Famous Dave’s built its name on slow-smoked ribs, hand-chopped brisket, and cornbread that shows up at the table before you’ve finished reading the menu. If you’re planning a visit in 2026, prices have shifted a bit from last year, and a few new items have joined the lineup. This guide breaks down every category, from starters to feasts, so you know exactly what to order and what it costs before you sit down.
Prices below reflect typical 2026 pricing across most U.S. locations. Famous Dave’s operates both corporate and franchise restaurants, so a rib platter in Minneapolis might run a dollar or two different from one in Dallas. Always check your local restaurant’s posted menu or the Famous Dave’s website for exact numbers in your area.
Dave Anderson opened the first Famous Dave’s in Hayward, Wisconsin in 1994, and the brand grew around a simple idea: smoke the meat low and slow, keep the sauces made from scratch, and don’t rush the process. That approach still shapes how the menu is priced today. Ribs, brisket, and pork take hours in the smoker before they ever reach a plate, and that labor shows up in the cost of a platter compared to a fast-casual sandwich shop down the street.
Why Prices Vary by Location
Famous Dave’s franchises independently in many markets, which means a corporate-owned restaurant and a franchise location can set slightly different prices even a few miles apart. Local beef and pork costs, minimum wage differences between states, and rent all factor into what shows up on the menu board. A full slab of ribs priced at $13.99 in one market might land closer to $18 or $19 somewhere with a higher cost of doing business.
Portion sizes can shift too. Some locations serve a full slab as 12 bones, others trim slightly differently depending on supplier. If a specific dish matters for a birthday dinner or a catering order, calling ahead or checking the restaurant’s own online menu removes any guesswork before you arrive.
Famous Dave’s: Most-Ordered Picks
Famous Dave’s Menu With Prices: Full Menu Guide
The full dinner menu at Famous Dave’s covers starters, salads, sandwiches, burgers, ribs, combo platters, and family-style feasts. Portions run large, which explains why so many regulars split entrees or take leftovers home. Below is a category-by-category breakdown with current prices.
Starters and Smokin’ Apps
Starters at Famous Dave’s lean heavily into smoked and fried textures, and most are big enough to share at the table before entrees arrive.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Burnt Ends | $9.79 |
| Cheese Curds | $8.99 |
| Southside Rib Tips | $9.99 |
| Sweetwater Catfish Fingers | $8.79 |
| Wing Basket (Traditional or Boneless) | $11.99 |
| Dave’s Sampler Platter | $18.99 |
| Smoked Queso Fundido | $7.99 |
| BBQ Nachos | $9.99 |
| Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders | $7.99 |
| Fried Pickles | $8.49 |
| Chili Cheese Fries | $8.49 |
The Sampler Platter is the one worth flagging for first-time visitors. It packs rib tips, chicken tenders, catfish fingers, onion strings, and wings onto a single plate, which makes it an efficient way to taste four or five signature flavors without committing to a full entree.
Salads and Soup
Not every table wants smoked meat piled a foot high, and Famous Dave’s does offer lighter routes through its salad and soup section.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Dave’s Sassy BBQ Salad | $10.99 |
| Chicken Chopped Salad | $10.99 |
| Chicken Caesar Salad | $11.99 |
| Caesar Salad | $7.99 |
| Dave’s BBQ Mac & Cheese | $10.99 |
| Cup of Chili with Side Salad | $8.49 |
| Dave’s Award-Winning Chili | $3.79 |
| Side Salad | $4.49 |
Dave’s Award-Winning Chili has racked up cook-off awards for years, and at under four dollars a cup, it’s one of the better values on the entire menu if you just want a taste of the kitchen’s signature spice blend.
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Signature Sandwiches
Sandwiches come piled high and arrive with a side plus a scoop of spicy hell-fire pickles.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich | $10.99 |
| Georgia Chopped Pork Sandwich | $8.99 |
| The Manhandler Sandwich | $10.99 |
| Burnt Ends Sandwich | $10.99 |
| BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich | $8.99 |
| Hickory Chicken Sandwich | $10.99 |
| Cajun Chicken Sandwich | $10.99 |
| BBQ Tacos | $9.99 |
| Grilled Chicken Sandwich | $8.99 |
| Beef Short Rib Sandwich | $16.99 |
Legendary Burgers
Burgers at Famous Dave’s are built on quarter-pound beef patties, and diners can choose their own toppings on the base version.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Build Your Own Burger | $8.99 |
| Dave’s Favorite Burger | $10.49 |
| Devil’s Spit Burger | $11.99 |
| Ultimate Burger | $12.99 |
| Jacked-N-Stacked Burger | $10.99 |
Award Winning Ribs
Ribs are the reason most people walk through the door in the first place. The St. Louis-style spareribs are hand-rubbed, smoked over hickory for three to four hours, then finished with Rich & Sassy sauce over open flame.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| St. Louis-Style Spareribs (Full Slab) | $13.99 |
| Beef Short Ribs | $32.99 |
| Beef Short Ribs A la Carte | $28.99 |
Note that rib pricing varies more by location than almost any other category, since portion size and rack count can shift from restaurant to restaurant. Some franchise locations price a full slab closer to $25-$30.
