M&D’s BBQ Cafe and Fish Palace

Tiffany N. recommended this place to me as a great BBQ joint. Boy was she on the money.
Here’s the skinny, great prices, great people, great location, great food, and they’re CLOSED!
We arrived on 12÷30÷11 their last day open. The economy has gotten to them like it’s gotten to everyone else. I was really bummed to here this since the food was so great.
We both decided to get the pulled pork sandwiches, one with mac and cheese and the other with potato salad. We got the medium spiced BBQ sauce which had the perfect amount of kick to it, just the right amount of tingling sensation to your lips. The mac and cheese is a southern staple and was pretty descent here. The potato salad was unique in that it was mustard based and boasted a great tang to it. I kept trying to steel it from Sam and we ended up having fork wars on who could get the next bite. Oh, and the corn bread was über warm and buttered liberally right before being served. Super yummy and they gave us some to go.
Sad to see a neighborhood staple close their doors. I recommended catering or a food truck in the interim if they could.
With every door closed another one opens, what new neighborhood hot spot will take this location I wonder?

After searching long and hard for a decently [Yelp] rated BBQ place, we landed on M&D’s for dinner. At first, the place was empty — leading to the obvious concern, but soon thereafter, the place was full. In my ever longing desire to be discovered as Adam’s backup for Man vs. Food — I ordered the Combination Q (basically every meat on their menu stacked deceivingly high). Here’s a breakdown:
–Ribs — fall off the bone and pretty decent. Not the best, but certainly a strong choice
–BBQ Chicken — Let me caveat by saying, I usually am not the biggest fan of BBQ Chicken, but this was EXCELLENT — I devoured the two large pieces
–Sliced Brisket — I can’t put my finger on the taste, but very unique and very tasty (great as a part of a platter, but not sure I would want a full order)
–Pulled Pork — delicious & juicy
–Sauce — I love spicy, so I ordered the hot & medium. The medium is perfect for the lathering portion with the spicy adding a nice kick (very tasty)
Sides — overall not very impressed with the sides, but the coleslaw did hit the spot for a different texture and was not doused in Mayo
My dinner companions portions were huge as well — so come with an appetite.
Finally, service — great service with a bit of BBQ attitude…
Will definitely come again and love that it’s a family joint.

Excellent mom & pop restaurant in the Whittier neighborhood. I got laughed at when I asked «How’s your cobbler» and was quickly rushed a ‘sampler’ of the peach. The sampler should tell you something about their portions, because I didn’t even want to get an actual order after ‘sampling’ it… THAT BIG.
Delicious BBQ, hospitable service, generous servings, and great dessert! Don’t go for the ambience, go for the food :)

Best damn BBQ in Denver, period.
The expansions over the years have made enough room for all the people that love it to get their ‘Q.

Probably the most conflicted review I’ve ever written.
On the good side the service was ¾ hospitable which is a good percentage overall.
Good fish: the red snapper was a hit. Mac and Cheese, Potato Salad, Baked beans; all good.
They have my favorite: Sweet Potato Pie and the Jazz trio playing in the front was excellent. Also the lemonade is mouth puckering sweet.
The ONE BIG THING that bothers me are the ribs. I call shenanigans.
If you want fall of the bone ribs, brine them overnight, cook them super low and slow, spray or mop them as they cook, even meat tenderizer is ok in my book, but NEVER EVER BOIL THEM!
I myself smoke ribs at least twice a month and I don’t cheat to get the proper results. I take my time and do it the right way no matter how early I have to get up in the morning.
I’m fairly certain M&D’s boils there ribs and then oversauces them to throw folks off the track. For the serious BBQ’er this is a BIG NO NO.
I’m not buying it literally. I’ll go back to M&D’s for the fish and for the sweet potato pie but the «cheater ribs» will always leave a bad taste in my mouth.
It’s also kinda expensive.

This is the closest thing to good barbecue that I’ve been able to find since moving to the Denver area. Plenty of food for your buck and the sauces were tasty. I would’ve given it 5 stars except it was nearly impossible to get our server’s attention to leave and the entertainment was entirely too loud (although, I thought they were pretty good).
Don’t come here for the décor, come for the food and leave with a doggy bag!

