Grilling

Rolling Smoke BBQ

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 7/10 and maybe. Might be worth a stop for brisket or burnt ends if you’re popping in earlier in the day, but could also easily just skip it for some better overall options around Denver

Date Visited: 12/1/2020

Address: 7470 S University Blvd, Centennial, CO 80122. Other locations at the Golden Mill, Stanley Marketplace, and Wheat Ridge

Day of the Week: Tuesday

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

Owner: Terry Walsh, originally from Oklahoma

Website: https://rollingsmokebbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened March 2014 as a food truck, then 2017 at Stanley Marketplace and February 2018 for this location

Number of People in Line: 0

Regional Style of BBQ: Unsure

Total Cost: N/A

Type of Wood: N/A

Type of Smoker: N/A

Type of Seasoning: N/A

Best Dish: Brisket or burnt ends

Best Sauce: N/A

Best Side: N/A

Interior Description: At the end of a strip mall in the suburbs. Nothing special about the interior, but they do have a large offset smoker outside

Pro Tip: Stick to the brisket and burnt ends

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, maybe others

Description: Some of the best-flavored brisket I’ve had in Denver for smokiness. Had about a quarter of an inch of a smoke ring going around it and had some good bark, but it was overcooked and a little dried out for my order. May have just gotten a bad piece, but definitely a little tougher and drier than some of the other briskets. Good flavor, though, and would try and order again

Burnt Ends

0/10 Ranking: 8 to 8.5/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, maybe some others

Description: Burnt ends were tasty, and they had a good combination of fat, meat, and seasoning in each one. They were slightly over-seasoned with salt and a little bit overdone, but don’t need any sauce and can stand on their own. I would order them again

St Louis Style Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 6.5 to 7/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: The ribs were tender, but had very little seasoning and smoke flavor that came through with each bite. Need the sauce to salvage them, which is OK, but nothing special. Wouldn’t come back for them again

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 6 to 6.5/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: Nothing special at all, as it was very bland, but it was at least moist for a saving grace. However, no smoke flavor or anything really coming through. Would not order again, very average

Sauces – Need review

Sides – None ordered, need review

Interior & Menu Photos: N/A

Piggin’ Out Smokehouse

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 7.5 to 8/10 and Maybe. Cool spot in the burbs, but nothing good enough to warrant a special trip, besides maybe the pulled pork. Can’t say I need to come back, but worth a stop if you’re in the area, as that part of town has limited BBQ options available. Would recommend coming during a nice weather day to take advantage of the outdoor seating and views of the mountains

Date Visited: 4/20/2021

Address: 9987 Morrison Rd, Lakewood, CO 80227

Day of the Week: Tuesday

Time of Day: 12:32 PM. Open at 11:00 AM

Owner: Zack Anderson

Website: https://www.pigginout.com/

Number of Years in Business: At least since 2014

Number of People in Line: 1 person sitting and 1 person ahead of me in line

Regional Style of BBQ: From Ohio originally, so blends several styles together

Total Cost: $36.00 with tip. 1/2lb brisket, 1/2lb pulled pork, 1/2lb chicken, and 1 Fat Tire

Type of Wood: N/A

Type of Smoker: N/A

Type of Seasoning: N/A

Best Dish: Pulled Pork

Best Sauce: N/A

Best Side: N/A

Interior Description: Small interior with only 4 indoor eating spots. Has a bunch of outdoor seating, though, with picnic tables wrapping around the entire building. Had good music and blues playing. Very much gives off low-key and old-school BBQ vibes

Pro Tip: Stick with the pulled pork

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 7.5 to 8/10

Seasoning: Unsure, but minimal

Description: They keep the point and flat together, then soak it in an au jus sauce and chop it. The brisket was juicy, but was also slightly overcooked. With the soaking, it leaves the bark without any crunch, but the seasoning is reasonably good, but nothing special at all. Little smoke flavor coming through, and reminds me more of beef shoulder than of solid brisket. Some good pepper flavor on one of the few bark pieces that weren’t soft