Pitmaster Favorites
This section covers the smoked meat plates that come with two sides and a cornbread muffin, and it’s where most regulars build their go-to order.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Texas Beef Brisket | $14.99 |
| Georgia Chopped Pork | $12.49 |
| Southside Rib Tips | $12.99 |
| Cedar Plank Salmon | $14.99 |
| Country-Roasted Chicken | $12.99 |
| BBQ Chicken | $12.99 |
| Burnt Buttz | $12.49 |
| Sweetwater Catfish Fingers | $13.99 |
| Burnt Ends | $14.99 |
| Traditional Wings Meal | $14.99 |
| Dave’s Smokin Ribeye | $26.99 |
| Smoked Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage | $12.99 |
| Hot Link Sausage | $13.99 |
| Boneless Wings Meal | $14.99 |
| Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders | $12.69 |
Q Combos and Famous Feasts
Groups and families tend to land here, since combos let you mix two or three meats on one plate, while feasts feed several people family-style.
| Item | Serves | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Meat Combo | 1 | $16.99 |
| 3 Meat Combo | 1 | $19.99 |
| St. Louis Rib-N-Meat Combo | 1 | $17.99 |
| Burnt ‘Q-N-Ribs Combo | 1 | $18.99 |
| Founder’s Feast | 1 | $18.99 |
| Feast for 2 | 2-3 | $38.99 |
| All-American BBQ Feast | 4-6 | $65.99 |
The All-American BBQ Feast is the headline item for anyone hosting a gathering. It includes a full slab of ribs, a whole roasted chicken, a half pound of brisket or pork, and every classic side, all served family-style on one tray.
Side Dishes
Every side on the menu is priced the same, which makes mixing and matching simple.
- Wilbur Beans
- Sweet Corn
- Garlic Red-Skin Mashed Potatoes
- Dave’s Cheesy Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Potato Salad
- Cajun Fries
- Famous Fries
- Fresh-Steamed Broccoli
- Grilled Pineapple Steaks
- Firecracker Green Beans
- BBQ Chips
Each side runs $2.59 a la carte, and most entrees already include one or two sides in the base price, so ordering extra sides usually only makes sense if you’re feeding a larger group.
Desserts
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Dave’s Award-Winning Bread Pudding | $6.49 |
| Hot Fudge Brownie | $4.99 |
| Apple Crisp | $5.99 |
| Dave’s Famous Sundae | $5.49 |
| Banana Pudding | $8.79 |
The bread pudding has been a menu fixture for years, made from scratch and topped with pecan praline sauce and vanilla ice cream. It’s the dessert regulars order without checking the rest of the list.
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Quick Reference: Average Price by Category
For anyone budgeting a visit before looking at the full menu, here’s roughly what to expect per person across the main categories.
| Category | Typical Price Range |
|---|---|
| Starters | $7.99 – $18.99 |
| Salads and Soup | $3.79 – $11.99 |
| Sandwiches | $8.99 – $16.99 |
| Burgers | $8.99 – $12.99 |
| Ribs (Full Slab) | $13.99 – $30.00 |
| Pitmaster Plates | $12.49 – $26.99 |
| Combos | $16.99 – $19.99 |
| Feasts (Family-Style) | $18.99 – $65.99 |
| Sides | $2.59 each |
| Desserts | $4.99 – $8.79 |
A single diner ordering an appetizer, a Pitmaster plate, and a dessert should budget somewhere around $30-$35 before drinks and tax. A family of four splitting the Feast for 2 plus an extra combo plate usually lands closer to $60-$70 total, which works out cheaper per person than ordering four separate entrees.
