Memphis Style BBQ

KT’s BBQ

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 7.5 to 8/10 and maybe. We decided the try out one of the Front Ranges longest running barbecue joints in KT’s BBQ after an early morning hike with the dogs. Upon walking up to the old house turned barbecue restaurant, we were pleasantly greeted with the smell of hickory smoke all around us, which only intensified once we went inside. The staff were friendly and provided great service, even being so kind as to come out with come chicken in a cup for our dogs. As far as the barbecue itself, we weren’t overly blown away by any dish outside of the hot links, but the ribs and the brisket were decent overall. Would give them another try down the line, but could easily skip the pulled pork the next time around

Date Visited: 6/22/2024

Address: 7464 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder, CO 80303

Day of the Week: Saturday

Time of Day: 1:05 PM. Open at 11 AM

Owner: Kirk & Tricia Jamison (aka KT)

Website: https://www.ktsbbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened this original location on January 3rd, 1992. Opened second downtown Boulder location in 1995

Number of People in Line: 0, but 4 people came in after us

Regional Style of BBQ: Memphis

Total Cost: $65 with Tip for two people. Ordered full rack of ribs for Saturday $24 special, 1/2 lb of brisket, 1/4 lb pulled pork, hot link, coleslaw, red skinned mashers, and 2 soft drinks

Type of Wood: Hickory

Type of Smoker: Vertical

Type of Seasoning: Varies

Best Dish: Hot Link

Best Sauce: Didn’t review

Best Side: Coleslaw

Interior Description: Small interior section with seating for maybe 10-15, but had additional seating outside that is dog friendly. The restaurant is a converted old house, so it has a small cozy feel to it, with wood lined walls and hickory smoke lingering in the air

Pro Tip: Go for the hot link and coleslaw, maybe the ribs

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 7.5/10

Seasoning: Unsure beyond salt and pepper

Description: They chop the brisket which I’m not a fan of typically, but the brisket was still good overall. Tender, but on the tougher side, it had a nice hickory smokiness coming through, but not much else for flavor or seasoning. 50/50 on if I would order again

Pork Spare Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 7.5 to 8/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: Tender and almost fall off the bone, but were a little dried out and slightly overcooked. I think they add a little bit of bbq sauce to them during the smoking process, as they did have a creamy texture to the top, but they do have some seasoning on the outside and the hickory comes through nicely. Similarly, unsure on if I would order again

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 6.5 to 7/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: The pulled pork was very dried out with little seasoning or smoke flavor coming through at all and no bark to speak of. Skip it

Hot Link Sausage 

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Description: Reminds me of a smoked summer sausage with a really good smokiness and flavor overall. One of the staff said they get it from a producer in town, so not in-house. Was slightly dried out, but still a really good sausage that had a nice little bit kick of spice to it. Would order these again

Sauces – No reviews given

Sides – Coleslaw

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Description: Light and crisp with minimal mayo to it. Not overly seasoned, but it cuts all of the meat fattiness really well. Would order this again no question

Sides – Red Skinned Mashers

0/10 Ranking: 8/10

Description: Creamy and well blended, that had a good taste but was also pretty mild in flavor. Would get again, but it needs some slat or something else added to it to take it over the top

Interior & Menu Photos:

Peg Leg Porker

/ Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 9/10 and Yes. Even though we had to park two blocks away, as soon as we opened the car doors, we could already smell the delicious bbq that awaited us. When walking up, you’re greeted by pig themed art work and neon lights, guiding you into your pork haven. A heads up for any brisket fans, that they will need to scratch their itch elsewhere, as Peg Leg exclusively deals in hog, with a little chicken added on the side. That said, they certainly know what they are doing when it comes to crafting delicious pork barbecue and anyone in the area should certainly make a stop, especially for the pulled pork. Laid back vibes, fantastic smells & tastes, with affordable pricing make this an easy recommendation to add this as a pit stop on your next adventure in Nashville

Date Visited: 2/10/2023

Address: 903 Gleaves St, Nashville, TN 37203

Day of the Week: Friday

Time of Day: 1:08 PM. Open at 11 AM

Owner: Carey and Delaniah Bringle

Website: https://peglegporker.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened in 2013, but has been catering since 1998

Number of People in Line: 6 in line, with about 30 waiting for their order or already sitting down

Regional Style of BBQ: Nashville Style and Memphis Style dry rub ribs

Total Cost: N/A

Type of Wood: Hickory

Type of Smoker: Electric

Type of Seasoning: In-house blends and rubs

Best Dish: Pulled pork

Best Sauce: None reviewed, but several in-house made options available

Best Side: None reviewed, but the kool-aid pickles are a unique option to try out if you’ve never had them

Interior Description: Laid back sports bar themed vibes. Walk up window for ordering your food with several seating options inside and out depending on your preference, with a full bar and the smell of hickory smoke hanging heavy in the air inside or out

Pro Tip: Arrive early if you can, as some locals I was talking to says it can run out on the weekends, with lines starting early. Order the pulled pork in whatever variation pleases you, as it is some of the best I’ve had

St Louis Style Spare Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 8 to 8.5/10

Seasoning: Coated with a in-house dry rub

Description: Very tasty rib overall. They had good smoke and seasoning in each bite, with the ratio being a pretty perfect blend so that you could taste both simultaneously. As far as texture, while they weren’t fall off the bone tender they also weren’t tough either. Could have been a little moister, but the ribs were trimmed well for a nice fat and meat balance. Would order again

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Seasoning: Unsure

Description: Super juicy with a great smoke flavor coming through each bite. One of the best pulled porks I’ve had, with no sauce needed on this one. Great blend of meat and fat with a very tasty seasoned bark on the outside with just a little bit of crunch to it. Would absolutely order this one again

Sauces – None reviewed, but had several available

Sides – None reviewed, but had kool aid pickles, mac & cheese, smoked green beans, and coleslaw

Interior & Menu Photos:

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 needs more flavor coming 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 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 fall 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, 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 other’s 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 absolutly 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 this to make a fair assessment of them

Interior & Menu Photos