“Shut the Barn Door” — Guy Discovers Wyoming’s Ultimate Loaded Nachos
“I thought that I was going to find the hole in this,” Guy admitted while digging into a mountain of Loaded Barnchos at Born in a Barn in Laramie, Wyoming. “I can’t even make a hole in this.” When Guy Fieri struggles to find fault with a dish, you know something special is happening in that kitchen.
Born in a Barn isn’t just another burger and wings joint. As one local put it, “This is the spot in Laramie, bar none.” The restaurant has carved out its identity with elevated bar food, and nothing represents that philosophy better than their signature Barnchos — a towering creation that left Guy reaching for superlatives.
Building the Perfect Barncho
The foundation starts with house-made potato chips that undergo a meticulous three-rinse process. The chips soak in a brine of ice-cold water, white distilled vinegar, and kosher salt for at least 24 hours before hitting the fryer. The result? “Some of the crunchiest potato chips I’ve ever had in my life,” according to Guy.
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The pork shoulder gets a dry rub of salt, pepper, brown sugar (with emphasis on the brown, as the chef noted), paprika, onion powder, and granulated garlic. It then goes into the smoker at 225 degrees for a full 18 hours before being shredded. If you’re a fan of slow-smoked pork dishes, this commitment to the process rivals what you’ll find at spots serving BBQ Pulled Pork Biscuits in Denver.
The house-made queso brings together heavy cream (“emphasis on the heavy”), easy-melt cheese, pepper jack, and a little Swiss. But the real showstopper is the spicy barbecue sauce that tops everything — a complex blend of molasses, honey, brown sugar, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, dark rum, black pepper, dark chili powder, clove, allspice, and liquid smoke. Once that base cooks down, ketchup gets added to create what the kitchen calls their “sweet and smoky barbecue.”
The Secret Weapon: Hot Buffalo Queso
The Barnchos get an extra kick from a hot buffalo sauce made on the flat top with two pounds of butter, cayenne, ghost chili powder, celery salt, paprika, crushed red pepper, and hot sauce. This gets mixed with the queso for a spicy, creamy combination that ties everything together.
Assembly is an art form: crispy chips, shredded pork, bacon, hot queso lovingly distributed so every chip gets attention, more pork, more bacon, cheese, diced red onion, jalapeño, and finally that spicy barbecue drizzle.
Guy’s Verdict
“Dude, the barbecue sauce is awesome,” Guy declared. “The cheese sauce delicious, not too much. Good smoke on the pork. Love the big chunks of bacon.” The portion size impressed everyone — one diner admitted, “I don’t know that I could finish that with three friends.”
The locals clearly agree about the quality. “The queso is delicious and that spicy barbecue sauce adds a little bit of kick,” one regular explained. “They’re not stingy with the meat so you’re always gonna get a good portion.” Much like how the right queso can elevate Minestrone Soup brings depth through layered ingredients, these Barnchos succeed through thoughtful construction.
Tips from the Born in a Barn Kitchen
Brine your chips: That 24-hour rest in vinegar and salt water creates the signature crunch.
Low and slow wins: Eighteen hours at 225 degrees transforms pork shoulder into something special.
Build with intention: Distribute toppings so every chip gets love — no naked chips allowed.
As the chef put it, “If you’re going to do it, you got to do it right from the very beginning elements.” Born in a Barn proves that elevated bar food isn’t about fancy ingredients — it’s about technique and care.
Find Born in a Barn and other Triple D favorites in our restaurant directory.