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 8.5 to 9/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: Good combination of crunchy and juicy meat pieces. Had a smoky and tasty exterior skin that ran through the pork. Didn’t need any sauce for it. Easily a Top 10, but probably a Top 5 pulled pork in Colorado. If a saucier pulled pork is desired, the mild BBQ sauce is the way to go, but the sauce is very sweet, and too much can overtake the meat. Would get again

Pulled Chicken

0/10 Ranking: 7.5 to 8/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: Really good smoke flavor coming through the chicken, but that’s where the positives end. The chicken was slightly overcooked with minimal exterior seasoning. That said, one of the more flavorful chicken pieces in Colorado, but still nothing over the top. Smoke tasted like hickory

Sauces – Needs review

Sides – None ordered, needs review

Interior & Menu Photos

Terry Black’s Barbecue

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 9/10. Cool environment and delicious BBQ that you don’t have to wait hours for, I would recommend this place to anyone coming through Austin

Date Visited: 1/28/2021

Address: 1003 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704

Day of the Week: Thursday

Time of Day: 12:50 PM. Opens at 11:00 AM

Owner: Mark Black (Great-grandson of Edgar Black Sr., the son of Terry & Patty Black.) His twin brother Mike and sister Christina also own and operate, with Mark and Christina running their 2nd location in Dallas’s Deep Ellum neighborhood. Cool part of Texas History

Website: https://terryblacksbbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened in 2014 in Austin, then 2017 in Dallas (7 years)

Number of People in Line: 5 people, but the dinning room was full with about 45 people sitting down already

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas

Total Cost: $30 w tip and beer. Brisket, spare ribs, jalapeno cheddar sausage, turkey

Type of Wood: Oak

Type of Smoker: Offset Smoker

Best Dish: Brisket or Turkey

Best Sauce: Spicy

Best Side: Didn’t try any, need review

Interior Description: Cool BBQ shanty vibe with outdoor and indoor seating. Similar to other Texas joints, you can grab a beer while you wait in line for your order

Pro Tip: Second-best brisket I’ve had in Texas after Franklin’s, but don’t sleep on the turkey. Since they don’t cut burnt ends, grab some lean and fatty brisket when you come

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Best brisket in Austin after Franklin’s. It had the most seasoning of any other Texas spot that I tried, with a great bark texture and a good smoke ring running through it. Moist, but still having structural integrity to it, the lean and the fatty cuts were both good. With how they were trimmed, you could eat multiple pieces of either the lean or the fatty and not get overwhelmed with richness. It was a little cold by the time I had gotten there, so arrive as close to opening as you can for the best experience

Burnt Ends – Not made here, as they do lean or fatty cuts with their brisket

Pork Spare Ribs: 

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Really good salt and pepper blend for the seasoning, with the pepper really shining through. Moist and tender, but not quite falling off the bone. Very tasty rub overall, but would still put some Colorado locations ahead if it

Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage 

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Description: I got this at the recommendation of my line carver, and it was a solid recommendation overall. Mild spice to it, with the flavor and consistency reminding me of home, with a similar profile as cheddar brats of northern Wisconsin. Would order again

Turkey

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Description: Extremely juicy turkey breast with great seasoning and a slight smoke flavor running through it. Would order again as it’s probably the best turkey I’ve had in Texas

Sauces – Original & Spicy

0/10 Ranking: 6.5/10 and 8.5/10

Description: Both sauces are tomato-based, but the spicy one has a mustard vinegar aftertaste that is pretty good. Original is nothing special, though

Interior & Menu Photos

Evie Mae’s BBQ

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 8.5 to 9/10. Yes, worth a stop, especially as a nice break in the drive between Denver and Austin/southeastern Texas. Cool interior, free beer, and good BBQ make for a good time while in Lubbock

Date Visited: 1/27/2021

Address: 217 US-62, Wolfforth, TX 79382

Day of the Week: Wednesday

Time of Day: 2:38 PM. Opens at 11:00 AM

Owners: Arnis & Mallory Robbins

Website: https://www.eviemaesbbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened in 2014 as a food truck in Tucson, AZ then moved to Lubbock and opened current location in spring 2016 (7 years)

Number of People in Line: 0 in line, 5 sitting

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas

Total Cost: $27 w tip.

