One of Colorado’s Oldest BBQ Joints is Getting Set to Shut Its Doors

All good things come to an end, they say. This BBQ restaurant in Colorado has been serving up very good food for over four decades, but the time has come to move on.

The man who began this joint worked with two legendary professionals. One, when he played for the New York Jets, and one after he left football to start a new career in the Denver area.

His name was Winston Hill, and he played in the NFL as a very successful tackle, most notably for the New York Jets, including when Joe Namath was the quarterback (legend #1), and for the L.A. Rams. Part of Hill's off-season training included working out in Colorado to help with his asthma; when football was over for Winston, he came to Colorado to stay.

According 9News, with Hill being from Texas, he had a passion for barbecue and ended up learning from Denver's "Daddy" Bruce Randolph (legend #2) about smoke-pit barbecue, and about serving the community. It was soon after, that he opened up his own restaurant: The Barbecue Pit, at 8th and Colorado, eventually changing the name to Winston's Smoke BBQ as it moved to Centennial, where it's been for the past 30 years.

RELATED: HOT DOGS TO BBQ: BRONCOS' SIMON FLETCHER'S RESTAURANTS

After Winston Hill passed away in 2016, his two daughters (he and his wife also had a son) took over operations of the restaurant, while having careers of their own. According to 9News, one daughter is an opera singer, and one is a teacher at Valley High School in Gilcrest. The two have decided that after more than 40 years, the time has come to to close the restaurant, while keeping their Dad's legacy alive. They've established the "Finish Like a Pro" fund in honor of Winston Hill, at his alma mater, Texas Southern University.

Saturday, January 21, 2022, will be the last day for Winston's.