Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 8.25 to 8.5/10 and Yes. Worth a stop, but not the best in Colorado in anything outside of maybe their garlic mashed potatoes. Wayne’s is located out in a nice suburban strip mall, nestled between Boulder and Denver in the town of Superior, and is open on only Fridays and Saturdays. Admittedly, I was reviewing this for a second time due to a recent Reddit post regarding my Colorado BBQ rankings, where a lot of people had some strong opinions that Wayne’s was the best brisket and bbq in the state. As such, I recognized I hadn’t been there in almost 5 years and my original review was one of my first ever, so I wanted to give them a second chance to see what everyone was raving about. Walking up to the front door, I was hit with a nice smell of smoke, and an unexpected amount of people already waiting in front of me. For it only be 6 minutes past opening, I was pleasantly surprised to see 28 people ahead of me in line. Upon entering, I noticed they have frozen bbq meats also available for takeaway, which is a unique option not really available at other Colorado locations. They also have grab and go take away side dishes as well. As a heads up, they don’t have a liquor license, so only fountain drinks and sweet tea here. Friendly staff though and can serve down to 1/4 lbs of any of the smoked meats. I got the Wayne special, which came with 1/2 lb meat option plus a side and drink, and I added in a wide range of additional meats and sides. While the steady flow of people was nice to see, I found myself confused, because while this is better bbq than I remember, it’s also not worth the premium price they charge compared to other locations. Add in that they don’t have Shiner Bock or Lone Star (Central Texas BBQ staples) or any other beers I can enjoy with my barbecue, and I find myself sticking closer to my original review than what my local Reddit enthusiasts think. Although to be fair, they were better than I remember and do have a good bbq vibe and ambiance to it, with solid customer service and improved sides, so I bumped them up 14 spots in my state ranking and 17 nationally. While the food was better than I remember, none of the meats blew me away, with some leaving me underwhelmed. Overall, it is worth stopping in for a visit, as they do have some unique flavors compared to other locations across the state, but I have a hard time putting them in a top 5 in anything outside of their garlic mashed potatoes

Date Visited: 5/24/2025

Address: 406 Center Dr, Superior, CO 80027

Day of the Week: Saturday

Time of Day: 11:06 AM. Open at 11:00 AM (Only open Friday & Saturday)

Owner: Wayne & Sam Shelnutt (Husband & Wife)

Website: https://www.waynessmokeshack.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened in 2011 and expanded in 2017. Suffered severe smoke damage on December 30th, 2021 in the Superior fire, re-opened June 6th, 2023

Number of People in Line: 28 before me, and 22 came in behind me. Took about 20 minutes to get through ordering

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas Style

Total Cost: $93.70 with tip already included or built in. Ordered the Wayne Special, which is a 1/2 lb of any meat, a side, and a fountain drink, but I went for the $3 brisket up charge as well. Also ordered 2 ribs, 1 brisket burnt end sausage, 1 chicken quarter, 1/4 lb of turkey, and then garlic mashed potatoes and the Smoke Shack BBQ Chili for an extra side. Came with free white bread as well, but the sauces are $1 a piece, with three options available

Type of Wood: Post Oak

Type of Smoker: Upright Electric or Gas-powered smokers, I think, but I need to verify

Type of Seasoning: Salt, pepper for brisket, and then a ton of others for ribs, chicken, and turkey

Best Dish: Burnt End Sausage

Best Sauce: Didn’t try or review any, but they are each $1 a piece

Best Side: Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Interior Description: Wood paneled shaker shingles align the walls, with the Colorado flag painted over it, and black corrugated open ceiling with clean ductwork visible. Comfortable table seating with padded chairs and wood booths or wooden picnic tables and polished concrete floors. On the far wall they have black and white photos of Central Texas legends and pits for a nice old meets new age bbq vibe. They have sauces, but charge $1 per sauce, so I skipped them. Had classic and present day rock music playing. Metal picnic tables out front for about 50-60 people, with seating inside for about the same, but more lined up family style, with the interior picnic tables being connected in two long rows

Pro Tip: Get the garlic mashed potatoes and a reminder that they are only open on Fridays and Saturdays. And if you want a beer with your BBQ, get it as a to-go order, as they don’t have a liquor license

