Restaurateur operates four BBQ smokehouses.
With locations in Cottonwood, Prescott, Prescott Valley and Sedona, Clouston is quick to credit her grandmother. “Grandma Helen was a ranch woman who cooked huge meals for our family, always had a beautiful garden and cared for us all,” said Clouston, who employs a staff of 200 across her restaurants.
“I was raised in a small rural town and grew up in a country lifestyle. Our meals were centered around fresh barbecued steak, ranch beans, garlic bread, biscuits and fresh veggies. Those rowdy barbecues included our family and friends, so great memories were made.”
When Clouston followed her family to Cottonwood to live, she realized she yearned for the food she was raised on in the style that she enjoyed. “I couldn’t find a restaurant that offered barbecue, a cool bar and cozy dining room.”
Harnessing her background in hospitality interior design and her culinary recollections, Clouston whipped up Colt Grill. “I came up with the ideas for the design and many of the menu items traveling home from our residence in North Carolina. As a Southerner, I know how they like to make you feel welcomed and serve up some really good food, and that’s what I wanted to do.”
The star of the show is the giant steel smoker. Clouston uses genuine hardwood to permeate the dishes with rich smoked flavors. Almost everything is smoked, including some of the desserts.
“We start the smoker around 6 in the morning and shut it down around 8 p.m.,” said Cottonwood Colt Grill Manager Kody Garratt. “Our style is a walk-up grill. Customers enter, we hand them menus and they take a seat inside the dining room or out on the patio. People absolutely adore the menu. We have some customers that come here every day. There’s nothing like it out there.”
Entrees such as the beef brisket, smoked chicken, baby back ribs, smoked turkey sandwich and wraps, specialty salads and fish and chips are a few items on the menu, and the savory barbecue sauce bar is a paragon of flavor.
With seven flavors listed from mild to hot, Garratt says the most popular barbecue sauce is the Kansas City Blend. Others include Round the Campfire, Texas Tang, Desert Heat and Holy Habanero.
Cottonwood residents Michael and Lisa DuVernay call the veggie burgers phenomenal. “They’re made in-house and they’re really big. We’ve never eaten a whole one.”
Camp Verde resident Becky Corban took her granddaughter to Colt Grill for lunch and found her favorite restaurant. “We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was wonderful. I highly recommend the veggie burger and sweet potato fries.”
The popularity of Colt Grill may get another boost from Guy Fieri. “Guy’s producer called and said they might feature us in the fall,” said Clouston. “What sets us apart is that everything on our menu is made from scratch and centered around smoked meats cooked low and slow, which results in extreme flavor.”
The Colt Grill is also all about family. Brenda’s husband, Bob, a general contractor, built the restaurants and keeps the kitchens running smoothly. “Our daughter, Amanda (Mandy), handles all the marketing, and our son, Carson, fabricated all our steel smokers.”
Clouston credits her staff as well. “We really have great employees. Restaurant work is extremely difficult, and these people work very hard.”
Grateful for the success of the restaurants, Clouston says she strives to keep prices down and give back to the communities where they do business. “We like to support local community events and try to help out as much as we can. It’s important for me to know that we are using our restaurant in a way that helps others.”
Catering for weddings and events of every size is offered at Colt Grill, with the option of pick-up, delivery and full service set up. QCBN
By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN
Colt Grill restaurants are located in Old Town Cottonwood, Prescott Valley, Downtown Prescott and the Village of Oak Creek. For more information, call 928-634-1140 or visit https://coltgrill.com/.
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