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reviewed on April 4, 2008

Who has the best barbeque in town? That may sound like a simple question, but no matter how you respond to it, someone’s going to think you’re a genius, and someone will swear you’re an idiot. If you’re from anywhere in the south, you not only think that the best barbeque in the world is made there, but you’re probably also convinced that it’s impossible to find decent ‘cue in Denver. Nevertheless, since it’s my task to lay my taste buds on the line for you each week and give you my honest opinion—before you start emailing, remember it’s an opinion—I’ll tell you that I found some terrific barbeque this week.

After receiving a few calls on The Restaurant Show, we made our way to Parker Road and Belleview and there, on the west side of the street we discovered Colston’s BBQ, a modest little eatery that exudes charm, from its comfy booths to the artful wall hangings, and it’s relaxing pastel hues. It reminds me of what a friend who grew up in the south once said of another tastefully decorated barbeque restaurant, “This place is too clean to have good barbeque.”

The first thing people want to know about barbeque is what style it is. Memphis, North Carolina, Texas, Kansas City. All that classifying just confuses me, so I simply asked, and got a laugh from Marshall Colston, who explained that he didn’t set out to copy any particular style, but simply to make the best darned barbeque he could. Rather than making ‘cue the way his father did before him and his grandfather before that, he carefully researched rubs, sauces, different woods, mops, and every other variable you can conceive of before settling on his own style. If you insist on classifying it, I guess you could call it Rocky Mountain style barbeque.

The bottom line is that the only thing that ultimately matters with barbeque is the taste of the final product. But even before we got to the ‘cue, we had to try the gumbo, a rich, smoky bowl of stew with peppers, chunks of sausage, and shrimp (watch out for the tails) over rice that floods your mouth with flavor and winds up with a spicy punch that arrives about ten seconds after you swallow it. It is not to be missed.

When it comes to the actual entrees, your choices are pretty straightforward—ribs brisket, chicken, hot links, catfish, shrimp or chopped pork. There’s also a rib eye steak which I’m sure is good, but I have no idea why anyone would order a steak when there’s barbeque to be had.

We had to try the ribs, and then selected the chopped pork for our second dish. Both came with a choice of two sides, so we got to try the collard greens, baked beans, cole slaw and fried okra. And there we sat, pushing plates back and forth across the table, impatient to share the incredible tastes with each other. The ribs were incredibly moist, and meaty requiring just the right amount of chew to remove the meat from the bones. Both dishes came with Colston’s one and only barbeque sauce on the side, but both the ribs and the chopped pork had enough flavor to stand on their own, which is the way it should be.

Portions are more than adequate, so you won’t leave hungry, but please don’t leave without trying dessert. There are only two of them, both classic Southern favorites—sweet potato pie and peach cobbler—and to miss either one would be a travesty.

Prices are average, parking is basically unlimited, and beer and wine are available. Colston’s is closed on Monday. 

Colston’s BBQ 
5001 S. Parker Rd. (northwest corner of Parker Rd. and Belleview)
720-870-5772