Smoke & Ember — Colorado Edition

Best BBQ in Colorado

Colorado may not be the first state that comes to mind for barbecue, but its smokehouse holds its own. Here's the best BBQ restaurant Colorado has to offer, hand-picked and mapped for easy planning.

Colorado doesn't have one single barbecue tradition tied to its name the way Texas or the Carolinas do. Instead, the state's smokehouses tend to draw on the country's major regional styles — Texas brisket, Kansas City's sweet tomato sauce, Carolina-style pulled pork, Memphis ribs — filtered through whatever the local pitmaster grew up eating or trained on. That makes Colorado's BBQ scene more of a patchwork than a single style, but the best spots still smoke low and slow over real wood, the same as anywhere else.

1 restaurant mapped & rated 🔥 View on Interactive Map
Smōk ⭐ 4.6
Denver, CO

Michelin Guide-recognized Denver BBQ where the smoke plays a perfect supporting role to outstanding meat. The burnt ends and creamed corn are customer obsessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best BBQ restaurant in Colorado?

Based on Google ratings, Smōk in Denver is the top-rated BBQ restaurant we've mapped in Colorado, currently holding a 4.6-star average. That said, "best" is personal — check the full list above and look at what each spot specializes in before deciding.

Does Colorado have its own barbecue style?

Not a single defined one — Colorado isn't typically grouped with the major regional BBQ traditions (Texas, Carolina, Memphis, Kansas City). Its smokehouses tend to blend those established styles rather than follow one regional standard.

How many BBQ restaurants are on The BBQ Map in Colorado?

We currently have 1 BBQ restaurant mapped in Colorado, each with a real Google rating, address, and description. We add and verify new spots regularly.

How do you choose which restaurants make the list?

We look at real Google ratings, review volume, and reputation — prioritizing restaurants with strong, consistent feedback over a large number of reviews rather than a handful of five-star outliers. We also remove restaurants that have permanently closed or relocated as soon as we confirm it.