Famous Dave's

Famous Dave's

3 Reenders Dr

R2C 5K5

204-504-7200

Fax:  204-504-7201

http://www.famousdaves.com/Winnipeg

November, 2012

I normally do not review chain restaurants.  With an HQ in Austin or Jacksonville or wherever, the local joint has little freedom to deviate from the brand’s biblical menu.  Your spaghetti and meatballs taste the same in New Mexico as they would in Winnipeg and there’s a reason for it—consistency.  Sauces arrive by the barrelful, frozen and sealed.  Upon arrival, an army of university students reheat and plate, and there you have it:  dinner with paint-by-number precision.  The “chef” is little more than a kitchen manager, tasked to ensure that your meal comes to you the same every time. 

That’s how it is with Famous Dave’s as well.  I’ve eaten a lot of Dave’s in my life and Dave in Winnipeg tastes like Dave in Fargo, tastes like Dave in Minneapolis, tastes like Dave in Wisconsin Dells.  However, since the people of Winnipeg dive to Dave’s with fiery frenzy, I feel obligated to give you the lowdown. 

Before you go, be sure to prepare for the lineup.  During our first visit, your meal came with a 2½ hour wait; our next visit still featured a 45 minute seat on the lobby bench.  Dave’s just started taking reservations, limited from Mondays to Thursdays.  

Once again, if you already visited Dave in the US, you know what the food’s all about.  If you’re new to Dave, then prepare for something that’s still quite novel to Winnipeg:  authentic smoked meats.  For a few years, Lovey’s has done an adequate job of smoking their meats, and Muddy Waters put forth the effort but Dave brings mainstream smoking to the prairies.  

As with every other Dave, the restaurant looks rustic and shack/cabin-like.  The décor and music all spell spit-on-the-floor casualness so you’ll feel right at home with your faded jeans or comfy sweats; if you throw on a cowboy hat, you’ll disappear into the props.  

Most people come here for the meat and the menu pushes the blue ribbon ribs, smoked, sauced then kissed on the grill.  I can’t think of a better way to make ribs, but unfortunately, these ribs come overcooked and dry.  While sporting great flavour and taste, the ends of the rib rack taste stringy and tough from too much heat.  Perfect ribs look juicy, taste tender and fall off the bones; these ribs only fall off the bone.

Dave does a much better job on the chicken, which indeed falls off the bones and maintains its moisture.  The sauce-smothered skin complements the meat nicely, although you can easily augment it with any of the other barbecue sauces that adorn your table.  Whether you like smoking hot or mildly edgy, Dave’s got a sauce that you’re sure to love.  

You’re also going to love the meaty and perfectly prepared chicken wings.  Recently, I dined at a number of places that offered wing deals, only to give you squab-sized, emaciated appendages.  Dave’s wings don’t disappoint and you’re going to love them prepared in your choice of sauce.

If you want to avoid red and white meats, Dave offers a limited selection of seafood.  The beer-batter cod comes with a light batter that tastes wonderfully crisp thanks to the injection of cornmeal.  The seasoned batter acts as a flavour envelope, hugging the fish.  The zingy tartar sauce finishes the fish nicely.  

Every meal comes with a cornbread muffin, which tastes moist and flavourful—you may want to pass if you have limited stomach space.  I normally just eat the semi-crisp top.  American Dave gives you a segment of corn with your meal but in Canada, it comes as a side.  Invariably, the corn cobs tasted overcooked and squishy so skip it unless you like your corn kernels bursting under your fingertips.  Instead go for Wilbur’s baked beans, sweet, hearty and accompanied by big chunks of various meats. 

The friendly staff makes sure that you enjoy your meal, especially if you’ve been standing outside for a while.  You’ll enjoy good food, because Dave makes good food, but Dave doesn’t make great food.  You’ll hear a lot of people rave about Dave, but that’s only because there isn’t any better barbecue in Winnipeg.  If you taste some of the truly great barbecue from the BBQ Belt, wrapping the southeast corner of the US, with tentacles reaching Missouri, Kansas and Texas, you will melt into divinely smoked meats.  In the meantime, Famous Dave’s will keep you under control, but let yourself loose in the belt if you get the chance.

***½ /5

This is a free product that I'm happy to bring to you.  If you enjoyed reading this, please consider clicking on the accompanying ads.  This is the only payment I receive for offering this public service.  Thank you as always for reading.