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Famous Dave's - Alameda

3.2 (593 reviews)

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FAMOUS DAVE'S - ALAMEDA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Happy hour specials

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Happy Hour Menu (March 2025)
LindseyMindsey C.

Very nice server. We went during happy hour to watch the Warriors game. Lots of screens and lots of drink options and bbq parings. We ordered: - Southside tips comes w/fries and pickles **** - Smokehouse Grilled Cheese ****

Kris P.

We're rarely in this part of the Bay, but recently found ourselves here and stumbled on this location of Famous Daves. Walked in and the place is huge. It seems newly built inside and out, with fresh everything from table and chairs to TVs and menus. Suffice to say, it felt sparkling clean inside. But worried that on this Saturday early dinner, it was relatively empty. We dropped in on a night when the Dodgers (yuck) were playing in the postseason. But surprised it wasn't on. Had to ask one the waiters to put the game on one of the 20 TVs they had going on. I really think it's the bartenders job to know what's going on sportswise on the day of their shift. And tune the games to show. Oh well, I ordered up a beer and one of the combo plates that you get to pick your meats. Got me some ribs of course and some brisket. The ribs were nice and tender and not fall off the bone. Which I like. It had some bite to it. Don't like when it just comes off the bone. Mines came without sauce, but there's a bunch of bottles on the table that you can dress your meat to your liking. The brisket was also good, tender and juicy. I've been to Texas a bunch of times, so it would be unfair to compare a chain to a local Texas joint. That said, this place does BBQ pretty decently, and I would not hesitate to come back here for the food and vibes.

This is for two people. Hella lot of food for the price.
Karen N.

I remember going to the original Famous Dave's about twenty years ago in Minneapolis. Good food for not a whole lot of money. So I was psyched when I saw they had grown out of their midwestern roots and set up a restaurant in alameda. Checked it out with my fam. And yeah. Some things have changed. The seating area is modern and bright but has lots of good nooks to eat with your people. Felt a bit sad it was empty at 7:30 pm on a Saturday night. Maybe alamedans don't party late? Ordered the feast for two despite having four people cuz some of us weren't that hungry. That was a good call as the plate that arrived was huge and could have easily fed four hungry people. Lots of leftovers I think. This is a Midwest bbq so it's different from Texas or South Carolina. Good in its own right. I find it a bit sweet. The provided sauces were good but wish there was even more choice. Oh yeah, the onion rings were on the smalll side but the two sauces they came with were yummy. Good beer selection. Anyway, I hope they find their vibe because I'd like them to stick around a while.

Rib-n-Meat Combo
Paulita E.

Late post from this past Sunday. I totally meant to post sooner. Second visit to this location. I had great service by the person who was running the corner and bartending and serving which is quite a bit for one person but he did a good job. The food is always great and this location is pretty quiet which is also a plus. I was there around lunch time just after opening so that should be mentioned. I will continue to return as I am a fan of the franchise and it's food. I had a couple drinks also which were good. I should mention to that they have an happy hour every day which is pretty cool- even weekends- love that :)

Alex D.

Always had heard about this place, so once i tried it i loved it! The restaurant is very big and comfortable, very much like a BBQ spot should be, the service is always quick and the staff are all very knowledgeable about the menu and guide you with any questions you may have. For being a chain i really love the BBQ especially the trip tip and burnt ends which are my favorite, if you ever come across a Famous Daves Location you must stop by!

Stefan T.

Excellent quality food and beautiful new restaurant open for dine in. Seating available both indoor and out. Excellent quality food. I can directly compare to the last similar sandwich I had at Dickies BBQ - a burnt ends sandwich - that wasn't all that great. Here at Famous Daves the bread and the meat was much better and I think the meat portion a bit more generous too. Made for a great value. Came with some cole slaw - I tend to like that with BBQ best lately. Beautiful new restaurant - interior is immaculate and large windows make it bright and cheerful. Lots of seating - tons of options - both inside and out. Sit on the perimeter for quiet - or near the bar with the TVs. This restaurant is just across the street from the new $1.5 million pack and stack housing. I'm ready to live in a shoe box there just so I can have Famous Dave as my neighbor. Recently was also at Everette and Jones. So many redneck diamonds on the sidewalks there. If you've got an SUV I would strongly suggest you come here instead - or mabye E&Js #2. Attentive, friendly service - I went at an off hour - Seinfeld early bird dinner style. I usually do that or super late night to avoid the rush. With short staffing everywhere and covid cut backs might be a good idea.

