It has to be done. Before I can truly review this place, I must first serenade you with a song. Yes, a fine lil ditty sang to the tune of the late 90's hit classic, "Last Resort" from the band Papa Roach. Ahem: Rip my ribs into pieces, With just my hands and fork Side of coleslaw, Smoke duck breast. And a jar of sweet tea to wash down this meat fest!! (insert catchy guitar riff) And they have moist Pulled Pork!! Delicious moist Pulled Pork!! Right, now that I have thoroughly lubricated your ear holes, lemme get into this fine piece of meat mongering. So this is a place that had been driven by, more than a few times, and always remained curious about. Always curious because it's a BBQ place and we'd actually never seen it open. I mean, it's there, still standing and looking operational but never open. Finally curiosity won my GF and I over and we did this real idiot thing called look up their hours. Hot dog, it worked! We were now armed with knowledge! Now we needed meat. We did some menu research, because intellectuals, and general recon work and noticed a trend. A lot of people mentioned to come early, rather than later, because this place will sell out of stuffs. They only make what they plan to sell so it's recommended to be there before the hordes come. I'll be the first to say HEED THESE WORDS, my children. After having finally had this place give me a hot meat injection, I can see why it's a guarantee that they will sell out. They are making voodoo meat magic here. It's inappropriate and I need it, forever. We paid mind to the warnings and door busted the place. There was already a line forming, but we were still 3rd or 4th in line. It took a sec to figure out the set up but it was easy once they held our hands and Willy Wonka'd us through it. You step up to the booth, exchange high fives, order from what is on their wall of menu, grab your number, grab your drink, find a place to sit, mark your territory however you see fit, and wait. You can enjoy the freedom of sitting outside, next to Bear Creek, or sit in their covered area because nature sickens you, or you don't want to be rained on. You do you. We opted for outside. After a few minutes of basking in the sun, like the mighty Galapagos iguana, the meat train pulled in. It being our first visit we kept it a lil conservative. We had ribs, pulled pork, smoked duck breast, brisket, a sausage, coleslaw, waffle fries, some cucumber salad, and potato salad. You know...just dipping a toe in. (The future visit included bacon because I will never accepted your judgement of me.) From there we found food nirvana. All the meats were moist, and flavorful. Each had a unique flavor that told their own story but then those stories were drowned in BBQ sauce. They have a few different sauces and I recommend them as your beverage. The waffles fries were crisp and thick, and the salads added that cool, refreshing taste to break up the meat sweats before goin back in. It was just how meat Jesus prophesized it. We ended up leaving, wanting to come back later in the day. We didn't want to be done eating, regardless of the nonsense our weak, mortal bodies tried to tell us! In time we did return, and it was just as the first time, we needed it in our lives. Writing this, I need it again. Put it next to my bed, so I can roll over and naw a rib. Heaven. That's what it's like. Yeah. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, RECOMMENDED!! Eat up, minions! read more

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I love this spot!!! Who doesn't like to eat ribs next to a tiny river? Their meat is pretty good. I definitely had better in the south but It's overall well done, simple and tasty. And the prices are more than reasonable but it's definitely the overall experience that makes it worth it. read more

Delicious bbq! There are 4 different kinds of sauce to choose from. (You can buy some to take home as well). Loved the Gatherer salad with sliced smoked chicken on top. I got the large salad-more than enough for leftovers later. Outdoor ordering and outdoor distanced seating as well as takeout. They will let you use the restrooms inside one by one. Great service! read more

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Fantastic dog friendly spot with a beautiful setting...and fantastic food. Pulled pork was great, duck salad was awesome, beer sausage was amazing, and the ice cream was as tasty as it gets. Homemade everything...and you can tell. I would return often if I lived close... read more

What a great Yelp find! I wanted a quick, hearty lunch after a tour of Red Rocks with some friends visiting. I went on Yelp and Switchback Smokehouse came up and what a great find! We ordered up front and the person behind the register was very helpful in helping us choose our meals. We took our number and took our seat outside. This place is definitely way better when you can sit outside. Their patio is beautiful and sunny with nature views. The food here is AWESOME (for canrivores). You can get a great taste of lots of delicious meats. We split the smoked duck, spare ribs, sausages, and a couple pieces of bacon with a side of switchmac and cheese and crisscut fries. My favorite were the spare ribs and I preferred the fries over the mac and cheese. That being said, everything was great and we cleaned house on our meals. A couple of our friends got the sandwiches and they really liked those as well. Everything was super good and the space is just fine for smaller groups (we had 5). We sat at a picnic table and were able to taste and try eachother's meals. Everything was so good! :) YUM! I would definitely come back. This is great after an outdoor adventure because you can sit outside and it is very casual (no need to get dressed up - workout clothes are just fine). Service was great too! read more

We loooove the delicious food, service and care that goes into every single dish and interaction! My favorites are the ribs, sweet potato fries, locally made pickles and sangria! read more

Food was incredibly flavorful. The portions were so filling. The service was very friendly. And it was in an adorable mountain valley with a very picturesque ambiance! read more

We stayed at a local B&B and were looking for a lunch spot that had a good local vibe. We found this just driving around. My partner is from memphis so relatively picky about BBQ. Everything was to die for!! As I type this my mouth is watering. Cute little spot on the creek with outdoor seating. Amazing smoked meats. Wide variety of good unique sides - we had a large sample or ribs, smoked duck and salmon. Sweet potato fries were great. The sauces were delicious as well. Will definitely be back anytime we are in the area. Stopped by a cute furniture store across the street afterwards that is worth checking out as well. read more

Switchback Smokehouse - Duck, Brussels, salmon, ribs, sweet potato fries, pickles. Heaven! - Smokehouse Near Me - Kittredge, Colorado

Awesomeness but limited supply. Ribs here are life-changing. Order early!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Traveling through and had an itch for BBQ. They aren't open for indoor seating so the only sit down option was sitting in a tent like structure with outdoor heaters. Unless you opt for a sandwich you have to purchase sides separately. I got the pulled pork and waffle fries. The meat was good but I didn't taste any smoke flavor to it. The mild BBQ was too spicy for me. The meat was good enough without it. The waffle fries were very good but a bit overpriced at $5. My husband got the pork sandwich. He liked it but it was also overpriced. I was trying to eat quickly before the food got cold since it was only about 50 degrees out. The staff was friendly. However, I doubt we will return based on our experience today. read more

All I can say is that I'm from ALABAMA and a lot of barbecue sucks out here. Not this place. Total game changer! If you are in the area you absolutely must stop before they sell out. This isn't the type of restaurant where they're going to have everything you want to order all the time. You get there, and they will have the food that they have smoked that day, which is a typical menu. However so many people come there that they run out! It really is that good. Literally some of the most tender barbecue, and smoked meat that I have ever had. They have options from smoked duck, to smoked salmon, to smoke sausage, to pulled pork. There are many options that you wouldn't get at a lot of other barbecue restaurants because they are just not this inventive. They have a great range of sides to choose from, and I've literally never had one that I disliked. This is not common for me. They have a pickle bar to choose from, which is nice because you get to have plenty of condiments you wouldn't even think about at a barbecue restaurant. The sweet tea tastes just like it was made in the south. Also get this, Next door there is a homemade ice cream place made by the same people. I'll try to do another review of that, but the ice cream is just as good as the barbecue. And as I said before, you do not want to miss out on this barbecue. I would say that you would want to get there around 11 o'clock to make sure that you can have all the options that you want to choose from. I forgot to mention that they also have smoked bacon, which is more like smoked pork belly because it is so thick. You can eat along the stream, underneath the trees, tucked in the canyon, and the atmosphere here really does make all of the difference. The town it is in is called Kitteridge and it is so easy to miss, so make sure you keep an eye out while you are driving. Do not miss out of this gem! read more

so bad, so very, very bad. everything mushy, tasteless, dry pork, dry chicken, inedible potatoe salad, bad boxed mac and cheese, canned yucky baked beans. Oh and did I mention expensive? Don't spend the time it takes to get there. Such a disappointment. read more

