ya' like a bottle of pop with that? Salt? You betcha!"

The operative word in this whole thing is "probably". When someone says "probably", it means you don't know and don't have the right to assume that it's the truth. Oh, and we're thinking of retiring to Mississippi's Gulf Coast, and I'm gonna PERSONALLY see if they serve lutefisk anyplace if we DO go there, and if I personally see that they don't, after checking out the entire state, I will report back here and you will all know for SURE that they don't. I don't think anyone should laugh or make fun of other states. Especially when you don't even live in the United States yourself.

Normally, I let threads like this go by, chalking it up to ignorance or lack of education, but I just couldn't do that today.

Happy New Year, everybody!

My attitude to discussing chains on this site is pretty much in line with the home page of this web site:

"A site devoted exclusively to finding the most memorable local
eateries along the highways and back roads of America"

I get tired of seeing people get jumped on this forum for sounding off about chains, like you are some sort of zealot or something if you point out that inspired food can't be franchised. You like Tony Roma's? Great, but I don't think some exploited hourly worker making "barbecue" according to written instructions sent from corporate HQ is going to make something I want to eat. I think refusing to eat there or at Famous Dave's, or wherever, is a perfectly defensible position, though I'm sure Dave himself is a perfectly nice gentleman.

However, Senor BW is completely wrong about people not having soul on the northern Great Plains.

Happy New Year to all!

quote:

Originally posted by Gator

My attitude to discussing chains on this site is pretty much in line with the home page of this web site:

"A site devoted exclusively to finding the most memorable local
eateries along the highways and back roads of America"

I get tired of seeing people get jumped on this forum for sounding off about chains, like you are some sort of zealot or something if you point out that inspired food can't be franchised.

Happy New Year to all!

Don't fret Gator, in 10 year there won't be any local eateries left to enjoy...

Thank you shaynas_mom.

Cakes

Sad but true, WJ. Just corporate purveyers of soylent green in, variously, taco, patty and chicken wing shapes (conveniently located just next to the off ramp). Burp.

quote:

Originally posted by jmckee

I haven't tried Famous Dave's, but I have tried Roma's...It's....OK. Not bad, really, especially that the one nearest my house took over a lot formerly occupied by Cincy's vastly overrated Montgomery Inn.

I worked in Amelia the evening that Montgomery Inn location burned down, saw it in flames as I headed home east on Beechmont. I've been to the Roma's using a 2/$10 lunch coupon, but we (the wife and I) didn't much care for either lunch item served.

quote:

Originally posted by jmckee

There's a Smoky Bones going in nearby, at the site of a former ChiChi's driven out of business by a sudden plethora of quite good Mexican places in our region of Greater Cincinnati. Smoky Bones says they have "respect for Barbecue tradition." I'd like to believe that; but they're owned by the same company that runs Olive Garden, so I tend to be a bit...suspicion.

Anybody eat at Smoky Bones?

I noted the construction some months back and asked more or less the same question, with a few responses: http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1522

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by Gator

My attitude to discussing chains on this site is pretty much in line with the home page of this web site:

"A site devoted exclusively to finding the most memorable local
eateries along the highways and back roads of America"

I get tired of seeing people get jumped on this forum for sounding off about chains, like you are some sort of zealot or something if you point out that inspired food can't be franchised.

Happy New Year to all!

Don't fret Gator, in 10 year there won't be any local eateries left to enjoy...

Too scary to even think about...

quote:

Originally posted by Cakes

Thank you shaynas_mom.

Cakes

You're welcome and I wasn't trying to be politically correct, but all I know is that if it just doesn't feel right, sometimes you've got to respond to it (but think before you do! Breathe!). My bf is my biggest inspiration and my best teacher (will be hanging out his own shingle as a psychologist/therapist or addictions counselor when money and time allow!), and my thoughts about most things take a clearer shape (well, maybe a touch less muddy and a bit more understandable) because of our conversations about everything under the sun. I love posting to and reading from this forum; it's my favorite and I'm learning so much! Right now, though, I'm a bit afraid I'll be attacked for my response to the original post for some reason, because perhaps it wasn't worded "just right". But as I respond to this, the original post sits right under it; I'm re-reading it, and I'm getting angry again, so I think I'll just go and look at pictures of Tyler Florence to get me happy again.

quote:

Originally posted by shaynas_mom

quote:

Originally posted by Cakes

Thank you shaynas_mom.

Cakes

You're welcome and I wasn't trying to be politically correct, but all I know is that if it just doesn't feel right, sometimes you've got to respond to it (but think before you do! Breathe!). My bf is my biggest inspiration and my best teacher (will be hanging out his own shingle as a psychologist/therapist or addictions counselor when money and time allow!), and my thoughts about most things take a clearer shape (well, maybe a touch less muddy and a bit more understandable) because of our conversations about everything under the sun. I love posting to and reading from this forum; it's my favorite and I'm learning so much! Right now, though, I'm a bit afraid I'll be attacked for my response to the original post for some reason, because perhaps it wasn't worded "just right". But as I respond to this, the original post sits right under it; I'm re-reading it, and I'm getting angry again, so I think I'll just go and look at pictures of Tyler Florence to get me happy again.

I am not worried about politically correctness. And I know very well what you mean when you say "Breathe", I am from Iowa and my wife and a lot of my family are from Minnesota.

What does bother me is your comment about being afraid about being attacked for your response. That isn't right and you shouldn't have to worry about it. What you said was said well and deserved to be said.

Apparently senor whatshisname doesn't have the same convictions or he would have defended himself and what he said.

Cakes