Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que

Staff Photos: Anthony Stalcup The family meals at Famous Dave’s include chicken, pork ribs and beef brisket with corn muffins, cole slaw and baked beans. You can also pick from a variety of Famous Dave’s barbecue sauces.

 Owner: Famous Dave’s is part of a nationwide chain owned by Dave Anderson.

 Location: The restaurant is located on Hwy. 78 in Snellville.

 Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

 Open since: Feb. 10.

 Capacity: The restaurant seats about 245.

 Crowd: A variety of customers eat at the restaurant, including a lot of locals, said general manager Jeff Renfrow. “We’re very family oriented,” Renfrow said.

 Atmosphere: Cozy and casual, the restaurant is crowded with photos and memorabilia. On the wall by the entrance, look for photos of “Famous Dave” himself, posing in front of barbecue restaurants across the country.
The tables have red-and-white-checked tablecloths. The servers and staff wear auto-repair-style-shop-style shirts with “Pit Crew” stenciled on the back.
“It’s a very fun atmosphere,” Renfrow said.
The restaurant is non-smoking and has a full bar. Famous Dave’s has a separate take-out entrance and a private dining room that seats 55.

 The food: Barbecued meats make up the majority of the menu at Famous Dave’s. “Nothing’s boiled or baked. It’s all cooked over hickory wood,” Renfrow said. The ribs are cooked for three or four hours, while the pork is cooked overnight for 10 to 12 hours.
“Chopped pork is our No. 1 selling item out here,” Renfrow said. A chopped pork combo that includes cornbread, corn on the cob and two side items is $9.49, while a chopped pork sandwich with one side is $6.99.
The St. Louis spare ribs are Famous Dave’s signature item. The regular (four-bone) ribs are available a la carte or on a platter that includes a cornbread muffin, corn on the cob and two sides. “The Big Slab” includes a dozen rib bones.
The Texas beef brisket, a beef shoulder cut into strips and served on sandwiches or Texas toast, is also popular.
The restaurant also serves soups, like Dave’s Famous Chili, chicken wild rice soup and Brunswick stew.
Salads, chicken sandwiches and hamburgers can also be found on the menu. Side items include coleslaw, beans, fries or potato salad.
Famous Dave’s offers lunch and early-bird specials from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

 The sauces: Five bottles of hot sauce sit on each table. Rich and Sassy is Famous Dave’s award-winning signature sauce. Georgia Mustard is a popular vinegary sauce. Sweet and Zesty, like its name, is a more savory sauce. Texas Pit has more of a hickory flavor, while Devil’s Spit is the restaurant’s hottest sauce.

 The desserts: The bread pudding is a popular item, Renfrow said. Other desserts offered are hot fudge Kahlua brownie, the “Better Than Mom’s Pecan Pie” and sundaes with either hot fudge or pecan praline sauce.

 Things you might not know: Famous Dave founder Dave Anderson, who grew up in Chicago, has loved ribs since he was a child. He spent 25 years traveling to barbecue joints around the country and experimenting with sauce flavors before opening his first restaurant. In 1994, Anderson opened Famous Dave’s BBQ Shack in Hayward, Wis. There are now more than 70 Famous Dave’s in 19 states.

 The last word: “The big thing is just making sure we take care of the guests,” said Renfrow. “We put as much emphasis on the service as we do the food.”
Send recommendations to Rachael Mason at rachael.mason@gwinnettdailypost.com.