How To Plan A Backyard Bar and Grill

If you are ready to start planning a backyard bar and grill.  We want to give some of the best pointers that we’ve discovered for renovating and redesigning your backyard.

Where to start planning a backyard bar and grill

One of the best things about having a house during the summertime is that you can have backyard barbecues.  That’s if you have a backyard bar and grill set up. There are a lot of ways that you can set your backyard bar and grill up.  To get the right design for you, it  will depend on the style of your house and the size of your backyard.

When you are designing your backyard bar and grill, you’ll need to make some decisions about the type of grill that you want, the type of bar that you want, and what kind of patio design you have or what kinds of improvements you’re willing to make to your current patio design.

If you’re looking to make the best backyard bar and grill for your home, here are several tips that you can use to help you make those decisions.

Style of House

The type of backyard bar and grill that you have will be largely influenced by the type of house that you have. If you have a two-story home that opens onto a deck in the back, you’ll have different challenges than if you have a home that opens directly onto the backyard patio from the ground floor.

If your patio opens directly off of the ground floor, you can simply design your backyard bar and grill there, but if you have a deck that is off the ground, you have a couple of choices to make.

Backyard bar and grill with a deck

People usually want to be able to access the backyard bar and grill from a nearby door. If your deck doesn’t already have stairs that lead to the yard, you could build stairs and make a patio on ground level. Otherwise, you can work with the deck space that you have, or you could expand.

Consider if you plan on having large gatherings for your barbecues or if you just want the space for you and your immediate family. Do you want guests to have access to the entire area of your yard?

If you want them to be able to access the entire yard because your deck is too small, you’ll need to build stairs if you don’t already have them. You could design the space so that traffic flow is spread out over the lawn and the deck, and there are many other designs that you can consider.

Take some time and plan traffic flow and where each of the activities will be located.

Size of Backyard

The size of your backyard will also play a role in how your backyard bar and grill is laid out. If you have a very large backyard, you’ll want to define spaces, but you have a lot to work with. If you have a very small backyard, you have a bigger challenge, and you’ll have to spend more time planning how to fit everything you want into the space that you have.

For instance, if you have the deck off of the second floor, but your yard is small.  You can create a deck that has multiple levels to make the best use of the space that you have. This is especially useful if you enjoy hosting large parties.

If you have a patio that is on ground level, you’ll need to be economical about how you position the dining area, cooking area, backyard fire pit, and anything else you think you might want to add.

Patio Design

When you’re designing your patio for your backyard bar and grill, there are two main considerations you’ll need to make. First of all, you’ll need to choose a material. Secondly, you’ll need to lay out the exact placement of the patio. There are many types of materials that you can use, which include:

• Flagstone: Great for creating natural, organic look
• Stained or Stamped Concrete: Low maintenance and looks great for years
• Brick: Works well when creating a more formal look
• Gravel: Easy to install and has a low-key look
• Design Consideration

When you’re laying out the design of your patio, you’ll want to consider both aesthetics and functionality. For instance, if your yard has hills, do you want stairs that lead to a lower section? You’ll also want to plan where your backyard bar and grill will be.

You need to think about the backyard patio and just how functional you want it to be :

• Do you want it to have a formal appearance or more laid back?
• What about paths that lead to a garden?
• Do you want a table made of the same concrete that your patio is made with?
• How about the bar?

There are so many choices that you can make to increase the functionality of your backyard bar and grill, so take some time to plan out exactly what features you want, where they will go, and what materials you will use to create them.

BBQ Grill Type

When you’re planning your backyard bar and grill, you’ll need to decide what kind of BBQ grill type you would like. One of the most basic considerations that you will need to make is if you want a gas or charcoal BBQ grill for your backyard bar and grill.

When choosing a BBQ grill, there isn’t a right or wrong answer; it’s merely a matter of preference. Some people like the convenience of a gas grill. All you have to do is light it, wait a couple of minutes, and then it’s ready to go. Other people prefer charcoal grills because they create a unique, smoky flavor that gas grills just can’t mimic.

The size of the BBQ grill for your backyard bar and grill is really important.  You’ll need to be realistic about how much room you have to dedicate to the grill. If you host large parties you’ll also need to know how much cooking space you’ll need.

Type of Bar

Bars are great additions when you are doing backyard planning. They serve as a fun and functional design element that can enhance your backyard parties. People can watch you cook while you chat, so the bar serves as a cooking space and an eating space.

There are many different kinds of bars that you can consider adding to your backyard bar and grill. For instance, do you want your bar to be solely for food preparation? Do you want to be set up to make drinks? The type of bar that you build for your backyard bar and grill will be dependent on your answer to those questions.

Whenever you are doing backyard planning, you want to think about the types of activities that you will want to accommodate. For your backyard planning, here are a couple of things that you will want to consider for your bar.

Food and Entertaining Bar Only

If you’re planning on making a bar, that is solely for preparing food and entertaining guests.  The setup will be a little different. Regardless of which kind of bar you choose for your backyard bar and grill area, you’ll want to decide how long you want your bar to be.

Not only will this determine how much space you have to work with, but it will also determine how many people you can have seated at the bar. If you choose to have a bar that you will prepare food at, think about where you will store utensils, plates, and other supplies. Do you want a built-in cutting board? How about overhead lighting for after the sun sets?

Drinks Bar

If you are going to the trouble of putting a backyard grill and bar in your backyard.  Then you want to be able to make drinks for your guests at the bar.

If you want to be able to serve cocktails and chilled drinks from your bar.  You’ll need to have a place to keep things chilled. You can either have a mini-fridge, or you’ll need to find a place to keep things on the ice.  You can have an ice bar built into space.

Add additional features to the backyard grill and bar

There are some nice extra features that you can add to your backyard bar and grill area. For instance, if you are adding a bar, you can make it a wet bar.  The drawback is that you will need to run plumbing to the backyard bar and grill area. You have so much freedom in planning a backyard bar and grill you can even add a mini-fridge.  A fridge in the backyard is very convenient for storing items like condiments and the odd beer.

If you want a backyard that you can throw parties in or enjoy some time in with family and friends.  Feel free to dream, but put in enough planning. Designing the backyard bar and grill of your dreams will take time.

There is so much time and effort in building a backyard barbecue and entertaining area.  The more time you put into planning the happier you’ll be, remember it’s all about convenience.

Tags: Backyard Bar and Grill, Backyards, featured, Grilling, Lanscaping, Planning a grill