Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 8.75 to 9/10 and Yes. Ribs are definitely the main attraction here, but Seasoned Swine is also turning out several delicious options across the majority of their smoked dishes. Was able to meet with Jacob the owner and found out that he is originally from Iowa and learned his rib smoking secrets from the longtime pit master Steve “Woody” Watson of Woody’s Smoke Shack, which is sadly no longer open. Considering that I had actually been to Woody’s a few years before, I was curious to see how it compared. Needless to say, Jacob must have taken great notes, as his ribs were on point, along with several other of his meat options. Easily some of the best ribs and pulled pork in the state, with some of the better house made sauces out there as well, Seasoned Swine BBQ does a great job of blending several styles of BBQ together to create a great overall offering

Date Visited: 10/14/2022 and 10/30/2023

Address: 15800 W Colfax Ave, Golden, CO 80401 and second location at 11601 E Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO 80010

Day of the Week: Friday

Time of Day: 11:04 AM. Open at 11:00 AM

Owner: Jacob Viers

Website: https://www.seasonedswine.com/

Number of Years in Business: Since February 2017 starting as a food truck. Brick and mortar opened in early 2021

Number of People in Line: 0, but filled up by 12:15 for lunch though

Regional Style of BBQ: Jacob is originally from Iowa, so blends a few different styles together such as St. Louis and Central Texas, but doesn’t lock into one specific type

Total Cost: N/A

Type of Wood: Cherry

Type of Smoker: Electric

Type of Seasoning: In-house blend that they make called All-Purpose Swine Candy

Best Dish: Ribs

Best Sauce: Original or Chipotle

Best Side: None ordered

Interior Description: Sitting on the second story of a short business strip near the end of west Colfax, you walk up the stairs and are instantly greeted with some Blues and Rock & Roll playing, with a slight hint of smoke in the air. Clean and bright interior, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating with some nice views of the mountains. Minimal decorations hanging around with corrugated sheet metal wrapping the walls that still give off traditional low-key bbq joint vibes

Pro Tip: Ribs are the go to, but they make a top pulled pork and good overall brisket/burnt ends as well

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Seasoning: All-purpose Swine Candy

Description: Ordered lean cut pieces, but they were juicy to the bite. Had a minimal smoke ring to them, with light cherry smoke flavoring coming through. Ideally would like more pepper seasoning to come out and a little more smoke flavor to take this to the next level in ranking. That said, it was a tasty and juicy brisket, with no sauce needed. However, if sauce is desired, I am in agreement with Jacob that the chipotle sauce is the move to go with. Worth ordering again

Burnt Ends

0/10 Ranking: 8.75 to 9/10

Seasoning: All-purpose Swine Candy

Description: Good blend of fat and meat to most of the pieces, but could use a little more fat left on them overall. Had a little better bark than the brisket did. Similar to the brisket, wasn’t overly smoky for the flavoring and could have used some pepper/overall seasoning to come through, but the blend as is, does combine for a sweeter and well rounded flavor that needs no sauce to be enjoyed. Would order again

Pork Spare Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 9 to 9.25/10

Seasoning: All-purpose Swine Candy

Description: Perfectly cooked fall off the bone tender ribs, that still had a little bite to them. Good flavoring and seasoning, with a slight sweetness that comes through, but doesn’t go over the top with it. Could be a little juicier and use a little more pepper and smokiness added to it, but overall one of the best ribs in Colorado, with no sauce needed for this one. Would absolutely order again and this is easily their best dish to get when stopping in

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 8.75 to 9/10

Seasoning: All-purpose Swine Candy

Description: The pulled pork was juicy and tender with good bark pieces that add a nice crunch to it, but it was just a hair overcooked. Very tasty and well balanced flavor overall, with just a little bit of extra Swine Candy sprinkled on top, and no sauce needed to enjoy. Would have liked a little more smokiness to come through. All that said, this holds up as one of the top 10 and possibly top 5 in Denver. If adding sauce, would recommend the original for this one. Would order again

Sausage – Jalapeno Cheddar

0/10 Ranking: 8.5 to 9/10

Description: Jalapeno cheddar sausage that he gets from Edwards Meats. Had a good snap to the casing, being juicy while also maintaining a firm internal consistency and slight creaminess simultaneously. Slightly too spicy for my pallet, but would recommend to anyone who enjoys a spicier sausage option. Even though it was little hot, I will be ordering again regardless, as the flavoring was great, but would also recommend ordering an extra beer to help cool it down

Smoked Chicken

0/10 Ranking: 7.5 to 8/10

Seasoning: All-purpose Swine Candy

Description: Light seasoning and smokiness coming through, but blends together nicely for a sweet overall flavor. However, was slightly dry and not as moist as would be desired. Sauce and or a beer are required for full enjoyment, with the original sauce being the way to go with this one. 50/50 on ordering again

Sauces – Original

0/10 Ranking: 8.5 to 9/10

Description: Tomato based with molasses. More of a thin tomato base sauce than most of this type with it’s viscosity, it had good overall flavor with some sweetness and a slight heat to it on the back end. Would get again

Sauces – Chipotle

0/10 Ranking: 8.5 to 9/10

Description: Sweet, slightly smoky, that finishes off with a little bit of heat to it. Best with the beef menu items, but would use as sauce for any deep-fried food options as well. Would get again

Sauces – Carolina Mustard

0/10 Ranking: 8/10

Description: Coming in sweeter with a strong mustard flavor and with a low amount of vinegar/acidity to it. Reminds me of something closer to a honey mustard, but would enjoy it along the same lines and it does pair well with the pulled pork if Carolina is your go to style. Would get again

Sides – Didn’t order any

Interior & Menu Photos: