<PAGE>
      AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON MAY 23, 2002
                         REGISTRATION NO. 333-_________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                         FAMOUS DAVE'S OF AMERICA, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                                    MINNESOTA
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

                                   41-1782300
                        (IRS Employer Identification No.)

                               7657 ANAGRAM DRIVE
                             EDEN PRAIRIE, MN 55344
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                         1998 DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                              (Full title of Plan)

                                MARTIN J. O'DOWD
                         FAMOUS DAVE'S OF AMERICA, INC.
                               7657 ANAGRAM DRIVE
                             EDEN PRAIRIE, MN 55344
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (952) 294-1300
          (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                                   Copies to:

                             WILLIAM M. MOWER, P.A.
                              ALAN M. GILBERT, ESQ.
                       MASLON EDELMAN BORMAN & BRAND, LLP
                             3300 WELLS FARGO CENTER
                               90 SOUTH 7TH STREET
                           MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-4140
                                 (612) 672-8200

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TITLE OF                                             PROPOSED MAXIMUM         PROPOSED MAXIMUM    AMOUNT OF
OF SECURITIES TO BE        AMOUNT TO BE              OFFERING PRICE           AGGREGATE           REGISTRATION
REGISTERED                 REGISTERED (1)            PER SHARE (1)            OFFERING PRICE (1)  FEE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                        <C>                       <C>                      <C>                 <C>
Common Stock ($0.01 par     360,000                           $7.57                $2,725,200             $250.72
value per share)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1) Estimated solely for purposes of computing the registration fee in
accordance with Rule 457(h) and based upon the average of the high and low
prices of the Common Stock on NASDAQ on May 20, 2002.


<PAGE>





                                     PART II
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

        The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Securities and
Exchange Commission are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof:

        (a)      The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
                 ended December 30, 2001 and filed on March 20, 2002;

        (b)      The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
                 quarter ended March 31, 2002 and filed on May 8, 2002; and

        (c)      The description of the Registrant's common stock included under
                 the caption "Securities to be Registered" in its Registration
                 Statement on Form 8-A, dated October 25, 1996, including any
                 amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
                 description.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to
be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS.

         The Registrant is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 302A.
Minnesota Statutes Section 302A.521 provides that a corporation shall indemnify
any person made or threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of
the former or present official capacity of such person against judgments,
penalties, fines, including, without limitation, excise taxes assessed against
such person with respect to an employee benefit plan, settlements, and
reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees and disbursements, incurred by
such person in connection with the proceeding, if, with respect to the acts or
omissions of such person complained of in the proceeding, such person has not
been indemnified by another organization or employee benefit plan for the same
expenses with respect to the same acts or omissions; acted in good faith;
received no improper personal benefit and Section 302A.255, if applicable, has
been satisfied; in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe the conduct was unlawful; and in the case of acts or omissions by
persons in their official capacity for the corporation, reasonably believed that
the conduct was in the best interests of the corporation, or in the case of acts
or omissions by persons in their capacity for other organizations, reasonably
believed that the conduct was not opposed to the best interests of the
corporation.

ITEM 8. EXHIBITS.

        4.1    1998 Director Stock Option Plan, as amended through May 22, 2002.

        5.     Opinion of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP.

        23.1   Consent of Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP.

        23.2   Consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP (contained in
               Exhibit 5).

        24.    Power of Attorney (contained on page II-3).

<PAGE>

ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS.

        The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

        (1)       To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                  statement;

                  (i)     To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)
                          (3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                  (ii)    To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                          arising after the effective date of the registration
                          statement (or the most recent post-effective
                          amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
                          aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
                          information set forth in the registration statement.
                          Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                          decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
                          total dollar value of securities offered would not
                          exceed that which was registered) and any deviation
                          from the low or high and of the estimated maximum
                          offering range may be reflected in the form of
                          prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
                          424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume
                          and price represent no more than 20 percent change in
                          the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
                          "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
                          effective registration statement;

                  (iii)   To include any material information with respect to
                          the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
                          the registration statement or any material change to
                          such information in the registration statement;

        (2)       That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                  Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                  shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
                  the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
                  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                  fide offering thereof.

         (3)      To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                  amendment any of the securities being registered which remain
                  unsold at the termination of the offering.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of



                                       3
<PAGE>
expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is
asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the
securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court
of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.



