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When you think of Estes Park, Colorado, barbecue is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But if you’re in the area, you should definitely check out Smokin’Daves’s BBQ & Brew. We’re always game to try out a new barbecue place, and when I saw that the menu had bison ribs…well, we couldn’t resist.
Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ: The Location
820 Moraine Avenue, Estes Park, Colorado
We tried out the original location that sits in a rather picturesque location surrounded by mountains. The scenery is gorgeous, but that is true anywhere in Estes Park.
The inside is rustic like you’d expect a barbecue joint to be. It has a sports bar kind of vibe, but it’s totally family-friendly.
Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ: The Food
We were eager to sample the barbecue, especially those bison ribs since I’d never tried them before. We had some difficult decisions to make. Jeff and I went with Dave’s Double Platters. He selected Texas brisket, Smokin’ Buffalo Ribs, fries, and “smashed” potatoes. The ribs come covered in blackberry barbecue sauce. Yum!
I chose Carolina pulled pork, Smokin’ Buffalo ribs, southern corn bake, and “smashed” potatoes. So good!
We tried all of the sauces. My favorite was the house recipe, which is often the case. It’s fun to try all of them, though!
Kristin sometimes has ribs, but since it was a new place, she wasn’t sure. Instead, she picked the kids’ chicken strips with fries. She washed it down with pink lemonade. This entree had the Kristin seal of approval!
Everything was great. As for the bison ribs? They were similar to beef ribs, of course. Not quite as “fall of the bones” as pork spare ribs tend to be. They were certainly tasty.
The food was great, but I definitely had leftovers; my barbecue made a tasty lunch the following day after our drive on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. To read about that adventure, click here.
If you’d like to read about our other barbecue experiences on the Billingsley National BBQ Crawl, click here.
We had a wonderful experience at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ & Brew. Make this place part of your Rocky Mountain National Park trip!
3 Comments
I’m one of the few people who is not a fan of bbq but those sides look delicious! I could eat a basket of the Mac and cheese.
Looks amazing! Not to mention the views outside! Have yet to visit Colorado… someday!
Glad you found another awesome place to experience!