Wayne's Smoke Shack — Restaurant in Superior

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 8.25 to 8.5/10 and Yes. Worth a stop, but not the best in Colorado in anything outside of maybe their garlic mashed potatoes. Wayne’s is located out in a nice suburban strip mall, nestled between Boulder and Denver in the town of Superior, and is open on only Fridays and Saturdays. Admittedly, I was reviewing this for a second time due to a recent Reddit post regarding my Colorado BBQ rankings, where a lot of people had some strong opinions that Wayne’s was the best brisket and bbq in the state. As such, I recognized I hadn’t been there in almost 5 years and my original review was one of my first ever, so I wanted to give them a second chance to see what everyone was raving about. Walking up to the front door, I was hit with a nice smell of smoke, with an unexpected amount of people already waiting in front of me. For it only be 6 minutes past opening, I was pleasantly surprised to see 28 people ahead of me already in line. Upon entering, I noticed they have frozen bbq options also available for takeaway, which is a unique option not really available at other Colorado locations. They also have grab and go take away side dishes as well. As a heads up, they don’t have a liquor license, so only fountain drinks and sweet tea here. Friendly staff though and can serve down to 1/4 lbs of any of the smoked meats. I got the Wayne special, which came with 1/2 lb meat option plus a side and drink, and I added in a wide range of additional meats and sides. While the steady flow of people was nice to see, I found myself confused, because while this is better bbq than I remember, it’s also not worth the premium price they charge compared to other locations. Add in that they don’t have Shiner Bock or Lone Star (Central Texas BBQ staples) or any other beers I can enjoy with my barbecue, and I find myself sticking closer to my original review than what my local Reddit enthusiasts think. Although to be fair, they were better than I remember and do have a good bbq vibe and ambiance to it with solid customer service and improved sides, so I bumped them up 14 spots in my state ranking and 17 nationally. While the food was better than I remember, none of the meats blew me away, with some leaving me underwhelmed. Overall, it is worth stopping in for a visit, as they do have some unique flavors compared to other locations across the state, but I have a hard time putting them in a top 5 in anything outside of their garlic mashed potatoes. Full review at The House of Salt &...

10/5/24 Update: It just keeps getting better. Wayne's commitment to barbecue excellence knows no bounds. You won't find a more detail-oriented pitmaster anywhere.

9/15/24 Update: This is still the best BBQ in the state of Colorado. If you are anywhere in the Denver metro it is worth the drive to Superior for this exceptional barbecue.

Original Review: As a 10-year resident of Kansas City, and a former fat guy, I know a thing or two about consuming smoked meats.

This is, hands-down, the best authentic Texas-style barbecue in Colorado. The establishment is inviting and the staff are upbeat, fun and welcoming. There is an incredible smell that emits from the establishment. My partner, who is natively from TX, explained to me that smell "is what Texas smells like." Proper.

I am perfectly satisfied. This is by far the most carefully prepared and delicious BBQ anywhere around. I have not had another local establishment's barbecue that is even worth comparing to the amazing glory that is Wayne's Smoke Shack.

Are you getting barbecue in Colorado from another restaurant? Then you're doing it wrong. Unless you are smoking meat in your backyard and are winning BBQ competitions, you have no excuse to not visit these exceptional meat magicians.

They don't put any sauce on the meat. It doesn't need it. Yes, they have three kinds of homemade sauces, if you need it. Original (Molasses action), Texas Style (Sweet & Tangy), and Southern Heat (Peppery). However, the 24-28 hour cooking process for all the meats ensures they are substantially juicier than any other smoked meat I've found here in Colorado.

I just finished consuming: The most perfectly cooked and seasoned ribs I have ever eaten. No other memory of ribs even approaches the apex of rib-glory these meatsmiths have procured.

Brisket that is so juicy it literally melts in my facehole.

Sausage for DAYS. Delicious. The casing had the right texture to make the bites extra crisp and satisfying, and the inner contents of the sausage were impeccably delicious, seasoned to perfection.

REAL FUCKING SIDES. Mac & Cheese. Baked Beans. Mashed Taters. You know. This place is the genuine article if you are looking for flawlessly executed Texas-style barbecue in Colorado.

Go here and eat barbecue. Any day except Monday, from 11am until they're out of meat. They are usually out of meat by 2pm. That's how good it is. GO. GO NOW AND SATISFY YOUR...

Out of the gate I will say that our other visits to Wayne's have been fabulous. The food is always so delicious and today was no exception. However, there was one employee today who ruined the entire visit for us. I came in with my family and was looking at the menu for 15 seconds when he told me to come to the counter to order. I told him I wasn't quite ready (we had 6 people) and didn't want to hold up his line. He stared at me and said..."I can't hear anything you're saying." OK! He then proceeded to say "I can dish you up as much as a little as you would like!" Great! I started by asking 2 oz of brisket. He put 8 oz. on the scale. When I questioned it, he got super snippy and said "I only know pounds, not ounces." Uh alrighty! He rushed us along super fast and piled double of what we asked for on the scale for every type of meat. The last thing I asked for was a small piece of Salmon and he put a whole piece (maybe 7 oz) on the scale. I kindly asked if he could cut it in half (which was still more than I wanted) and the guy rolled his eyes and sighed at me. I had had it with his 3rd grade behavior and asked "Does it annoy you that I asked you to cut it in half?" His reply...."Ya it does, but I'll do it." I wished I just would have walked out at that point. The cashier was super nice but would not tell me the name of the guy who had taken our order. We did have an employee come talk to us (I didn't catch his name or title) and give us coupons and an apology, with a promise to talk to the offender. It was a nice gesture that we appreciated. We felt so uncomfortable sitting in the restaurant eating our food after we had been treated poorly. The icing on the cake was that this employee was making snarky comments the whole time we were there while serving other customers. I heard things like, "I can cut that smaller for you if you REALLLY need me to." "We don't have any salmon left. Oh wait, yes I have a HAAALF of a piece." 3 or 4 different comments. It was really awful. It made our family feel unwelcome and small. I couldn't get his name. He was young, clean shaven with glasses. I hope it was a fluke and we were just the unlucky patrons who caught the brunt of a bad day, but honestly, it's jut not ok to treat your patrons (or anyone!) that way. So...