One afternoon, while I was running some errands, I was overtaken by the nostalgia-inducing scent of a summer barbeque. I turned, and noticed that the aroma was eminating from a small, inconspicuous restaurant. I stopped and called a friend to meet me at Sandra Dee?s Bar-B-Que & Seafood.

Located downtown on the corner of 15th and F streets, Dee?s was clean and comfortable with smells that made my mouth water.Family owned and operated, Sandra Dee?s prepares their delicious smoked meats in their custom-made Southern pride rotisserie pit.

All of their side dishes are homemade, and ” a lot of the recipes have been passed on for many generations,” says Sandra Dee Johnson, who owns the establishment with her husband Jeffrey Johnson.

We sampled the tri-tip, which was so thiny sliced and delicious that it melted in our mouths. The chicken was so moist and tender it practically fell off the bone. We had mild sauce on the chicken, that was anything but, and a sauce on the tri-tip that was hot enough to make my stuffy sinuses completely clear up.

Dinner prices range from $7.99 to $21.99. Everything thatthe southern side of your soul desires is available, including slabs of pork ribs, potato salad, red beans and rice, greens and even macaroni and cheese.

Sandra Dee?s, which started as a catering business nine years ago, also serves deep fried oysters, jumbo prawns, catfish and on the weekends, homemade Louisiana gumbo. They also offer salads and sandwiches.

For a tasty finish, Dee?s offers classic peach cobbler, sweet-potato pie and their most popular dessert, red velvet cake was especially moist and delightful.

With reasonable prices (considering the amount of food you get on your plate) and pictures of celebrity diners like Ice Cube and Evander Holyfield, you won?t leave disappointed, but wear loose pants ? you will leave full.

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