Stopped in the late afternoon to grab a bite as BBQ was on my mind. We were in the vicinity of Famous Dave's, and it was our choice due to location. If you haven't been here before, you order at the register, pay for your meals, get your drinks, seat yourself, and they bring your food out to your table. A mix between fast food and sit-down restaurant. Sadly, not being able to find people to work is the newest pandemic here in the USA. This establishment was clean, we liked the eclectic decor, and the food wasn't bad. It's a bit pricey for the portion sizes, in my opinion, but that is commonplace in most food establishments at this point in time. We had the burnt ends appetizer, rib tips meal, and the combo of 2 meats - brisket and chopped pork. We both chose the burnt ends as our hands-down favorite of the meats. The cornbread muffins were also a highlight. I was recently gifted a smoker, and I will soon be smoking various meats, fish, seafood, etc. to save some $$$ by making our own at home. I've had BBQ in various places in the USA and am still searching for the one go-to for BBQ in the Toledo area. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - ows a sign for the famous dave's - Barbeque Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

Most pet owners know that there comes a time that despite how much love they have for their beloved animal family member, that after a long life, sickness and age can culminate to the point that the horrible pain outweighs everything else. At that point, we all are forced to make an irreversible decision. Famous Dave's needs to be put out of it's misery. What used to be a pleasant corporate chain - capitalizing on the early 2000's craze of Memphis bbq joints on every street corner in America, has now turned into just another empty-seated mimeograph of what happens when you combine Ridiculously-priced food with an overdone cliche. This place didn't used to be bad! I would go into famous Dave's and it would be packed, absolutely packed, with patrons... The prices were market- acceptable and the value of food was decent. For those who are not aware (And I just obviously figured this out): famous Dave's is no longer a traditional table service restaurant. As I stood at the hostess stand in the front of the restaurant, employees rushed to tell me I needed to simply place my fast food order at the counter near the kitchen. No more waitresses. No more table service. When I asked why, the employee shrugged, "well, we had to do this because of Covid. You know, we can't get enough people to work here." I obviously do not dispute Covid's impact on the already shallow talent pool of American workers, but c'mon.... How long can we stick to this excuse? I go to restaurants every week that are packed with people, packed with life, and ran by an entire wait staff, eager to work in a restaurant where their work will be rewarded by tipping customers. Just not at Famous Dave's. But the explanation is easy. This place is a sinking ship. I should've known better when I pulled into the parking lot on a Friday night and they were only two cars. I probably could've also deduced this due to the fact that 75% of the patrons seating was closed off by ropes and stanchions. The place looked like a museum that invited people to walk around and peruse cutesy southern bbq signage and artifacts on the wall but not sit down. Regardless, my son was eager, so we visited the counter anyways. To famous Dave's compliment, The woman who worked the front counter was extremely pleasant, affable, and informative. I have no idea why she can't find a better job somewhere else. After placing Orders for my family of four, I was shocked that this fast food counter service meal was going to cost me over $100. For what amounts to be fast food? Sticker shock, to be sure. As we sat down with our meals, I couldn't help but think these massive plates used to be filled with more food. I lived in the south, and I know that most barbecue joints were based on great-tasting and Wallet-friendly food that would be packed on your plate. Bang for the buck. I'm sure famous Dave had to cut back in more ways than one, but placing as little food on such massive tin trays looks deflated. Look at the attached picture. This is the way it was delivered to our table! It was almost comical. OK, perhaps I've said Nothing original here. I'm voice-dictating another review of a chain restaurant. I just think You cannot take the essence of affordable southern cuisine, cut the portions in half, take away all of the service components, and then Jack the prices up and expect to have a long life span. For all that I know, the Famous Dave's corporation might have record profits (as they should, if they continue to get suckers to shell out their hard earned cash for this pittance of food served on a cafeteria tray), but I'm willing to make a bet with any Toledoan....this location will not survive another five years. R.I.P. Dave. I knew you before you were famous! read more