We decided to get to Switchback when it opened and I'm glad we did because while sitting there eating our food, we noticed how quickly it got packed and busy. We tried a bunch of stuff... our favs were the ribs (super tender), duck, and pulled pork. The chicken was ok but not amazing. The brisket on the other hand, our table of 7 all didn't like it. It was way more like deli meat than what we are used to when we think of brisket. As for the sides... the potato salad, asparagus, and sweet potato fries were our favs. There was some picketed fried veggies we tried that we didn't care for. We loved the sauces and the fact that there were multiple options. One thing that could've made it better was having bread be cheaper for free like I've seen at other bbq places. Overall we will definitely be back and going to order way more ribs and duck next time! read more

I have been coming here almost 4 years now so I am surprised it has taken this long to write a review. Switchback Smokehouse is definitely the best barbecue I have had in the Denver metro area. Everything is good, but the ribs, jalapeño elk sausage, and pulled pork are my favorites. The sides are quite tasty too: mac and cheese, beans, and grilled asparagus to name a few. Today I tried the Broken Rover Sandwich and it was delicious of course! I recommend Switchback to everyone looking for excellent barbecue and great atmosphere. Even my family visiting from Texas gave it a big thumbs up! read more

Switchback Smokehouse - The Broken Rover - Smokehouse Near Me - Kittredge, Colorado

I struggled between four and five star rating, mainly because I don't really like ribs but my husband and mother do and we've been wanting to try this place. We ordered two racks of ribs and the sweet potato fries. The two of them said the ribs were delicious, for ribs I suppose they were good but as I said I don't really like ribs. The sweet potato fries were very good, the setting was lovely, and the staff particularly the young woman working upfront were delightful. Would definitely return! read more

Great food! Bacon is bomb, brisket (more pastrami style) was amazing!! Ambiance is great, right by the stream and you can smell from them smoking it right there. Friendly staff read more

My "go-to" for take-out bbq when entertaining on my deck at home. Consistently excellent with an interesting variety of bbq sauce. Ribs and pulled pork are incredible. Brussels sprouts & asparagus are also great. VERY good value. read more

Stopped on a whim and our whole family agrees this place is 100% worth stopping for a cold treat! We tried the Evergreen mint, coffee crunch, cookies & cream and salted caramel...two thumbs up read more

Switchback Smokehouse - Switchback sweet shack - Smokehouse Near Me - Kittredge, Colorado

This place has some of the best barbecue I've ever had in my life. I'm from Alabama originally. Enough said..

Anytime I go up into the foothills I plan a trip to this BBQ restaurant. The sandwiches are huge, delicious and creative. Doesn't matter if you get pulled pork, brisket or chicken. Highly recommend the Devil's Elbow and Rooster Booster. Do get there early on weekend's as they tend to run out of meats. Bypass the fries for one of their other sides. Very good potato salad and Mac and cheese. Also, they usually have a grilled veggie. Very good grilled asparagus the last few times I've been in. Too bad they no longer do fried zucchini as it was delicious. Great place to eat outside for lunch in the summer as you eat alongside a mountain creek. read more

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Oh yea baby! Pulled pork, blue salad & sweet potato fries. Yum. These guys are still cooking good! The creek and smoke aroma are just a nice ambiance for me. Get here early cuz these guys often sell out. read more

I love the Switchback Smokehouse. I have been coming here for years whenever I visit Evergreen. I usually get some of the smoked pork with a bunch of sides. On my most recent trip I had smoked chicken and with the hot sauce that came with it, it was literally to die for. I love sitting by the creek and eating. It is very peaceful. The fried giardenara was really great, tangy and sweet, I can't wait to get it again. I also loved the grilled asparagus. You can't go wrong with the beans, yum!!! And now they have ICE CREAM!!! I have only tried the coffee Heath crunch and the vanilla, and they were both great. read more

Switchback Smokehouse - Giardenara, asparagus - Smokehouse Near Me - Kittredge, Colorado

Yummy!!!! Great food and service and the best part it's right down the street!!! I just wish they had more days they were open!!!

