When it comes to barbecue, standard adjectives like smoky, spicy and hot are used, and these certainly apply to the flavors prepared at Sundance Pit BBQ in Palmer Lake.

To say that Sundance is like any other smokin’ restaurant would be a mistake, though. Yes, there are the usual sandwiches and you can buy the meat (brisket, turkey, pulled pork, ribs and sausage) by the pound. And according to the menu, the beef is smoked for 14 hours in the Central Texas barbecue tradition.

So what’s different? Some creative uses of the meat in the specials that were always on the menu made it unique. These were the real treats.

Try the Brisket Philly Cheesesteak ($17). A generous amount of chopped, delicious brisket is piled high on a toasted hoagie bun, topped with grilled onions, green peppers and, yes, gooey Cheez Whiz. The whole thing is served on a tray lined with checkered paper. The fact that it’s not so beautifully presented is forgotten after the first bite.

The meat is tender and naturally smoky. The addition of some burnt ends made it an even bigger treat. The sandwich included just the right amount of creamy cheese sauce for flavor, which made it easy to forget the gooey factor I associated with the orange color.

All sandwiches came with sliced ​​dill pickles and a bag of chips. The latter made me feel like an extra in a movie with no hope of a lead role. Fortunately, there were three real sides to choose from; we opted for all three: coleslaw ($3), baked beans ($3), and cornbread ($2). The coleslaw and beans also come in larger portions ($5 and $9). I’ll come back to that.

Also on the specials menu was elote ($10). You can choose from a variety of meats and we chose turkey breast ($3 extra) which was finely diced and mixed with the grilled corn in a silky garlic mayonnaise sauce. This was served in a real bowl, not a paper one. This mess was dusted with cotija cheese and chili powder. A cilantro leaf and lime slice on the side added color.

This combination of ingredients was not particularly appealing, but it was a rainbow of flavors and textures. The turkey provided smoky flavor and the corn provided sweetness and texture. This was a clever twist on traditional Mexican street food.

What I appreciated about the side dishes was their simplicity. Nothing fancy, but they went well with the main dishes: the meat. The cornbread was moist and sweet. There are also pieces of green chili.

The coleslaw was typically shredded cabbage, carrots covered in mayo and sprinkled with poppy seeds. The beans were more impressive, made with three types of beans: black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans in a sweet and – there’s that word again – smoky sauce.

However, there are two reasons for complaints about Sundance: Firstly, there was only a very sweet barbecue sauce on the table and secondly, the restaurant is only open three days a week.