Fans mourn death of Eastside BBQ legend |

LIfe lost some spice on the Eastside.

A Bellevue barbecue legend had died.

Now long-time customers are returning to Dixie's BBQ to say goodbye to the man who concocted "the Man," the shop's famous hot sauce.

Gene Porter made a name for himself selling barbecue at Dixie's. He came up with a recipe for hot sauce to put his place on the map. And he's been the man ever since.

Porter was a part-time chef, full-time showman. When he got out of the car repair business, he and his wife, Dixie, got into the kitchen.

"One day he just decided that we'd just open up a BBQ (joint)," his wife said. "If they don't like the food, they don't have to come back."

But Porter kept 'em coming back for almost 20 years.

He died Sunday, but his presence remains at Dixie's where pictures with everyday people hang on the wall alongside the signatures of sports stars and celebrities who were all humbled by "the man."

"He treated everybody the same, whether you're a superstar or a janitor or a teacher. To him people are people," said Porter's son, Alton Porter.

Thousands of travelers from around the world have been to Dixie's. And only a few met "the man" more than once.

Porter came up with the secret recipe to get people talking. He never revealed the ingredients until he was too weak to sell it at the tables.

"He gave it to me and his son, so," said Dixie Porter.

A friend now serves up the sauce that customers know too well. But only Porter's family knows the recipe. And there's no way they're going to sell the legacy of "the Man."

"No way, man. I can't tell ya. If i tell ya, I got to beat you up," said Alton Porter.

Porter's family is planning a huge memorial, and the public is more than welcome. It will be held on Monday at noon at Overlake Christian Church.

The restaurant is open, and it is still serving "the man" to anyone brave enough to try it.