Famous Dave's Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Famous Dave's cooks with: soybean oil and vegetable oil blend. Across the 98 menu items we analyzed, it averages 14.8g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of F (Extreme Risk).
What oil does Famous Dave's fry in? The full answer
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Safest Orders at Famous Dave's
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
Cleanest full order: Garden Salad + Iced Tea, 1.8g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Garden Salad | 1.8g |
| Dave's Award-Winning Chili | 2.2g |
| Devil's Spit Chicken (half) | 4.0g |
| Chicken Tenders (3 pc) | 4.6g |
| Dave's Sassy BBQ Salad | 4.8g |
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Pick your meal, sides, sauces and drink in the app and see your seed oil total before you order. It logs to your day in one tap. Free on iPhone and Android.
Build my orderWhat to Avoid at Famous Dave's
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| All-American BBQ Feast (Georgia Chopped Pork) | 163.5g |
| All-American BBQ Feast (Texas Beef Brisket) | 160.8g |
| Feast For Two (Georgia Chopped Pork) | 89.7g |
| Feast For Two (Texas Beef Brisket) | 88.7g |
| Onion Strings | 73.7g |
Every Famous Dave's item, ranked
All 98 items we have for Famous Dave's, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Grilled Pineapple Steaks | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Italian Dressing | 0.0g |
| Georgia Mustard BBQ Sauce | 0.0g |
| Sweet & Zesty BBQ Sauce | 0.0g |
| Devil's Spit BBQ Sauce | 0.3g |
| Rich & Sassy BBQ Sauce | 0.3g |
| Wilbur's Revenge Hot Sauce | 0.3g |
| Fresh Steamed Broccoli | 1.0g |
| Collard Greens | 1.0g |
| Wilbur Beans | 1.1g |
| Buffalo Sauce | 1.4g |
| Down Home Banana Pudding | 1.7g |
| Garden Salad | 1.8g |
| Southside BBQ Sauce | 1.8g |
| Dave's Award-Winning Chili | 2.2g |
| Buttered Corn Niblets | 2.4g |
| Potato Salad | 3.0g |
| Sweet Corn on the Cob | 3.0g |
| Garlic Red-Skin Mashed Potatoes | 3.0g |
| Lil' Wilbur Roasted Chicken Kids Meal | 3.0g |
| Lil' Wilbur BBQ Chicken Kids Meal | 3.0g |
| Devil's Spit Chicken (half) | 4.0g |
| Georgia Mud Sundae | 4.0g |
| Lil' Wilbur Chopped Pork Sandwich Kids Meal | 4.0g |
| Lil' Wilbur Mac & Cheese Kids Meal | 4.1g |
| Creamy Coleslaw | 4.2g |
| Dave's Cheesy Mac & Cheese | 4.5g |
| Chicken Tenders (3 pc) | 4.6g |
| Lil' Wilbur Chicken Tenders Kids Meal | 4.6g |
| Dave's Sassy BBQ Salad | 4.8g |
| Burnt Ends Sandwich | 5.0g |
| Corn Muffin | 6.0g |
| Two-Meat Combo | 6.0g |
| Baby Back-N-Meat Combo | 6.0g |
| Hickory Chicken Sandwich | 6.0g |
| Lil' Wilbur Burger Kids Meal | 6.5g |
| Barbeque Pulled Chicken | 6.7g |
| Brisket Burger | 7.0g |
| Wilbur Burger | 7.0g |
| Country-Roasted Chicken | 7.0g |
| St. Louis Rib-N-Meat Combo | 7.0g |
| Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders | 7.1g |
| Barbeque Chicken | 7.3g |
| Cedar Plank Salmon | 7.5g |
| Smoked Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage | 7.6g |
| Barbeque Pulled Chicken Sandwich | 8.0g |
| Lil' Wilbur Rib Dinner Kids Meal | 8.4g |
| Boneless Chicken Wings - Half Pound | 8.6g |
| Traditional Chicken Wings - Half Pound | 8.8g |
| Caesar Side Salad | 8.8g |
| Devil's Spit Burger | 9.0g |