                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized in the City of Eden Prairie, State of Minnesota, on May 22, 2002.

                                     FAMOUS DAVE'S OF AMERICA, INC.



                                     By:  /s/ Martin J. O'Dowd
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          Martin J. O'Dowd
                                          Chief Executive Officer, President and
                                           Secretary


                                       4
<PAGE>




                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of Famous Dave's of America,
Inc. hereby severally constitute Martin J. O'Dowd, Kenneth Stanecki and William
M. Mower and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power
to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names, in the
capacities indicated below the registration statement filed herewith and any
amendments to said registration statement, and generally to do all such things
in our name and behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable
Famous Dave's of America, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities
Act of 1933 as amended, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our signatures as they may be signed
by our said attorneys, or any of them, to said registration statement and any
and all amendments thereto.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1933,
this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in
the capacities and on the date indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

       SIGNATURE                          TITLE                                 DATE
<S>                               <C>                                       <C>
/s/ David W. Anderson             Chairman of the Board                     May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
David W. Anderson
                                  President, Chief Executive Officer
/s/ Martin J. O'Dowd              and Secretary                             May 22, 2002
-----------------------------     (Principal Executive Officer)
Martin J. O'Dowd

                                  Chief Financial Officer
/s/ Kenneth Stanecki              (Principal Financial and Accounting       May 22, 2002
-----------------------------      Officer)
Kenneth Stanecki

/s/ Thomas J. Brosig              Director                                  May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
Thomas J. Brosig

                                  Director                                  May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
James W. Cox

/s/ K. Jeffrey Dahlberg           Director                                 May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
K. Jeffrey Dahlberg

/s/ Richard L. Monfort            Director                                 May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
Richard L. Monfort
</TABLE>


<PAGE>




                                    EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT NUMBER      DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
--------------      ----------------------

     4.1            1998 Director Stock Option Plan, as amended through
                    May 22, 2002.

      5             Opinion of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP

     23.1           Consent of Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP






                                       6
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "FAMOUS DAVES OF AMERICA INC", "cik": "0001021270", "assigned-sic": "5812", "irs-number": "411782300", "state-of-incorporation": "MN", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-88930", "film-number": "02661127"}, "business-address": {"street1": "7657 ANAGRAM DR", "city": "EDEN PRAIRIE", "state": "MN", "zip": "55344", "phone": "612-557-57"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "7657 ANAGRAM DR", "city": "EDEN PRAIRIE", "state": "MN", "zip": "55344"}}
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON MAY 23, 2002
                         REGISTRATION NO. 333-_________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                         FAMOUS DAVE'S OF AMERICA, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                                    MINNESOTA
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

                                   41-1782300
                        (IRS Employer Identification No.)

                               7657 ANAGRAM DRIVE
                             EDEN PRAIRIE, MN 55344
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                         1998 DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                              (Full title of Plan)

                                MARTIN J. O'DOWD
                         FAMOUS DAVE'S OF AMERICA, INC.
                               7657 ANAGRAM DRIVE
                             EDEN PRAIRIE, MN 55344
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (952) 294-1300
          (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                                   Copies to:

                             WILLIAM M. MOWER, P.A.
                              ALAN M. GILBERT, ESQ.
                       MASLON EDELMAN BORMAN & BRAND, LLP
                             3300 WELLS FARGO CENTER
                               90 SOUTH 7TH STREET
                           MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-4140
                                 (612) 672-8200

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TITLE OF                                             PROPOSED MAXIMUM         PROPOSED MAXIMUM    AMOUNT OF
OF SECURITIES TO BE        AMOUNT TO BE              OFFERING PRICE           AGGREGATE           REGISTRATION
REGISTERED                 REGISTERED (1)            PER SHARE (1)            OFFERING PRICE (1)  FEE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock ($0.01 par     360,000                           $7.57                $2,725,200             $250.72
value per share)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Estimated solely for purposes of computing the registration fee in
accordance with Rule 457(h) and based upon the average of the high and low
prices of the Common Stock on NASDAQ on May 20, 2002.
PART II
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

        The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Securities and
Exchange Commission are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof:

        (a)      The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
                 ended December 30, 2001 and filed on March 20, 2002;

        (b)      The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
                 quarter ended March 31, 2002 and filed on May 8, 2002; and

        (c)      The description of the Registrant's common stock included under
                 the caption "Securities to be Registered" in its Registration
                 Statement on Form 8-A, dated October 25, 1996, including any
                 amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
                 description.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to
be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS.

