Sweet Fire Donna’s: Experience Southern BBQ Bliss in Alexandria

Disclaimer: I am NOT a bbq person and a spot like this will never be my go-to cuisine so take my review with a grain of salt. My husband is a big barbecue fan and loved this place. I enjoyed it, definitely a lot better than the last bbq joint I visited. I usually end up getting some sort of sandwich like I did when we went here which was good. We recently moved in nearby so I'm sure we'll be back. I do wish they had more side and draught beer options!

If you're looking for a quick, great tasting Southern Low Country BBQ, this is your place. It's quick, and it's self sitting. Therefore, you choose to either eat inside or outside. The staff is friendly and when asked about the menu they gladly will give you an answer and details of the ingredients. May also provide suggestions.

I used to consider myself a BBQ guy. I'm originally from KC and friends tell me I make a pretty mean pulled pork or brisket. In town for a conference and wandered in here. I pray my friends and family never find this place. The brisket was tender and flavorful. But, if someone served me that pulled pork at my own house, I would push my BBQ pit to the curb. Fantastic! Beautiful texture and flavor, perfect smoke. Truly the best I've had in the DC area. Oh, and the cornbread. So sweet. So good.

The food was pretty solid here! I really like that they're creative with the ways they serve the meat. Most bbq joints only serve the meat plain with a couple sides but there are so many options here! BBQ on nachos, on tots, in creative sandwiches, in mac and cheese, in tacos....YUM!! I ended up with burnt ends nachos and some mac and cheese. The bartender was great and got a delicious beer to wash it all down. Need to come back and try one of the loaded sandwiches!

I ordered take out 20pc chicken wings with their dry rub, and sauce on the side (they only give one sauce option for them to be tossed in). The wings themselves were tender, juicy, and fall off the bone good! The seasoning they had was amazing, and I'm very glad we got the sauce on the side because it was too vinegar forward for me. We preferred the honey chipotle bbq sauce a lot more, and will be back again when we are in the area! The only thing that could be better is if we had the wings pre-sauced for extra flavor. We also tried their key lime pie, which was okay.. and the bread pudding which was PHENOMENAL!!! Im not typically a fan of that type of dessert, however it was so worth trying.

The servings were huge! The service was great and the food was delicious. We both got the 2 meats with 2 sides. These portions were huge! We could have shared this plate. They have gluten free choices too! Coleslaw and baked beans were delicious. Ribs and chicken were decent... such large portions we had to ask for to-go container.

This is a small BBQ shop but has ample seating plays great 70-80's rock and the food is delicious. The brisket salad is the right amount of meat on top of good amount of salad and a packet of your choice of dressing (blue cheese). Staff is friendly and food comes out quickly. They also have a small bar and happy hour. Weeks ago I ordered the burnt ends which are my favorite! Give them a try.

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!