Famous Dave's Bar-B-Q

Columbia, MD

Price:$$$

Decor: Family style rib house

Summary: All show and no blow.

(2 crabs out of 5)

Paul-I was forced to go here against my will, a hostage of sorts. When I walked in I knew this place wasn't my kind of ribs place. A good ribs place is all about the mood. If the mood isn't right the food won't be right. The place should basically bleed blues so that is seeps into the sauce. This place was set up like a northern hunting tavern. I guess that fine if that's your thing. The food wasn't too bad. I ordered the ribs with coleslaw and baked beans. It was over priced for the amount they give you. The best part were the beans it had generous chunks of pork in it. The ribs were juicy but not particularly tender and the sauce was just ok. Oh and in the future don't order the slaw. Go with something else.

Karen-Paul is a snob about his rib houses-the place can't be that much of a total disaster, it was packed not only with couples but also with barbecue-stained families. Being unfamiliar with rib houses, I thought the place was nice, quaint, and hip--while waiting for our table, myself and a friend had the opportunity to be very "hip" and order a margarita, which was fruity and cold, with the requisite salt providing a nice snap around the edge. Of course, maybe that was part of the problem-a rib place should probably be neither quaint nor hip. By the end of the hour long wait for a table, my mouth was watering in anticipation, and I was waiting to try some hearty fare that would make even the most tolerant of vegetarians faint. Sadly, I'm going to have to agree with Paul-the place is all show and no blow. My buffalo wings looked like a generous heapin' pile o' meat, and indeed there were a lot of them, but they seem to have concentrated on quantity rather than quality. Each wing was anemic in both weight and flavor (what was that anyway, honey mustard?!!). Now pardon me here, but no rib place should mess up buffalo wings-I'll take that from a dime corner store, but not from a man who calls himself "famous."

Paul-Speaking of famous, I've never even heard of this guy Dave, I still don't know who he is. I suppose he's the dorky looking guy on the menu. Now the place wasn't a total disaster. If the place didn't advertise itself as a rib place it would bet a much better review. It's like being an Italian restaurant and having bad pasta but good cheeseburgers. You might as well stop calling yourself an Italian place just as Famous Dave's should realize its really just another version of Applebee's.

Karen-Overall, the place doesn't deserve complete failure. I thought the portions were good, and the decor was cute, the food just overall lacked the magic spark of taste interaction--in a word, it lacked soul. Still, for a family restaurant or a starter-introduction to the world of ribs, try to do your part to make Dave really famous.

reviewed November 2000