Some restaurants start with a business plan, others with a dream. But for Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ, it was a backyard pig roast, a nickname and a passion for Southern comfort food that had to find its way home to Denver. What began as a beloved food truck is now a brick-and-mortar staple, serving up scratch-made biscuits and slow-smoked barbecue. Located in the former home of Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs—a spot cherished by Denver locals for two decades—Mama Jo’s has quickly become a go-to for Denverites craving flaky biscuits, Carolina barbecue, fried chicken and house-made sauces.
For owners Jodi and Ben Polson, Mama Jo’s is more than just a BBQ joint—it’s the result of years of passion, a love for Southern food and one unforgettable trip to North Carolina. “We had attended a friend’s wedding in Raleigh years ago, and they had this incredible pig roast reception,” Jodi recounted. “We ate everything—pimento cheese, hush puppies, all these amazing sauces. It stuck with us so much that we started recreating the dishes at home, even throwing our own backyard pig roasts every summer.”
Jodi’s husband and business partner, Ben, spent a decade in corporate dining before the pandemic, which led him to switch gears. After working a season on Steuben’s Food Truck, he saw an opportunity in the food truck business. “His last role in corporate dining was as a traveling pop-up chef, and one of the concepts he developed was a Southern chicken biscuit sandwich and BBQ mash-up,” Jodi said. “He called it Mama Jo’s—my nickname when I was pregnant with our first son,” she continued. That concept eventually became the foundation for their food truck.
The food truck quickly gained a following, with long lines of hungry customers eager to get their hands on Mama Jo’s flaky, buttery biscuits and smoky Carolina-style barbecue. In 2024, and again in 2025, their efforts paid off when Westword named them “Best Chicken Biscuit on Wheels.”
To celebrate the win, Ben and Jodi went out for a beer, where fate, and a little bit of internet browsing, led them to their next big step. “We were just dreamily looking up future possibilities when we saw the Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs location was up for sale,” Jodi said. “We loved that place and thought it had the right vibe for what we wanted to do. At the very least, we figured we should inquire.”
A meeting with Steve sealed the deal. “It just felt right,” Jodi said.
Moving into a space with such a long history wasn’t without its challenges. Longtime fans of Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs had mixed reactions—some were excited for a fresh new restaurant, while others weren’t quite ready to let go of their favorite hot dogs.
“We knew it was going to be tough to follow up such a well-loved spot,” Jodi admitted. “But we’ve had an amazing response from the neighborhood. People have said it’s exactly what the area needed, and we’re already seeing regulars.”
For a short time, they even offered a few of Steve’s signature hot dogs as a nod to the past. But over time, it became clear—Mama Jo’s was here to carve out its own legacy. “The requests for hot dogs went way down,” Jodi said. “So we figured it was time to move on.”
There’s no shortage of barbecue joints and biscuit shops out there, but Mama Jo’s truly sets itself apart. For starters, its barbecue leans heavily into Carolina traditions—particularly its pulled pork, which is smoked, pulled and dressed with a spicy, tangy vinegar sauce that packs just the right amount of punch.
“Our BBQ sauce game is strong,” Jodi said. “We’ve got Carolina Gold, Alabama White and even a unique Apple BBQ Sauce inspired by a trip to Slow’s BBQ in Detroit.” And let’s not forget the biscuits.
Jodi, whose background is in pastry, spent years perfecting the recipe. You can taste her expertise through flaky, buttery, soft-in-the-middle biscuits with a hint of smoked gouda for extra flavor. “I wanted something that could hold up to the sandwich fillings but still have that melt-in-your-mouth texture,” she said.
Other standouts on the menu include pimento cheese featured on the Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwich and in the Mac ‘N’ Cheese, as well as the standout Nashville Hot Sandwich and Pulled Pork Sandwich on a Squishy Bun. To finish your meal with a sweet treat, Mama Jo’s offers Fried Banana Pudding Pie and Apple Fritters drizzled with salty butterscotch. Everything is scratch-made—well, almost. “The only thing we don’t make from scratch is the tater tots,” Jodi joked. “Because we’re not crazy.”
Right now, the focus is on settling into the new space, fine-tuning operations and making sure every biscuit and rib that leaves the kitchen is just right. While no major events are on the books yet, Jodi has one reminder for barbecue lovers: “Brisket is only available on Saturdays—so get it while it’s hot!”
Looking ahead, if history’s any indication, Mama Jo’s will keep expanding—both its menu and its mark on the neighborhood. “We’ll keep exploring and picking up inspiration, because chefs are always coming up with new ideas, and we aim to do the same,” Jodi said. For now, though, Mama Jo’s is just happy to settle in and keep cooking up the food it loves. And with biscuits and barbecue this good, Denver’s definitely happy they’re here, too.
Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ is located at 3525 E Colfax Ave., Denver. Its hours are Monday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Closed Sundays.
All photography courtesy of Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ on Facebook
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