Sally's Backside finds its zen with Buddha Lounge

Longtime locals' hangout Sally's Backside will get a new look come spring.

Jamison Hendler and Tracy Stricko Doherty are set to lease the café/bar/lounge from owner Sally Bradley and will reformat the operation into a tapas wine bar and rename it the Buddha Lounge.

The Buddha Lounge will not only represent a new name, but it will bring a new format, food, and décor.

Currently, Sally's Backside, which is located literally in the back of a convenience store in Blue Mountain Beach, is known far and wide for its laid-back good ole Southern retro atmosphere and meatloaf and gravy night. It is a place where those who frequent it are known to order a beer just as often as a glass of wine.

However, with the change, the meatloaf will be replaced by sushi and tapas small plates, and the wine selection will be expanded to include a larger selection and fine wines, said Hendler.

"It will still be a relaxed laid-back environment, with great wines — a place to relax. There will be a lot of candles and it will be more zenful," said Hendler.

There will be two menus: tapas or sushi offered from 5 to 10 p.m. Sushi will also be offered from 10 p.m. to midnight. A selection of small plates will be served six days a week and closed on Sundays.

Hendler originally owned the Blue Buddha in WaterColor in 2004 and has been a sushi chef in the area for more than 15 years before moving to Mobile, where her sushi won the designation "Best of the Best Sushi" there.

Bradley has owned Sally's since 1997 when it was Blue Mountain Grocery and gas station. It became Sally's By The Sea Store in 1998. Sally's Backside opened in 2007, where the local celebrity "Redd" entertains with song while serving drinks on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Hendler said she plans to keep Redd for Tuesday and Thursday entertainment, but will also tap into the talent of other local artists on the weekends.

The Buddha Lounge is scheduled to open March 1.

The store will still be there, as well as the gas pumps; Hendler will only be leasing the backside.

"I thought this would be a good idea, and they plan to serve healthy food and small plates," said Bradley.

Bradley will continue to serve breakfast and lunch from the front.

Redd is excited about the change.

"I am still the anchor and I can sing over sushi," she said.