Who we are:
Holy Smokes BBQ-The Grillin’ Shops is a multi-location BBQ specialty store dedicated to all things BBQ. We are a family-owned and operated business.
Mike, the primary owner, has been cooking/grilling food since he was a boy. His love for grilling began over a Weber kettle grill using charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid. During his college years in New Orleans, Mike cooked at Monroe’s, a steakhouse concept similar to the Chart House. It was there that the love for grilling and cooking became a lifelong ambition, whether as an occupation or a hobby.
As an interesting aside, Archie Manning would bring in his family (including young Peyton and Eli) after Saints home games. The cooking kitchen was open to the restaurant, and patrons walking through the salad bar had a wide-open view to the grill where their food was being cooked. Archie would always say, “I love how you grill that fish young man; keep up the good work”.
Throughout the next two decades, Mike worked in and managed restaurants until he joined corporate America and spent the next 20 years. During that time, he introduced himself to smoking low and slow. Starting with a side-box stick burner, he honed his skills smoking and BBQing all types of food for family and friends..
Mike likes to say, “I’ve been cooking over a fire for over 40 years, which is longer than many of my customers have even been alive, (lol)”. In 2016, Mike acquired The Grillin’ Shop in Centennial, CO. He spent the next 1 ½ years turning the store into one of Denver’s premier BBQ specialty shops. In December 2017, Mike acquired Holy Smokes Colorado in Castle Rock. And that is how we are now Holy Smokes BBQ-The Grillin’ Shops.
Our Philosophy:
If you are like us, grilled food tastes better when cooked over a real wood fire. So, we specialize in the top wood pellet grills and the best hardwood kamado grill we know of, The Big Green Egg. Currently our pellet grill line-up includes Traeger (Platinum Dealer), Green Mountain, and Blaz’n Grillworks. We are constantly researching and investigating other grills, so we know a bunch about how our line-up compares to other models. As our stores mature and evolve, there certainly will be high quality models added to our line-up.
In addition, we strive to carry the best, most comprehensive group of products that will interest anyone who likes to grill, whether over a wood fire or not. We are especially proud of our sauce and rub selections. We use a three-pronged approach to bringing these products into our stores:
- Items that are rated highly by reputable sources. Typically, these
are nationally or regionally known, created by competition cooks, and/or
part of a region’s fabric (e.g., like a Carolina vinegar-based pulled
pork sauce) - Items that are made locally, Colorado-made
- Items that our customers request
We also carry many other food products, accessories, wood fuels, and unique products associated with outstanding grilled food. We want to help you “Be a Backyard Grillin’ Superstar”. So, surf around our website to see what we carry. No need to list it all here.
Why Are We Different:
We love to BBQ.Whichever way you characterize it, grilling, smoking, BBQing, all those things. So, Mike and his staff have the experiences to share with our customers. When you come into our stores, you can find someone to help you kick the tires on a grill; because we cook on our grills all the time. We own our grills at our own homes, we cook on the grills at our stores; we know our grills. Also, most of our rubs and sauces are available to taste before you buy. And, we use our products when we cook. So, we can discuss the best rubs for a port butt, for example, or introduce you to something unique and different that will impress your family and friends. There are too many stores that carry BBQ stuff as a seasonal thing. Or are so big it is hard or impossible to find a staffer that knows anything about the BBQ products, especially the grills.
We are dedicated to exceptional customer service.
And we service the grills we carry, so, we know how they work and what you need to fix them (either a part, a helping hand, or both).
Enjoy our website, come see us, and get out there grillin’.
Holy Smokes, that’s easy!!
Call or email us to turn your backyard into a Smokin BBQ party!