Having spent the last 2 years of my life in Georgia, I was longing for some good Southern BBQ. I have heard and read rave reviews for M&D’s, so it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about. Me oh my, it worth the wait!!!
I had 2 meat platter with brisket and small ends. Calling them small ends is both ironic and demeaning. There were the size of full ribs, and packed with flavor. The smoke was perfect, an excellent spice combination and the sauce was tangy with just enough heat.
For my sides I had greens and yams. The yams were so-​so, but the greens were very decent. Good greens are tough to come by, and there’s had the perfect combination of vinegar and pepper spice.
I definitely recommend making a trip to M&D’s. My only hangup was that they don’t serve beer, which is the perfect accompaniment to good BBQ.

Good soul BBQ but Famous Daves is better. But to be fair Good Colorado BBQ is an oxymoron. They just can’t compete with the County Line in Austin, TX.
Also they cut corners by having Hunts Ketchup and not Heinz. :o

So, Nate A, me and Pete S. had the day off work yesterday and decided to go to Tom’s Home Cookin, since we never ever get to eat there… and it was closed. Bummer. Now what? Well, I bust out the good old IPhone and start searching on Unilocal and I’ve had M & D’s bookmarked for some time. Reading the reviews, it sounded like we couldn’t go wrong, so we ventured on over.
Wrong. Very wrong.
Our service was pretty slow. We sat for some time before we even were asked what we wanted to drink. The menu made the lemonade seem like it was something special, but it tasted and looked like it was the powder mix. My friend commented that is looked florescent green! We ordered some fried okra for an appetizer which was really good. It took a long time to get out lunches, and when they finally did come out, I was a bit freaked out. Way too much sauce. It was so thick and drenched everything. I had the medium, it was good and spicy, but there was just way too much of it.
I had the hot links and catfish. Pete S. had the short ends and the pork with hot sauce. Nate A. had the ribs. The short ends weren’t bad and the pork was decent, again, just too much sauce! I did like the Hot Links and the catfish, but it certainly wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, there was nothing special at all about it. The ribs were pretty bad. The meat was fatty and kinda gross. It was pretty disappointing. The sides were ok, mac and cheese, greens, side salad-​not so bad.
The kicker here was the bill. The entire bill was over $ 70.00!!! What? Double Take. Seriously, this is lunch and this is BBQ. This meal was totally not worth $ 70, that’s for DARN sure! For that much money we could have had a nice steak dinner or something. This was lunch for cryin out loud. Granted, I know we ordered and saw the prices on the menu, but it was still a shock when we got the bill, especially considering the slow service, the over sauced, mediocre BBQ and green lemonade!
I honestly felt bad for taking my husband and friend here, this place was my suggestion, and I was a bit embarrassed. We cursed Tom’s for not being open when we left! We will not be going back to M & D’s.

I have been to M&D’s a number of times. I love the feel of the place and the types of food they serve. The service is usually very friendly and decent.
However, as a few people have said here, the prices are a bit high for what you get. This is especially true of the Sunday brunch/​lunch buffet. Plus, for my taste, the bbq sauce is a bit thick and unspectacular. Also, they don’t serve sweet tea. I huge bummer for me personally. That alone should have nixed it off my list more often.
The one major positive for me has been the fried okra. Not too many places to get that in Denver.
I always like the idea of the place, but unfortunately every time I leave I feel a little disappointed and have less money left in my wallet than I feel I should have. There is better bbq and comfort food in town and at cheaper prices.

I read a call for help on one on the Unilocal talk threads and went to M & D’s for lunch. Still great BBQ and friendly staff. Had the pulled pork sandwich with medium sauce, a side of slaw and a giant mug of iced tea… yumm. Definitely one of the better Q joints in Denver.

Yeah, so the food is good. Really good.
This place got a boost last year when the President stopped by on one of his Campaign Tours. But it’s apparently been a good BBQ Joint for a lot longer, judging by the amount of «regulars.»
Being a BBQ and Soul Food fan, I headed over to M&D’s as soon as we heard about it. With some anticipation, too, having read reviews and the hype beforehand.
It mostly lived up to it. Some disappointments to get our of the way quickly: The tea is not Sweet Tea. But our server offered to mix up an Arnie Palmer with their homemade lemonade. So: Slight redemption. And the place can be pricey. That’s it. Really.
We started with the Fried Green Tomatoes. ($ 5.85) It was a large portion, and… MAN, were they good. They provided hot sauce for kick, ranch dressing, and I was in heaven.
For dinner, we shared the «Combination ‘Q» ($ 21.19) This gargantuan platter comes with: Ribs, Pulled Pork, Smoked Brisket, Hot Sausage Links, and BBQ Chicken. Plus your choice of 2 sides. (We chose mixed greens and mac ‘n cheese, and added a side of beans as well, for $ 1.59.) This platter was more than enough food for 2 people, and we took a good chunk of it home with us. The meats were great. Smoky pulled pork with savory juices. Savory sliced brisket. The ribs were tender. The chicken was moist, and the sausage was spicy. The greens tasted like a mix of collards, turnips, and mustard, and disappeared quickly, as did the mac ‘n cheese (Although I admit, if you put mac ‘n cheese anywhere near me, it will disappear.) The beans were chunky with smoked meats, and sweet-​spicy sauce. Oh yeah. «We» (and by «We,» I actually mean «The Man», since he’s the insane one who ordered this much) also got a side of their Sweet Potato fries. ($ 2.59) And they were, indeed, insane. But half of them went home with us too.
After a meal like that, obviously we had no room for dessert. But they do, as all true BBQ and/​or Southern and/​or Soul Food restaurants should, have Banana Pudding.
So, M&D’s. Just get some real, Southern Sweet Tea on that menu of yours, and you’ll get that 5^th star, y’hear?

I wanted to like this place, I really did. But…
Of course what I wanted more was an amazing lunch for my $ 55. That’s $ 55 for 2 people to eat lunch. I’m not sure I would be willing to pay even half that for this disappointing lunch. Highlight? Sides were good, potato salad, mixed greens, corn and cheesy grits were homey and delicious. As for the actual BBQ not very impressive. Maybe what your neighbor could cook up; over sauced, overcooked and amateurish. Hey, if I wasn’t paying dearly for it maybe it would’ve tasted better?
And service? While the friendly older lady is an option when hiring servers, make sure she won’t forget peoples drinks, forget to check back after people have started eating, forget to bring them a check and pretty much forget she has a table while eating her own lunch.
BTW — that fresh lemonade everyones been talking about? Its from a mix? Didn’t the neon color imply that to anyone but us?
I think this place must have been amazing at one point (at least that’s what I’m telling myself) but it certainly isn’t anymore. Too bad.

Lord have mercy, I am an old soul. The first time I walked into to M and D’s I had to have been in my twenties. Mac and Daisy were still behind the counter or in the kitchen and telling me exactly what to eat while I sat at their counter. Never steered me wrong either. I think they were total enablers and I managed to eat my way, with their help, up to over 200 pounds. Gave that up many years ago to svelte down to Colorado skinny, but, oh how miss those meals.
I’m not so sure I love it so much since Mac and Daisy are gone. The new place is certainly more «nice» if that’s what you’re looking for. I preferred the old «funky» joint but times change. There are still some things I think that they do very well. All of the the fried fish is good, love the «peppa» fries, fried okra, sweet potato pie (double yumm) but I am not a super huge fan of the BBQ. It’s OK, but I miss Daddy Bruce and Pierre’s. The Sunday Gospel Brunch is a kick, too. Prices have definitely edged up toward the high end over the years though, so don’t be expecting any bargains.
Overall, I’d recommend that you give them a chance. Certainly, the food and service are pretty darn good and you are supporting a locally owned business.

The food here is like you would get it at someone’s home. It’s good — I would not want to pay those prices though…
Stay away from the brisket — a lot of fat that did not allow the flavor of the meat to come through.
The white chicken was good. Nice smokey flavor.
Peach cobbler — Not bad — I would not get the «a la mode». It seemed like that is all I was eating.
Would I go there again? Most likely not, although this was my first visit.

