We decided to eat a Smokin' Dave's BBQ after a long day hiking at RMNP. We visited a bit after 6PM on a Sunday in the pouring rain and even though we thought it was shoulder season, the place was absolutely packed. We were quoted a 35-40 minute wait time. Since the waiting area was completely full we decided to go back to the car. Luckily, they use a waitlist system that sends updates via cellphone. It ended up only taking 20 minutes, and soon we sat inside to order. The food took about 15 minutes to arrive: Smokin' Bison Ribs ($29) - This entree comes with ribs, two sides, and a cornbread muffin. Bison Ribs - Three huge ribs decorate the top of the plate. According to the menu, they try to provide two pounds of meat - I'm not 100% sure it's that much, but it is a substantial portion nonetheless. The meat is moist and while not fall-off-the-bone, courtesy of a very thick layer of silver skin attaching the meat to the bone, is tender enough to be easy to eat. The ribs are slathered in a blackberry bbq sauce. It's not nearly as sweet or fruity as the name suggests. Instead, the flavors are very complementary and work so well together with the fabulously smoky and somewhat charred flavor of the ribs. (5/5) Side 1: Southern Corn Bake Casserole - This includes tender sweet corn kernels in a very creamy sauce with some green chile, giving a small bit of vegetal heat. It's similar to a richer creamed corn with a bit of heat. (4/5) Side 2: Red Beans and Rice - Tender beans that remain whole rather than falling apart into a mushy mass, reside on top of a very small amount of soft rice. Honestly the rice is almost vestigial here given the amount of beans on top. It's all in a very rich and savory sauce filled with celery. (4/5) Cornbread - This is a moist cornbread muffin with a couple of whole corn kernels inside. It's sweet but not as sweet as a dessert. (4/5) Dave's Double Platter ($22) - This entree comes with the choice of two meats, two sides, and a cornbread muffin. Meat 1: Brisket - A pink smoke ring surrounds pieces of lean, pale colored brisket flat. The meat arrives in a puddle of juices and seems to have plenty of black pepper embedded in the crust, but not any particular bark, making it seem like the brisket will be moist and tender. Unfortunately, the opposite is true - it's mostly dry with only superficial moisture on the exterior. I feel like they store pieces of brisket immersed in vats of the meat juices and keep it heated through service. They rest there until someone orders the brisket, then chunks are lifted out and sliced to order. All the moisture seems to be sucked out - on the first bite I could tell that I needed to eat the brisket in bbq sauce. Still, while dry, it's not too tough and it does have a good level of smoke. (3/5) Meat 2: Pulled Pork - The pulled pork has the same issues as the brisket and the same upsides: dry, with only superficial moisture, no bark, good smoke ring. Strangely they provided a piece of very light colored pork that wasn't shredded and was actually really tough and completely dried out. At least the darker meat shredded pieces are small enough to immerse in the meat juices to remoisten. (3/5) Side 1: Jalapeno Hush Puppies - These spherical fried corn fritters are stuffed with jalapenos, giving enough heat for the mouth to tingle. The texture is very dense, moist (especially due to the addition of onion), and smooth, making it seem homemade rather than commercial. For some reason, the center of each hush puppy has a void. They are fried well, giving a good crisp on the exterior. (5/5) Side 2: BBQ Baked Beans - These are very tender mixed beans in a very sweet sauce. I'd say very similar in sweetness level to canned beans. There are some small pieces of bacon mixed in to spice things up. (3/5) Cornbread - Interestingly not baked as much as the one that came with the bison ribs, making it much paler in color. I guess they aren't that consistent at baking these. Otherwise it could be due to hotter or colder spots in the oven? Other than the bison ribs, the other barbecue items are kind of meh. At least the sides are mostly good. Portion sizes are large but not comically big. We had enough leftovers for one meal the next day. When we left a bit after 7:30 PM, the place was still completely full and there were still people in the waiting room. Seems like a very popular place for dinner! Bathrooms - Two larger rooms/multiple stalls, one for men, one for women. read more