Barbecue is one of the easier cuisines to navigate with an allergy, because the core product is meat, rub and smoke. At Famous Dave's the complications sit elsewhere: in the buns, in the shared fryer that produces Famous Fries and Onion Strings, in the dairy running through half the side list, and in the pork that shows up in sides that do not announce it.
Gluten
The smoked meats themselves are the safe part of this menu.
| Item | Contains gluten? |
|---|---|
| St. Louis spareribs, baby backs, brisket, chopped pork (plain) | No |
| Southside Rib Tips, Burnt Ends | No |
| Cornbread Muffin ($1.99) | Yes — wheat flour |
| Dave's Cheesy Mac & Cheese ($3.29) | Yes — wheat pasta |
| Onion Strings ($8.89), Cheese Curds ($11.09) | Yes — breaded |
| Iris' Down Home Fried Chicken ($18.99), Chicken Strips ($12.09) | Yes — breaded |
| Sweetwater Catfish Fingers ($15.59), Shack Shrimp ($16.49) | Yes — breaded |
| All sandwich and burger buns | Yes |
| Famous Fries ($3.29) | Usually no — but shared fryer risk |
| Creamy Coleslaw, Sweet Corn, Collard Greens, Steamed Broccoli | No |
A workable gluten-free order: a Texas Beef Brisket Platter ($17.59) or Southside Rib Tips ($16.99) with steamed broccoli ($2.99) and creamy coleslaw ($3.29), no corn bread. Ask for it plated rather than on a bun. Barbecue sauces vary — check the bottle, which is easy here because Famous Dave's sells the same sauces at retail.
The fryer is the honest risk. Famous Fries share oil with breaded catfish, shrimp, chicken strips and onion strings, so if you are coeliac rather than avoiding gluten by preference, skip the fries entirely and take a different side.
Dairy
- Dave's Cheesy Mac & Cheese — yes, obviously
- Garlic Red-Skin Mashed Potatoes — butter and cream, typically
- Cornbread Muffin — usually butter or buttermilk
- Cheese Curds ($11.09), Broccoli & Cheese Baked Potato ($13.39), Loaded Baked Potato ($12.19) — yes
- Side Caesar Salad — parmesan and dressing
- Plain smoked meats, Wilbur Beans, collard greens, steamed broccoli, coleslaw — dairy-free as a rule
Creamy coleslaw is mayonnaise-based, which means egg, not dairy — a distinction that matters if you are avoiding one and not the other.
Shellfish and fish
Two items, both in the appetizer section: Shack Shrimp at $16.49 (shellfish) and Sweetwater Catfish Fingers at $15.59 (fish). Both are fried, so the shared fryer is a cross-contact route to everything else that comes out of it, including Famous Fries and Onion Strings. If shellfish is a serious allergy, tell the manager before ordering anything fried.
Hidden pork — the one that catches people out
This is the section vegetarians and anyone avoiding pork should read twice. Wilbur Beans — the signature side, named after the pig on the sign — are a meat-studded bean, not a plain baked bean. Collard greens are traditionally cooked with pork, and Loaded Baked Potato ($12.19) typically carries bacon. None of these is flagged on the menu board.
Confirm with the restaurant, because preparation varies. Safe side choices are sweet corn, steamed broccoli, garlic red-skin mashed potatoes, the side garden salad and Famous Fries.
Vegetarian options
They are thin. There is no vegetarian main course at Famous Dave's — this is a smokehouse, and the menu does not pretend otherwise. What works:
- Broccoli & Cheese Baked Potato ($13.39) — the closest thing to a vegetarian entrée
- Fresh Garden Side Salad ($7.79) or the $3.29 side versions
- Dave's Cheesy Mac & Cheese, sweet corn, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, corn bread — a plate of four sides plus a muffin comes to about $15
Keto and low-carb
This is where Famous Dave's is unusually strong. Ribs, burnt ends, brisket and rib tips are all essentially carb-free before sauce, and the chain sells something no other national barbecue chain does — Dave's Smokin' Ribeye at $23.39 for 8 oz or $36.69 for 16 oz. Pair any of those with fresh steamed broccoli ($2.99) and a side garden salad, skip the corn bread and the sweet sauces, and use Texas Pit, the lowest-sugar bottle in the sauce lineup. A Burnt Ends Platter ($24.99) with broccoli is a legitimate keto restaurant meal.
For the complete item list with current prices, see the Famous Dave's menu.