My husband and I decided to try this place based on a majority of good reviews, but we weren’t incredibly impressed. I really wanted to love this place and the food, but it just didn’t cut it for me.
The place is charming, first of all, and I like the music they play overhead. Most everyone around us was taking their sweet time eating, and kept ordering more and more food. People that had been eating since we were seated were still hanging out as we left. Our server was nice, but the other server waiting on tables outside of ours was giving people some major attitude.
The lemonade is fine, doesn’t taste homemade, but isn’t bad. The food is served (and tastes) like you went to someone’s house, and they whipped up some BBQ chicken and brisket. The prices do NOT reflect the level of food being served, I must say. The prices are incredibly inflated (especially on the combos) for what you get.
I would not recommend the brisket, as ours was incredibly fatty, and tasted a bit off. Cows shouldn’t be fatty in the summer, so this is a clue that the meat may be frozen from a while ago, and definitely not local.
This place is slightly better than Sam’s off of Leetsdale, but the prices sadly do not match the quality of the food being served.

A group of us tried the «Southern Style Buffet» today. I can sum up my impression by saying, «I pretty much want to eat here every Sunday for all eternity.» The all-​you-​can-​eat buffet is offered every Sunday from 12 – 6, except for the 3^rd Sunday of the month when they have live gospel music and offer their regular menu.
My favorite things were the rib tips and the biscuits, but everything was wonderful!
My husband and friends said they also thought it was great.

Didn’t live up to it’s legend. Although, based on M&D’s reputation my experience must have been an anomaly. I had really high expectations for the best barbecue ever, but it was extremely average.
I ordered ribs and they were pretty tough. Not the fall-​off-​the-​bone tender I was hoping for. They don’t have a liquor license so I ordered iced tea when a beer would have really hit the spot.
I will go back and hope to have a rave review next time.

I don’t think that you can officially call yourself a Denverite until you’ve been to this institution. I mean, damn, M&D serve up some good BBQ! I am still glowing after my Sherman Klump sized serving of orgasmic smoked meat swimming in tangy sauce.
With our raging appetites impairing our food decision making abilities, my wife and I went with the path of least resistance and ordered the Combination «Q», a mix of all of M&D’s favorites from their smoker. This was great, because we wanted it all and we wanted it now — the hot links, the chicken, the ribs, the brisket, and the pulled pork. My wife is a little timid with the spice, so we ordered the medium sauce with a little spicy on the side. Let me tell you, I like myself some spicy food, but their spicy sauce has a little more kick than even I’d prefer — so you’ve been warned.
The food, like mr. pibb and red vines, was crazy delicious. The plate was too massive for the two of us, but I couldn’t let any of this wonderfulness go to waste. The chicken had the best smokey flavor of them all, and the meat fell off the bone. The ribs were cooked to perfection and the sausage and brisket were solid teammates. But the Michael Jordan of the meal was the pulled pork. Now, I am partial to pull pork, but GD, this pull pork makes me want to start a new religion in tribute to it. People will start saying phrases like, «For the love of Pulled Pork!» or «Pulled Pork damned it!» The pulled pork is indeed that darned good.
We also had a side of mac & cheese and their baked beans — both good — washing our meal down with some of their lemonade, which was basically diabetes in a mug. For dessert, we went with the sweet potato pie — bomblicious! Afterwards, we waddled back home and hibernated for the rest of winter.

After being invited here by some friends last night I decided to check out what other Unilocalers were saying about the place before agreeing to go. And I have to say the great reviews M&D’s got definitely weren’t wrong.
There was a pretty sizable wait when we showed up, but we managed to snag a table in the small «bar» area. I put bar in quotes because the only alcohol they serve is beer and more people in the area are waiting for their takeout rather than enjoying a cold one. But, you can indeed order food there so it’s an option for you if M & D’s is crowded, as it appears to always be.
The food was great just like every says. I had the medium sauce and could have easily gone with hot though. However, I love super spicy foods and have been eating them my whole life.
One complaint is my friend that has been there repeatedly ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes. As the waitress walked away my friend told me she ordered them every time and they never had them. Sure enough a few minutes later our waitress returned to tell us they were out. So don’t get your heart set on that particular menu item. Or go early — like around 4.