Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 9/10 and Yes. Ended up being a lunch stop for my 36th birthday this year, and it didn’t disappoint. A top 3 BBQ spot in Colorado, that is 100% worth the visit and has delivered every time I’ve gone. As Mike, Juan, & Esteban learned the Texas BBQ ways from their previous restaurant owner/boss Karl Fallenius, who learned from his Pit Master boss before him, the Legendary Aaron Franklin, Pit Fiend delivers for anyone looking for a Central Texas BBQ experience while visiting Colorado or Denver. Simultaneously nailing the classics/staples like the brisket, sausages, and mac & cheese, while also rocking one of the more experimental and unique BBQ menus out there, you’re sure to find something you like. Offering great daily specials with some seriously creative options, while also delivering tasty vegan choices such as jackfruit and mushrooms for your meat-averse friends, Pit Fiend has something for everyone in the group. Would recommend and will be back again

Date Visited: 10/30/2025

Address: 2826 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205

Day of the Week: Thursday

Time of Day: 11:10 AM. Open at 11:00 AM

Owner: Michael Graunke, Juan Pablo Llano, & Esteban Gallardo

Website: https://www.pitfiendbbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: May 20th, 2022. Was previously Owlbear Barbecue

Number of People in Line: 0, but 8 people came in after me

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas, but experiment with several other styles as well

Total Cost: $80.59 with Tip. 1/2lb brisket, half rack of ribs, 1 Garlic sausage, and for sides Mac & Cheese, and Coleslaw

Type of Wood: Post Oak

Type of Smoker: Custom-built Off-sets

Type of Seasoning: Salt & pepper for brisket and then several others depending on the meats

Best Dish: Brisket

Best Sauce: Owlbear

Best Side: Mac & Cheese

Interior Description: Small little walk-up spot, tucked in off the road behind Our Mutual Friend Brewing. Similar to when it was still Owlbear, they have kept the Dungeons and Dragons theme going with characters lining the walls and the names of their BBQ sauces. Interior has classic walk-up cafeteria-style ordering, with daily specials not found anywhere else, in addition to rice bowls, sandwiches, & meats sold by the pound. Can seat maybe 10-15 max inside, but you can order and walk next door to OMF Brewing and grab a table there with your tray, as long as you’re buying a beer from them that is

Pro Tip: Rare sighting of smoked Jackfruit, so would recommend ordering. Can’t go wrong with their brisket or burnt ends, but they are also always experimenting with something new regularly. Also, make sure to get the pickles too, as they are really well balanced for acidity, snap, and saltiness

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 8.75 to 9/10

Seasoning: Salt and pepper

Description: Ordered a half pound and got one big chunk of fatty and then some nicely sliced lean. Had a really nice bark to it where you could see salt and pepper, as well as a half-inch red ring around almost every piece. Lean was super juicy and was well seasoned with both the salt and the pepper, but could use a little more smokiness and just a dash more pepper. The fatty piece was super tender, similar to the lean, and was very well trimmed. It was just slightly tough, but it was really enjoyable and still a top 3 in Colorado overall. Would get again with confidence each and every time

Pork Spare Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 8.75 to 9/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, potentially others

Description: These were fall-off-the-bone tender while still having a light bite to them. Well seasoned with salt, pepper, and some other spices that give it a nice sweetness. Looks like they probably do a light layer of barbecue sauce near the end of the smoke. When I asked the staff, they said they smoke with only a dry rub, then drizzle a little apple cider vinegar on the ribs to help make the bark, and then drizzle the paper when they wrap, and a light drizzle on top too. The result was that the ribs had a great overall flavor, with a nice meat-to-fat ratio, and were some of the better cut ribs I’ve had in Colorado in a while. Would absolutely order these again, with the only critique being that they could use a little more smokiness to them and maybe a little more pepper. That said, these are still some of the best ribs in Denver

Sausage – Garlic

0/10 Ranking: 8.25 to 8.5/10

Description: This had a nice little bit of heat and seasoning to each piece, which is served sliced up for you. Big chunks of garlic were visible in most of the pieces, but they don’t overpower it or make it too much. Interior texture was a little too creamy and crumbly, but still really enjoyable. They also still had a light snap to the casing, as well as a nice smokiness that comes through with the heat. Would get this again 

Sauces – Didn’t review, but several in-house made sauces are available

Sides – Mac & Cheese

0/10 Ranking: 9 to 9.25/10

Description: Al dente penne pasta, in a nice creamy sauce, which had a crispy cheesy crust with plenty of extra seasoning on top. This is one of the best mac & cheeses I’ve had in a long time, and might be the best I’ve had in Denver so far. Even though it has a creamy texture, the pasta provides some nice structure in the seasoned crunch. If you’re lucky enough to get some of the crunchy bits from the bake, it pushes it over the top for deliciousness, and consider yourself lucky. 100% ordering next time I’m here

Sides – Coleslaw

0/10 Ranking: 9 to 9.25/10

Description: White cabbage, mostly with a little bit of shredded carrot and toasted black sesame seeds. Comes off as a much more of an Asian style coleslaw, which is very refreshing and cuts the meat perfectly. Light vinegar and no mayo to it, from what I can tell, makes it a non-typical, but very enjoyable coleslaw. While I would get it again, it also needs a little salt or a dash more of acid. Very sesame seed-forward in the flavor, with sesame oil being the main flavor driving forward. If you’re looking for a traditional coleslaw, this ain’t it, but it’s still really good overall and a rare Asian influenced option in Denver

Interior & Menu Photos: