The chefs at Sweet Fire Donna's believe that "good barbecue begins in the smoker," so that's where each of their meats begins its journey. Take the popular Kansas City-style brisket burnt ends, for example. This wildly popular entree features cubed brisket that's actually been double-smoked to ensure extra tenderness and flavor. With a signature blend of spices, the brisket tantalizes taste buds. It arrives at your table with any two sides, and they're just as carefully crafted as the main course. Try the fiery mac and cheese, a customer favorite, or the classic creamy cole slaw.

From pulled pork and chicken to Carolina chopped pork and Texas beef sausage, your options for soul food are plenty at Sweet Fire Donna's. Most of them come three basic ways: as a plate, in a sandwich, or with "just the meat." But you can also order them as a salad for a slightly lighter option (albeit, not too much lighter). Try the brisket salad, the pulled pork Cobb, or the creamy smoked chicken salad.

Sweet Fire Donna's
510 John Carlyle Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(571) 312-7960
sweetfiredonnas.com
www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-fire-donnas-alexandria

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr palewire

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Beer serves as the backbone of an experience at Rustico, a New American eatery "designed with good times in mind," per the restaurant's website. More than 400 craft brews — one of the largest selections in the area — are in rotation here, which proves Rustico to be a popular destination among beer aficionados.

But beyond Rustico's bustling bar, you're likely to spot families (many with young children) and friends nestled in wooden booths, lingering over wood-fired pizzas, seasonally-influenced salads, and gourmet burgers. In fact, burgers are a real crowd pleaser here, especially The Rustico, which tops a locally-sourced beef patty with aged cheddar and a savory aioli. For dessert, you might sip a Crispin blackberry-pear cider, or sink a fork into a slice of flourless chocolate cake, decorated with a scoop of raspberry sorbet and an equal amount of fluffy chocolate mousse.

Note that Rustico also serves a popular brunch, available between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekends.

Rustico
827 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, VA
(703) 224-5051
rusticorestaurant.com
www.yelp.com/biz/rustico-alexandria

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/star5112