Type of Wood: Oak

Type of Smoker: Reverse flow offset smokers

Type of Seasoning: Salt, pepper, some others

Best Dish: Burnt Ends

Best Sauce: (Needs review)

Best Side: (Needs review)

Interior Description: 2-story BBQ joint with large interior space, with counter ordering and a large beer trough right when you walk in

Pro Tip: Grab yourself a beer while you wait in line, as they are free if you’re grabbing some food, similar to several other Texas locations

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 7 to 7.5/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Brisket was slightly tough with about 1/4 inch smoke inch to it. I had the lean cut pieces, but they may have been too dried out with closing time being at 3PM and me getting there at 2:38

Burnt Ends

0/10 Ranking: 8.5 to 9/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Extremely juicy with a good blend of meat and fat, leaning on the fattier side. Might be the juiciest burnt ends I’ve ever had, but seasoning and smoke were relatively mild, but very good balance overall

Pork Spare Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 8/10

Description: Tender and juicy, but again, not enough smoke or seasoning flavor coming through. Salt and pepper rub only, I believe, but didn’t confirm

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 6.5 to 7/10

Description: Dry and somewhat bland, with only pepper flavor coming through. Wouldn’t get it again

Interior & Menu Photos

AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 8/10. Need to go back for another official review, but would say it’s worth a visit for old school brick and mortar feel

Date Visited: 10/29/2020

Address: 2180 S Delaware St, Denver, CO 80223

Day of the Week: Friday

Time of Day: 12:00 PM. Opens at 11:00 AM

Owner: Jared & Amanda Leonard

Website: https://www.pitbarbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Started in Chicago in 2010. Opened January 2019 in Denver

Number of People in Line: 4 with 6 sitting down already

Regional Style of BBQ: Texas

Total Cost: $42

Type of Wood: Post Oak

Type of Smoker: Offset

Type of Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Best Dish: Burnt Ends

Best Sauce: (Needs review)

Best Side: (Needs review)

Interior Description: Gives off the old-school Texas BBQ joint feel when you step inside, from the long wooden tables, to the counter service ordering, it creates a cozy atmosphere that isn’t achieved at most other Colorado locations

Pro Tip:

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 7.5 to 8/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Good blend of meat and fat, and was still plenty juicy even at 12PM from when they opened. Simple salt and pepper blend for the brisket, with maybe a 1/4 inch smoke ring running through it. Moist with good smoke flavor, nothing else really comes through for the seasoning, requiring a little bit of sauce to enhance it

Burnt Ends

0/10 Ranking: 8 to 8.5/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Solid burnt ends overall, with good flavor that doesn’t require any sauce. They were just slightly overcooked, but had a deep level of smokiness running through them. As with the brisket, the smoke is the main flavor that comes through, with minimal seasoning making its way to the taste buds

Pork Spare Ribs

0/10 Ranking: 7.5/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Good smokiness flavor running through it, without much else, similar to the brisket and burnt ends. The ribs were just slightly overdone, but still had good overall flavor to them, but nothing too special

Ragin’ Hog BBQ

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 7.5/10 and Yes. Overall, I would only come back here for the ribs and the mac & cheese, maybe the collard greens. While the owner was extremely passionate during my talks with him, there are better overall barbecue spots in Colorado. That said, I would put their ribs in the top 5 here in the state, being slightly behind Smok, Post Oak, & Rollin’ Bones.

