Famous Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que has become a hot spot for barbecue and ribs near the Tucson Mall and the Auto Mall, serving up hefty portions of Southern-style backyard cooking.
The chain, based in Eden Prairie, Minn., has dozens of locations around the country, including five in Arizona. Its Web site, www.famousdaves.com, shows a host of best BBQ accolades.
It joined the lineup of Tucson restaurants in late 2003 and is often bustling with customers, including families and co-workers stopping by for a quick bite to eat on the way home.
It's owned by Dave Dworak, who lives in Las Vegas and has six Famous Dave's, including one in Yuma. "Being across the street from the Tucson Mall and the auto dealerships was obviously a draw," Dworak said.
Famous Dave's strives for a comfortable, down-home atmosphere that includes plenty of gone-fishing decor.
The tables are well-spaced, preventing hustling servers from having to brush up against diners. The few TVs in the dining area, however, are on the small side, so don't expect to keep up with the big game as you dine.
Southern-style barbecue dominates the menu.
Choices include St. Louis-style spareribs, Texas beef brisket and Georgia chopped pork . There's also chicken, fish and salads.
The Texas brisket, with hickory-smoked, thick-trimmed slices over a slice of fresh white bread, was so lip-smackingly tangy I wanted to step into the kitchen to high-five the cooks (and steal a few pounds).
The brisket came dry so you could top it with a selection of tabletop barbecue sauces, all of which were wonderful, although the supposedly hot "devil's spit" was tame.
Platters come with corn on the cob and a choice of two sides (we went with mashed potatoes with the ranch beans and a cornbread muffin).
A full, 12-bone slab of ribs weighs in at $20.99. A six-bone half slab is $15.99, but to keep the bill under $30 we went with the four-bone "regular" ribs at $11.99.
Compared to the brisket, the ribs didn't exactly bowl us over. The menu says the pork ribs are rubbed with a secret blend of spices, smoked in a pit for three or four hours, then covered with sauce that's caramelized over a fire.
The ribs were slightly overcooked and stuck to the bone. I'd rate them on par with fare we've found at other chains, including Chili's or the no-longer-in-Tucson Tony Roma's.
The atmosphere is definitely family-friendly. The servers are used to kids and hand out crayons to help them wait for their food.
The hamburger kid's meal, for ages 10 and under, comes with a side and a couple Oreos. Our rug rat had enough left over from the Whopper-size patty to make for lunch the next day.
On balance, Famous Dave's was a winner, with speedy, attentive service and generous portions.
• Where: 4565 N. Oracle Road.
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
• More info: 888-1512.
The Bill
Regular ribs $11.99.
Texas beef brisket $12.99.
Kid's meal burger $4.29.
Total, before drinks, tax and tip: $29.27.
