Plenty comes to mind when I think about barbecue. There’s the meat, the fire, the smoke and, of course, the flavor. Add in a few tasty sides and you have yourself a mouthwatering feast.

On a recent trip to Satterfield’s in downtown Macon, I was reminded of why Southern barbecue, in particular, strikes my fancy.

Located at 120 New St., Satterfield’s is no stranger to folks in this area. The restaurant and catering establishment has been serving up food since 1983, offering slow-cooked meats, homestyle sides and homemade desserts.

From barbecue plates to hickory smoked meats by the pound, there’s no shortage of options when perusing the menu. My favorite recently was a delicious serving of smoked turkey. It was juicy, flavorful and had just the right about of smokiness to it. Perfect with sauce or without. It was great.

Another item I’d recommend is their signature barbecue pork with sauce. The tangy flavor of the sauce combined with the meat is perfect for a sandwich or on a plate. I added some kick to mine, topping it with Satterfield’s hot barbecue sauce.

No Southern barbecue meal is complete without a few homemade side dishes to go with whatever meat you prefer. For me, on this day, it was a serving of baked beans and Brunswick stew.

At Satterfield’s, the beans come with ground meat in them, and a sweetness to the sauce that I rather enjoyed. They definitely have a homemade feel to them. The stew was thick and heavier than I was expecting, but also quite good. A little stingy on the corn though. Add in some good old fashioned potato chips, and possibly a few pickles, and you won’t be heading home hungry. I certainly didn’t, but perhaps that’s because I didn’t stop there.

I couldn’t resist sampling the sliced beef brisket and St. Louis pork spare ribs. I’m not usually a fan of either, but I was glad I chose to broaden my horizons. The brisket was, as most usually are, a bit on the salty side. That said, it was flavorful and juicy, and was obviously cooked low and slow. The ribs were so-so, nothing to write home about, but then again, I’m more of a fan of the baby back variety.

Satterfield’s also has hamburger steak made of ground chuck, with onions and gravy, as well as fried or grilled catfish filets with hushpuppies. In the “Feathers” section of the menu you can get anything from smoked barbecue chicken to fried chicken to chicken and dumplings. Sides include macaroni and cheese, okra and tomatoes, potato salad, green beans and turnip greens, just to name a few.

For dessert, they also offer banana pudding, peach and apple cobbler, key lime pie and Georgia pecan pie.

All in all, Satterfield’s gave me just what I thought I’d get -- flavorful Southern barbecue obviously made with care.

Satterfield’s

Address: 120 New St., Macon

Phone: 742-0352

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Catering services available. Restaurant available for rental Saturdays-Sundays and after 4:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.

Payment: Cash, credit

Smoking: No

Kids menu: No

Noise level: Low

Price range: $1.25-11.95

Rating: Three 1/2 stars