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 8.5 to maybe 8.75/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, maybe garlic

Description: They use grass fed beef I believe, as they had several signs mentioning it. Juicy brisket with good smoke and pepper coming through in each bite. Lean pieces did start to crumble though and was just slightly overcooked, but really good overall. Minimal smoke ring but a nice bark with a nice punch of salt and pepper. Similar for the fatty piece, while it was really good and pretty juicy, it was a little tough and was slightly overcooked poked, making it crumble and very a little mushy to the bite. While this was better than I remember, it’s not the best in the state, especially for still being the highest priced option anywhere. Pit Fiend, Post Oak, Smok, Hogback, Scooter’s all above it, same with others, but probably in the Top 10 in the state. The pieces were also thickly cut, which was also needed with it crumbling apart. Would order again, but it’s also the highest priced brisket in the state, so just a heads up

Brisket Burnt End Sausage

0/10 Ranking: 8.75/10

Description: Smoky flavor right when you bite in. Not much of a snap to the casing, but a nice balanced interior, that holds together well and has a nice fat-to-meat blend, leaning heavier on the meat for the ratio. Would like some more seasoning and spice to it, but a delicious sausage overall, and would order again. Served sliced or whole, depending on preference 

Wayne’s Signature St. Louis Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 8.25 to 8.5/10

Seasoning: Blend of a lot of seasoning, including brown sugar. Sweet blend

Description: Heavily seasoned, with a visibly crunchy bark on them. Literally fell off the bone when I tried to pick it up. A sweeter rub and rib, with I believe brown sugar crystals being present on the outside. The meat literally slid off the first bone and was really juicy, but just a little overcooked similar to the brisket. Would like a little more bite to it for texture, but still enjoyable. Leaning more fatty than lean, good taste overall, but not much smoke flavor or pepper coming through. Meat itself doesn’t gave a ton of flavor, but the bark makes up for. Solid rib and would get again, but only one is needed, not one I’d get a whole rack of

24 Hour Smoked Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Seasoning: Multiple and then mixed with a Carolina mustard

Description: Really juicy pulled pork, with a Carolina mustard flavoring coming through right away. Not much in the way of smoke coming through, and definitely a sweeter pulled pork. Good overall, but if mustard isn’t your thing, you’ll probably want to order something else. No real bark there either, but would get again  

Slow Smoked Chicken Quarters

0/10 Ranking: 7.75 to 8/10

Seasoning: Mixed blend, but not a fan

Description: Very juicy chicken quarter, with a nice crunchy skin. Sprinkled with a slightly sweet seasoning that was okay but not great. Not much smoke or flavor in general to the chicken meat itself. Probably not one I’d get again, which is a shame, because while it was super juicy and cooked perfectly with the crunchy skin, the flavor just wasn’t that enjoyable. Would skip for the next time 

Brined Boneless Turkey Breast

0/10 Ranking: 7.75 to 8/10

Seasoning: Mixed blend, same as the chicken

Description: Really juicy turkey breast, thickly cut. I think similar seasoning as the chicken, and while cooked well, it was also lacking in smokiness and flavor. Unfortunately, the overall cohesion of flavors just doesn’t stand out and isn’t anything special. Better turkey at several spots in Colorado, so skip this one for something else. Seasoning just isn’t my favorite and brings its rating down, but still really well cooked, so 50/50 on if I’d get it again  

Sides – Garlic Mashed Potatoes

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Description: Best thing I ate here today. Creamy, buttery, and velvety with a large punch of garlic in each bite, these are some of the best mashed potatoes I’ve had in years. They leave some of the skins in it, which provides a nice texture to the dish, with fresh black pepper blended in each bite as well. Absolutely order again and would get an extra side order to take home  

Sides – Smoke Shack BBQ Chili

0/10 Ranking: 8.75/10

Description: Loaded with pulled pork, kidney beans, green chili, and onions, this is a solid side dish option to go with. It has a little bit of a kick to it for spice, but the flavors are balanced, with the beans having just a little bit of tooth to them for a nice textural experience. Would get this again too

Sauces

I didn’t have any or review them, but I believe they have 3 options available in Original, Texas Hot, & Carolina Mustard for an additional charge of $1 each

Interior & Menu Photos: