Very odd way of ordering first and sitting down to wait for food. Staff was friendly but not circling the tables often. When I asked for a knife for my sausage, staff looked at me weird so I tried cutting sausage with fork and too thick of skin. We both laughed and she brought me a knife. A tad bit pricy at $125 for a dinner for four but the food tasted excellent and the BBQ sauces were great. Dining area is kind of old and dated, seemed the same as 10 years ago when we were there. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Falls, Iowa

Ordered last minute on Thanksgiving day, Paid online (and tipped!!), my wife arrived and was told she owed a penny. Funny stuff, anyway food was great and appreciate the last minute help. No issues at all read more

The brisket sandwich was good. I really like the mashed potatoes. It was a self serve, but your order was brought to your table.

Food is top notch. The service was good. Prices are pretty high for lunch. Ambiance The place look like it needs updated. read more

To start with, I will say that for many years, CF Famous Dave's was my favorite bbq place. I ate there 4 times in the first 2 weeks that it was open! I continued to eat there for the next 20, or so years until Covid came along. Back then, the restaurant changed from employing servers, who would take your order, bring your food, drinks etc., to basically a self service place where you do everything yourself. Under the old system, the restaurant was busy everyday! You expected a short wait whenever you went there, and it would definitely be worth it! Nowadays, there is no wait, because there are so few customers. The last several times that I have stopped in, there haven't been more than a handful of people in there at any one time. It's sad. I don't go in there very often, anymore. While I can see that getting rid of servers will save them money, I can also see, with my own eyes, how short sighted this decision was. Our area has several other bbq places. Competing is tough, but with a few changes, Famous Dave's could possibly lead the competition instead of being run over by it! read more

Find a hair in my food they treat me like shit horrible place to eat bad service. Never got here go to cross the street to Starbeck's

Always a favorite, local staple of ours. It's been awhile since we had been to Famous Dave's as our recent stops have been TripleD restaurants. The menu has changed....some good, ; some disappointments. The Hawaiian Flat Bread appetizer was outstanding and I had the Burnt Ends and Ribs dinner both nicely done! The Mrs generally gets the BBQ Chicken and did so once again, as good as ever! The selection of sides is now missing the green beans and the apple versions which were two of the ones that we really liked. They also changed up the cornbread which now has the more traditional square cut pan shape rather than the cupcake looking presentation.....have to reserve judgment on the tastes between the two as I generally bring that home for breakfast the next morning and I haven't tried the new version yet. read more

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Having been 6 months or more since I was last near a Famous Dave's, I can say it was certainly worth the wait! I look forward to returning to Cedar Falls so I can have more Famous Dave's bbq! read more

Food is decent but the post Covid-19 plan is a DISASTER and doesn't do anything to protect the customer. Long lines at the door - and no instructions when you enter. Extremely convoluted and the WORST process I have seen. We had to wait to order - then wait to pay - then wait to get seated. Three lines? You've got to be kidding me. The owner/franchisee/District Manager should all realize that they've created a mess with their bizarre approach. And when I mentioned it to the manager, she didn't seem concerned one bit. Unless you're interested in frustration - avoid this place until they get their act together. read more

A group of 8 of my Target Co-workers were on a business trip down to Cedar Rapids from Minneapolis, but we got hungry around Cedar Falls, Iowa. We sat down and I ordered a Diet Pepsi, I prefer Coke products, but what are you going to do? Their lunch menu is cool, you can get 2 meats, and a side and corn bread for 9 bucks. I ordered the pulled pork and the beef brisket. I ordered the Wilbur beans as my side. Our server brought out some homemade potato chips, a little soggy, but big complaints for such a nice gesture. She said it was to allow us to try the different sauces. Awesome idea! I tried their super hot Wilbur Sauce, which is new. It was hot, but really not much flavor because the heat was so overpowering. I think if you mixed it with the mustard sauce it would have been awesome, mental note for the future. The Wilbur beans were awesome, little hunks of bacon I think with a nice mesquite sauce and perfectly baked beans. The brisket and pork came out on big hunks of toast which was cool and I slathered on the Texas Pit and Devil Spit sauces, by themselves the pork was a little dry, but the brisket was super fantastic wonderful. I gave my wife the corn bread, which she loves. She also ordered the chicken lunch salad, which she loved, but she forgot to ask for no bacon. Again, she LOVED the corn bread. All of my Co-workers said that the meals were fantastic and we had an Indian friend on a work Visa from India who couldn't believe we were getting so much food to eat, but I think he liked it as well. He left about half behind though. Our service was FANTASTIC! Always checking, but not obtrusive. Refilling pops when they were empty. She was awesome. Overall, Famous Dave's is a chain, but doesn't really feel like a chain. They really take care of you. I have been to about 30 of them and tI am always pleased. read more

Wow... I'm from Texas and this BBQ is pretty Good, 95% of the time. I highly Recommend the Ribs, Jalapeño Mac'n'Cheese o and the Ribs. read more

As other's have stated the food is inconsistant here. But this visit it was wonderful! But what really made our meal was the service. Hannah said it was her 1st time flying solo but she was phenomonal! Friendly and checked on us frequently but she wasn't obtrusive. We split the feast for 2 and had leftovers (which didn't last long at home). The brisket was incredible as was the Roasted Chicken. Everything on the feast was very good. Our daughter had the Hickory Chicken and really enjoyed it. Now that our daughter is attending UNI, we'll be back more often! read more

I cannot believe I have never tried this bbq chain out! I am not big on chains, but this was a hit among everyone in our party of 6. Our waitress was friendly and always checking in on us. As for dinner we went with the "feast" as it serves 4-6 people. No lie... it was a FEAST!! It had a slab of ribs, pulled pork, a whole chicken, potato wedges, coleslaw, corn on the cob, baked beans, and of course cornbread. I should have took a picture... but we were all hungry that we just dove in! I loved the chicken with the devil's sauce. I also loved the potato wedges and corn bread! I thought we would finish the platter... but we had 2 pieces of chicken left, a few ribs, plenty of beans and coleslaw! Messy... but worth it! read more

Very good meal. Came to the table quickly and was tasty. Like the 5 different BBQ sauce flavors. Something for everyone. Brisket was excellent and the baby back ribs were tasty and fell off the bones. Mac and cheese is very good and just a little spicy. Overall a great experience and we will eat there again for certain. Oh yeah, Sydney was our server and she was exceptional. Needs to be promoted to management now. Seriously. read more

I'm not going to lie, I rather like this place. Most of the time anyway. When you go into Famous Dave's, you flip a coin. There is roughly a 50/50 chance of getting a great meal, or a mediocre plate of fatty meat. The ribs are simply not very consistent. When it's good, it's excellent. When it's bad, it's almost inedible. I feel like the good times make up for the bad, however. Now granted, I could pour their sauce on a car tire and eat it; nobody can deny that their sauces are amazing. The cornbread is incredible, and then there is the sauce. I know I mentioned the sauce already, but it's so good that I feel it is worth mentioning twice. When it comes down to it, when someone suggests going here, I am almost always up for it. I usually won't touch pork, but Famous Dave's proves there is an exception to every rule. It's a good place to come with friends and have a few laughs and a drink with your meal. You certainly won't feel like you have to dress up; in fact their "colourful" atmosphere will make you feel over dressed in anything but overall bibs. Do feel free to bring your favourite banjo and wear a Stetson; Stetsons are cool. Famous Dave's would have gotten a fourth star from me if they were a little more consistent in their quality. Another star would have been awarded if they hadn't gotten rid of their fantastic Drunken Apples. I still rather enjoy coming here and flipping my coin when I get the chance. read more

Famous Dave's has great tasting sides and amazing BBQ sauces, my fave being the Texas Pit. I almost always order the ribs, but I think they are a little overpriced for the amount you get (4 ribs and 2 sides was $13.00). Nonetheless delicious. The times we've been there, the service has always been very friendly and not overly obnoxious like chain restaurants are notorious for housing. Their corn on the cob tastes nothing like fresh Iowa sweet corn so I'd rather skip that and they substitute the corn on the cob that comes with the meal for an extra cornbread muffin. Deal! They always seem to be busy, the parking lot can't hold a typical weekend crowd. read more

Yeah, I know it's a chain, but I haven't ever had such delicious BBQ from any other chain restaurant. The portions are, as mentioned, GINORMOUS. I find it difficult to believe that I actually could finish a BBQ half-chicken dinner WITH an extra cornbread muffin when I lived in Cedar Falls. *shakes head* The amount of food you get for the price is pretty fair, and the service is usually good. The decor, a mixture of 'backwoods Minnesota cabin at the lake' and hokey chain restaurant, is interesting enough, but not obtrusive. All that combined with easy access off of University Ave., a big ol' parking lot and carry-out service makes this a definite stop for a meal whenever I'm home. read more

This used to be great food, I want so badly for this joint to cease with the pre-packaged food and go back to making it fresh on-site. I don't believe I'll ever recommend this again when we are with a group trying to choose a dining spot. I had the brisket dinner. It was sparse on the tray. Only 7 slices of meat - at Starbeck's a few doors down they give you 10 larger slices IN A SANDWICH. Apples are just canned, the cornbread muffin a cupcake and the fries I really don't care about. It came home as leftovers and never made it to the fridge. The meat was dry and not too tasty. Goodbye Famous Dave's. I'm sorry. read more

Never have I been more disappointed in a BBQ restaurant. Over priced and way, way, way below standard on quality and portion size. The food was terrible and the service was terrible. I don't understand how this place could stay in business. My meal consisted of three catfish fingers the size of a Mcdonald fry three rib bones that were dry and still had the silver skin on it. Maybe a tablespoon of instant mashed potatoes and a smoke sausage that was mushy. Oh I forgot the burnt corn muffin. read more

Friendly service. Garbage food. Gelatinous brisket, dehydrated pulled pork, cold fries. Poorly plated. Will never be back.

To put it plainly, this place is not good. The food is only so-so, and they made us sit out in their uninsulated porch and freeze throughout our dinner. I'd recommend going some place south for barbecue, like Kansas City. I would not recommend dining at this restaurant. read more

Doesn't even deserve one star. This is my "wing platter" that I received in my to go order! Normally I don't have issues... but come on this is pure laziness. I guess the next time I get food from here I'll be sure to check before I leave so I know I got $8.49 worth of wings in my "wing platter". read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - "Wing platter" - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Falls, Iowa

I had never been to this chain before, but I'd go back. Portions are ridiculous. I don't think I ate 1/2 my food. My coworker and I each got a drink, shared an appetizer, and ordered an entree each for $55 plus tip. If we hadn't been traveling we both easily could have had another meal or two out of it. The decor was a little on the cheesy side, but what do you expect? The service was good, everything came out at the appropriate time, not too soon, not too late. read more

So we walked in at 8:58 pm on a Tuesday night and they treated us as if we walked in at any other time not 2 min before closing!!! We had the most amazing waitress Jazimine !!!! She made our night amazing food was hot fresh and she was tentative to everything instead of acting like we holding up her evening !! This is a so over look restaurant in my opinion!!! read more

Absolutely terrible service. We ordered our meals online and it said it was an 18 minute wait to pick up. We got there on the time it said to pick up. We then continued to wait inside for 30 minutes while they made our food even though we ordered 45 minutes prior. read more

Well done... Rib tips and burnt ends... enjoyed it... worth the short drive off the highway! read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Falls, Iowa

Been to a lot of places. Still love the flavor. Ribs are ribs. Depends on the cow. Love the ribs and chicken combo. Beans and fries are my favorite sides. read more

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Average BBQ place with ok food. Nothing too special, and food was served somewhat cold. Staff was friendly though.

The best part about famous Dave's is it's relatively consistent. The food is always cooked well and the portions are satisfying. We typically come in and pick up food and eat it at home. I like to get the feasts for two or the feasts for four. They come with 2 to 3 kinds of meat potato wedges coleslaw baked beans cornbread and corn. Tons of food in them. And that way everybody gets a little bit of everything. Ordering for pick up usually takes longer than if you eat in. The promise time is usually at least 30 minutes. But don't come early or you'll be stuck waiting for it to pick it up. And then if you use the pick up Lane you'll be holding up traffic for people who come behind you. So I tip is to always wait and come at least five minutes after they say to guarantee your food will be ready. We occasionally eat here. The service is usually good and they're pretty speedy at getting the food out once you order. That's if you can get seated right away this place usually draws a pretty big crowd. So you might have to wait for a while in order to get a seat. My favorite is definitely a roasted chicken in the brisket. They are amazingly flavorful. I do like to eat here so that I can try all the different sauces on the table. But my favorite has always been the rich and sassy sauce. read more

Ordered the burnt end dinner with garlic red mashed potatoes and sweet corn. The potatoes were cold, the burnt ends were served on a cold slice of Texas toast, the corn was lukewarm at best. Very, very disappointing dinner. The server took my plate back and returned with what was obviously microwaved remains of my plate. This after we waited twenty minutes in a nearly empty restaurant to even get our meals. The only reason they even earned one star was my daughter's chicken sandwich, which actually came out hot! read more

Always love going to Dave's, the atmosphere is great, the servers are friendly and the managers usually make it around to the tables to check on your meal etc. I know it's a BBQ place, but I think my favorite is their salmon. Now that things are starting to open up I'm looking forward to sitting in the dining room again. read more

We always have a great meal and service is top notch. This last week, our server went over the top! Thanks to our awesome server, Jacob for a terrific night by all. We'll definitely be back soon! read more

I ate take out from here on Friday it was the worst BBQ I've ever had it made me sick most likely food poisoning I will never eat here again. read more

Stopped in today for lunch while traveling through the area. I am usually very satisfied with any Famous Dave's, but this one seems to be a bit off. Service was unreasonably slow despite the place being almost empty. The menu was even lacking a few favorite menu items, like the burnt ends sandwich. They did offer to make one, but it was not the same, as the sandwich had hardly any meat on it at all. It took forever to get the check, which just added to my frustration. This particular Famous Dave's is definitely on the do not return list for me. read more

This place is usually pretty good, but its not consistent, we had ribs here over the weekend and they weren't nearly as good as the time before. Buffalo wings are usually excellent, but we didn't order them this time. At any rate the sauces are always good. The corm on the cob was very good. read more

Great food excellent service wings are better than Buffalo wild wings. Our waiter was excellent prompt with drinks and very kind great food.

Went there last sunday for dinner. Was charged almost $4 for a glass of lemonade. Brisket sandwich was room temperature and not what they served the the past. Meat cut into fatty cubes and chewy bun. Will not be returning. read more

If you get take out double check your order we always have something missing always. This is again another case of the manager in the office on the phone talking to his girl friend while letting high schoolers run the front desk. read more

I am not a huge bbq fan, but this place is gooood! I had never been here before, but my veteran coworkers were always going here before taking me. Very large portions. I'm sure everything here is good. I don't remember it being very expensive either. read more

Was gonna give it 4 but I just remember how amazing the cornbread and bbq was, I love the many different bbq sauces they have and wish I had one where I live now. Truly the best bbq in the Cedar Falls area. read more