Date Visited: 2/11/2021

Address: 4361 Lowell Blvd, Denver, CO 80211

Day of the Week: Thursday

Time of Day: 11:05 AM. Opens at 11:00 AM

Owner: Colleen & Stacey Van Tuyl

Website: https://raginhogbbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened in 2013 (8 years)

Number of People in Line: 0

Regional Style of BBQ: Memphis & Arkansas

Total Cost: $37 with tip. Included burnt ends, brisket, ribs, chicken, collard greens, & mac and cheese

Type of Wood: Mainly hickory and apple, but uses others as well

Type of Smoker: N/A

Type of Seasoning: Salt, pepper, cumin, paprika

Best Dish: Ribs

Best Sauce: Carolina

Best Side: Mac & cheese

Interior Description: Very minimal, with room for maybe 10 people inside, with outdoor seating for 4 in front. More of a takeaway BBQ joint, it’s at the end of a strip mall in the Highlands.

Pro Tip: Go for the ribs, mac & cheese, & collard greens

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 8 to 8.5/10

Seasoning: Paprika, salt, pepper

Description: Tasty brisket overall and easily one of the smokiest flavored ones in Colorado. Uses a hickory smoke with paprika, salt, and pepper for the blend. Not much flavor coming through from the seasoning; it’s pretty light, but the brisket is very tender and juicy, with the lean slice having good fatty strands running through it. They do separate the point after smoking them together to make burnt ends. While the brisket was juicy and smoky, it needed more flavor to come through overall, and so I give it an 8 to 8.5 due to the unique smoke flavor, which even beats out several BBQ joints in Texas by comparison

Burnt Ends

0/10 Ranking: 7.5 to 8/10

Seasoning: Paprika, salt, pepper

Description: Good blend of fat and meat in each bite, but overall the brisket is bland and needs way more seasoning and/or sauce for it to be great. Seasoning looks to be minimal on the outer crust, but it does have a unique flavor to it that is enjoyable when you get some. They need sauce to maximize their flavor and were a little tough, so not necessarily worth a stop, but could be good on the right day

Pork Spare Ribs

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Description: Best item on the menu for them. The 3 ribs were tender, but slightly tough, not falling off the bone. That said, they had good flavor running through the entire rib. They finish off the ribs Memphis style with a little bit of BBQ sauce at the end as well, which adds a nice sweetness to them. From talking with Stacy, I learned they like fatter hogs for the ribs, so they partner with local farmers to get specific fatty ribs for maximum volume. Top 5 ribs in Colorado, easily and would come back for them

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 6.5 to 7/10

Description: While juicy and tender, a very bland pork that demands sauce, as there’s next to no seasoning and just a little bit of smoke flavor running through it. Would not order again

Chicken

0/10 Ranking: 6.5/10

Description: Chicken was dry and mostly flavorless, with a little bit of smoke flavor running through it. Way too dry and will need to be drenched in sauce to eat. Would not order again

Sauces – Sweet

0/10 Ranking: 7.5/10

Description: The sweet barbecue sauce tasted like a traditional American sauce that you can find in any store. Okay, but nothing special. The burnt ends were salvaged somewhat by the sweet sauce, as the others didn’t add much to them when applied

Sauces – Carolina

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Description: The Carolina had some nice spice blends to it, with the vinegar and tomato base coming through. While not really a mustard style sauce and it had some good heat blended in it for a well-rounded taste

Sauces – Memphis

0/10 Ranking: 8/10

Description: Their version of a tomato-based sauce, it has a good flavor to it and is tasty overall, but nothing too special either

Sides – Mac & Cheese

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Description: The mac & cheese was cooked al dente and had a nice creamy texture and some really good cheese flavor running through it. It also seemed to have a little bit of smokiness and a sweet/spicy blend of seasoning sprinkled inside. Would absolutely order again

Sides – Collard Greens

0/10 Ranking: 7 to 8/10

Description: The owner recommended these, and in all fairness, this is the first time I’ve ever had them. Looks like there are some onions that are mixed in, and the cup had a lot of oil/juice throughout, which, due to my inexperience, I have no idea if it is normal or not. That said, they had a soft but structured feel to the bite, and with a good flavor coming through that reminds me of my grandma’s sweet sauerkraut. Texture was almost that of an artichoke heart and is definitely on the sweeter side of things, with a rich flavor. Could not eat more than a few bites of it due to the level of richness. I would need to try other collard greens and compare them to make a fair assessment of them

Interior & Menu Photos