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    Sweet Fire Donna's

    4.1 (918 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Sweet Fire Donna's Takeout or Delivery

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    SWEET FIRE DONNA'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Wings, dry rub. Sauce on the side. Ice cold.

    I've got to say I'm super disappointed! First time here, they close at 12. I called before coming to make sure the kitchen was still cooking. I arrived at 11pm, ordered wings and a pulled chicken sandwich to go. Everything came out in 5 mins ice cold, as if it were in the fridge. I thought I had found a new gem, super frustrating... wish I could give my experience 0 stars. Bartender Andreas nonchalant, manager not here.

    Brisket was overcooked, expensive and very greasy baked beans were mushy and gross corn bread was good though!

    Counter and reception is really quick!
    Douglas K.

    Outstanding service- I was in a crowd and large line of people but that did not matter to this team. They were professional and everyone got the same amount of attention. Amazingly they knocked out the crowd without incident. And the food was great! Only advice would be to season the ribs. Without the bbq sauce they had great texture and smoke but no flavor. BBQ sauces were amazing as were the sides! I will definitely come back.

    Pick 2 with ribs, pulled pork, French fries, Mac n cheese, and cornbread.

    Their food was excellent! It also came out fast. It's the only barbecue that I've really liked since coming to the DC Metro area.

    Delicious.
    Bryan D.

    A Local go-to. Simple, good bbq and a friendly bar. Owned by Shark Tank winners Pork Barrel BBQ.

    Chocolate chip cookie
    Jada H.

    Got the lunch bag combo to go which was really good! The pulled chicken sandwich came wrapped in foil with the bread separate. The collard greens are a little sweet and I added vinegar when I got home. The cookie was so good and soft. It's all a great portion size. Since I went inside I had to get my own sides of bbq sauce and utensils. I also got a drink with the combo and the sweet tea was really good! Very pleased with the value and to-go packaging.

    chicken eggrolls
    Courtney T.

    Eggrolls were pretty good, gumbo was a little bland (better once I added hot sauce)..both were warm at best, but came out fast. Clean establishment, people were nice. I'll likely revisit.

    Nachos with Burnt Ends
    Sally W.

    Highly recommend the nachos with the addition of burnt ends! I loved having enough of each topping on the nachos. I always worry about how the meat will be every time I try a new BBQ place, but thankfully the burnt ends were really tasty! It is filling - two people could definitely share it and feel comfortable at the end. They have soft drinks, and a full bar available. Seating available both inside and outside. Staff were friendly!

    Mr F G And Mrs M S.

    We were here for lunch on a Monday afternoon. This place is almost like a fast food. You placed the order and pay first then when it's ready, they'll let you know. We ordered the Whalen (Buffalo chicken sandwich) and the meat platter. Our meal platter came with a ribs, pulled pork, mac & cheese, and the creamed corn. The food were pretty good. The portion is decent. It's definitely worth visiting if you are nearby.

    Menu
    Sharon H.

    Let's start with dessert...the bread pudding was very good and caused me to give them one additional star that I would have removed for the happy hour sliders. Nice thick bacon on the smoked Turkey sliders but the meat was missing. Now I know it's a slider but it would have been nice to bite into the turkey vs raising the bread to see if it was really there. It was thin slides pieces that didn't even cover the bread and they were stacked on top of each other so you wouldn't get a piece with every bite. I asked for the sauce on the side because I don't like spice and it was pretty tasty. I spied a fellow customer who ordered the chicken sandwich minus the bread and it looked like a generous portion. Special note or disclaimer the bread pudding was a larger slice but I forgot to take the picture before baking started on it ;-)

    The loaded totchos with burnt ends
    Armani A.

    I had the loaded totchos (I think that's the name) and they were absolutely delicious. I thought the $16 price was too much at first (I got mine with burnt ends, which adds an upcharge), but the portions were generous - this could easily be two meals. The burnt ends were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You could tell they used high-quality meat. The coleslaw on top added a nice creamy and crunchy texture. I like the kick from the jalapeños. The tots did not feel like the star of the show (which I was fine with), but mixed well with the rest of the ingredients. Putting the spicy barbecue on sauce made this great dish nearly perfect. 5/5!

    Pick 2 Meats Combo Platter

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    Sides were amazing! I had the greens and the Mac & Cheese. The brisket was a little dry.

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    9 months ago

    Best brisket I've had in a long time; great sides too-- I had coleslaw, beans and potato salad

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    9 months ago

    Excellent food and reasonable prices! This despite being in Alexandria. Highly recommend!

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    Page 1 of 23

    Sweet Fire Donna's Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sweet Fire Donna's

    Are they sensitive to gluten allergies?

