12 Colorado BBQ Plates Big Enough For A Perfect Summer Feast
Summer tastes better when the plate looks slightly impossible. Colorado barbecue is not just about smoke, sauce, and slow-cooked patience, it is about the kind of meals that turn a casual lunch into an event everyone talks about on the ride home.
We are talking ribs with a proper pull, brisket that knows exactly what it is doing, sides that refuse to be background characters, and portions that arrive like a friendly challenge.
After a long hike, a lake day, or one of those sun-soaked afternoons that somehow turns into dinner, nothing hits quite like a tray built for serious appetite.
This is food with personality, made for sticky fingers, full tables, and zero shame in going back for another bite. Across Colorado’s summer food scene, these twelve BBQ plates bring the smoke, the size, and the kind of feast that makes loosening your belt feel like part of the plan.
1. GQue BBQ, Lakewood
Some BBQ joints make you do the math, stacking individual orders until your tab looks like a car payment. GQue BBQ in Lakewood skips that stress entirely.
Their Family Feast is designed with the whole crew in mind, and it shows in every detail.
Located at 7085 W Alaska Drive, Lakewood, CO 80226, GQue puts together a generous spread built for four to five hungry people. You get one and a half pounds of smoked meat alongside three full pints of sides, which is the kind of math that actually works in your favor.
GQue has built a strong reputation across Colorado’s competitive BBQ landscape by focusing on quality smoke and consistent flavor. This isn’t a platter that leaves people quietly eyeing each other’s plates.
It’s the kind of meal that earns a group text the next morning saying “when are we going back?”
Think of it as the stress-free call for a Saturday afternoon when everyone’s hungry and nobody wants to negotiate a menu. Pull up to Lakewood, place the order, and let the smoke do the talking.
2. Nordy’s BBQ & Grill, Loveland
There’s something quietly spectacular about a BBQ plate that includes a full slab of ribs AND a whole chicken, and Nordy’s BBQ & Grill in Loveland delivers exactly that without blinking. This is the kind of order that makes people at neighboring tables lean over and ask what you got.
Find them at 4360 St Cloud Drive, Loveland, CO 80538, where the Family Feast is built for four to five people ready to eat with purpose. Beyond the ribs and chicken, the spread includes additional smoked meats, four sides, and cornbread, because a feast without cornbread is just a large dinner.
Loveland sits in the northern stretch of Colorado’s Front Range, and Nordy’s has become a reliable anchor for anyone craving real smokehouse food in the area. The variety in this platter means even the pickiest eater at the table walks away satisfied.
Plan this one for a Sunday reset after a full weekend of activity. Everyone’s tired, nobody wants to cook, and Nordy’s Family Feast is exactly the low-maintenance solution that feels like a genuine reward.
It’s a clean, simple choice with impressive results.
3. Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ, Denver
When a menu item is called the Big Kahuna Belly Buster, you already know you’re dealing with people who take portion size personally. Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ in Denver isn’t messing around, and the name is half the fun before you even sit down.
Tucked at 1551 Cortez Street, Denver, CO 80221, this spot fires up a platter that includes a full rack of ribs, a whole chicken, pulled pork, brisket, four large sides, and six pieces of cornbread. That’s not a meal, that’s a commitment.
Smokin’ Dave’s has earned its place as a Denver BBQ institution by going big on smoke, flavor, and value. The Big Kahuna Belly Buster is the kind of order that turns a casual Tuesday into a story people repeat at work the next morning.
Every protein on this platter gets proper smoke treatment, and the variety means you’re never stuck choosing just one favorite.
Bring your hungriest friends and make an afternoon of it. This is a game-day pickup made for a living room full of people who appreciate food that actually shows up.
Denver BBQ doesn’t get more satisfying than this.
4. Georgia Boys BBQ, Frederick
Frederick, Colorado might surprise you. It’s a small town with a low profile, but Georgia Boys BBQ has quietly made it a destination worth the drive for anyone who takes smoked meat seriously.
The Family Sampler here is proof that good things come in unexpected places.
Set at 141 Fifth Street, Frederick, CO 80530, Georgia Boys lays out a full slab of ribs, three additional smoked meats, four pints of sides, and Texas toast for four to six people. That Texas toast detail is not an accident — it’s a Southern-style signal that flavor runs through every element of this meal.
