Riot BBQ — Restaurant in Denver

Decided to check this place out on Saturday for lunch because we heard it was a new BBQ spot, and we were not disappointed!

They've only been open for a few days and we stopped in around noon yesterday. The line was fairly long, but moved quickly. The inside of the restaurant looked pretty awesome, and I liked the decor! There was plenty of seating inside and outside. They also had a room towards the front entrance for kids with some toys and games. Outdoor seating is covered and they had a small live band playing.

The BBQ food is amazing! Very tasty and they have a good selection of meats, sides, and drinks. They don't have any alcohol, but according to the owner, they are currently in the process of acquiring their liquor license (this process can take time, so don't let this deter you because they'll get it eventually). The drinks they do have are great though, good selection and I recommend their iced tea! We ordered the Smoked Brisket, Smoked Turkey, Texas Sausage, Brisket Taco, Pork Ribs Al Pastor, the Esquites Cornbread, and Macha Slaw. All of this was amazing, but I highly recommend ordering the Brisket Taco, Esquites Cornbread, and Macha Slaw! Be prepared though, BBQ food can get pricey, so you can order smaller portions of things to help, this way you're able to try more and not break the bank too much. They have some awesome sauces you can bring to your table, my favorite was the Chipotle BBQ sauce. We also added the Mop Sauce to the Macha Slaw which added some acidity and made it even better!

All of the food, the service, the staff, and the new set up was amazing! The location is a bit weird so make sure you use GPS to find it if it's your first time coming here. There's a parking lot across the street if you can't park right out front. It was pretty busy the whole time we were there which was good to see!

Overall, I'm happy we checked this place out and the food was very good! They're a new spot in old digs, so please check them out and help support a small local business so we can keep good...

First time trying since the new ownership took over! Wanted to deliver my thoughts in-person but the place was busy and I didn't want to distract the staff!

Overall Thoughts: Service was excellent! I accidently spilled my drink and as I was cleaning it the staff was very attentive and told me they would take care of it!

Food:

Brisket: 9/10 I came at 7pm so they were sold out of the regular sliced brisket. I decided to get a plain brisket taco to try the brisket and it was very good. Even for chopped it had a good mouth feel and the flavor was on point! Some of the best brisket in Denver!

BBQ Sauce: 4/10 Not a fan of the flavor profile of the sauces. Both had a Tex Mex kick to them (cumin was a forefront flavor). I'm more looking for a sweet and smoky BBQ sauce and this didn't hit the mark. Thankfully the Brisket was so good that it didn't need sauce

Chicken Loco: 7/10

Flavor profile was fantastic with the citrus marinade! Chicken is a very dry protein in general, and unfortunately that was the case here. It was likely smoked in the AM and I came later so that was a possible reason for that as well. Still quite solid. Probably wish I got more dark meat.

Texas Sausage: 7/10

Good flavor, but also dry. Not sure if I can attribute this one to the late dining though, since this seems to be a common complaint in reviews

Texas Chorizo: 6/10

Sadly had the same dryness problem, and the flavor was too strong of cumin as well. Still decent, though. Probably wouldn't get again

Mac and Cheese: 7.5/10

Good flavor. Could have been warmer. Happy that the noodles weren't overcooked. Not much to write home about, solid.

Mexican Dirty Rice: 6/10

Good way to use up leftover brisket and pulled pork, but flavor fell slightly flat. Maybe some Goya Sazon seasoning or some other MSG based seasoning would perk it up a bit and make the flavor more exciting!

Strong experience overall for a restaurant still trying to work out the kinks! Will likely return earlier in the day to try to get a fresher...

Bless this barbeque spot and the fine folks serving Central Texas & Mexican flavors justice 🙏 I knew we were in for a treat when I saw the sweet tea, lemonade, and agua frecas flowing; but I knew it was the real deal at the first bite of beans. Folks may know about the differences across states (KC, Carolina, etc.) but they may not know that within Texas are variations per region. This is Central Texas without question that is then elevated with Northern Mexican style for an inspired BBQ experience.

We came later in the evening so some items were sold out, but that's a great sign to simply come earlier (or for the real ones to just come back again, and again, and again)! Shown are 4 meats, 3 sides, and pickled accoutrements - brisket, pulled pork, chorizo, chicken loco with pit beans, potato salad, and cornbread dressed like elotes alongside fresh pickles & jalapeno medley. 👏brought👏me👏to👏tears👏

I cannot express how succulent, flavorful, and delicious each component was or how when combined with other elements just got better and better. And honestly, it was 10/10 each bite that only got enhanced with sauces (which are delicious but in my humble opinion are optional). This is something you'll need to experience for yourself.

But lest we forget, the operation couldn't run without the people. Everyone was friendly, helpful, passionate, and a bit goofy. They work together flawlessly to build your order in real time so by the time you're finished paying you have a tray ready to g-o.

An absolute treat through and through. Texas sized 10-4 good buddies....