See all

I have never eaten bbq worse than this. The brisket was completely inedible and did not appear to be cooked fully. When I called and spoke to the Manager, she told me that it was cooked to temp but during "reheat" is when it turned rubbery. I was not able to physically eat it because it was complete rubber and was like trying to tear apart a tire with your teeth. We ordered two plates (dine out) that had it. So they pretty much took cold, old brisket and microwaved it turning it to rubber and then sold it. Completely absurd and they should be ashamed of the themselves. We will not be back. read more

This used to be my "go to" restaurant because the food was amazing and the serving size was great! That was before COVID. I just went last night for my birthday and the price has jumped but the serving size has slumped. I had a meager brisket sandwich that cost $11 and an order of onion straws that was barely enough to taste. Add to that the fact that you have to stand at a counter to order instead of having waitress, just added to the "less for more" vibe. I'm sad to say I don't feel the need to ever go back there. read more

Famous Dave's. We spoke to corporate in real time while we were out of food at our event. They did nothing but explain away your minuscule portions as corporate policy. read more

Brittany was a great welcoming presence!!! So glad I had a hankering for some BBQ!!!! Rob and Jackie provided some great suggestions for my order. read more

Absolute worst meal I have had in a long time. I ordered the beef brisket meal, and it was literally just globs of fat with a tiny bit of meat around the edges. I would say I got maybe 1-2 ounces of meat from the whole thing, and that's a pretty generous estimate. Salad that comes with the meal was mostly just iceberg lettuce with a few shreds of carrots. The ONLY redeeming quality of the whole meal was the cornbread muffin, which is really more like a dessert. read more

Ordered through door dash and fully 1/3 of the order was missing. The bags were staplers together so I don't think I was a matter of the dasher leaving something behind. The ribs were extremely fatty, the rib tips were dry and looked more like jerky than anything and the peach cobbler was extremely disappointing. There was no sugar, or seasoning of any kind in it. read more

Way, way... waaaaaaaaaay overcooked. Quite hard and very chewy. Lacking flavor. I can see why the reivoews are so bad for this place. I really wish i had read them first. read more

Me and my pals were craving meat for my birthday so we thought why not come here for lunch! We ended up indulging in the lunch menu so the prices were reasonable. I ended up getting the two meats for one lunch deal and got the Texas Brisket the seasoned catfish with a corn muffin and jalapeño macaroni and cheese. Awesome meal for around 9 bucks! My meat was juicy and tasty. Great time! read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Texas brisket and Southern catfish! - Barbeque Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

See all

The staff is always so friendly! And the brisket salad never disappoints. The brisket is honestly the best in town...tender and done to perfection. read more

Love love love this place!! Came in tonight with my granddaughter for dinner. The staff was friendly, the place looks clean and the food came out fresh and fast! We will definitely be back. read more

They've turned ordering into a self service process which went smoothly. Trouble is that after that it took almost an hour to get our food. I got the ribs, brisket, and burnt tips. When the food arrived I could barely tell what was what. It was all greasy and tough. This place used to be good but I don't know what happened. read more

I came to curbside and ordered the brisket sandwich. Comes with one side for $12. Told them last time it was a bit dry , and it was last time, so that attention would be paid. Meat was salty, but ok, but the portion was like a kids meal and the meat was not warm. Bun was dry. Just because it's pick up, doesn't mean quality should be ignored. Step it up please. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

This place charges $10.00 for eat in and it does not even show on the door or anything. You have to pay before you get your food. The people are loud and yelling in the kitchen. read more

Bad,Bad management in Toledo! Bad food, missing food! Management didn't caere! Will never go back. We have been getting take out for the last year! read more

Never again. Texas Roadhouse was an hour wait so we desperate. This used to be an ok place. Since there is no longer wait staff, and the line to order is always slow, you live with what you get. And what I got was a handful of fat! Its hard to tell from the pic but you have to put it in your mouth and then spit it out. Sickening! We asked one of the help for something else and nothing happened. I paid $19 for 2 meats and got a lame piece of chicken and a handful of fat. If you like ordering at a counter, eating with plastic utensils, food served on an aluminum pan, and no service, this is your place. If you want your moneys worth, DO NOT GO HERE! read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

Worst brisket I've ever had in my life. It was as tough as shoe leather. The rib tips weren't any better. With much better barbecue right down the road I won't be coming back. read more

Sydney was a great server, very pleasant and kept a smile on her face. The manager was very friendly and checked on the table very frequently. I will most definitely be coming back in the future!! :) read more

Got a feast for 2 special. What an amazing improvement from the last time we were here ! Staff were very very friendly, food was fresh and hot and the manager even came and check on us. We will definitely be back. read more

A big disappointment. The mashed potatoes were not hot. The ribs and chicken were horribly dry. I started choking and the food would not go down. Amy the manager was very kind and called 911 and I was taken away by ambulance. read more

See all

The food was amazing, and came out very quick. The restaurant was very clean and all of the staff was very friendly.

I don't normally eat a lot of BBQ but when I do I love to get it from here! I always go in the early afternoon, and the staff is fantastic. Brittany and Rob are usually there in the daytime and make sure my food is just the way I like it and expect it. Hats off to them and Bravo Zulu to this store. read more

My friend and I went there on Friday June 21 2024 at 6:00 pm. You have a menus that's big on the wall that you have to look up at and need to order your food at the counter. I didn't want to stand there and look up so I asked her if we could have a menus and set down and decide what we each wanted to order. She said no she ran out of menus and didn't have one. We decided we would like BBQ chicken dinner. $15.00. We were told the chicken would take an hour to prepare. I said you have no bbq chicken semi prepared on a Friday night. She said no. We decided to leave not worth the hour wait if they are not prepared on a Friday night. No wonder every time I go by this restaurant they are not busy. I do like their ribs, when I have order them here a couple of times for take out. But it's unreasonable to expect someone to wait an hour; You're dying as a business when you have no bbq chicken at a bbq place on a Friday night! Get it together! read more

Went for late lunch with son and wife and three little ones. Waitress was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Meals were delicious I had catfish ribs and brisket that came with the Best BBQ beans I've had in awhile ribs were spicy but sweet and fall off the bone corn muffin was Delish in fact we ordered 4 to take home corn on cob was sweet kids enjoyed their meals also nice size portions meal for 2 was enormous son and daughter in law shared. Appetizers were flavorful Not a cheap place but meal was worth it lunch specials are mon to fri till 4 pm so when we return it will be at lunch time y'all enjoy it now read more

My review is solely based on a takeout/pick up encounter: I placed an online order for pickup around 5ish on a Saturday night. I scheduled it for "later" and had confirmed a 7:30 pick up time. You would think over 2 hours is sufficient time for one feast for 2 and an appetizer. I sent my teenage daughter to pick it up on her way home (thank God for that). If I had been the one picking up the order I would have politely told them to cancel and taken my business elsewhere. At 8pm no daughter in sight I was a hair worried. I texted her, sure enough she's waiting (along with 3 others) on the take out order. I told her she could leave, but the hostess assured her it would be "right up". The wait time determined THAT WAS A LIE! Finally at 820 she got our order. No apology for the wait time. No offer for a drink or so much as a corn muffin while she waited. A nearly almost hour wait for preordered pick up is NOT acceptable. Several other patrons were equally upset with the pick up situation. The hostess mumbled something about a full house and orders being backed up. In that case maybe they shouldn't offer pick up service? I called and asked to speak with a manager as one of our items was incorrect. After a 10 minute hold I gave up hope. The food itself was great, minus the missing item. When we dine in it's always been pleasurable. Bottom line, don't risk the take out unless you have a few hours to spare. read more

Ordered takeout. Catfish had no flavor. Brisket was too fatty. I was hoping the bbq was house made but it came in packets. Mac and cheese was bland as well. The corn muffin was pretty good though. Overall, not impressed. I'll go elsewhere for bbq. read more

I had dinner with my daughter our waitress Samantha was perfect she was so helpful and I couldn't be more pleased the food was amazing my daughter loved it and she not easy to please I had the brisket sandwich that I got free from downloading the app I will definitely be back !! read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Kids meal with chicken nuggets that were very similar to Chika fila with fries & brisket sandwich with mashed potatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

Do not ever eat here unless you want to wait 1 hour for your food and appetizers after youve already eaten. Terrible service.

The staff was incredibly rude to my group to the point that we chose to eat elsewhere. We called ahead to see if we could place a reservation, and the woman who answered the phone said, "we don't take reservations" and hung up. One of our group decided to go in early to let them know we had a fairly large group coming in. She told the hostess we had a group coming in at six and was told "okay." A man came in at almost the same time and said he wanted to reserve a table for ten at six and the staff took his information down so they could contact him when the table was ready. When we asked why they didn't take down our name or phone number, we were told, "it's fine, we don't need it." Good food though. read more

Upon entering, Avery and Kay listened to what our family was looking for and suggested an amazing meal. In a relatively short time, our meal came. We were treated like family (even the manager came around and checked on us). The food was juicy and flavorful. This is one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in the major Toledo area. Ya gotta go if you want some BBQ. read more

Me and the family check out Famous Dave's last night for dinner. Cute little restaurant with lots of character. The food was really tasty. I had the BBQ chicken with fries and corn. The fries could use some work, but everything else was delicious. The chicken was very moist and flavorful. I could have eaten a whole pan of those cornbread muffins! I do wish they had a better selection of craft beers, but that's just me. My parents got their ribs and said that they were very good. My daughter got the kids meal with BBQ chicken and potato salad. She ate it all! Our waiter was very accommodating and asked all of our questions to the best of her ability. If she didn't know, she found out the answer very quickly. She was lovely. We all left full and very satisfied. read more

See all

My first time here so here is my input. The food was spectacular. The service on the other end was a bit rough but the manager worked well with us. I would definitely recommend anyone to try new things and to visit Famous Daves. Great BBQ place to eat at. It is a bit pricey but the portions are pretty fair. I got the 2 meat lunch combo. Georgia Chopped Pork, Boneless BBQ Wings, Famous Daves Fries, Cornbread, Veggies came with it, and a Sweet tea. Its about a $10 lunch combo. Fountain drinks are about $2.43. But of course lunch is a bit cheaper than dinner. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

The service here is horrible. They no longer have a wait staff. Once we ordered it took 55 mins to get our food. This is understandable for a barbecue joint. It's not like the food isn't already prepared. Four tables received their food after we sat at our table, ate, talked a while and left before we ever got our food. I understand that it is difficult to get employees these days, still not an excuse for this lengthy delay. The quality of the food was not good at all. The brisket was dry. The ribs are far from fall off the bone. Worst of all we're the burnt tips. It was like shoe leather. Do these people even try the food they are putting out? I wouldn't serve those tips to my dog. Stay away from here. read more

The bbq was pretty good, but It was a bit lite on the brisket. Also, wouldn't be a bad idea to put some sauce with it.

I ordered the two meat meal. The brisket was extremely fatty and the rib tips were hard and difficult to chew. The potatoes had a weird taste like could not identify. Famous Dave's was a favorite, but this time was so disappointing I will not order from them again. read more

Arrived at; 4:15pm. Pretty slow here at Famous Dave's in Toledo, Ohio. Great Decor, Clean, Service was Extremely Slow for how many people were here. Very disappointed in the beef brisket sandwich, the meat wasn't cooked hard to chew normally it falls off the fork when you eat it! Also, ordered a slab of ribs tough as Heck! Again, wasn't cooked long enough! Very disappointing! ! ! Not Sure returning. Bummed for a Saturday Meal............. read more

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

Every piece of chicken had blood in the center of it next to the bone. Samonella is alive and well. I remember when the ribs used to fall off the bone. Now it's a bit tough and chewy. While the Manager did credit the chicken back to our card after we spent $120.73. He gave us a whopping $24.00 back.  I guess in his mindset he did his best. In my mindset. He could have done better.  The taste of Famous Daves is changing and it's not for the better. Now we have to find another go-to place for barbeque ribs and chicken on a holiday.  Nothing stays the same, tisk, tisk. read more

Ordered thru grubhub. Delivered very fast. Food was hot and the rack was delicious. Will do it again soon.

We had a great experience at this BBQ! The food was GREAT and the service was phenomenal. Rob, Jackie, and Brittany were all in the store for our dining experience and they did a great job making sure we were all happy. read more