Georgia Boys brings a distinctly Southern BBQ philosophy to the Colorado plains, which gives the food a personality that feels a little different from the mountain-smoke style you find further west. The Family Sampler is built for variety, letting the table sample across proteins without anyone feeling shortchanged.
This one works beautifully as a post-errand reward on a Saturday afternoon when the crew deserves something real. Swing into Frederick, spread the platter across the table, and let the conversation do the rest.
It’s a straightforward plan that consistently delivers.
5. Brothers BBQ, Lakewood
Brothers BBQ has been a Colorado staple long enough to have regulars who measure their loyalty in years, not visits. The Double Sample Plate at their Lakewood location is the kind of order that explains why people keep coming back with the same enthusiasm every single time.
Walk into 105 Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood, CO 80226 and you’ll find a platter that covers serious ground: brisket, pulled pork, chicken, hot links, eight ribs, three pint-size sides, and eight buns. That’s not a sampler, that’s a full tour of the smokehouse menu in one generous sitting.
What makes Brothers stand out across their Colorado locations is consistency. You know what you’re getting before you order, and it arrives exactly as expected, which is a rare and underrated quality in the BBQ world.
Hot links alongside brisket and ribs in the same platter gives the Double Sample Plate a range that keeps every bite interesting.
Couples looking for an easy win before a quiet evening at home will find this a perfectly calibrated stop. It’s satisfying without being complicated, and the Lakewood location makes it a natural fit for anyone already on the west side of Denver.
6. Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que, Colorado Springs
Famous Dave’s is one of those names that carries a certain weight, the kind of weight that comes from years of feeding people well and earning their trust one rib at a time. The Colorado Springs location on N Academy Boulevard keeps that reputation running strong.
At 5245 N Academy Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, the All-American BBQ Feast brings together a full slab of St. Louis ribs, a whole chicken, brisket or pork, and a full collection of sides. It’s a broad, confident spread that covers all the BBQ essentials in one decisive order.
St. Louis-style ribs have a particular cut and character that sets them apart from baby backs, and Famous Dave’s treatment of them is one of the more reliable things you can count on in the Colorado Springs dining scene. The choice between brisket and pork gives the table a small but meaningful say in how the feast unfolds.
Solo diners enjoying a peaceful moment or travelers making a convenient detour off Academy Boulevard will find this an uncomplicated, high-reward stop. Famous Dave’s delivers exactly what it promises, which on a summer evening is more than enough.
7. Rib City Grill, Rifle
Rifle, Colorado sits in a stretch of the state where the landscape gets wide and the pace slows down just enough to remind you that eating well is worth a dedicated stop. Rib City Grill leans into that energy with a Feast for Two that earns its name honestly.
Find them at 707 Wapiti Court, Suite 102, Rifle, CO 81650, where the platter covers baby back ribs, smoked pork, beef, chicken, potatoes, coleslaw, beans, and Texas toast. For two people, this is a spread that removes any anxiety about leaving hungry.
Baby back ribs anchor the plate with a tenderness that sets the tone for everything else on the table. The combination of beef, pork, and chicken alongside classic sides creates a meal that feels complete rather than assembled.
Rib City Grill’s Feast for Two is built for the couple who wants a memorable dinner without overcomplicating the evening.
If you’re passing through western Colorado on a road trip and Rifle appears on the map, treat this as a clean, simple choice worth the detour. Step inside, settle into the rhythm of the room, and let the platter handle the rest.
Few meals on a long drive feel this rewarding.
8. Serious Texas BBQ, Durango
Durango already has the scenery working in its favor, but Serious Texas BBQ makes a compelling case that the food deserves equal attention. The Sampler here is a thoughtful arrangement of proteins that gives two to three diners a genuine tour of the smokehouse without anyone feeling like they ordered too little.
Located at 650 S Camino Del Rio, Durango, CO 81301, the platter includes brisket, pulled pork, turkey, chicken, two sausage links, and four ribs. Turkey alongside brisket in a BBQ sampler is a detail worth noting, because it gives lighter eaters an option that doesn’t feel like a compromise.
Serious Texas BBQ brings a Hill Country-influenced approach to southwestern Colorado, which means the smoke and seasoning philosophy leans toward the kind of low-and-slow tradition that Texas pitmasters have refined for generations. The result in Durango is a sampler that feels intentional rather than thrown together.