Famous Dave’s Lunch Menu: Options & Prices
Lunch at Famous Dave’s runs smaller portions at lower prices, which suits anyone on a work break who still wants real smoked meat instead of a quick sandwich from somewhere forgettable. Most lunch items are available until mid-afternoon, though exact cutoff times vary by location.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Georgia Chopped Pork Sandwich (Lunch) | $6.99 |
| Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich (Lunch) | $8.99 |
| BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich (Lunch) | $7.99 |
| 1 Meat Platter Combo (Lunch) | $8.99 |
| 2 Meat Combo (Lunch) | $10.99 |
| 3 Meat Combo (Lunch) | $13.99 |
| Double Stack Dave’s Burger (Lunch) | $9.99 |
| Double Stack Cheeseburger (Lunch) | $8.99 |
| Dave’s Sassy BBQ Salad (Lunch) | $8.99 |
| Chicken Caesar Salad (Lunch) | $8.99 |
| Chicken Chopped Salad (Lunch) | $8.99 |
| Soup, Salad and Potato Special (Lunch) | $7.99 |
Lunch tacos are one of the better-kept secrets on this section of the menu. Brisket, chopped pork, and catfish tacos run around $2.69 each, which means three tacos in different flavors still costs less than most sandwich combos.
| Lunch Taco | Price |
|---|---|
| Texas Beef Brisket Taco | $2.69 |
| Georgia Chopped Pork Taco | $2.69 |
| Sweetwater Catfish Taco | $2.69 |
If you’re eating on a schedule, the 1 Meat Platter Combo at $8.99 is the fastest way to get a proper smoked entree with a side and cornbread muffin without paying dinner prices.
Lunch vs. Dinner: What Actually Changes
The lunch menu isn’t a smaller version of the whole restaurant. It’s a trimmed set of the most popular sandwiches, combos, and salads at a lower price point, typically served until mid-afternoon on weekdays. Ribs and feasts generally aren’t part of the lunch pricing, so anyone craving a full slab midday will pay the standard dinner price even before 2 p.m.
Portion size differs too. Lunch platters usually include one side instead of two, and sandwiches occasionally arrive on a slightly smaller bun. The tradeoff works well for anyone who wants the same smoked flavor without a two-hour food coma before an afternoon of work.
Nutrition and Calorie Notes
Famous Dave’s publishes calorie counts for most menu items, and the range is wide. A cup of chili sits under 300 calories, while a full Feast for 2 can run into the thousands once split across sides and cornbread. Grilled chicken options, side salads, and steamed broccoli sit on the lighter end if calories matter for your visit. Ask your server for a printed nutrition guide if one isn’t posted, since not every location displays it on the menu itself.
Famous Dave’s Drinks Menu: Beverages & Prices
The bar menu at Famous Dave’s leans into bourbon, smoked cocktails, and classic BBQ pairings like sweet tea and lemonade. Selection and pricing vary more by state here than in any other section, since alcohol laws and local supplier costs differ from region to region.
Signature Cocktails
| Drink | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
| Famous Dave’s Bloody Mary | $9.00 |
| Smokin’ Island Iced Tea | $9.00 |
| Black Cherry Smash | $9.00 |
| Handcrafted Margarita | $9.00-$10.00 |
| Black & Blue Mule | $9.00-$10.00 |
| Hand Cherrywood Smoked Old Fashioned | $10.00-$11.00 |
| Spiked Strawberry Lemonade | $9.00-$10.00 |
| Campfire Sangria | $9.00-$10.00 |
The Smokin’ Island Iced Tea is a fun one to watch get made, since some locations smoke and mix it tableside before topping it with cola. The Cherrywood Smoked Old Fashioned uses in-house cherrywood-smoked bourbon, which fits the restaurant’s whole identity around smoke.
Beer and Wine
| Category | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
| Domestic Draft (Small) | $6.00 |
| Import/Craft Draft (Large) | $8.25 |
| Bottled Beer | $5.00-$6.50 |
| Wine by the Glass | $7.00-$9.00 |
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Fountain drinks, fresh-brewed tea, Arnold Palmers, and backyard lemonade come with free refills at most locations, which is worth remembering if you’re dining with kids or just don’t want to keep flagging your server.
- Fountain Drinks
- Fresh-Brewed Tea
- Arnold Palmer
- Backyard Lemonade
- American Coffee
Famous Dave’s Takeout Menu: What to Order
Famous Dave’s built its business on catering and takeout long before delivery apps made it standard, and the food travels well because most of it is designed to sit in foil for a drive home anyway.
For a solo takeout order, the Georgia Chopped Pork Sandwich or a 1 Meat Platter Combo holds up best, since pulled and chopped meats don’t dry out the way sliced brisket sometimes does after twenty minutes in a bag. Ribs travel fine too, though reheating them in foil at a low oven temperature keeps them from drying out.
