What do you get when you combine barbecue with high-quality fish? For chef Christoper Collins the answer is Cowboy Seafood, now open in Phoenix.
Collins, owner and chef of Common Ground Culinary, which runs behind nine local restaurants including The Macintosh and Wally’s American Gastropub, built Cowboy Seafood from the ground up, the first time he had done something of that caliber. And while the name stands out for its uniqueness, the chef said it also perfectly encapsulates his goal with the restaurant.
“It verbally describes what I am trying to do,” Collins said. “I’ve had a lot of questions like Cowboy Seafood. I don’t get it, and I’m like, I promise, just let me build my restaurant. Let me engineer my menu. Let me get food on the table, and you will get it.”
And since October 9, the public has had the opportunity to try it.
Creating Cowboy Seafood in Phoenix
The moment Collins stepped into the development at 3112 N. Central Ave. in Central Phoenix, the chef knew he had found his white whale.
“It’s an urban setting, with high-density apartments, office buildings, hotels, hospitals, and there is a lot of action packed into a little bitty spot,” he explained. “Where that spot is, it’s very underserved [when it comes to other restaurants] with our price point, [food] quality, [and] service standards.”
The light-filled restaurant features an expansive outdoor patio, a gleaming bar with a movie-theater-style marque above it, and plenty of wood tables throughout. Just across from the hostess desk is a massive shelf made out of Arizona pecan wood, laden with booze bottles. Then there’s the lively open kitchen, and a prominent display of fresh, raw seafood.
Cowboy Seafood’s menu has an array of offerings. Guests can order barbecue and biscuits alongside sushi rolls and ahi tuna.
“It was a big swing to be able to execute that many things out of the size of kitchen that we built. But it really came down to when my wife and I love to go around this world and dine,” he said. “I want that bad boy brisket, and I want my loaded baked potato, and I want my bacon and cheddar biscuit at dinner. She wants an awesome piece of halibut with a grilled green vegetable, and that is when we are at our happiest … That dinner I just described, that’s how we do it, and so we went with it, and that’s how it’s translated to Cowboy.”
Perfecting the Smoke and Surf Concept
The idea of a smoke and surf restaurant stood out to the chef, and barbecue was something he had wanted to execute at a high level for a long time. In fact, barbecue touches on his childhood and growing up in Reno, Nevada. There, his father owned a barbecue restaurant called Texas Longhorn.
“My earliest memories are working the smoker or the fryer at these big festivals when I was probably way too young to be doing that job,” he said. “It’s barbecue, something I love. We do it at Common Ground Culinary’s other restaurants, but nowhere at this level.”
He described his personal barbecue style as “belt barbecue,” referring to the Bible Belt. He takes his cues (get it?) from meat served in Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, Kansas City, and the Carolinas. But what gives Collins’ approach to barbecue a hyperlocal bent comes from his use of Arizona pecan wood to smoke the meats.
“What we do is certainly special for Arizona,” said the chef. “I don’t know a lot of guys whipping out the wood every single morning to do their 12-to-14-hour smokes.”
The wood choice was well thought out. Originally, Collins thought he would go with oak. But over time, he settled on the pecan. Arizona pecan imparts a flavor to the meat that’s softer than other types, he explained.
“It’s not thick and harsh, kind of like mesquite can be,” he said. “It has a good long burn. It has a good clean smoke and it’s not bringing that intensity.”
Plus, he added, he’s proud to feature a local, and prolific wood and use Arizona vendors to get it.
Must Try Bites From the Menu
If you ask Collins the one thing or things a diner has to try, he will quickly tell you anything from the smoke program, but especially the brisket, the St. Louis ribs, or the whole hog. Make sure to share a plate of Burnt Ends Mac ‘n’ Cheese, House-Smoked Salmon, or Bacon-Cheddar Drop Biscuits; and order sides such as the pecan-fried asparagus, onion rings, and the kale and cashew salad.
On the seafood side, look for entrees such as the Jumbo Crispy Shrimp Plate with steak fries, the Cajun Texas Redfish, and Blackened Ahi Tuna Salad with greens, avocado, vine tomatoes, edamame, miso vinaigrette, and sesame seeds. There’s also a raw bar, daily fish specials, seafood towers, and a few sushi rolls.
As for dessert, definitely go for the colorful Confetti Cheesecake or the Texas Sheet Cake, which was something he developed after a trip to Dallas he took to visit the plant that built his smokers.
The kid’s menu at Cowboy Seafood is also elevated. Young guests can order Wood Fired Salmon, Filet Tips, Big Man’s Brisket, and St. Louis Ribs, alongside traditional kid food like Buckarroo Mac + Cheese. Every kid’s order comes with French fries, fresh fruit, and a treat.
“I want people to have elevated, exceptional, hospitality-driven service, but it doesn’t have to be pretentious or stuffy,” he said, adding that the sentiment also includes families with little ones. “I want them to feel welcome. I want them to feel like they’re in a high-energy, exciting place when they’re leaving their homes [and] their offices…with awesome food and great hospitality.”
Visit Cowboy Seafood Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 3112 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, cowboyseafoodaz.com
