Al's Pits Barbecue

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  I hate it when people do this, but I really have to. I am rating this a one, but we ended up not eating here. I am giving it one star based on service alone. The owner of this place is awful! Just awful.
  
  My husband and I went out of our way to find this place, we walked up and grabbed a menu from this road-side stand. The owner (I assume) and a lady were behind the table and he was making food for a customer, he handed the customer his food and his change, the customer counted the change and said "Excuse me, was it $14 or $24?" the server (owner?) snatched the money from the customers hand and counted it out to him slowly " 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, 100" set the money on the table and walked away angry. The customer just stood there, and then counted the money again, again he said "uh... was it $14?" the owner guy walked over again and was visibly pissed, snatched the money straight from the customers hand again and said "look, count it! 15, 20, 30, ... oh... I counted wrong" THAT WAS IT! No apology for treating this customer like he was some kind of fool, nothing!
  
  I cannot support a place that would treat their customers this way, we looked at each other, and said "nope" and walked away. It was just too much! The customer was so nice about it, I am not sure I could have kept my cool with someone ripping money from my hand and talking to me like I was the idiot in the situation. I would never visit here, too much risk of being treated badly and short changed and then blamed for it.

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  Posted on 09.23.13 Sarah V.

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  Best BBQ I have had in a long time!! I got to sample the pulled pork, brisket and the ribs- everything was cooked perfectly! The ribs had that nice pull when you sink your chompers into it and came right off the bone. The brisket alone was fantastic, no sauce needed but they had several sauces avail. I had to get an order to take home when we left on Sunday. They also sell Jerky- ALL kinds!!
  Al and Liz were super friendly and have a great set up here at the campground! Fishing pond, a creek that runs through the camp site, fire pits, a gazebo with tables and chairs, they had a bar open for our festival too- Can't wait to go back!! a Great camping spot for the whole family~

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  Posted on 08.05.13 Amy F.

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  We stopped here for a late lunch on the drive from Breck to Denver. The menu offers a bunch of types of meat sandwiches, burgers and meat plates. These included brisket, pulled pork, chicken, elk, bison, bratwurst, ribs, turkey legs and sides like baked beans, coleslaw, corn on the cob and chips. My husband ordered a brisket sandwich for $8 while I tried the pulled pork (also $8). Most sandwiches were $8 or less and a "hungry man's plate" with a few types of meat and a side was just $10. Our original plan was to share/split sandwiches, however we each inhaled ours so fast that sharing was not gonna happen. My pulled pork was super juicy and not fatty at all. Ditto for the piece of brisket meat that fell out of my husband's sandwich that I was able to taste - perfectly tender and moist. We both loved the bread. It was soft with a slight chew like a very puffy baguette, not crumbly like a burger bun. It was able to wrap around the big pile of meat on both our sandwiches and hold everything in, even though juices were dripping through. Very tasty! Also not a ginormous portion size which was perfect for me (probably not so much for my hungry husband).
  
  The only thing that struck us as odd was their lack of homemade sauces. After we were handed our sandwiches in paper baskets, we were told to sauce them up from a bin holding bottles of Sweet Baby Ray's, Famous Dave's and a couple of other BBQ sauce options. While the meat was already flavorful, smokey and delicious as it came, homemade sauces would have upped the ante a bit and we were surprised not to see any. You can also top your sandwiches with onions, jalapenos and pickles. You can also buy your meats by the pound which was a decent bargain at $12-14. There is picnic style seating inside their "park" both uncovered and covered tables. Don't miss the jerky and fudge being sold just down the road!

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  Posted on 07.08.13 Kate G.

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  This excellent hidden gem serves up some mean food! Stopped in with the family on the way to Boreas Pass near Como to see the changing aspens in September, and had a delightful chat with the owners as they prepared our bison and elk burgers. Third-pounders grilled fresh to your liking (not too rare, Al said, as he doesn't want people blaming him if they get sick) with any or all of the standard fixings.
  
  The couple owns a nice little park directly behind the BBQ stand where you can sit in the sun or shade and enjoy your meal at a picnic table - charming little spot.
  
  My stomach always seems to be growling a bit whenever I pass through Grant going either way - now there's finally a reason to stop and help the local micro-economy by spending a few bucks.
  
  Give Al's Pits a try next time you're headed to the southern mountains - you'll be pleased that you did.

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  Posted on 09.18.12 Keith W.

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  Possibly the best BBQ I've had in CO.  Over the course of staying the Labor Day weekend there, enjoyed the Beef Brisket, Chicken Sandwich, Ribs Plate, and Turkey Leg....all of which were amazing!  Al and his wife Liz are very witty, friendly people - will definitely be returning again. :)

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  Posted on 09.04.12 Brian R.

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  Every year, I make it a point to road trip in September or October.  You don't want to go too early, or the aspen will be disappointing.  Too late, and the leaves will be gone.  With work and school eating up most of my time, I didn't find time to go until today.  Unfortunately, most of the bright yellow leaves had blown off in the snowstorms that happened early in the month.  It didn't really matter; it was a gorgeous day, and there's really no bad time to visit the Rockies.
  
  Our plan was to trek from our Denver apartment to Guanella Pass then down to Fairplay, through Alma (or my town, as I like to call it), up to Kremmling, then Granby to Denver.  We got a late start, ended up getting some bagels/snacks beforehand, and got the heck out of Dodge.
  
  We were rather bummed after seeing hardly any yellow twinklers at Guanella, but held out hope that the rest of the trip would land us in some gold sea of our autumnal dreams. After squealing at some horses and taking a butt-load of photos, we saw a sign on the road that said, "Fudge.  BBQ." My roomie made some sarcastic remark, but I'm a sucker for roadside anything and cannot pass up the opportunity to buy fudge.  It reminds me of my Mama, and road trips almost beg you to break your diet.  Plus, it was a local thing--and I love supporting small businesses.  So, we stopped--not expecting much, but holding out hope.  I could smell the distinctive aroma of wood smoke and got pretty excited.  I haven't had good barbecue--or Hell--any barbecue in a while.  
  
  Everything was reasonably priced.  Eight bucks for a brisket sammy with a generous side of potato salad--which was almost as good as my own (and I pretty much make the best potato salad ever).  My roomie got a polish dog with lots of relish and some chips for $4, I think.  The fudge was also $4.  We got the caramel kind.  We didn't buy any jerky, but they had that too.  Some other patrons went with chicken legs, and they looked both delicious and enormous.  Service was quick and efficient.  Predictably, they were cash only.
  
  Normally, I'd just eat in the car, but the lady who helped us said there was a picnic area just adjacent.  We drove further in to park.  I got a bit gleeful when I saw some beautiful little lakes with picnic tables and benches.  There was a a little river and a wooden swing (for sale).  The area was pretty large, actually, and exactly the sort of place you want to eat after driving a bit.  We sat at water's edge and shared our food.  The brisket was fall apart tender and did not need any sauce--that's how flavorful it was.  The polish dog had a nicely charred, crisp casing and smoky interior.  The fudge was also delicious with a buttery-sweet punch.  Just one bite was enough to cure was sugar cravings.  The portions were pretty large.  I got about halfway through my sammy.
  
  As we drove away, I was pretty happy.  I'm big on roadtip rituals, and I know this is a place I'll visit anytime I'm in the area.  It's also on the way to my most favorite Colorado town (Ouray).  Apparently, they're only open on the weekend and shut down in mid-October.  I highly recommend a stop next time you're in the area.

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  Posted on 10.16.11 Alma M.

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