20 Backyard BBQ Setups We Should All Aspire to Have (2024)

Most people love spending time grilling out in their backyard during the summer, but it can be even more enjoyable if you have an amazing backyard grill setup that makes grilling and entertaining fun and even more enjoyable.

When it comes to designing the perfect BBQ grill layout, it takes your ideas of what you’d like to have, and then some good planning to make the ideas a reality. You may not know where to start with the planning process when it comes to creating a backyard BBQ grill setup that everyone will envy, but we have some tips to help get you started in the right direction.

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Plan out your grilling space

Depending on how much space you have to work with, one of the best ways to get an amazing grilling setup is to design your grilling area away from the home a ways. This can create a feeling of a little getaway and actually grilling “out” as opposed to being right up close to where you already spend so much of your time eating on a daily basis.

Try to incorporate some of the natural beauty of your yard in your plan to give you a more natural grilling experience. Extending your patio out further from the home with pavers is one way to create a specific grilling area. Brick and stone pavers are great for grilling decks.

Decide what facilities you want in your setup

If you plan to do a lot of entertaining, designing a little outdoor kitchen with the grill will definitely come in handy. Having to run to and from the inside kitchen to get food and prepare dishes can be hectic and take away from conversations with your guests.

When designing your grilling layout, consider if you want a mini outdoor fridge, a sink, warming ovens and other conveniences that will make grilling outdoors easier and less time consuming when it comes to making your meals. When choosing your appliances and facilities, make sure to choose products that are especially geared for outdoors so they hold up in the elements.

Create a prep and cooking area

For the ultimate grilling setup, be sure to include plenty of counter area for preparing and serving up meals. Most BBQ grills come with a little deck area for setting food, but having a beautiful counter area for meal preparation will make a big difference with how much more efficient you can be preparing other dishes while the chef is cooking the meat on the grill. A buffet area built of a foundation of stone or other beautiful outdoorsy material adds a more natural look to your grilling area. Metal counters give your grilling area a cool, modernized look and are easy to clean and maintain.

Set up your dining area

If you like to watch the grill master cook while you eat, bar stools at the counter can be a great way to enjoy the best of both worlds, keeping up with the conversation and mingling with the chef while enjoying your BBQ dinner. It can also help with space issues where there just isn’t the space for a separate table.

If you do have space for an outdoor table, setting one in close proximity to the grilling action but not cramping the area, can be a great idea for feeling like you’re dining in a little outdoor cafe. If you choose an outdoor table, don’t forget coverage for it, whether it be an umbrella or other form of cover for those evenings when the weather may not be very cooperative.