Jack R.

Ordered the 4 piece St. Louis Style ribs with the potato salad and jalapeño Mac and cheese. This place was a ghost town at lunch time on a Saturday. I placed my order to to and the credit cardaching was down so they had to move me to a different register. They couldn't figure out how to put extra sauce on the side so I asked them how did they do that for to go orders? They said they just placed it on the ribs itself. As you can clearly see the ribs do not have a lot of sauce, nor do they have a lot of meat. I felt like it was a rip off. Dry NOT meaty ribs with a broken cornbread muffin which mimics my feelings and barely warm heat lamp jalapeño Mac and cheese was like 2 1/2 stars. The potato salad was okay at 3 stars average.. The cold cornbread muffin being the best thing at 4 stars even though it was cold. The dry ribs were like chewy beef jerky...when you could get some meat. I have no idea how this place stays in business. Maybe that's why they're empty inside on a Saturday!

Sides we ordered
Soni P.

I live in San Diego and we don't have FD, but I started account and have been ordering for my sister in Fairfield. I came to do small family gathering with nephew in bay area and decided to use them to cater. From a person with 40 years catering and events planning experience, I can tell you that FD is "Over the To" EXCEPTIONAL." Every single item was amazing. The servings were great. The customer service was great. This was the first time that I have ever been given enough cutlery, sauce and plates. I am super impressed. Lastly, this location is absolutely beautiful. Very clean, nice layout and very professional and friendly staff.

Rib-n-Meat Combo with Fries and Coleslaw

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I've placed several catering orders with this location & I would recommend them for catering large gatherings.

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Wow! Thank you so much for the 5 stars, Jason! See ya next time!

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Famous Dave's - Alameda Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Famous Dave's - Alameda

How is their whole chicken? Is it covered in bbq sauce?

I ordered the half chicken, it's 2 pieces of tender juicy chicken, coated with sauce. The whole chicken, most likely, is 4 pcs of chicken.

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4.4(341 reviews)
1.2 mi
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I actually haphazardly stumbled upon this place a few months back after hanging out at a brewery…read morenext door. After scoping out the vibes of the place and the menu, I told myself to make sure to give this a shot. The place is in a redeveloped corner of Alameda right next to the bay. Probably used to be Navy base grounds back in the day. But now there's a couple of blocks worth of hip warehouse-y type of buildings, mostly restaurants, beer spots, some lofts and a little retail commerce. Very happening even though the surrounding area is a ghost town. Dining area not too big, maybe a couple of rooms that can hold about 20-30 heads each. Think there's another room for a private party/overflow. Decor pretty minimalist and stark. Service on the upscale side but in my stay, matched the decor, very minimalist and stark. Efficient enough but a little terse with little emotion. But I know service personality can differ from time to time or person to person. Just my obsy for one out. Daily Crudo ($20/4*) I think this rotates daily. Our choices that day was hamachi or a house smoked sturgeon. The sturgeon really piqued my interest but then it really wouldn't be a 'crudo' anymore would it, since I relate crudos to something 'raw-ish'. So I chose the hamachi. Very pretty plating, I love symmetry and balance. The thin slices of hamachi were indeed fresh, sitting in a stealthy pool of yuzu and olive oil. There are some fresno pepper slices and microgreens that garnish and a delicious nori cracker to break and accompany the crudo. This went really well with my glass of Fume Blanc. Caeser ($17/4.5*) We split this salad as their version sounded super cool. A miso-tinged Caeser dressing, lots of rustic garlic croutons and feathery soft grated parm and a soft-boiled egg. I love properly made Caesers and this was one of the best and unique versions I've ever had. The umami punch and the diverse textures just hit with me. A tad salty for a salad, but the crunchy and refreshing lettuce was able to absorb the salt blast. Huge salad too, like ideal for splitting and ridiculously large if for 1. Beef Short Rib ($43/4*) This was on special that night, and since I wasn't feeling Steak Frites (their only other beef entree option) this kinda fell on my lap. Very heavy and hearty dish. The short rib part was impeccable, super tender, gotta be sous vide. Perfectly seasoned with braising elements completely penetrated into the meat. There was a coarse gravy/sauce that covered which was okay, may have been the braising liquid just pureed. Served atop a huge pile of some risotto that I didn't inquire about. This risotto is what made the dish especially heavy. I ate most of it and it put me in a heavy carb coma. Lol. But there was a nice serving of perfectly cooked broccolini which helped balanced out the rich beef and carb heavy risotto. Chocolate Bar ($13/4.5*) Shared this for dessert as I really couldn't take more than just a few bites after the filling entree. But was this impressive, like high end dessert quality. Whoever does the desserts here definitely has some pedigree. The precision cut bar consisted of 3 layers. A brownie layer; a Bailey's mousse; and a salted caramel layer. I was loving the texture of all the different layers playing on one another. And every flavor was distinct without being overly sweet, which hit the right chords with me. A thick ganache garnished off to the side, which was good but just seemed a bit overkill with the already chocolate dominant bar. I think a cream element would have been a better contrast instead of rich chocolate on rich chocolate. But very minor quip on an otherwise skillful dessert. I finished the last few sips of my glass of Rhone with this dessert, and it left me one happy camper. I would definitely return as their style with flavors hits an accord with me. A little French, a smidge of Japanese and a lot of California. Rounding to a fiver, as this place made me more happy than not.

