Lee's & Dee's Barbeque

SOUL FOOD MN | Barbeque

Lee's & Dee's

Express: From the back of a station wagon to a St. Paul institution

By Cheo Smith, TC Daily Planet

February 02, 2013

Linda Williams (l) and Vickie Nash. Photos by B FRESH Photography and Media.

Lee’s & Dee’s Barbeque Express in St. Paul is a true family operation and is now a second generation business, having been handed over from namesakes Lee and Dee to daughters Linda Williams and Vickie Nash. The original business was born from founder Lee piling coolers of full wings and ribs into the back of his station wagon to feed workers during lunch breaks and bar-goers late at night. Lee and his wife Dee opened their traditional southern restaurant in the Summit-University neighborhood 22 years ago and, it has become a popular spot for people in search of authentic southern food.
While visiting the restaurant during the lunch hour, before the busier dinner rush started, I looked over the whiteboard menu and landed on some dishes I knew I had to try. While the restaurant is known for its barbeque, Lee's & Dee's dishes are definitely soulful. When I asked owner Linda Williams what her definition of soul food was, she replied, greens, pinto beans, and cornbread—in other words, Southern food.

Juicy Ribs

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Greens And Cornbread

©2013 Cheo Smith (text) and Rebecca McDonald (photos)

Lee's & Dee's Barbeque Express

161 N. Victoria St.

Saint Paul, MN

651-225-9454

Mon-Sat: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; closed Sunday