Best Grill for Your Tailgate Party

Tailgating is more than a picnic in a parking lot. Sorry, but cold cuts don’t make the grade. The celebration before a big game or concert requires a grilling on location. And that means choosing the right portable tailgate grill.

We searched through eBay listings for the best grills for tailgating. Answer these questions, and you’ll be halfway there.

How Many People Are Invited? A Bigger Tailgate Grill Feeds More People

The Weber Go-Anywhere Grill is easy to tote from the trunk to the tabletop.

The size of your guest list dictates the necessary gear. A compact design allows easy transport and setup—so a tiny grill is ideal for a small group. However, the more, the merrier when it comes to a legit tailgate get-together.

A full-size grill is not always practical—that is, unless it uses a clever portable design.

How many hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, shrimp, or shish kabobs will fit at one time? A true grillmaster pencils everything out on a scratch sheet of paper to make sure there’s sufficient space.

The highly portable Coleman RoadTrip 225 has 225 square inches of grilling space.

• Small: Gibson Football Charcoal Grill
  Gibson’s whimsical charcoal Football Grill is ideal for gridiron gatherings.
• Medium: Weber Q 1200 Portable Tabletop Propane
  Weber offers the Q 1200 propane grill in green, blue, orange, red, black, and titanium to coordinate with your favorite team.
• Large: Coleman RoadTrip 225 Portable Stand-Up Propane Grill
  The standalone Coleman RoadTrip propane grill folds up for storage and is easy to tote.

What Type of Fuel? Propane, Charcoal or Wood?

Impress the gang with a wood-fired pizza, courtesy of the BioLite BaseCamp.

Once you determine the grill size, it’s time to choose the fuel. Most portable grills use small propane tanks, which are practical. You may need to bring more than one tank for the day, depending on the amount of cooking. Pack them securely.

Meanwhile, purists crave the aroma of wood or charcoal. It’s not always feasible to go with natural fuel choices—due to safety and disposal issues. You’ll often need more space around the cooking area, and grill safety is a heightened concern.

Wood pellet grills, like the Pit Boss (shown at the top of the page) deliver the delightful aroma of apple, cherry, hickory, mesquite, or pecan without the hassle of conventional wood.

Wood and charcoal grills require water and a metal bucket to fully extinguish and dispose of the hot coals before packing up.

If you go with wood, consider one of these top options:

• Crazy Jeep Firepit
  Jeep owners love these unique flat-pack grills.
• BioLite BaseCamp Grill
  The BioLite BaseCamp is a versatile and compact wood-burner. So how fast can you churn out the pizza or splayed chicken?

Standalone, Tabletop, or Hitch-Mounted Tailgate Grill?

There’s one more critical decision to make about your tailgate grill. Standalone and tabletop grills were the only choice for years. But these days, you can buy trailer hitch-mounted grills, starting at under $400.

If your vehicle has an open two-inch trailer hitch, a fabulous hitch-mount grill frees up cargo space and creates buzz at your BBQ. Some models provide as much space and versatility as a conventional backyard grill.

A hitch-mounted grill can make setup easy, while expanding the cooking area.

• Springfield Marine Gas Grill with Trailer Hitch Mount
  Springfield Marine’s hitch-mounted propane grill has a 189 square-inch cooking surface and can be used on a tabletop, as well.
• Hitchfire Forge 15 Grill
  Hitchfire’s Forge 15 sets the standard for hitch-mounted grills with an 18- by 22-inch cooking area and an innovative swing-arm mount.
• Titan Great Outdoors Nomad Charcoal Grill
  Need to feed a crowd? The Nomad provides space and versatility with three slide-out grates and 1,368-square-inches of cooking area.

You’ll need to prep your hitch-mount grill for travel, of course, following all of the safety instructions provided by the manufacturer.

See this: How to Choose the Proper Tow Hitch.

If you choose a standalone or tabletop grill, you’ll need room in your vehicle to transport it. While strapping a big grill down in the cargo bed is a straightforward task with a pickup truck, owners of passenger vehicles should pause to consider how to pack the grill.

Carrying a grill inside a car or SUV may fumigate the interior with an undesirable BBQ aroma that hangs around long after the party is over. Be sure to bring a few heavy-duty lawn and leaf garbage bags to tidy up your tailgate site. Save a bag to stow the grill before transport (after it’s fully cooled off).

Read more: Best Tailgating Vehicle: Truck, SUV or Minivan?