Things are smoking again on the banks of Bear Creek off highway 74 in Kittredge. Darryl Swarts and three friends, all from Ann Arbor, Michigan, bought the former Dick's Hickory Dock in February 2011, and after a total overhaul of the charming but decrepit building -- starting with "squirrel removal," and continuing within new HVAC, plumbing and electric systems, as well as beetle-kill-wood counters and bar -- have reopened the place as Switchback Smokehouse. The emphasis here is on smoking, not sauces (although Switchback does have housemade sauces) because, Swarts says, "The meats speak for themselves."

And so do these pictures. Keep reading for a look at Switchback. See also: - Jason Sheehan on the fate of Dick's Hickory Dock - Dick's Hickory Dock is back in business - Barbecue: It's what's for breakfast at Cabin Creek

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; for more information, call 303-200-0878 or go to the Switchback Smokehouse website.

Keep reading for more photos of the space and setting.

• Cafe Society