When Manny Barella was growing up in Monterrey, Mexico, barbecue was part of daily life.

The smell of charcoal hung in the air wherever he drove on weekends. On Thursdays, his family, like everyone else he knew, would grill carne asada and play dominoes. On Saturdays, he and his friends would cook together after playing soccer.

Asada is about “cooking with an open fire,” and it’s deeply ingrained in the culture and the community, Barella explains. “A boy becomes a man when he’s able to get the charcoal going without his dad.”

But the chef didn’t see that style of cooking represented in his adopted home of Denver, where Texas–style barbecue typically reigns. So Barella — who previously led the kitchen at the now-shuttered Bellota and also finished in the top five on season 21 of Bravo’s reality television series Top Chef — decided to start his own Mexican barbecue joint. He teamed with local pitmaster Patrick Klaiber, and Riot BBQ opened in the Overland neighborhood in June.

The menu is familiar, with meats such as an ultra-tender smoked brisket, coffee-rubbed smoked turkey and pulled pork served by the half-pound along with accompaniments such as paprika-dusted potato salad, gooey mac and cheese, and banana pudding.

But the south-of-the-border influences are also present: Coleslaw becomes a macha slaw inspired by salsa macha, a chile-forward Mexican condiment. The cornbread incorporates the zest of jalapeños and the creaminess of esquites (Mexican street corn); fire-roasted corn is added to the bread batter and a charred corn crema “emulates the ashes of corn husks” that Barella grew up with. Brisket tacos are topped with avocado crema and folded into bison tallow tortillas from local producer Raquelitas Tortillas.

“It’s the perfect marriage of Mexico and Texas,” Barella says. “But it’s not Tex-Mex.”

Klaiber began smoking meats at the age of 16. “I just thought it was so cool — meat and fire,” he says.

Most recently, the self-taught pitmaster led the crew at AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q to a Bib Gourmand nod from Michelin Guide in 2023. The eatery shuttered in March, and Riot took over the industrial space with its communal tables and sizable back patio.

A new liquor license will add a margarita, beers and more to Riot’s menu. But warm days (or a spicy bite) may best be eased with a glass of hibiscus aqua fresca topped with a splash of lemonade. Barella calls it a Mexican Arnold Palmer.

More daily specials and more Mexican influences are also coming. Barella wants to play around with smoked goat — as suggestive of Monterrey as lobster is to Maine — and beef barbacoa tacos.

In merging Barella’s heritage with the traditions of American barbecue, Riot BBQ is creating a new flavor profile for diners to discover.

“I want every item to be someone’s favorite,” Barella says.