cooking

Roaming Buffalo Bar-B-Q

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

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

Scooter’s Smokehouse & Grill

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 8.5 to 9/10. Yes, definitely worth a stop, especially at their new location in Georgetown, which I’ll still need to visit, as this review was while they were still at their Conifer location. For high elevation barbecue, it’s hard to find better, as they do a solid job across the board with all of their meats, but the turkey and pulled pork were the clear winners from the order. Would recommend for anyone heading into the mountains for the weekend and especially for anyone coming back from an early morning 14er hike, as their menu is a perfect reward for guilt-free binge eating of BBQ

Date Visited: 6/4/2021

Address: This visit was at their original location in Conifer, but they have since moved to 1416 Argentine St, Georgetown, CO 80444

Day of the Week: Friday

Time of Day: 1:00 PM. Open at 11:00 AM

Owner: Tyler, Kathy, & Mike Barnette

Website: Don’t have one listed, but do have an Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/scootersbbqcolorado/

Number of Years in Business: Since 2016 starting as a trailer, the moving to brick and mortar

Number of People in Line: 6 with 6 more seated

Regional Style of BBQ: Texas

Total Cost: $36 with tip. 1/4lb burnt ends, 1/4lb lean brisket, 1/4lb pulled pork, 2 ribs, 1/2lb turkey, 1 shiner bock

Type of Wood: Hickory

Type of Smoker: Commercial convection for the majority of smoking, but does have reverse offset smokers onsite too

Type of Seasoning: Salt and pepper for brisket, then additional for other meats

Best Dish: Turkey or Pulled Pork

Best Sauce: Didn’t try any

Best Side: Didn’t order any

Interior Description: They’ve since moved, but it was a simple mountain rustic interior, with maybe 5-8 tables and nice bar for ordering and grabbing a drink. Most people seemed to be grabbing to-go orders. Had some covered picnic tables for outdoor seating in the front as well

Pro Tip: Order the turkey and pulled pork for sure, with the brisket and ribs being optional, and could skip the burnt ends next time around

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Seasoning: Salt and pepper only

Description: Had the fatty cut for my order. Very juicy and good blend of fat and meat. Thickly cut pieces, but I would be willing and able to eat a few of them. Needs a little more seasoning as it’s still pretty light on the smoke flavor, but the hickory comes through nicely. Would order again

Burnt Ends

0/10 Ranking: 8/10

Seasoning: Salt and pepper

Description: Light sale and pepper covering, with hickory smoke being the main flavor coming through. More meaty than fatty, they were slightly dried out but tasty overall. Wouldn’t feel the need to order again over the fatty cut, but would eat a few for sharing at the table if available

Pork Spare Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: Tender, but not quite fall off the bone. Light seasoning but really good hickory smoke coming through. No sauce needed for these ribs. Would order them again, but also nothing too over the top. Might be the 5th or 6th best in Colorado, but need to order again at the new location

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 8.5 to 9/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: Great texture with the crunchy pieces of skin mixed in with the meat and fat. Definitely a Top 5 maybe Top 3 pulled pork in Colorado. The meat stands on its own and it doesn’t require sauce. That said, the original sauce does give it a little bit of extra sweetness if that’s your thing

Turkey

0/10 Ranking: 9 to 9.5/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: The turkey was extremely juicy with good smoke and seasoning flavoring coming through. Thinly slices, it may be Top 3 if not Top 2 turkey in Colorado. Leave the sauce off this one, as it stands on its own no problem. Quarter pound was enough with everything else ordered, but would absolutely get this one again

Interior & Menu Photos

Post Oak Barbecue

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 9/10 and Yes. Absolutely worth a stop, with almost every one of their meats being a top option for Colorado. May be the best spot in the state on any given day, as it will scratch the itch of anyone craving some Texas style BBQ. Always one of my first recommendations for anyone asking where to go in Denver, as it’s never left me disappointed. That said, get there early, because this place always fills up fast

Date Visited: 3/5/2021 and 6/26/2021 for their anniversary party (with suckling pig)

Address: 4000 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212

Day of the Week: Friday for first visit and Saturday for second visit

Time of Day: 11:08 AM for first visit and 10:38 AM for second visit. They open at 11:00 AM

Owner: Nick Prince

Website: https://www.postoakdenver.com/

Number of Years in Business: June 26th, 2019

Number of People in Line: 7 people the first time and 5 people the second time

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas

Total Cost: $42 with tip. 1/4lb of brisket, 1/4lb burnt ends, 1/4lb pulled pork, 1 sausage, 1 spare rib, 1 Shiner Bock