The food was as visually beautiful as it was a party in my mouth. Emily was a fantastic server…read morewith her welcoming smile and positive demeanor that kept just the right amount of attention on us. We had the buratta, the mixed greens salad, the duck and the pasta. We finished up with the chocolate bar dessert. This was the most incredible culinary experience I've had in a really long time and I was so happy to have it. The fresh pasta with the fresh English peas in the carbonara sauce was so light and flavorful. The duck was crispy and moist. The salad was gorgeous with edible flowers sprinkled in. It was just a treat all the way around. Thanks so much. Heather

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Saltbreaker
Saltbreaker - Fresh pasta carbonara, chicken sliders, steak frites

Fresh pasta carbonara, chicken sliders, steak frites

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Spinning Bones - Veggie Burger

Spinning Bones

4.2(438 reviews)
2.7 mi
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Came here with my husband and in-laws early on a Saturday afternoon and were greeted by a super…read morefriendly man that I believe may be the owner or one of the owners. We were the only party in the restaurant. The menu is extremely interesting, with a focus on slow-roasted meats and a California-Japanese fusion to many elements of their dishes. Because we were a party of five, we were able to try a lot on the menu, with some recommendations from the owner: - Corn fritters: Recommended by the owner, who said they're a best-seller. They were delicious and served with strawberry jam. Moist but with a bit of crumble and crumb. I could've eaten the entire plate myself. - Rotisserie cauliflower: With miso butter and furikake. My husband really wanted to try this. It was good, and he really loved it, but it wasn't a standout dish for me. - Trip's triple: 1/4 chicken, pork shoulder, and tri-tip all on a plate with chimichurri and garlic-jalapeño garum on the side. All of the meat was cooked so well, and the sauces were just delicious. This was a really generous serving of meat; my husband had to take some of it home. - Tsukune sando: Two tsukune (chicken and pork) patties with shredded lettuce, fried shallots, Hapa sauce, and a fried egg. I'm not sure what the Hapa sauce was and didn't ask, but this sandwich was just delicious. The patties were great and this is the first time I've tried tsukune. This was a messy sandwich, so I ate it with a fork and knife, but it didn't impact how tasty it was. I can't remember the dishes my in-laws got, but everyone was really happy with their food and what they couldn't finish, they made sure to take home. However, there's always room for dessert, and we went wild and decided to try all four of them. - Butter mochi: coconut butter cake. This was a table favorite. Rich, moist, delicious, and very unique. - Banana pudding: I'm a fan of banana-based or flavored anything, and this was fantastic. Loved the caramelized banana on top. - Choco PB torte: Definitely the richest dessert of the four. This is perfect if you're a chocolate fan. - Apple crumble: Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Warm and spiced. So good. I honestly can't wait to go back to Spinning Bones. This was a fantastic meal from start to finish and our service was great.

