Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que — Restaurant in Oakton

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, and the entire experience was exceptional. The star of the show was undoubtedly our server, Famous Jay, who truly brought the spirit of hospitality to life.

We began our meal with Jay's recommendation of the Burnt Ends, which were nothing short of phenomenal. Smoky, flavorful, and cooked to perfection, these morsels were a perfect introduction to the famed Dave's Bar-B-Que. Jay’s knowledge and passion about the food was evident in how he described and recommended these bites of delight.

Next came the Chicken Tenders, which were crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with flavors that melted in the mouth. Jay's suggestion to pair them with the restaurant's signature sauces took the dish to a whole new level.

But the true standout of our meal, as recommended by Jay, was the Cornbread. Soft, warm, and just the right amount of sweet, it was quite possibly the best cornbread I have ever had. Jay’s enthusiasm for this classic comfort food was infectious and justified – it was a memorable culinary highlight of our visit.

Throughout our meal, Famous Jay maintained an exceptional level of service. He was attentive without being intrusive, kept our drinks topped up, and ensured that our dining experience was memorable. His warmth, charisma, and attention to detail set him apart from many others in the hospitality industry.

Jay’s dedication to providing an excellent dining experience was truly commendable. His passion for the food and the customers shone through every interaction, making our visit to Famous Dave’s not just a meal, but a dining experience to remember.

In honor of Famous Jay, here's a haiku:

"Burnt ends under skies, Jay's service outshines, surprise! Best cornbread, our prize."

Famous Dave's, you have an outstanding member on your team. I hope you value Jay's contributions as much as your customers do. We eagerly anticipate our next visit to enjoy more of Jay's superb service and the delectable food at...

I will have to admit, it's been 10 years I have been to Famous Dave's. The last time was not a good time. I remember both food and service was poor. But that was with the ex (wife at the time, maybe foreshadowing?).

This time with my son. I didn't know he liked bbq. He never mentions it cause he loves Asian cuisine. I told him this will never be as good as authentic Texas BBQ which I have had several times in Texas (Austin/Fort Worth/Dallas). But I digress.

We got the meal for 2 (or 3) cause it's the better value rather than ordering our own meals AND, we get to try a lot of items. We went with Beef Brisket, Pork Ribs, Fried Chicken, beans, slaw, corn, fries and corn bread muffins.

It took about 10-12 minutes for our food to come out. Good sign? Yes cause when we got it, everything was hot and fresh. Brisket was soft and tender. The ribs were smokey and tender. The fried chicken was crunchy and seasoned. A little dry. BBQ Baked Beans were flavorful with pieces of bbq pork. Cole slaw was cold and freshing with hint of horseradish. A little watery though. Corn was corn and corn muffins were dry. The fries were hot and fresh, but not seasoned. The bbq sauces are on the sweet and sticky side.

Service was good. Server left us alone but could have refilled our drinks during the meal.

We had to get to go containers cause its too much food for 2 people.

Overall, the food and service has dramatically improved. Granted it was on a Thursday at 4:30pm and not that busy so more care was put into the food. But there were a lot of carry out and to go orders.

Again, take this with a grain of salt. For BBQ in Oakton/Northern VA, it's not true Texas, Carolina, KC, Memphis craft BBQ but it is a decent chain bbq joint. Mission is a little better but Famous Dave's is decent for quality and value. This might be a once every 4-6 months type...

My fiance and I went in for Happy Hour and got appetizers and a drink. My rum and coke was okay. Not great, just okay. We got pork butts which were good, Nachos that were stacked with shredded iceberg lettuce, and cheese curds which were similar to Mozzarella sticks. The only thing that was really pretty good were the pork butts. The place is always busy. You do get a fair amount of food for the money. The onion rings were good that came with the pork butts. Our waiter didn't know the types of rum that there were or what was the well Rum. He didn't offer to check. He was not overloaded with tables but he was in such a hurry to complete each trip to the table you would have thought it was packed. There were only people sitting at four tables in the bar area and they weren't all his. Young and inexperienced is my guess. Overall it's a neighborhood establishment that's been there awhile. It can get very crowded. I just don't think that the food is great. Perhaps if I ordered top shelf rum it would have been a really good cocktail, too. To me, it's just okay. We have fun wherever we go but it's not great. There just isn't much competition around it. It's either fast food or higher end food. Just down the street is Tequila Grande. For same price point, much better food! We should have spoken up while...