For Bubba Bradley, it was always a dream of his to open a barbecue restaurant. That dream became a reality last week when Bradley quietly opened the restaurant, at 280 E. Frontage Road, next to the P & D Grocery store.
"I've wanted to open a restaurant for the last 26 years," Bradley said.
Bradley, a retired oil field worker, grew up in Texas, so he was practically raised on barbecue, he said.
In fact, Bradley loved barbecue so much, he began competing in barbecue competitions - yes that is a thing.
Bradley would go up against some of the best barbecuers in the world and would often walk away with trophies and titles, such as the "king of barbecue."
"I love to barbecue," Bradley said. "I grew up on barbecue, I started competitive barbecuing in the '80s."
As an oil field worker, Bradley traveled all across the country, but fell in love with the Mancos area.
"I brought my motorcycle to the rally in 1997 and have been coming here ever since," he said.
One of the first things you might notice when walking into the new restaurant is the custom 15½-foot smoker, that Bradley custom built.
In it, he makes pork loin, brisket, pork ribs, sausage and chicken.
"Around here, everyone loves my pork ribs," Bradley said.
In fact, Bradley sold out of his pork ribs on Friday in the first 40 minutes of opening.
Bradley will be open from 5 p.m. until closing every day in the near future. On Saturday, Oct. 25, he will have a grand opening, starting with a lunch menu at 11 a.m. and a band at 9 p.m.
Before Bradley transformed his restaurant into the barbecue spot, it was a real estate office and residential apartments.
He said it took seven months to remodel the building.
"It was a lot of work, but worth it," he said.