Families wanting fewer negotiations at the table will appreciate how this platter covers enough variety to satisfy different preferences in one order. After a morning exploring the area, pulling up to Camino Del Rio for lunch turns a good day into a genuinely great one.
Durango delivers on both fronts.
9. Moe’s Original BBQ, Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs has a personality all its own, and Moe’s Original BBQ fits right into it. There’s a laid-back confidence to this place that feels earned rather than performed, and the Triple Wide Family Pack is the menu item that best captures that spirit.
At 1898 Kamar Plaza, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487, Moe’s puts together one and a half pounds of smoked meat, three pints of sides, bread, pickles, and sauce for five to six people. Pickles and sauce included in the package is the kind of small, considered detail that separates a good BBQ spot from a great one.
Moe’s Original BBQ carries Alabama-style BBQ roots into the Colorado mountains, which gives the food a regional character that feels genuinely different from the Texas-heavy approach you find elsewhere in the state. That distinctiveness makes the Triple Wide Family Pack an experience worth seeking out specifically.
A group of friends wrapping up a ski or hiking weekend will find this a natural final stop before everyone heads their separate ways. It’s warm, substantial, and exactly the kind of meal that sends people home feeling like the weekend was well spent.
Steamboat rarely disappoints, and Moe’s follows that tradition faithfully.
10. Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q, Colorado Springs
Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q operates on a philosophy that’s refreshingly direct: you pick your meats, you pick your sides, and everything else that makes a BBQ plate complete arrives alongside without you having to ask. It’s a system that works, and the Colorado Springs location proves it consistently.
Swing by 315 S 31st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904 and put together a Family Meal by choosing two smoked meats and two sides. Bread, sauce, pickles, onions, and jalapeños come with the order, which gives the table enough to customize every bite without turning dinner into a project.
Rudy’s is a Texas-born chain that has maintained its counter-service, no-frills identity across every location, and that authenticity is exactly what draws people in. The jalapeños included in the Family Meal are a small but meaningful nod to the Texas BBQ tradition that refuses to apologize for heat.
A quick pre-movie stop or a weekday breather between errands fits this spot perfectly. The ordering process is fast, the food arrives ready, and the whole experience moves at a pace that respects your time.
Colorado Springs has plenty of dining options, but Rudy’s earns its place on any serious BBQ shortlist.
11. Post Oak Barbecue, Denver
Post Oak Barbecue sits on Tennyson Street in Denver, which already tells you something about its character. This is a neighborhood with strong opinions about food, and Post Oak has earned its place there by taking BBQ seriously without making it feel unapproachable.
At 4000 Tennyson Street, Denver, CO 80212, the Family Meal lets guests choose four half-pound meat selections, three pint-size sides, and four corn muffins for four to six people. The flexibility built into that meat selection is one of the things that makes this platter work for mixed groups with different preferences.
Corn muffins instead of standard white bread is a small but telling choice, one that signals Post Oak’s attention to the details that elevate a meal from good to memorable. Half-pound portions per meat selection means the table gets real quantity across multiple proteins, not symbolic tastes of each.
Couples looking for a relaxed Friday evening that feels a little more considered than the usual takeout routine will find Post Oak a natural fit. The Tennyson Street setting makes it easy to pair dinner with a short stroll through one of Denver’s more interesting neighborhoods.
It’s a well-rounded evening that starts and ends well.
12. The Rusty Tapp Colorado BBQ & Catering, Littleton
The name Rusty Tapp has a frontier ring to it, and the food at this Littleton spot lives up to the spirit that name implies. The Three-Meat Platter is built around choice, letting diners put together their own version of a great BBQ plate rather than accepting a predetermined arrangement.
Located at 311 E County Line Road, Littleton, CO 80122, The Rusty Tapp lets you choose three smoked meats and one side, with ribs or smoked prime rib available as upgrades. Smoked prime rib as an upgrade option is genuinely unusual in the Colorado BBQ landscape, and it signals that this kitchen isn’t operating on a standard template.
The Rusty Tapp also handles catering, which means the operation behind the Three-Meat Platter is built for volume and consistency. That catering background tends to produce BBQ programs with reliable smoke times and seasoning, because inconsistency isn’t an option when you’re feeding large groups professionally.
A late-afternoon stop after a long county line errand run turns into something worth looking forward to when The Rusty Tapp is on the route. Littleton doesn’t always get the BBQ spotlight it deserves, but this spot makes a strong argument for its inclusion on any Colorado smokehouse list.