famous dave’s

Famous Dave’s, Long Beach

August 22, 2015 by Ole Leave a Comment

I drove out to Long Beach last weekend to pick up my packet for the Long Beach Triathlon. To thank my youngest son for being my carpool buddy, I took him to his favorite barbecue place… Famous Dave’s.

Famous Dave’s used to be my favorite place for barbecue too, until the bad visits to our local Famous Dave’s locations started to eclipse the good ones.

This was our first visit to Famous Dave’s Long Beach, and it was GREAT.

Unlike our local Famous Dave’s in Riverside, Long Beach still has the checkered tablecloths and all of the sauces on the table.

My son was pleased that he could order chips with his Devil’s Spit burger. For some reason, chips are no longer available at our local Famous Dave’s.

Most importantly to me, the brisket was awesome. Not only could I break it apart with my fork, it was so tender that it actually fell apart. This is the brisket that made Famous Dave’s my favorite BBQ place.

Thank you Famous Dave’s Long Beach for a great visit.

Famous Dave’s – Long Beach
300 S. Pine Dr.
The Pike at Rainbow Harbor
Long Beach, CA

First Day at Famous Dave’s Riverside

August 30, 2014 by Ole 1 Comment

The first time I ate at Famous Dave’s, I was hooked. I could hardly contain my excitement when I found out that a location was going to open in the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside.

I don’t normally attend friends and family events when a new restaurant opens, but there was no way I was going to miss this. Thank you to Famous Dave’s Riverside for the invitation.

** This location is closed. The first location we ever visited in Rancho Cucamonga is still there.

The first thing I noticed about this Famous Dave’s, is that it doesn’t look like any of the other locations I have visited. I’ll call it modern rustic, because there is a still a lot of wood, but it is definitely more upscale. No checkered tablecloths here.

If you have never eaten at Famous Dave’s, definitely make sure you receive the sauce tour so you can find out which sauce is your favorite. My favorite is the Devil’s Spit, while my wife likes the Georgia Mustard.

In addition to the more upscale interior, this Famous Dave’s also has a nicer presentation. I’m used to Famous Dave’s serving food on platters with checkered paper. Not here.

After our salads, we had Dave’s Sampler Platter – Southside Rib Tips, Chicken Tenders, Sweetwater Catfish Fingers, Onion Strings and Traditional Wings. We were encouraged to order this so the kitchen could get used to making everything, but it was way more than we could eat if we wanted to save room for our lunch.

Famous Dave’s is all about the barbecue. This is a St. Louis Rib-N-Meat combo with a Hot Link Sausage. The ribs normally come with Dave’s original Rich & Sassy sauce, but my wife orders them naked (no sauce) so she can add the Georgia Mustard sauce instead. I stole the Hot Link.

The ribs were big, tender and flavorful, and deserved to have a close-up.

Texas Beef Brisket. This is what keeps me coming back to Famous Dave’s.

The brisket was so tender, that I could break it apart with my fork. I have never visited Famous Dave’s without getting the brisket, and I’m pretty sure that I never will.

Famous Dave’s opens to the public on Tuesday, September 2nd. If you attend the grand opening, I just might see you there.

Famous Dave’s Riverside
3775 Tyler St. (at the Tyler mall by the AMC Theatres)
Riverside, CA

Famous Dave’s Riverside – Progress as of 06/28/14

June 29, 2014 by Ole 3 Comments

Famous Dave’s in the Galleria at Tyler as of 06/28/14.

Doesn’t look like it will be a very big place:

Nestled in between Yard House and Robbins Bros:

Famous Dave’s Riverside
3775 Tyler St.
Riverside, CA

Construction Has Begun on Famous Dave’s – Tyler Galleria in Riverside

May 6, 2014 by Ole Leave a Comment

I had the opportunity of becoming the first person to like the new Facebook page of Famous Dave’s in Riverside.

I was very pleased to find the following status update:

Expect to see more updates on this site, because I am looking forward to my favorite brisket being close to home.

Famous Dave’s Riverside
3775 Tyler St.
Riverside, CA
Near the AMC Theaters at the Tyler Galleria

Famous Dave’s Riverside – Coming Soon?
Famous Dave’s – Rancho Cucamonga

Famous Dave’s Riverside – Coming Soon?

January 20, 2014 by Ole 7 Comments

Update 08/30/14: Click here for a preview of Famous Dave’s Riverside.

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Could it be true? My favorite barbecue restaurant is coming to Riverside?

Famous Dave’s Riverside… I like the sound of that.

If this sign is any indication, it appears that I will be visiting the Tyler Mall more frequently than ever before:

The sign is in between Robbins Brothers and Yard House:

Although there are currently no doors or windows where this sign is located, there appears to be a vacant spot behind that little sign (according to a map on the Galleria at Tyler’s website):

If you’re not familiar with Famous Dave’s, read our post about the Rancho Cucamonga location (Famous Dave’s – Rancho Cucamonga) or visit www.famousdaves.com.

I am looking forward to my favorite brisket being so close to home.

Famous Dave’s Riverside
3775 Tyler St. # 1B
Riverside, CA

Famous Dave’s – Rancho Cucamonga

August 11, 2010 by Ole Leave a Comment

Feast! Feast! Feast! If you don’t recognize this chant then you probably haven’t been to Famous Dave’s.

This is our favorite barbecue place, and yes, we like it better than that place that shares the same name as B.B. King’s guitar. What is so good about this place? Pretty much everything.

My personal favorite is the hickory-smoked wonder known as the Texas Beef Brisket. Until I found Famous Dave’s, the only beef brisket I’ve found in our area has resembled leather covered with barbecue sauce. This brisket is so tender that you can separate it with a fork.

Famous Dave’s has won a bunch of awards for its ribs and just about everything else. I definitely agree that they serve the best ribs. We order them naked, meaning that they are served without barbecue sauce. The ribs are great with just the dry rub, but we also like to have the option of trying Dave’s other sauces.

Your server will give you a rundown of Dave’s five different sauces before your meal. My favorite is the “Devil’s Spit”, which as you can imagine is spicier than the other sauces.

We have also tried the Georgia Chopped Pork and Hot Link Sausage. The chopped pork is my oldest son’s favorite, and it is as good as any I have ever tried. Barbecue meals are served with cornbread muffins and corn on the cob, along with your choice of sides. Our favorite sides are the Drunkin’ Apples and the Wilbur Beans, which include pieces of pork, brisket and hot links.

Famous Dave’s also serves chicken, fish, sandwiches, soups and salads. Although we normally stick with the barbecue selections, I always like to start out with a Caesar Salad.

If you like barbecue, then you’ll like this place. If you don’t like this place, then you probably don’t like barbecue.

Famous Dave’s

11470 4th Street

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730