Franks Bar-B-Que

"I've driven past this place dozens of times on my way from Denver to Lakewood and I've always been curious about it. This time I was driving home at 3:30 p.m. and I pulled over to check it out--just in time as they close at 4 p.m. I had no idea that this was one of the oldest food businesses in Denver. The grandfather of the current owners started the business in Bay City, Texas back in the late 1960s, moving to Denver in 1980. The walls of the dining room are full of memorabilia that provides an interesting history of the city. Frank's main business is catering and they can handle extremely large events. They include set-up, take-down, food tables, and servers. They can also provide tents, tables, and chairs. Food options include whole, smoked pigs, smoked turkeys, brisket, sausage, pork ribs, chicken, and pulled pork plus sides and desserts. Although the business is mostly catering, there is a small dining room at their headquarters and you can stop in for a plate or a sandwich or items by the pound to eat-in or take out. The hours vary and are limited, but they're generally open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. I tried a three meat plate with brisket, pulled pork, and pork ribs with sides of cole slaw and pinto beans. The brisket was awful. It was sliced paper thin which was a first for my lifetime of barbecue experiences. It was also totally lean, tough, and flavorless. The pulled pork was tender and pretty good. The ribs were OK, flavorful, but hardly fall-off-the-bone tender. The beans were cooked nicely, but I would have preferred a little more barbecue flavor. The cole slaw was great, very creamy and fresh. I don't expect the cole slaw to be my favorite item on a barbecue dinner, though. I don't think these guys do a lot of volume over the counter. They are probably a better choice for catering."

"This place is family owned and their food is good. Place is clean and well kept. If you walk in and the doorbell don’t go off just yell, “HELLO!” and the cook will come out. Sometimes their bell don’t work but they don’t mind you grabbing their attention."

"Best BBQ in all of Colorado and comparable to the best I’ve had in Texas and in Georgia. Frank’s BBQ is champ status succulent, moist, and flavorful beyond words. First things first, Frank Jr. was down south hospitable and amicable, he just came across as a super good dude. I felt at home in an instant. The brisket was insanely well balanced, the marbling was perfection as was the level of smoke. Frank’s sauce is scientifically proven to produce tongue smiles and salivation upon contact with your taste buds. The sauce isn’t watery nor is it a thick goo, it’s texture is just right with precisely the correct amount of sweetness, saltiness, and tanginess. The ribs were fall off the bone tender yet had the exact amount of bite to engender the thought of tearing into a freshly smoked slab. This thing went from smoker to mouth. The atmosphere was laid back and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Next time I’m Denver, I’ll be sure to drop by Frank’s for more heavenly brisket, ribs, and sauce. Thank you Frank!"

"Frank's BBQ is fantastic. We used Frank's for catering a small event. Food was delicious. Everyone loved it. Service was fantastic. No mistakes were made with our order. HIGHLY recommend."

"I can’t say enough about what a great experience we had with Frank’s. We had a big event and decided to go with having Frank’s cater it. We ordered their whole pigs, Mac n cheese, and beans. It was all soooooo delicious. We had people asking us all night where we got it from and telling us how good it was. Besides the taste, just doing business with the staff at Frank’s was a delight. They helped me figure out what to order, always answered my endless questions, always called me back and never seemed annoyed, clear on price, and even early with food delivery. It was awesome. They went above and beyond our expections! We will order from them again for sure."