    Yes, All of our meats are gluten. We also offer tw gluten free barbeque sauces along with some select gluten free side dishes. You will find them on our menu marked with GF. Hope this helps!

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    Mystic Bar & Grill - Brisket plate w/collard greens and cornbread with honey butter $24

    Mystic Bar & Grill

    4.3(72 reviews)
    1.1 miOld Town Alexandria

    The atmosphere for Mystic was very cozy and seems like a local find that most people don't know…read moreabout. We chose to sit outside as it was perfect out! The service was super attentive and helpful when we were making our choices on what we should get. It had a kind of divvy vibe to it which was awesome and makes it that much better! The burger that I had was cooked perfectly and I added the OG BBQ sauce with it and a side of Mac-n-cheese. I will say though, the mac-n-cheese was pretty disappointing, was a bit too starchy and there didn't seem to be really much cheese with it. So if you go to get the awesome burger, just get fries. We also got some char-grilled oysters that might have had a bit too much spices and seasoning on it that it got quite overwhelming. But summing it up, burgers were amazing, sides we underwhelming, make sure you get the OG BBQ sauce on your burger though!

    I originally ordered from Grub hub the catfish and grits from this establishment. It was so good…read morethat I decided to make an in person trip. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed at all. The food is even better in person. Everything we ate was sooooo delicious. I forgot to take a picture of the chargrilled oysters we had because it was soo bomb.com we devoured it. kisses to the chef. Our waiter was really nice and took great care of us. He even made recommendations for other restaurants that have live music options. This restaurant was extremely clean and reminds you of an "western style pub" with a modern touch. Would I recommend this restaurant? Heck yeah!!! Run and go get you some of that...

    Photos
    Mystic Bar & Grill - Delta Catfish blackened

    Delta Catfish blackened

    Mystic Bar & Grill - Brisket dinner

    Brisket dinner

    Mystic Bar & Grill - Catfish dinner

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    Catfish dinner

    Pork Barrel BBQ - Monster Mac & Cheese

    Pork Barrel BBQ

    3.3(615 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    You can get a decent pulled pork BBQ sandwich here. There is a nice bar and lunch is very…read morereasonable. I like the greens some days are better than others. Service is always very quick. It has a casual vibe. The sides are limited but the restaurant has great unsweetened tea.

    Absolutly Horrible! We were the only people in line waiting and took 5-7 mins for someone to…read moreacknowledge us. We stopped on a whim as a coworker at the airport was hungry and couldn't leave. We were close by and this is what they chose. Now, I'm a Midwesterner that lives in a vinegar state so I wasn't exactly excited to try it but did want to give it a shot. I died as It was the most uncooked BBQ I've ever eaten. The burnt ends were infact not burnt nor KC style. You can see the fat caps. There was absolutely no flavor, the brisket was dry, same as the sliced turkey. My friend doesn't eat pork (I do) so we decided on 2 carbs as the greens and baked beans have pork. The Mac was literally trash. They use a roux. You can taste the uncooked flour in the cheese sauce and the potato salad are Yukons' cut in half tossed in unseasoned mayo and dill. I was very disappointed. I did try the Original, Sweet, and Smokey sauces as i'm a Midwesterner and hate Carolina vinegar based sauce. They were actually really good. I mixed the sweet with the spicy and it gave great flavor. The sad part is that the Cornbread was the best thing we ate in the whole plate. If you're a Q person I'd not recommend this establishment. Its definitely not worth the time or effort. However, if you're a local then support the business. I probably won't be back simply because the customer service experience was sub par and I'm a MAC girl.

    Photos
    Pork Barrel BBQ
    Pork Barrel BBQ - Brisket cheese sandwich

    Brisket cheese sandwich

    Pork Barrel BBQ - Storefront

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    Storefront

    Hen Quarter - Chef Fred said it best

    Hen Quarter

    3.9(1.8k reviews)
    0.8 miOld Town Alexandria
    $$$

    I brought my daughter here for her 21st birthday! It was a very last minute decision as it was a…read morework/school day for everyone so it was pretty late by the time we arrived. We arrived about 45 minutes before closing. The server had to get permission from the kitchen to serve us, which was understandable, as we had a group of 6. We were sat downstairs near the bar and served with very friendly service from Christian. They even brought out cake for the birthday girl and allowed us to have her open her gifts. Christian also assisted my daughter with ordering her first drink from the bar! The food we ordered was amazing! I got the bucket of chicken for myself and my 10 yo, while others at the table tried the shrimp and grits and some amazing side choices like brussel sprouts, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes. I appreciate the wait staff, the cooks, and the management for making this day special for my girl especially at the last minute :) we will be back for more food and great service!