How do I love these? Let me count the ways!!! I can't say enough good things about Switchback... Oh, yes I canBring back the fried zucchini & fried pickles!! And keep the Brussels sprouts on the menu all year and then I'll give you 10*****!! And now the Switchback Sweethouse?? read more

Our 1st time here and I can't wait to go back. I had the District Five - only my second time trying duck and it was amazing. The smoke flavor and tender meat made an incredible sandwich. My husband had the pulled pork. He enjoyed every bite. Just place your order and wait for the food to be delivered. Great time! read more

Excellent with fresh food, tart to creamy sauces. Not the Southern twang and/or creamy acidity, gotta try new and delicious!!! Always welcome, and guests happy and patient for the long lines. read more

Oh My Food-gasm. Every single thing we had was amazing. Devils elbow- Salad with smoked chicken- Grilled asparagus- Kids meals were generous and just as tasty. Mac & cheese and a hot dog- We were just passing by and happened to stop but we'll definitely be back. Got here at 11:08 with a line already out the door and now we know why! read more

Worst menu EVER!!! I had the choice of pulled pork, chicken leg or some kind of gross sausage. They were OUT of everything else? What? I ordered the chicken leg, and its burnt to crisp! Dont go there! read more

Switchback Smokehouse - YUCK!! - Smokehouse Near Me - Kittredge, Colorado

When we pulled up we could smell a delicious scent wafting from the smoker! We ordered a pulled pork sandwich and a 1/2 rack of ribs (6 bones). It seemed a little pricey until we tasted it and then we decided it was totally worth it. We enjoyed tasting the 4 different sauces that were on the table. We enjoyed sitting outside and eating our food! The ribs were meaty and delicious! The pulled pork was moist and the bun was fresh. read more

Waiting for the return of the fried pickles! Always love all the meats and the people are great

Really good hole in the wall with lots of outdoor seating. You've got to have the duck breast.

I've been to Switchback plenty of times and every time I'm increasingly disappointed. I must, however, offer an explanation and a caveat. First, the caveat. Switchback has an interesting menu. They have some stuff on the menu that is more "South Carolina" than "Texas" BBQ. You'll find a few menu items here that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the Front Range. Now the deeper explanation behind the stars. I am actually inclined to give fewer stars but I'm feeling generous. Every time I go I notice the same things: 1) staff seems drunk or stoned. That's just lame and stupid. 2) my food seems consistently overcooked - it's a freaking smokehouse. Slow and low is the way to go for tender BBQ. I'm not sure how the meat ends up dry unless you're distracted from the job at hand. (See point 1). 3) portions seem small for the price. I'm a skinny guy and not a terribly big eater but the portions seem skimpy for the price (and again, for the subpar quality). There are several far better options within a half hour drive. Switchback could be really good. They just don't seem to want to be. read more

:::Disclaimer::: For those of you looking for the typical BBQ experience here, you're not going to get it. It's going to blow your mind, if your mind is open to enjoying something just a little different. The emphasis of this place is SMOKEHOUSE, and from even a mile away, you can smell the cherry and apple wood smoke wafting around. The meat here is seriously smoked, and it's amazing. Okay. Now read. There's some old addage that says, if you don't do something completely right, don't do it at all... Well, Switchback does it right. All of it. Each and every thing we have tried here is executed to perfection, from their meats, to their sauces, to their sides. These people know how to do food. So, what you need to do is to drive here. Fuel up, get some of your favorite tunes, and make the pilgrimage. This is the best BBQ/meat we've been able to access in the great state of Colorado--and we've munched a lot of pulled pork around these parts. So, wow. We were initially led here due to a desire to head into the hills and yelp out some good eats along the way. Oh man, I'm glad we listened to (most of) you. The drive up to the Switchback Smokehouse is gorgeous, and leads to daydreams about a cabin somewhere up in here. Once we tried the food, my cabin dreams altered to include close proximity to the Switchback. I ordered the pulled pork and the pulled chicken, along with the Tar Heel and Original sauces to accompany. My honey got the pork and the brisket--before the staff allowed him to commit to the brisket, they brought out samples for both of us, and warned that it's not what everyone thinks of when they imagine brisket. Instead, it's this incredibly smoky corned beef-esque slice of peppery flavor. Haters gonna hate, but consider me and my honey lovers of the SS version of brisket. The pulled pork was the best I've had in this state, possibly anywhere, and the pulled chicken made me want to cry. I'm not even shitting you. It's not "pulled," so much as it's an incredibly moist piece of white meat chicken (Boulder Natural, so you know that thing had a happy life,) smoked and smoked to perfection, then chopped up to order. I dreamed about that chicken. I've never EVER flipped out this much about chicken. Ever. But it's stupidgood. So good that we returned the following day for more. I worried that it was a fluke--that we had visited on their one awesome day, and that the following would be a mediocre meal. My worries were dashed when an equally as awesome portion of smoked chicken came out, alongside some brisket (the staff, different on this day, were equally as concerned about our enjoyment of their brisket. It was equally as awesome as the day before.) On this day, I paired my meats with their INCREDIBLE chimichurri sauce, a side of coleslaw (HUGE portion for two bucks, fresh as all get out, and spicy!), and a beer. $4 will get you a bottle of some good microbrew gold here, including a gluten free option for my fellow glutards. So, we'll be back here. All the time. It's only a 35 minute from Denver, and a gorgeous one at that. Thumbs up for serving drinks in mason jars. For some reason, that touch makes this place extra awesome. read more

