Stephanie Andelman, Central City. As Central City moves forward with a new Mayor, revived Central Jazz Festival, and shopping attractions, the community can now celebrate restaurants and bars outside of casinos. The historic Teller House was always open during Central City Opera season, but now it’s open year round (Thursday through Sunday for lunch and dinner). JKQ BBQ & Smokehouse is located inside Teller House’s Face Bar but often opens up the Atrium Espresso Bar and Little Kingdom Rooms for overflow and evening events. Make sure to plan a night out at JKQ BBQ before opera season starts, as they are the local gathering spot for quality fare and a friendly atmosphere.
JKQ may be a difficult restaurant name to recall, until you know that it’s named after owners Joseph and Kara Tinucci and their son “Q.” When they worked in the Las Vegas casino industry, their barbecue hobby turned into an overpowering passion. Winning “Best Las Vegas Food Truck” two years in a row acknowledged their cooking and customer skills. So when they moved to Central City eight years ago, they quickly found a need for their catering business. They also converted an old four bedroom / four bath house into their home and the Skye Cottage Bed & Breakfast. After walking by the Teller House day after day, they approached the Central City Opera Board with their idea for a new restaurant in this old, legendary hotel. Their proposal was accepted, and they’ve been feeding appreciative customers since September.
After recruiting their pitmaster from Las Vegas, Joseph and Kara hired a handful of Central City residents to be their charming servers and joke-telling bartenders. They freshly smoke fish, shrimp, chicken, beef, lamb, and pork onsite. Their St. Louis Style Ribs fall off the bone with a flavor from the midwest that makes you lick your lips in delight. Pig Wings (three pork shanks) are a unique menu item with special seasoning, while their brisket, pastrami and smoked salmon sandwiches are the perfect treat for lunch or dinner. For the hungry souls out there, their $15.50 BBQ Platter comes with two meats and two sides. Vegetarians can even find their place here with Black Bean Patties, Salads, and Roasted Red Pepper Soup.
Dinner with live music is offered on most Friday nights, when an amplified acoustic musician plays at 6pm. The bar is buzzing those nights, and their top shelf drinks are poured with wit and stories of the ghosts who haunt their halls. On special occasion, such as New Years Eve and Valentine’s Day, the restaurant crafts a special menu and brings live entertainment to complement the theme. Expand your local geography and head to JKQ for a memorable meal that will keep you coming back to Central City and its culture that is ready to be uncovered.
JKQ BBQ is located at 120 Eureka Street in Central City, Colorado. They are open Thursday through Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.and they can be reached at (303) 582-0600.
(Originally published in the March 28, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)
