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    Sweet Fire Donna's

    4.1 (919 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    SWEET FIRE DONNA'S ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Undercooked Collard Greens
    S. H.

    I just ordered ribs and collard greens. The ribs are tough and can't chew them! The greens are undercooked and tastes like paper with vinegar. This establishment has went down tremendously on food quality and I'm highly disappointed. This USED to be one of my go to places but NOPE not anymore! And to add to this, I'm so sick right now. I've been to the restroom three times already. It's 8:53pm! This is food poisoning

    Smoked Wings
    Greg S.

    Decent place to eat and the food comes out fast!The beer on tap came out room temp at best. Cannot serve warm draft beer! The chicken, pork, and ribs were good but a tad dry. The brisket was good but I would not say that it was smoked. It did not have a smoke ring on it. Not sure how you go low and slow with no ring on brisket. The one item I can promise was smoked was the wings. The meat was literally falling off of them. You could see the smoke penetration in them. Cornbread and cucumber salad were good. Staff was nice as hell. I like the place, just a couple things to line out for me to go past 2 stars. Ambiance was nice for a small group. It is more of an intimate setting type atmosphere. I would give it another shot before I write it off.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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 ;-)

    Pick 2 Meats Combo Platter

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    1 year ago

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

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    11 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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    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

    Mystic Bar & Grill

    4.3
    (72 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    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...

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    Delta Catfish blackened
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    Pork Barrel BBQ

    Pork Barrel BBQ

    3.3
    (616 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    Great place if you like bourbon and whiskey, great selection. Good draft list also…read more Pulled pork was good, ribs were seasoned well but were tough. Sides were good, I had the potato salad and baked beans. I also love the original and sweet sauces.

    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.

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    Pork Barrel BBQ
    Brisket cheese sandwich
    Brisket cheese sandwich
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    Hen Quarter

    Hen Quarter

    3.9
    (1.8k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    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.

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    Hen Quarter
    Hen Quarter
    Hen Quarter

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    The People's Drug

    The People's Drug

    3.9
    (395 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    The People's Drug....a throwback to the 90s and decades before when this drugstore dominated the DC…read morelandscape. CVS bought them out. This was named in homage to the brand. Cool backstory huh? Anyhoo, met some friends for drinks here and it was fantastic. The People's Drug has been reimagined, with a general store, lunch counter style but a decidedly modern take on its offerings. Serving chef-driven gourmet sandwiches, locally-sourced bowls, and crafted cocktails, it's the perfect place for all manner of social indulgences. I spent $100 on drinks. I had a Negroni Incognito w/Italian Dill and a couple Old Fashioneds. We didn't order any food (although it looked good going by). Will definitely try some the next time. Limited street parking so I parked in the lot next door. Warning: the joint is kinda smallish with limited seating so beware depending on when you go! Good stuff.

    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.

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

    Chadwicks

    3.9
    (970 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Chadwicks has been around forever, but we paid our first visit here for dinner this past weekend…read more Chadwick's is really a sports bar and that should set your expectations accordingly. Service was good. Most of the food, but not all, was very good. What receives high marks were the blackened catfish, fried green tomatoes and chicken quesadillas. The burger was deemed decent, but the crispy fries not so much (I don't know anyone that really likes crispy fries). I had high hopes for the buttermilk-fried chicken. It came nicely presented with a very good coleslaw and a biscuit with a side of bacon-flavored gravy. The mac and cheese was okay but the macaroni underneath the surface didn't have a lot of flavor. The chicken's seasoning and texture were fine, but I really wish when a restaurant says they have fried chicken it's more than just a filet, like actual bone-in meat. But Chadwick's just does a filet as so many other places do these days. The server forgot my clam chowder starter and it didn't come out until after I had already received my chicken. But I sent the clam chowder back. It was so over the top full of thyme it was inedible. I think that there are enough very decent-looking items on the menu, I would return.

    Great casual American brunch spot with an upstairs bar located in Old Town Alexandria by the water…read more I ordered the Eggs Chesapeake with cheddar grits ($24), which was like eggs benedict with crab cakes. It was delicious and the cheddar grits were good too. Paired together, it was a good portion size and the price was reasonable considering the amount of crab. My only slight complaint is there were a handful of small crab shell bits in there. I also tried the Fried Green Tomatoes ($11), which were pretty good as well. The place itself has a nice chill cozy vibe with an old fashioned wooden theme. There are 2 levels to the restaurant with a bar on the upper level. The staff are very friendly and the service speed is quick. Overall, I would definitely recommend Chadwicks for a good casual brunch in Alexandria.

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