Front Range Barbeque — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

Definitely cannot recommend!

I want to first start by saying we consider ourselves BBQ aficionados and food snobs having previously owned a BBQ restaurant in a different state. So if you are neither of these you may find this place acceptable. We decided to try this place while on vacation because it had 4.6 stars and it was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network.

We came in for dinner and decided to sit outside where they had a band setting up to play. Dinner and show sounded great! We ordered the burnt ends for an appetizer. I know this sounds like they should be burnt but they should be a caramelized, unctuous piece of the point side of the brisket. These were so burnt and I do mean literally burnt that my husband could rub the burnt between his fingers leaving charred, black soot on them as if it was charcoal or creosote from a chimney. Inedible and we sent them back. The server was more than gracious and did take them back and off our ticket. This should have been our warning to leave but we decided to give the dinner menu a try.

We then ordered the 2 meat, 1/2 rack of ribs and brisket, with 3 sides to share and salads. The salads were the best part of the dinner unfortunately! The ribs were edible but dry and lacking in seasoning. Good BBQ should not need sauce but you definitely had to add sauce to get any flavor. There was a smoke ring but no smoke flavor - not sure how that happens. We asked for the point (fatty) side of the brisket and we got the flat (leaner) side and the pieces were so thinly sliced you couldn't see any bark or taste any for that matter. Again, lacked seasoning and no smoke flavor but you could see a smoke ring. The brisket was so dry the sauce didn't even help it and we didn't eat it at all.

We tried the spicy slaw, which states it is a creamy pepper dressing. It lacked acidity and salt but there was a little spicy on the backend. The skinny green beans were cooked with bacon, garlic and onion (according to the menu description) but none of these flavors were present and again lacked salt. We also got the special for the night, which was cheese and pepper grits. Mediocre flavor although they were cooked properly and creamy but once again lacking salt. I am not one who adds salt to my food when I eat out as I find it usually is heavier on the salt than I care for so for me to say it needed salt was a statement. The salads were just that - salads. Crispy, fresh and cool and again the best part of the meal.

Our server did check on us but failed to fill water glasses. She was sweet but really did nothing to try to make anything right when it came to our dissatisfaction. We paid and tipped generously and then offered some feedback to our server. She was apologetic but didn't offer to try to get us anything else that may make us happy - not that we would want or ask for anything. This is just generally the right thing to do when a customer is so unhappy and obviously didn't eat but about 1/4 of what was set before them between 2 people.

Cute, quaint location and the band was great and a nice addition to the night. They were busy and, according to the serve, a local hot spot. If you have read this far, we would definitely not recommend or visit again, and I am seriously sad to say that this place did not hit even near the 4.6 mark of reviews for us. We wish the the restaurant the...

Updat5/2/22 : If you haven't been here your missing out. As promised new photos and a short video. Appetizers: Smoked Artichoke Hearts, tender and juicy with the perfect breading to hold it all together . Smoked wings with hottiyaki Sauce. this was a special for the day and so glad i grabbed them. the sauce was just right and the wings smoked to perfection. Entrees: Cajun Caesar Salad; seasoning was on point. the spice didn't over power the salad which can be easy to do. the dressing was great and just the right amount for this salad. the croutons ratio was perfect to the last bite. Maybe just a couple more tomatoes to make this already amazing salad over the top. The Frontier Combo: Lets start with the sides, the Red skin mashed potatoes. absolutely the best I've had in a long time. rich and creamy smooth velvet texture. true love and passion put into them. thanks to our waitress i got the red beans an rice as my second side and they were amazing. the perfect amount of spice to compliment the beans an rice. now onto the meats. the brisket was really good. The Kielbasa Sausage was again one of the best quality and best tasting ones I've had in a long time. The half rack of ribs was cooked prefect they still had moisture in them which I find most don't know how to do that. I do have two Critique's from this visit one is the ribs. two of my ribs on the end barely had any meat. my suggestion for this is to cut them off and use those scraps in one of your recipe's . my second thing is don't get my main courses out right after my apps have arrived. one I personally like to enjoy my apps and i felt rushed. and secondly we were at a tiny table and it overcrowded it and made it so we rushed through our apps. this isn't a bad thing but something that could make people enjoy your food and their experience even more.

