There’s a barbecue boom in the metro area — of the fourteen openings we reported this week, three new restaurants are smoking meats. They come in addition to other recent openings such as Iron Age BBQ, Riot BBQ and SoHi Cafe.
For months, we’ve watched as the former Popeye’s at 5454 East Colfax Avenue has been transformed into Catfish King, complete with a drive-thru. The new business is actually a rebrand of Hungry Wolf BBQ, which was located in Aurora. The menu features a mix of soul food, including Southern-fried catfish, along with Oklahoma-style barbecue. The smokers were wafting the aroma of smoked meats into the air the morning before this spot’s soft opening on Saturday, October 11, when it will serve from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reservations are encouraged and can be made online.
Big Belly Brothers BBQ, which operates food trucks and is one of the new local vendors at Ball Arena, opened its first brick-and-mortar in a spot that’s been home to two other barbecue joints, Plates by the Pound and Seasoned Swine BBQ…