For groups, order ahead rather than walking in. Famous Dave’s takes phone and online orders for its feast-sized platters, and calling thirty minutes to an hour before pickup avoids the wait that can build up around dinnertime, especially on weekends.
A few takeout tips worth knowing:
- Ask for sauces on the side. Rich & Sassy and Devil’s Spit hold their texture better in a separate cup than pooled on the meat during transport.
- Order cornbread muffins extra if you’re feeding more than four people. The default combo portions rarely include enough to go around.
- Feasts need at least a 24-hour lead time at many locations, particularly the All-American BBQ Feast, since it involves smoking a full chicken and slab of ribs together.
- Check if your location offers curbside pickup. Many Famous Dave’s restaurants added this option and it cuts wait time significantly compared to walking up to the counter.
How Famous Dave’s Compares to Other BBQ Chains
BBQ pricing across national chains tends to fall into a similar band, with entree platters usually landing between $12 and $20 and family feasts running $35 and up. What sets Famous Dave’s apart is the combination of a scratch-made sauce lineup, an actual hickory smoker running at each location, and a menu that still includes lunch-specific pricing rather than charging full dinner rates all day. Chains that skip in-house smoking tend to price slightly lower, but the flavor difference usually shows.
Where Famous Dave’s sometimes runs higher than competitors is on beef-forward items like short ribs and the smoked ribeye, both of which reflect the cost of beef itself rather than any markup unique to the brand. Pork and chicken dishes stay closer to the middle of the pack across most BBQ chains.
Catering and Large Group Orders
Beyond the standard dine-in and takeout menu, Famous Dave’s runs a separate catering program built for offices, parties, and larger family gatherings. Catering trays typically scale up the same Pitmaster meats and sides sold in-restaurant, packaged to serve anywhere from ten to fifty people depending on the order size. Pricing for catering isn’t standardized the way the regular menu is, since it depends heavily on headcount and meat selection, so getting a quote directly from your local restaurant is the only reliable way to budget a catered event.
Most locations ask for at least 24 to 48 hours notice on catering orders, and longer for anything involving a full smoked turkey or multiple whole chickens. Booking early during graduation season or around major holidays like the Fourth of July avoids the disappointment of a fully booked kitchen on the day you need it most.
Tips for Saving Money at Famous Dave’s
A few small choices can knock a noticeable amount off the total bill without sacrificing much on flavor or portion size.
- Split a feast instead of ordering solo entrees. Two people ordering the Feast for 2 almost always spend less per person than two separate Pitmaster plates.
- Order lunch portions when eating solo. The lunch menu trims a couple of dollars off nearly every sandwich and platter without shrinking the flavor.
- Skip extra sides. Most entrees already include one or two, and adding more at $2.59 each adds up fast across a table of four.
- Join Famous Nation before your visit. The free rewards program occasionally sends signup bonuses and birthday offers that cover part of a future order.
- Watch for Wine-Down Wednesday or similar weekly specials. Many locations run a recurring discount night on wine bottles or bar apps, though the exact day and offer vary by restaurant.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best thing to get at Famous Dave’s?
The St. Louis-Style Spareribs are the most ordered item and the dish the brand built its reputation on. For something different, the Georgia Chopped Pork Sandwich is a favorite among regulars for its balance of smoke and sauce.
What does Famous Dave’s give you for your birthday?
Members of the free Famous Nation rewards program typically receive a birthday-month email offer, most often a free dessert. The exact reward has varied over the years, so it’s worth checking your account close to your birthday.
What’s the healthiest thing to order at a BBQ restaurant?
Grilled or smoked lean proteins like chicken breast, paired with vegetable-based sides such as steamed broccoli or green beans instead of fried options, are generally the lighter choice. Skipping heavy sauces also cuts down on added sugar.
Does Famous Dave’s smoke their meat?
Yes. Famous Dave’s smokes its ribs, brisket, and pork over hickory wood for several hours in-house, and several locations also use cherrywood smoke for select cocktails and sauces.
Final Thoughts
Famous Dave’s earns its reputation through portion size and genuine hickory smoke rather than shortcuts, and the 2026 menu keeps that formula intact even as prices have crept up slightly across most categories. Whether you’re grabbing a quick lunch sandwich for under seven dollars or ordering the All-American BBQ Feast for a family gathering, checking prices ahead of your visit helps you plan the meal and the budget together. Menu prices do shift by location, so a quick call to your nearest restaurant before a big order is always the safest move.