Published: November 10, 2009 04:29 pm      

Time for a pit stop

Brownsburg restaurant offers unique dining experience

BROWNSBURG — After being “retired” for some time, Harold Cottongim and his son Eric decided to go back into the restaurant business. They’ve been operating Pit Stop BBQ & Grill in Brownsburg for several months now.

“We’ve been busy non-stop since we opened the week before Labor Day,” Harold said.

The Cottongim family is well aquatinted with the Brownsburg area.

“I’ve lived there three times in my life,” Harold said. “This last time it’s been since 1978.”

The Cottongims owned and operated Celebrations, a banquet facility in Brownsburg, prior to selling the facility to a church.

“When we had Celebrations we did lots of catering at all the big events at IRP (Indianapolis Raceway Park, now named O’Reilly Raceway Park),” Harold said. “We also had a barbecue place on the east side of Indy on North Arlington Avenue. We had that for about 20 years.”

After selling Celebrations, the duo decided to open an business on the east side of Brownsburg in the building that was once a Hook’s Drug Store.

“We’ve been very busy,” Eric said. “There’s been a lot of repeat business and our salad bar is very popular at lunch time.”

He said their staff is top notch.

“I think we counted that we have over 200 years experience between all of us,” Eric said. “I started scrubbing pots when I was 12 or 13.”

The restaurant offers a complete menu of barbecue favorites.

“We have smoked brisket, pulled pork, and ribs,” Eric said. “Our BBQ Baked Beans have turned out to be really popular.”

The restaurant has the capability to serve up to 185 people at a time. Eric said the small parking lot out front can be deceiving.

“There’s usually more room inside,” he added.

Harold said decorating the racing-themed restaurant has been fun both for him and for some of their customers.

“We’ve gotten a lot of it from friends and neighbors,” he said. “People will come in to eat then want to donate something they have.”

The walls are covered in racing photographs and memorabilia from racing throughout the years.

The barbecue is not the only popular fare at the restaurant.

“Our Sunday brunch is getting a big clientele,” Harold said. “We have a chef that makes omelets to order and there’s a waffle bar.”

The Sunday brunch offers all of the normal breakfast fare. The waffle irons are complete with a cutout of a race car, which is meant to be fun for children, Harold explained.

Pitt Stop BBQ is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sunday brunch is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The restaurant is at 932 E. Main St., Brownsburg, at the corner of U.S. 136 and Hornaday Road.

brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com