Slow-roasted Rotisserie restaurant with a Japanese influence. They are most known for their meats…read morebut also have Japanese sandos and a large selection of appetizers on menu. We came after going to the Alameda Antique Faire, excited to try is after so long. Michelada: Lager beer, spicy tomato juice, togarashi, fresh limeMy wife ordered this and she said it was fantastic, a great savory Mexican beer cocktail. Shiso Highball: Shiso infused shochu, lemon, ginger beer. Nice and refreshing on a warm day. Corn Fritters: Sweet yellow corn, rice flour, strawberry jam. This was the finest corn-fritter I had since GA and LA. It was so good and highly recommended to order. Mochiko Chicken: fried chicken nuggets, ginger, soy, aioli. Well cooked as well but very close to kaarage and would not get it again. Three Little Pigs: Rotisserie pork shoulder, St. Louis ribs, garlic sausage, tossed greens, pickled jalapenos, BBQ sauce, garlic-jalapeno garum. A little bit of everything pork. The sides are well done as well as the meat, the only thing not so great was the Ribs but I smoke them at home and am used to a stronger taste on them and more tender. Pepper Beef: Tri-tip, chimichurri, umami salt, pickled cabbage slaw, scallions. My kids loved this and destroyed it.

Photos
Spinning Bones - Interior of restaurant

Interior of restaurant

Spinning Bones - Mochiko chicken, this was OK

Mochiko chicken, this was OK

Spinning Bones - Beet Salad

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Beet Salad

Trabocco Kitchen & Cocktails - Spaghetti Del Trabocco*

Trabocco Kitchen & Cocktails

4.2(2k reviews)
2.6 mi
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Absolutely wonderful experience here for a last-minute birthday dinner…read more We didn't have a reservation for a Saturday night, but did not have to wait around 5:45pm for a party of 2. There is plenty of seating inside, by the bar, and outside in a heated patio. I ordered the spaghetti del Trabocco, as I love seafood and pasta, but have food intolerance to onion and garlic, which has always been challenging for me when going to Italian restaurants. However, the waiter informed me that this dish has no onions or garlic at all! I have never yet encountered a pasta dish with no garlic/onion and was beyond exhilarated that I would be able to order this dish. My husband got the lasagna, and we both ordered drinks. The drinks came out within a few minutes, along with yummy bread, vinegar and olive oil. The entrees took about 10 minutes to come out but they were well worth the wait. The scallops in the spaghetti were so soft, the shrimp were large, and the pasta was cooked to perfection. One of the clams was slightly salty but it did not ruin the dish. My husband enjoyed his lasagna as well, noting it was fulfilling. The best part of the night, was when I asked for a tiramisu to celebrate my birthday. Having tiramisu cake on my birthday holds personal sentimental value to me. Apparently, when the cook isn't busy, he'll come out and sing Happy Birthday to you! The cook was busy when my cake came out about 10 minutes after we finished our main dishes, but the waiter came to sing instead and he was wonderful, topping off the night to say the cake was complimentary. I was almost brought to tears by the gesture. The tiramisu was delicious, devoured too quick, even my husband approved, and I have been thinking of it ever since. I am so appreciative of how they made my birthday dinner a wonderful experience, the service, and the delicious food. Would definitely recommend and come again.

So I have held off doing a review for a long time because I was conflicted and just recently sort…read moreof figured out why. We have popped in here a lot over the years. Drinks and appetizers are great at the bar. Bartenders are nice. I think I had a cioppino or sea food stew once that was also really good. All the food coming out of the kitchen looks great. But here's the rub I finally figured out after talking about this place with my partner multiple times. There is tension in the air, a lot of it. Walking in you can feel it. Not sure where it's coming from since the owner, Gino I think, seems like a pretty nice and chill guy and interactions with him are always good and I see him interact with the staff in a positive way. So why the tension? Where is that coming from? Regardless, I don't need that tension and anxiety on my resume or in my tequila. For some reason I really wanted this place to be sort of a nice hang out and place to always go. Just hasn't panned out that way. We'll still go back at times and test the waters. Just not going to be one of our regular haunts. People seem to love it more than I currently do so there must be something there. Rounding up to 4.

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Trabocco Kitchen & Cocktails - Setting

Setting

Trabocco Kitchen & Cocktails - Polipo e Patate

Polipo e Patate

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Duck Special

Famous Dave's - Alameda - bbq - Updated October 2026

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