Dixie’s BBQ, 11522 Northup Way, Bellevue
Gene and Dixie Porter, (425)828-2460
It’s been about 2 years since I’ve visited Dixie’s and I honestly don’t miss it. When I first moved to Kirkland in 1990, Dixie’s was quite yummy. We enjoyed it every time we ate there, even if LJ (Gene’s daughter) was occasionally harsh. Even the ever-popular “Man Sauce” had actual good BBQ-sauce flavor back then, very much unlike the toxic liquefied “pepper spray” it’s now become today.
I joined the Navy for an 8-year stint in 1991 and visited my family in Kirkland several times during that period. Each time I came back to Washington on leave, Dixie’s was slowly transforming into a “BBQLogical” disaster. The Man Sauce was turning ever-more toxic with each passing year, the ribs were starting to get SO “tender” they were literally turning into goo, and LJ’s attitude was getting was more and more caustic to the point that she was frequently edging on rude – give her a $20 when she expects a $10 bill and she’d frown or bitch, for example.
Since then, Dixie’s has turned into that novelty kind of dive where you take your new unsuspecting coworkers to play the “one or two cool dude” man-sauce game. See how much of the vile paste the owner, Gene, can nauseate you with before you regret ever having set foot in the place! Watch in amazement as your new coworker comes up with ways to get you back! Delight in the knowledge that your lunch just got ruined by childish shenanigans from the owner! Great fun, indeed.
I have a better idea: How about good BBQ instead? That used to be the case. Now, however, the BBQ’s often overcooked – to the point where the cartilage on the end of the ribs has turned into a hot, goopy ‘glue-stick’ and the meat can be mushed into paste (good for those with no teeth, I suppose):
If you can manage to avoid the Man Sauce and LJ’s lousy attitude, you’ll find above average BBQ, large portions, very tasty lemon cake and funky blues music, all built-in to a former auto shop garage. The hot links are quite tasty as well, having been simmered in Dixie’s tasty regular BBQ Sauce. Optionally, you could go down to Cash’n’Carry which is just down the road and around the corner from Dixie’s and get yourself some John Morrel’s Skinless Hot Links and some Cattleman’s Smoky BBQ sauce and make your own like I do now and avoid the daily lunch-time testosterone-laden battle to qualify for the “I Met The Man” bumper-sticker:
I met the man, alright. He ruined my lunch and transformed my yummy “520” sandwich into a pile of toxic waste unsuitable for human consumption.
– JUST SAY NO –
Nothing will fuck-up your GI tract faster than bear-grade pepper spray turned into a thick, goopy paste unsuitable for human consumption.
“Man Sauce”?? Uh, Thanks but NO THANKS.