    Made brunch reservations at this spot for my nieces birthday. Found parking upon arrival and we…read morewere seated immediately. The restaurant has a nice vibe and décor, but has too may steps for me, not good if you plan on getting lit. Our server was amazing, she was very knowledgeable and professional. Food wise: The cornbread was good, it came out pipping hot, with butter melting. The pork belly was my favorite.... Omg the Pork Belly was the star of the show---it was so sticky and sweet, the eggs and potatoes were pretty good, nothing extortionary. I was a bit skeptical about the eggs being from a carton, since I didn't see any white in the eggs. The chicken was so greasy and slightly soggy on the bottom. I don't think I'd order that again, the waffles were pretty good. I feel like the chicken and waffles are just great for show, in my opinion that dish didn't really deliver what I thought it would. I would return again, the chicken did not discourage me. It could've just been a bad day. I would recommend giving this place a try.

    Photos
    Hen Quarter
    Hen Quarter
    Hen Quarter

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    The People's Drug - Truffle Fries

    The People's Drug

    3.9(394 reviews)
    0.7 miOld Town Alexandria
    $$

    It was a beautiful day, and we decided to check out a new spot for drinks and bites while soaking…read moreup some sun. We headed over to the People's Drug, where we found a cozy cafe table outside. We kicked off happy hour with some refreshing cocktails, the Bubble Buck and Gindependence Collin's, both were fantastic and refreshing. To snack on, we ordered again from the Happy Hour Specials and tried the HH Wings and Truffle Fries. No complaints, good service, drinks, tasty bites and a sunny spot made for a perfect afternoon.

    AMAZING impromptu date night find!…read more Happy Hour until 7pm with $10 cocktails and small bites ranging from $6-$8. Great indoor and outdoor seating Service was a bit slow but the staff were really friendly. I would recommend knowing what you want to eat upfront so that you can put in that order with your drinks. Happy Hour Drinks: Bubble Buck-Excellent balance of liquor, sweetness, and bitterness. Excellent drink Gindependence Collins- Perfect summer drink, recommended for anyone who doesn't want to drink heavy liquor and those monitoring their sugar intake. Excellent drink Rosie's Negroni- Perfect twist on a Negroni. Excellent drink Needless to say, all of the drinks were perfect. Happy Hour Bites Truffle Fries- this was SO good! Crispy, fresh, and bursting with truffle oil flavor. Crispy chicken wings- I'm not a wet wings lover but this sauce was undeniably delicious and the wings were beautifully prepared. Overall we loved this place and look forward to returning.

    Photos
    The People's Drug
    The People's Drug - Chicken skins--spicy!!

    Chicken skins--spicy!!

    The People's Drug - Oaxaca to Tokyo and a Shrute Farm Margarita

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    Oaxaca to Tokyo and a Shrute Farm Margarita

    Southside 815 - Chicken salad

    Southside 815

    3.7(646 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Love this place! Just wish they'd deliver on one of the apps…read more The 815 Biscuit appetizer is a must-try. It uses sweet potato biscuits but they're not sweet at all so they go perfectly with the salty Virginia country ham and the lump blue crab meat and white gravy. The chicken fingers are also a must-try. Very generous portion, more like multiple chicken schnitzels because these are pounded a little flat (but still thick) and breaded with nice thick flour batter. THAT REMOULADE SAUCE. Best ive ever had. And those poboys are great too. I got a oyster/crawfish combo. Very generously stuffed.

    Meet two of our fellow coworkers from our Chicago and Portland station here. We joined them mid…read moremeal. (We were chagred extra due to us being a large party) I got their gumbo and their soup of the day, I believe it was like a crab bisque. There was only one server but it wasn't busy so we were able to get our orders in on a timely fashion. I've tried their sweet potato biscuit and I personally didn't like it. Their cornbread biscuit was good though. I was going to get their fried chicken but was told by my peer that their fried chicken was a day old? So she opt out of that and so did I. Other than that their food looked delicious and I wished I tried their Mac and cheese cause my peers said it was delicious. Their portions are huge. They don't like likey they are but it's a lot of food.

    Photos
    Southside 815
    Southside 815 - Big noodle mac n cheese

    Big noodle mac n cheese

    Southside 815 - I believe I drank a Whiskey drink.  Need to come back here for a Vodka drink, Lager drink, & Cider drink sometime! Inspired by a 1997 song!

    See all

    I believe I drank a Whiskey drink. Need to come back here for a Vodka drink, Lager drink, & Cider drink sometime! Inspired by a 1997 song!

    Sweet Fire Donna's - bbq - Updated June 2026

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