Tin Star Smokehouse

Tin Star Smokehouse started smoking outside a Golden storefront in March 2013. The match was lit by Paul Schutt, a thirty-year industry veteran who decided it was time for a spot of his own. But that’s a relative concept: His brother, Andrew Schutt, had founded Tin Star Cafe & Donut Haus in Evergreen years earlier, and "I wanted to build off my brother's brand," explains Paul. "It was always my dream to open a barbecue joint." A barbecue joint without the doughnuts that have made his brother’s spot so popular, though. The emphasis here is on "Colorado Bar-B-Que," which Paul Schutt translates as meats redolent with smoke, served up in a casual spot that’s an eat-with-your-fingers, wipe-your-hands-on-paper-towels kind of place (a roll is kept on each table). The homemade sauces aren’t too spicy, but you won’t need them for the house specialty: St. Louis-style and baby-back ribs. Both kinds are smoked for eight hours and served dry, with nothing on them but a rub – but it’s the smoke that grabs your attention.