Famous Dave’s BBQ – Grandville
4505 Canal Avenue SWOne more nice Sunday. We got lucky this past weekend and had one more nice weekend before the reality of winter sets in. J really wanted to take advantage of it and take some family pictures. We thousands (literally) pictures of L, but we don’t have any good ones of the three of us.
I called a buddy of mine from Grand Rapids and asked if he had any availability on Sunday to take some pictures for us. He had some time in the late morning, so we met at Spring Grove Park in Jamestown Township around 11 AM.
Pictures took about an hour then J and I wanted to get something to eat. I know there are still hundreds (probably literally) of restaurants I want to eat at in the Grand Rapids area, but I chose to play it safe and go to a chain.
In my defense, we were pretty close to Grandville and we do like BBQ. Those things take in consideration, we headed to Famous Dave’s BBQ.
It’s been several years since either of us have eaten at a Famous Dave’s. My family used to eat there often when there was a restaurant at the Shoppes at Grande Prairie in Peoria, IL. J has never actually eaten at one of the chain Famous Dave’s, but her family used to vacation in Hayward, WI where the original Famous Dave’s BBQ Shack is located.
The Grandville location is in the Grandville Marketplace on the corner of Canal and Rivertown Parking just down the street from the RiverTown Crossings Mall.
The BBQ joint is set up like a traditional road house. The decor is meant to remind you of the rustic cabins of Northern Wisconsin. We were shown to a table in the back dining room area. We were seated at a table, with a high chair for L, around a four top with a white and red checkered table cloth.
I picked up the beer menu, but got distracted when I noticed they had Pepsi products. I got a Pepsi and J stuck with Sierra Mist. By the time drinks came back, we were ready to order.
J was looking for a Pulled Pork on the menu but couldn’t really find it. They have a Georgia Chopped Pork instead, but J was a little hesitant. She likes her pork tender and pulled then. She’s not usually a fan of the chopped pork. Instead she chose the Pulled Chicken Sandwich and got it Memphis style. The hand pulled chicken is topped with their Rich & Sassy BBQ sauce, Jack cheese and a creamy cole slaw. She said her sandwich was delicious and she really liked the BBQ sauce, but I think she would have rather have had a pulled pork. Her sandwich came with one side and she chose the fries as her side. She added a little more BBQ sauce to her plate to dip her fries in which made them even more yummy.
I was really contemplating ribs, but just couldn’t bring myself to spend that kind of money. I chose to save a few bucks and ordered the Georgia Chopped Pork. The tender, slow smoked pork is topped lightly with the Sweet and Sassy BBQ sauce and served on a slice of Texas Toast. The pork was very tender and my plate came with a lot of burnt ends…my favorite! I added a little bit of the Devil’s Spit BBQ sauce which really spiced things up. My meal came with choice of two sides and cornbread. I went with Fries and Dave’s Cheesy Mac & Cheese. The fries are crispy, thick cut, skin-on Russet potato wedges. Like J, I added some more BBQ sauce to the plate to dip the fries in. The mac & cheese was interesting. I guess I didn’t really read the description before I ordered. In addition to the creamy macaroni noodles covered in cheese, they mix in corn and jalapeno’s. I was a little surprised on the first bite until I figured out what it was. It was alright, but I would have preferred a straight mac & cheese.
Our bill was just over $30 after we added on a side of steamed broccoli for L. Famous Dave’s turned out to be a perfect lunch stop for us. We’ve done a lot more dining at chain’s since L was born due to the fact we know they’re kid friendly. J and I are both fans of good BBQ and that’s what we got at Famous Dave’s.
Pulled Chicken w/Famous Fries
Georgia Chopped Pork w/Famous Fries, Dave’s Cheesy Mac & Cheese, and Cornbread
SW Michigan Dining 