The aroma of cooking meats from Riot BBQ in Denver’s Overland Park neighborhood wafts as far east as Broadway and Evans Avenue.

As one walks into the restaurant, the taste of the brisket on the tongue is almost palpable as the sign above reads: “SMOKED MEATS THIS WAY.”

Standing behind the counter slicing pork ribs Chef Manny Barella, co-owner of Riot BBQ, stands tall.

“I think that what got me into cooking was more the eating part of cooking,” Barella said. “I think the dream of having a barbecue restaurant and implementing some Mexican flavors that I grew up with, and in this space and the story behind it, just happened to be the cherry on the top.”

Barella is from Monterrey, Mexico and also finished in the top five on season 21 of Bravo’s reality television series Top Chef.

Along with co-owner and Pitmaster Patrick Klaiber, the two have brought Texas-style BBQ techniques and flavors mixed with Mexican influence to Denver.

“Two things that go well together,” Klaiber said.

Barella’s passion for bringing Mexican flavors to Riot BBQ — which has only been opened since June — is a good portion of why people are coming to the restaurant in Overland Park.

“This is the place where I learned how to break down briskets two and a half years ago with Patrick,” Barella said of learning with Klaiber. “Interesting enough, back then I told him, ‘man, you make it look so easy, and if I ever have a barbecue restaurant, I hope that it is like, AJ’s’.”

Since 2020, Barella has been thinking about opening a Mexican-flavored barbecue restaurant in Denver, a fresh concept not prevalent in the metro Denver area.

“I just kept wondering, how come nobody has done this in Denver?” he said. “When I had the opportunity to open that restaurant, I started bringing peppers from Oaxaca and introducing people to flavors that I grew up with that if you haven’t been in Mexico, chances are you haven’t discovered them.”

And those flavors come out in the dishes for sure.

From the Coffee Rubbed Pork Belly to Barella’s signature dish Pork Ribs Al Pastor, customer’s taste buds will take a trip straight to northeastern Mexico via Riot BBQ’s recipes. Brisket and Chicken tacos, and Esquites Cornbread are also dishes on the menu that resonate well with patrons.

“I go back to when I lived in Georgia, and my chef at the time told me, ‘if you give me a rack of ribs that is covered in barbecue sauce, I’m gonna assume that you messed up the smoke’,” Barella said. “But, sometimes the sauce compliments the meat, but I would just not smother them, because there’s so much time and love and care put behind the smoke for you to just come and cover it with barbecue sauce.”

Klaiber has been around barbecue most of his life.

“I first fell in love with BBQ when I was at one of my little league baseball team’s parties,” Klaiber said. “One of my teammates’ Dads made some baby back ribs on the grill, (because) I was a super picky eater when I was a kid, but that first bite was love at first sight.”

Klaiber described himself as a Chicago boy at heart who began smoking meats in high school while working at Hecky’s Barbecue in Evanston, Illinois.

Before helping open Riot BBQ, Klaiber led the crew at AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q to a Bib Gourmand nod from Michelin Guide in 2023.  

“I love cooking rib tips when I get the chance, I love the simplicity and beefy flavor of Tri-Tip, the buttery fat of brisket,” he said. “Keep an eye out for a menu addition that ties into my Chicago roots.”

The eatery shuttered in March, and Riot took over the industrial space with its communal tables and sizable back patio.

“A Michelin award-winning Pitmaster teaming up with a James Beard Nominated Chef? It’s a match made in heaven,” Klaiber said.

Speaking of award winners, pitmaster and winner of the coveted Fan Favorite on Bravo’s Top Chef in season 21, Michelle Wallace will be at Riot BBQ helping cook up four-course meals on Nov. 5 and 6 with Barella and Klaiber.

The BBQ experience is priced at $125 for the four-course meal, with two drinks, plus a cash bar. Event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m., each night.

Riot BBQ is located at 2180 S. Delaware St., Denver. Check here for more information about the restaurant.