Shout out to Katlyn our server this time . you did phenomenal and we also hope to see you again real soon. I might need a togo box next time. lol.

A must see. Do you get tired of looking for real authentic BBQ places only to find corporate fast food joints. such as Dickeys , Billy Sims , etc. Well I sure do.

As a BBQ connoisseur I am so glad that I finally took the time to stop by here. Even my lady who isn't big into meat or BBQ was impressed and agreed we can go back more often. Needless to say I will be back. I haven't found a true BBQ place this amazing in a very long time. nor have I found one that is this good in Colorado. Coming from a man that grew up with making homemade BBQ sauce, smoking meats, and grilling as a passion, I tip my hat to this establishment and thank them so much for knowing what real BBQ is and means. Just FYI they sell three of their BBQ sauces. so if you want to take some to wherever you call home don't forget to ask to buy a bottle or 3.

If you get a chance get the burnt ends. absolutely delectable . I will eventually be able to give pictures and reviews on the whole menu as I cant wait to go back and try more amazing food from this stellar place. loved the music and atmosphere. any place that plays the Dead or Jerry or any other true music is amazing to me. Big shout out to Kayla our waitress/ Bartender. She was extremely busy with the bar , our table, togo orders, drinks for the restaurant, etc. your smile brightens this establishment and we hope to see you...

Dry, unseasoned, bland, and underwhelming “BBQ”. Maybe it was a one off, but for a place acclaimed to have fantastic BBQ, I was shocked at the pricey overcooked food.

Ordered their wings as an appetizer. No surprise just baked wings, asked for sauce on the side because was told it may be very spicy. The wings are not to be presented this way. Get it slathered with sauce otherwise you’re eating bland chicken with a dip, it was not spicy at all.

I ordered the Rib Combo Plate: brisket and 1/2 rack pork ribs, mini-corn muffins, southern baked beans, fries, onion straws. Brisket was sliced thick and grey and rigid. Need I say more? It had no flavor, tough as cardboard, and lacked any hint of being smoked with any proper wood and presented a terrible smoke ring. The brisket was “smoked” too long and was practically inedible. The pork ribs were cooked slightly better, in the sense that it had moisture inside. No flavor, didn’t fall apart, chewy, and utterly underwhelming. French fries were crisp and salted nicely! Pairs perfectly with ketchup. The southern beans were savory with a nice tang and taste. The 2x mini corn bread (emphasis on the mini) muffins came with butter and were pleasantly tasty. Accompanied with the southern sweet tea, which was made very well with the proper amount of sugar/tea blend.

Other meals ordered were the brisket sandwich (same diagnosis of the brisket, dead on arrival), the front range burger (over cooked to overdone and no seasoning), brisket burnt ends (no complaints from the recipient).

Dessert was the pecan pie with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. It was not half bad. Chunky pecans with little filling that made it more mush than pie. The buttery crust though, made it a more pleasant experience, with a sweet drizzle of caramel that complemented the ensemble.

The service was pretty good. With the waitress checking in often and refilling drinks as required and attentive to any questions. The establishment hosted ample seating, close-knit, but ample enough to accommodate a pretty good crowd. Front range exhibits a small outside seating for fair-weather days. The inside produces rustic vibes. The chairs were pretty wobbly and not very comfortable for sitting. Evening lighting was slow to be turned on, so we sat in awkward dimmed light until someone went around to turn lights on.

Overall, not worth the pricey costs for overcooked and unseasoned meat. The place seemed promising, and as I said, maybe it was a one off but I would not likely go back. I am a Texan, so while my standards may be high, I cannot condone this establishment as solid BBQ for anyone looking for a good experience. I left practically the entire order...