| Beef Brisket (4 oz) | 9.3g |
| Build Your Own Burger | 9.3g |
| Famous Fries | 9.3g |
| Caesar Dressing | 9.4g |
| Baby Back Ribs - Half Rack | 9.5g |
| BBQ Stuffed Baked Potato | 9.6g |
| Loaded Baked Potato | 9.6g |
| St. Louis-Style Spareribs - 4 Bones | 9.7g |
| Dave's Award-Winning Bread Pudding | 9.8g |
| Salmon Caesar Salad | 10.0g |
| Dave's Favorite Burger | 10.5g |
| Pulled Pork (4 oz) | 10.7g |
| Southern Catfish (2 pc) | 11.0g |
| Smoked Brisket Egg Rolls | 11.0g |
| Southern Fried Shrimp | 12.0g |
| Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich | 12.0g |
| Georgia Chopped Pork Sandwich | 12.6g |
| Honey Mustard Dressing | 12.6g |
| Ranch Dressing | 13.7g |
| Iris' Down Home Fried Chicken | 14.0g |
| Chili Cheese Fries | 14.0g |
| Bleu Cheese Dressing | 14.4g |
| St. Louis-Style Spareribs - 6 Bones | 14.5g |
| Ultimate BBQ Burger | 15.5g |
| Comeback Sauce | 16.8g |
| Traditional Chicken Wings - Full Pound | 17.6g |
| Boneless Chicken Wings - Full Pound | 18.0g |
| Iris' Fried Chicken Feast | 18.0g |
| Iris' Comeback Chicken Sandwich | 18.2g |
| Caesar Salad | 18.6g |
| Baby Back Ribs - Full Rack | 18.9g |
| Chicken Caesar Salad | 20.2g |
| Southside Rib Tips | 20.6g |
| Burnt Ends Appetizer | 22.1g |
| Cajun Chicken Sandwich | 23.3g |
| Baby & St. Louis Combo | 23.9g |
| Remoulade Sauce | 24.0g |
| Fried Pickles with Comeback Sauce | 28.5g |
| St. Louis-Style Spareribs - Full Slab | 29.0g |
| Sweetwater Catfish Fingers | 30.2g |
| Cheese Curds with Rich & Sassy | 36.0g |
| Onion Strings | 73.7g |
| Feast For Two (Texas Beef Brisket) | 88.7g |
| Feast For Two (Georgia Chopped Pork) | 89.7g |
| All-American BBQ Feast (Texas Beef Brisket) | 160.8g |
| All-American BBQ Feast (Georgia Chopped Pork) | 163.5g |
Frequently asked
Does Famous Dave's use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Famous Dave's cooks with: soybean oil and vegetable oil blend. Across the 98 menu items we analyzed, it averages 14.8g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of F (Extreme Risk).
What oil does Famous Dave's cook with?
Our research indicates: Smoked/BBQ meats in beef/pork/poultry fat (tallow/lard); fried items and mayo-based sides use soybean/vegetable oil; cornbread uses canola-soybean blend. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Famous Dave's use beef tallow?
Yes, at least for some items. Our research indicates: Smoked/BBQ meats in beef/pork/poultry fat (tallow/lard); fried items and mayo-based sides use soybean/vegetable oil; cornbread uses canola-soybean blend. Beef tallow is far lower in PUFA than seed oils.
Is Famous Dave's seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Famous Dave's cooks with soybean oil and vegetable oil blend, which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Famous Dave's?
Garden Salad is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Famous Dave's, at an estimated 1.8g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Famous Dave's?
All-American BBQ Feast (Georgia Chopped Pork) is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Famous Dave's, at an estimated 163.5g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
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See where Famous Dave's lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.