<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2018-01-12</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000033769</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BOB EVANS FARMS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>BOBE</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001373419</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HALL RICHARD D</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>8111 SMITH'S MILL ROAD</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW ALBANY</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>OH</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>43054</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>EVP - Supply Chain &amp; Logistics</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

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            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
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                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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                    <value>519</value>
                </transactionShares>
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                    <value>0.0</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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            <transactionDate>
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                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
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            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
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                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>by Spouse</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
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            <securityTitle>
                <value>Incentive Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
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            <transactionDate>
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            <transactionAmounts>
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                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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            <exerciseDate>
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            <expirationDate>
                <value>2020-06-22</value>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
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                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
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                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
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                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Incentive Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
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            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-01-12</value>
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            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>737</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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            <expirationDate>
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            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
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                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
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                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
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                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Incentive Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
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            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-01-12</value>
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                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
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                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>8835</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
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                <value>2018-06-10</value>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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                    <value>Common Stock $.01 Par Value</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
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                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
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            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-01-12</value>
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                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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                    <value>Common Stock $.01 Par Value</value>
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                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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            <securityTitle>
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                    <value>6165</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                    <value>D</value>
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            <expirationDate>
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                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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                    <value>Common Stock $.01 Par Value</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
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                    <value>6165</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
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                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 18, 2017 (the Merger Agreement), by and among Bob Evans Farms, Inc. (the Company), Post Holdings, Inc. (Post) and Haystack Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Post at the effective time of the merger, these shares of Company common stock were converted into the right to receive a cash payment (without interest and subject to applicable withholding taxes) equal to the per share merger consideration of $77.00.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the merger, each of these performance-based restricted stock units were cancelled in exchange for the right to receive a cash payment (without interest and subject to applicable withholding taxes) equal to the per share merger consideration of $77.00.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the merger, this stock option was cancelled in exchange for the right to receive a cash payment (without interest and subject to applicable withholding taxes) equal to the product of (i) the total number of shares of Company common stock subject to such stock option and (ii) the excess of the per share merger consideration of $77.00 over the exercise price per share of the stock option.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: Colin M. Daly For: Richard D. Hall</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-01-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