Type of Wood: Post Oak and mesquite

Type of Smoker: Offset smoker and electric combination

Type of Seasoning: Salt, pepper, & garlic for brisket but additional blends for other meats

Best Dish: Brisket or burnt ends

Best Sauce: Texas

Best Side: Coleslaw

Interior Description: Modern upscale interior meets Texas BBQ joint with classic tin tiled ceilings, reclaimed wood walls, and refurbished wood floors, that has an elevated design with a high-end bar and whiskey wall directly across from the chopping boards. Fun and classic old-school bbq vibes with a warm and pleasant staff who always seems to be having a good time

Pro Tip: Go on Fridays for the burnt ends and Saturdays for the beef ribs, as they are one of the few places in Colorado that does them

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, & garlic

Description: Smoked for 14 hours with Prime Angus cuts. They had a good 1/2 smoke ring around each piece and had a nice smoky and peppery flavor running through it. A very juicy and moist brisket, easily a top 3 in the state and worth an order every visit

Burnt Ends

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, & garlic

Description: Only served on Fridays. The seasoning and smokiness make for a great flavor running through each piece. Juicy and mostly meaty, they add their own blend of Texas sauce and few other ingredients to it before tossing them back in the smoker for another hour and half to caramelize. Would order again

Pork Spare Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 8.5 to 9/10

Seasoning: 8 different spices

Description: St. Louis cut heritage pork. Fall off the bone tender with good smoker and flavor running through the entire rib. This one sits behind Rollin’ Bones and Smok for best in Colorado, but it is a very close number 3

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 7/10

Description: While the pork was juicy, it had little smoke or seasoning coming through each bite. Was a good, but pretty middle of the road pulled pork and needs some sauce to improve it. Could be skipped for other meats or sides next time around

Jalapeno Cotija Sausage 

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Description: Made in-house with a balanced spice, meat, and fat blend to it. Had a good crunch to the casing with subtle smoke notes and a creamy texture running through each bite. The spice level with the jalapeno was right on point. Would order again

Sauces

Sides – Coleslaw

Sides – Mac & Cheese

Interior & Menu Photos

Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 8/10 and Yes. Worth a visit if you’ve never been, as the BBQ was decent overall, although not spectacular, but the ambiance and the vibes make up for it. Ordered the redneck taco with pulled pork and the Big Brother Sampler on a local’s recommendation and neither disappointed. Portions and sides were great for the price and will leave you full at the end of your meal. Worth stopping in you’re nearby one, but lean more towards pork than beef options

Date Visited: 2/9/2023

Address: 3108 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212

Day of the Week: Thursday

Time of Day: 11:15 AM opens at 11:00 AM

Owner: Pat Martin

Website: https://www.martinsbbqjoint.com/

Number of Years in Business: Since 2006, with multiple locations in multiple states

Number of People in Line: 3 in line, with 15 people already sitting down

Regional Style of BBQ: Tennessee

Total Cost: $51.91 plus tip

Type of Wood: Hickory

Type of Smoker: Coffin smoker, similar to Lockhart BBQ joints

Type of Seasoning: Salt, pepper, and several others

Best Dish: Ribs or redneck taco

Best Sauce: White sauce

Best Side: Mac & cheese

Interior Description: Old school BBQ style, with road signs, license plates celebrity photos, and posters lining the walls. Light country music playing with a nice smokey smell hitting you as soon as you walk in

Pro Tip: Try the white sauce, as it’s not something you get everywhere, as well as order the redneck taco

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 7.5 to 8/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, and maybe others?

Description: Served fatty or lean, ended up ordering the fatty pieces. Light smoke and seasoning through the piece, but good flavor overall. Needs more bark and more smoke to come through though. Good, but nothing special

Pork Spare Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 8/10

Seasoning: Dry rub and wet rub options available

Description: Really good smoke flavor running through it, one of the smokiest I’ve ever had, but not overpowering. Fall off the bone tender, without being mushy and over cooked. Light seasoning for the the wet rub, that needs more overall to take it to the next level. The dry rub was a little too much dusty seasoning on the tip and the rib being a little over cooked as well. While good, make sure you go with the wet option

Sauces – Jack’s Creek

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Description: Classic west TN style, with a sweet vinegar & pepper sauce from their description on the bottle, which was accurate as described. Good heat blend and a very watery sauce, but good on the pulled pork and the brisket

Sauces – Alabama White

0/10 Ranking: 7.5 to 8/10

Description: Creamy, with a cinnamon or nutmeg finish and just a smidge of pepper to it. Very unique flavor, but I think it would go best with a chicken dish

Interior & Menu Photos