So glad I finally stopped here. The parking is a bit dangerous, since you have to pull into a stall right from the highway (which means you have to back out onto the highway on your way out), but its worth the (low) risk. I had the pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw on top, a side of sweet potato fries, and a graham cracker porter from the Denver Beer Company. It was heavenly...the pork was prepared well, the bun on the sandwich was nice and soft, and the BBQ sauces (served on the side) were amazing. My favorite sauce was mustard based with a nice kick. Give this place a try. It might just rise to the top of your BBQ list for Colorado. read more

Talked the place up to a friend of ours because it has been exceptional in the past. Prices have skyrocketed and they decided to stop selling their sandwiches until the upcoming spring and summer. I normally do my smoked meat at home and eat at Switchback because most bbq joints disappoint. Really hope they get back on track soon. read more

WOW WOW WOW!!! This place is amazing! Set in the mountains off of HWY 74 in Kittredge, not only is the scenery beautiful but you'll find some damn great BBQ! Not really a shack, more like a convert house with a big front yard, picnic tables, foosball, and other games to play. There's a bar where you can order local craft brews and watch a game. The place can get busy and there's good chance they'll sellout but totally worth the trip. Pulled pork, pulled chicken, brisket, ribs. Salads, BBQ meat by the pound, sandwiches, and great sides! I had to try a little of everything so went with: 1/2 slab of St. Louis ribs, 1/4 lb brisket, with a side of Mac (shells) & cheese. Washed it down with a local Long Tree Brewing Peach Ale! The service is first class! Everyone is friendly and make you feel at home. If it's your first time, don't fret they'll take the time and explain everything to you! Amazing people, food, and ambience!! #Kittredge, #Denver, #Colorado @SwitchbackSmokehouseCo read more

Place was incredible amazing people and even more amazing Food! We ordered the Duck Breast, Jalepeno Elk and Brisket. It was delicious! read more

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Sausages, good! Ribs, good! Duck, AMAZING! Brisket had good flavor, but a little on the dry side. Randomly stopped in after a day of bouldering at the nearby state park. The owner (or I think he's the owner) was behind the cash register and asked us if we'd ever been there. When we informed him we were from out of town, he went out of his way to help us. He provided us with a breakdown of all the items on the menu and made recommendations on what to choose. Needless to say, the rest of the staff were extremely helpful and friendly as well. Everyone checked up on us a few times to make sure we had everything we need. If I'm ever in the area again for some climbing/bouldering, I'll be sure to stop by. read more

Switchback Smokehouse - Roast duck (top left), brisket (bottom middle), and ribs (top right) - Smokehouse Near Me - Kittredge, Colorado

This place is a welcome gem. I came here with some friends after taking our pups on an way hike nearby. The drinks are served in mason jars, and the meats were second to none. I got the District 5, which is a duck sandwich. I was so full. My husband got a full rack of ribs, Mac and cheese and coleslaw. The ribs were perfectly smokey, juicy, and falling of the bone. Our table split some fried pickles. Those were great, but a bit in the greasy side so they could of sat on a paper towel for a few more seconds. The only thing that wasn't to my liking was the coleslaw. I prefer the creamy style. It has a great location, right next the river. I'm sure the next time I travel in that direction I'll be dining again. read more

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Very very very good bar b q. my only complaint is that this place is too popular and they never seem to smoke enough meat for the demand - every time I've ordered they were out of at least one item we wanted. read more