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Prime Cut or Famous Dave's?
Topics: restaurants, barbecue, Prime Cut, Famous Daves, reviews
Posted by EzraSilverado Wed Feb 27, 2008 08:40:46 PST
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Though I said I didn't want to go to Famous Dave's this early in the opening of the restaurant, my family decided to make a trip to the newly renovated barbecue joint on Rosedale Highway.  Prime location?  Of course.  Prime Cut?  Not a chance.

Don't get me wrong, Dave's had a good barbecue.  The meals I saw were large (two sides, corn on the cob, cornbread, and an entree), and the chicken was bragged on by many at my table.  The choices of the hot barbecue sauces were interesting, and we all had fun taste testing before the meal arrived. 

The atmosphere was definitely a sight to behold.  At first, I was quite overcome by the amount of detail that had gone in to the development of the scene, which was quite reminiscent of the old country fair with the tasty barbecue in the corner.  Maybe it was the fact that we had to wait nearly 50 minutes to be seated as we watched multiple tables vacate only to sit and wait longingly for more patrons, or maybe it was the incessant standing because of the lack of any good place to wait.  Whatever the cause, the sights and sounds soon became sensory overload.  As the feasts, which were loaded on top of a shiny silver trashcan lid, quickly made their way around the place, the chanting by the employees almost became too much to bear.  Was I trapped in some Orwellian nightmare?  Were we seriously expected to revel in the oddly Neanderthal rhythms of "FEAST!" being yelled over and over again?  The realization soon sank in that I was surrounded by people worshipping food on a trashcan lid.  Unfortunately, my meal became slightly less desirous as I watched the food feverishly disappear from the trashcan lids in an obviously overindulged America's bacchanalian ritual.

Since I did not partake in the "FEAST!" or the Famous Dave's Two-Meat Combo, I chose the BBQ Chicken Sandwich with a side of garlic red potatoes.  For $8.99, I received a hamburger bun with a thin layer of pulled chicken breast, a dollop of the house barbecue sauce, a small bowl of garlic red potatoes, and, of course, a moist towlette for good measure.  Never had I been so disappointed with a meal than I was at that moment -- it was a chicken sloppy joe for $8.99.  I literally walked out of the place wondering where my money went.

Now I already see the writing on the wall -- "What did you expect, going to a restaurant like that and not ordering 'FEAST!'"  Or how about, "Of course you're not going to be satisfied -- you bought a paltry chicken sandwich, what kind of wimp are you?"  I'm the kind of wimp who likes her steaks cooked rare, medium rare if I can't convince the server to complete it the way I like.  I'm the kind of wimp who expects to go out to a restaurant and eat a sandwich that doesn't taste like something my seven-year-old niece could make.  I'm the kind of wimp who desperately wished I had gone to the homegrown and locally owned Prime Cut that night.

I did find myself wistfully dreaming of the deliciously juicy Deep Pit Chicken sandwich only Merv and Michelle Crist can make.  The sandwich has more meat than legally comes on a chicken, yet it is meat that one could actually box, take home, and save the next day.  No purging from a trashcan lid.  Instead, I have some of the best deep pit chicken in town to savor two days a week, not just one.

My mind also drifted to the famous Mervberger -- 3/4 of a pound of top-quality hamburger, ground in-store out of some the finest choice and prime steaks the shop sells.  I imagined the medium-rare delight, the mustard, onions, and lettuce enveloping the perfectly seasoned patty, which is further encased by the slightly crisp homemade bread on the outside.  Truly a burger, not just meat-in-a-bun.  I also thought of the impressive value of the meals offered by the restaurant, feasts in themselves yet not so plebian in nature.  My hungry eyes recently saw a plate -- yes, a plate! -- of succulent tri-tip (six slices, I believe), some of the best homemade chili beans in town, truly delicious Las Vegas potatoes, and one of the sweetest homemade rolls one can purchase -- all for $16.99. 

I've heard the complaints of Prime Cut.  They charge too much for a sandwich and they don't give any sides.  I concede this point — one service they may do well to employ is providing free fries with their sandwiches, or creating a combo meal out of their burgers.  I've also heard the service is problematic, though each time I've been in the restaurant, I've never had an empty glass, my servers have always smiled, and each person has gone out of his or her way to make sure my meal was satisfying, as was my experience.

I fear that the blind acceptance of the mega-food chains will only cripple our most beloved restaurants.  Places like Prime Cut, which offer some of the best and most unique fare in our town, define our town.  They make our town home, they make our economy thrive, and they make us proud to say we are from Bakersfield.  As I sat in the disingenuous funhouse that was Famous Dave's, I was truly reminded of the reason why we love the town like we do -- the genuine people, the genuine stores, the genuine town that many of us grew up in. 

Bacchus (and Dave), eat your hearts out.  The real food rests in the hands of the real people of this town.

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Comment From: kajshack

Surely you can't be serious. Ever since Prime Cut's move to the new location, everything about the place has suffered. The service is slow and rude and the prices are outrageous. $10 for a tri-tip sandwich with no sides? That takes some nerve and arrogance. And the chicken that you rave about is so dry that my dog won't eat the leftovers. I was a dedicated patron of the old location on Stockdale Highway, but ever since the move, Prime Cut has lost all of that "hometown realness" that you rave about. I am not a fan of chain restaurants usually, but Famous Dave's has the best bbq in town, bar none. Comment From: domer82

Don't get me wrong I love the Prime Cut, but I miss the old location and the type of service it would bring. I would go there quite often, got to know the gals behind the counter, and the food was always amazing. The new location, along with the change in service and high prices has limited my patronage of the restaurant. I’m sure this has been more than offset by the increase in traffic from other customers, so kudos to them. A couple of items seem like decent deals, such as the tri tip meal. But others don’t seem to match, like a lone $10 sandwich. A drink and fries will quickly get you to near $20. The $2-3 dollar overall increase matched with the switch to full service tipping was just a bit too big of a jump. The sandwiches seem smaller with less love put into them, but I don’t know if it is true or just my mind doing the math.

I haven’t been to the new Famous Daves, or any of them for that matter in at least a couple of years. I used to go there now and then when I was living in the Midwest. I will wait until the hype dies down a bit. I agree it isn’t worth a 50min wait, especially if all you want is a sandwich. It’s not really fair to compare the chicken sandwich to Prime Cut’s tri-tip meal. If you go there, I recommend trying their actual dinner plates. Go for the BBQ ribs or their wings. My experience was always enjoyable, and the prices seemed fair. Like any place, get something outside your comfort zone that will tease your senses.

Comment From: kajshack

Domer - Are you an alumnus of ND? Comment From: domer82

Yes, I am. '04 grad. Most people think my screen name means I'm bald :).