Moe's Original Bar B Que expands in Colorado

Even though its lineage is pure Southern barbecue, the origins of Moe's Original Bar B Cue lie in the mountains of Colorado, where three friends from the University of Alabama who were fans of barbecue set up a carry-out shop at Lionshead, at the base of Vail Mountain, in 2002...

By Patricia Calhoun

February 17, 2010

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Even though its lineage is pure Southern barbecue, the origins of Moe's Original Bar B Cue lie in the mountains of Colorado, where three friends from the University of Alabama who were fans of barbecue set up a carry-out shop at Lionshead, at the base of Vail Mountain, in 2002.

From those humble beginnings, Moe's added actual restaurants in Eagle and Vail, started partnering up on projects in the South, and then, in 2008, teamed up with the Gothic Theater's Steve Shalk to create Moe's Bar B Que and Bowl and 3295 South Broadway in Englewood. And today, Moe's will make it an even dozen, joining with veteran restaurateur/chef Ted Schneider to fire up the grill at Moe's Original Bar B Que at 181 North College Avenue in Fort Collins.

Next up: a location in central Denver, at 530 Broadway, which has already secured a liquor license.

That's a good string for three University of Alabama alumni -- Mike Fernandez from Tuscaloosa, Ben Gilbert from Athens, and Jeff Kennedy from Huntsville -- who took the knowledge of barbecue genius Moses Day, of Tuscaloosa, and turned it into a thriving business that will soon have spots not just in Colorado and Alabama, but Nashville and Atlanta.

"In nine years we have come from a junkyard pit to eleven successful restaurants with no debt," the owners proclaim. "Give us nine more years!"

Fine, so long as you give Denver more good barbecue.

Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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