         The Registrant is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 302A.
Minnesota Statutes Section 302A.521 provides that a corporation shall indemnify
any person made or threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of
the former or present official capacity of such person against judgments,
penalties, fines, including, without limitation, excise taxes assessed against
such person with respect to an employee benefit plan, settlements, and
reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees and disbursements, incurred by
such person in connection with the proceeding, if, with respect to the acts or
omissions of such person complained of in the proceeding, such person has not
been indemnified by another organization or employee benefit plan for the same
expenses with respect to the same acts or omissions; acted in good faith;
received no improper personal benefit and Section 302A.255, if applicable, has
been satisfied; in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe the conduct was unlawful; and in the case of acts or omissions by
persons in their official capacity for the corporation, reasonably believed that
the conduct was in the best interests of the corporation, or in the case of acts
or omissions by persons in their capacity for other organizations, reasonably
believed that the conduct was not opposed to the best interests of the
corporation.

ITEM 8. EXHIBITS.

        4.1    1998 Director Stock Option Plan, as amended through May 22, 2002.

        5.     Opinion of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP.

        23.1   Consent of Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP.

        23.2   Consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP (contained in
               Exhibit 5).

        24.    Power of Attorney (contained on page II-3).
ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS.

        The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

        (1)       To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                  statement;

                  (i)     To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)
                          (3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                  (ii)    To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                          arising after the effective date of the registration
                          statement (or the most recent post-effective
                          amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
                          aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
                          information set forth in the registration statement.
                          Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                          decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
                          total dollar value of securities offered would not
                          exceed that which was registered) and any deviation
                          from the low or high and of the estimated maximum
                          offering range may be reflected in the form of
                          prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
                          424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume
                          and price represent no more than 20 percent change in
                          the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
                          "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
                          effective registration statement;

                  (iii)   To include any material information with respect to
                          the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
                          the registration statement or any material change to
                          such information in the registration statement;

        (2)       That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                  Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                  shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
                  the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
                  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                  fide offering thereof.

         (3)      To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                  amendment any of the securities being registered which remain
                  unsold at the termination of the offering.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of

                                       3
expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is
asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the
securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court
of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized in the City of Eden Prairie, State of Minnesota, on May 22, 2002.

                                     FAMOUS DAVE'S OF AMERICA, INC.

                                     By:  /s/ Martin J. O'Dowd
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          Martin J. O'Dowd
                                          Chief Executive Officer, President and
                                           Secretary

                                       4
POWER OF ATTORNEY

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of Famous Dave's of America,
Inc. hereby severally constitute Martin J. O'Dowd, Kenneth Stanecki and William
M. Mower and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power
to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names, in the
capacities indicated below the registration statement filed herewith and any
amendments to said registration statement, and generally to do all such things
in our name and behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable
Famous Dave's of America, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities
Act of 1933 as amended, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our signatures as they may be signed
by our said attorneys, or any of them, to said registration statement and any
and all amendments thereto.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1933,
this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in
the capacities and on the date indicated.
SIGNATURE                          TITLE                                 DATE
/s/ David W. Anderson             Chairman of the Board                     May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
David W. Anderson
                                  President, Chief Executive Officer
/s/ Martin J. O'Dowd              and Secretary                             May 22, 2002
-----------------------------     (Principal Executive Officer)
Martin J. O'Dowd

                                  Chief Financial Officer
/s/ Kenneth Stanecki              (Principal Financial and Accounting       May 22, 2002
-----------------------------      Officer)
Kenneth Stanecki

/s/ Thomas J. Brosig              Director                                  May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
Thomas J. Brosig

                                  Director                                  May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
James W. Cox

/s/ K. Jeffrey Dahlberg           Director                                 May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
K. Jeffrey Dahlberg

/s/ Richard L. Monfort            Director                                 May 22, 2002
-----------------------------
Richard L. Monfort
EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT NUMBER      DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
--------------      ----------------------

     4.1            1998 Director Stock Option Plan, as amended through
                    May 22, 2002.

      5             Opinion of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP

     23.1           Consent of Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP

                                       6