Seeking Soul Food in Colorado

Soul Searching

Before visiting a little-known barbecue spot in 2012, I hadn’t thought much about finding soul food in Colorado. Our state has it’s own chow personality, sort of. It’s heavily influenced by Mexican food, including the four-corners region, midwestern ranching, game of course, and trout from mountain streams. There is no shortage of good food, but there is something not quite unique about any of it. Sort of like the non-accent. Without thinking about it, I began seeking out soul food – at least what felt good to my soul. As Southerners like to say I tell you what – there’s some good food and good people making it here in the west. I’ll tell you just a few of my favorites

Georgia on my mind

The screen door had a familiar feel when I stepped up on the porch of Georgia Boys Barbecue in Longmont, CO about 8 years ago. The 100 year old shack was on the edge of town. You had to look for it then. I drove past it a couple of times to be sure. It had a scraggly yard and a couple of picnic tables out front. Metal buckets held napkins and forks, but that was it.

I had a flashback to childhood — going to pick up pork shoulder with my grandmother, or whoever was chosen to go get it. Barbecue, much like King Cakes, is something you go get. Let the experts handle it. We ordered barbecue for family gatherings and made sandwiches on white hamburger buns, put slaw on top, a little hot sauce, and dug an ice cold Coke out of the cooler “to cut the grease”.

The smell of burnt ends and collard greens cooking long before I had been awake snapped me out of my dream. I was home. I ordered from a guy who spoke my language, let the screen door slap the wooden frame behind me with a thwack, and waited outside in the dry July heat. The only thing missing was heavy air and a Coke in a bottle.

Cajuns aren’t lost.. they just like mountains and decide to stay.

Before I left the city to live in Western Colorado, I found The Lost Cajun, a smallish franchise of restaurants that feel more like mom and pop spots, because they are. The Denver locations are owned by a Louisiana native who obviously finds joy in seasonal crawfish boils, SEC football, and serving up hot bowls of gumbo with cold Abita beer. The first time I walked into a Lost Cajun, I got the same feeling I did at the barbecue shack. I highly recommend you stop in when you see a location near you. It’s just pure soul. And they do beignets. Enough said.

Here in Grand Junction, we have some more Louisiana folks who serve up home cooked soul food from a recycled mini school bus, painted the color of a Gulf Coast sky. Gumbo Lov has won my heart here. I’d stop by every day for an etouffée or bowl of sausage gumbo if I could. They serve until they run out, which is often.

Saturday is Muffalata day

Don’t putz around.

Pulled pork and a big side of friendly

On the barbecue trail, there are lots of offerings in Colorado. There is also a real debate as to what is actually barbecue and what is just some meat with sauce on it. The latter is a sorry excuse and I can’t eat it. Barbecue is something you eat – not a thing you do. Let’s just get this out of the way:

If you put in on a grill, that is grilling. It’s also cooking out. Your choice. If someone says they are barbecuing, I get the confused dog look on my face and try to let it go. They mean well.

For my opinionated money, Big Mike’s Pork and Wings is the holy grail of Southern barbecue here. They get it. They do slaw on the sandwich. South Carolina holds hands with Alabama (we’re not talking about football so it’s ok). The menu here is authentic and also takes some risks. The food truck is so big that I can hardly see over the window counter when I order. When the voice behind the screen says “how y’all doin?”, I know it’s all going to be ok. These guys are the real deal. I drove out of my way one weekend to buy a five-pound pork shoulder. They slung these from their own driveway in Fruita, CO and the whole neighborhood smelled like barbecue. No sign needed.

Did you save room for dessert?

I’m still waiting for someone to hit the mark on pecan, key lime, and chess pie or a good banana pudding here. I haven’t found it, so I make my own. Jack Daniels is a required addition to my pecan pie. Miss Mary Bobo’s recipes are my jam.

A lot of people are grossed out by chess pie. Like key lime, it’s sugar and fat, but life is short. Just eat less of it and go for a hike. Westerners seem to have more neurosis about their diets. Aside from actual allergies (I don’t want you to die), I encourage you to just relax and enjoy food for what it is – good for the soul.

Pull up a chair with friends or strike out on your own and seek out soul food that opens up a screen door for you – maybe even slams it now and then… in the best way.

Thanks for reading and being part of the SBS tribe! Feel free to subscribe for more features on local finds and my sideways take on life here in Western Colorado. What are your favorite hidden soul food joints? I plan to do some road tripping and always open to suggestion.