Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 7.5 to 8/10 and Yes. Bison ribs are the main reason to come here along with their lamb, as both meats are a rarity to find for most BBQ places. Overall, nothing special for the standard BBQ meat options, but the specialty cuts do shine through. Customer service was top notch from ownership as well, especially with comping a half rack of Bison ribs after first order was not up to their usual standards. Would go back again
Date Visited: 4/1/2021
Address: 2387 S Downing St, Denver, CO 80210
Day of the Week: Thursday
Time of Day: 11:00 AM. Opens at 11:00 AM
Owner: Coy & Rachael Webb
Website: https://roamingbuffalobbq.com/
Number of Years in Business: Opened in January 2015. Had a second location in Golden, CO but it has since closed down
Number of People in Line: 1 ahead of me
Regional Style of BBQ: Self-described “Colorado Style”. Coy is originally from Texas though.
Total Cost: $25 with tip. 1/4 lb of burnt ends, 1/4 lb of pulled lamb shank, 1 bison jalapeno cheddar sausage. (I did also order a 1/2 a rack of bison ribs, but they were comped by Rachael for the miss order on the first round of ribs I got)
Type of Wood: Pecan
Type of Smoker: N/A
Type of Seasoning: Blends of several seasonings
Best Dish: Bison Ribs
Best Sauce: Hot
Interior Description: Small interior with only 4 tables, but does have outdoor seating options. Very small kitchen/bbq prep area for them, which creates a cozy atmosphere while waiting in line
Pro Tip: Get the bison ribs and lamb options, as one of the only place you can find either
Burnt Ends – Thursday only
0/10 Ranking: 8/10
Seasoning: Salt, pepper, and other blends with BBQ sauce. Cooks them for an extra 3 hours after separating and coating with the sauce
Description: While the burnt ends are moist, with good seasoning and flavor overall, it does taste slightly different than most other burnt ends around. The flavor that comes through ends up tasting more closely to a beef roast, which was still enjoyable, but not the traditional expectation. The cuts are massive and could be trimmed a bit more of some their fat, as some were almost completely fat with no meat to them. Said they chop off half of the point to make the burnt ends and then leave the remaining portion to be sliced fatty or lean. Overall, nothing too special and 50/50 on ordering again
Bison Short Ribs
0/10 Ranking: 8 to 8.5/10
Seasoning: Salt, pepper, and BBQ sauce
Description: First batch I ordered were insanely tough and dried out to the point that I actually took it back. The owner Rachael agreed that they were a pretty rough batch and gave me a new one right away and even comped them. Have to give her big points for customer service on that one. The second batch of ribs had good flavor to them, with a nice light gaminess coming through along with smokiness. Had a good texture to it, where they were almost fall off the bone, but still had a little bit of bite to them. Would order these again, but a half wrack would be all you need
Pulled Lamb Shank
0/10 Ranking: 7.5 to 8/10
Seasoning: Not sure if there was any
Description: Moist, with minimal seasoning if any to it, which does allow the natural lamb flavor to really shine through. Needs some of the sauce though, as it can’t stand on its own without either a side dish to combine with it like a coleslaw or a little sauce added. Both the hot bbq and sweet sauces can quickly overpower the lamb though, so use sparingly
Bison Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage
0/10 Ranking: 8/10
Description: Good snap to the casing. Interior has a creamy, but still structurally sound blend of fat and meat. Little heavier on the fat than usual and almost has a chorizo type flavoring coming through. Can definitely pick up on the cheddar though. Good overall, but a little salty, so 50/50 on if I would get it again, as it was tough to finish a whole one due to the saltiness
Interior & Menu Photos
The House of Salt & Smoke 