Backyard Barbecue Essentials: How to Throw the Best Grill Party

• Center your grilling party around the main course meal to wow your guests.
• Modernize your party with outdoor drinkware unique to your style.
• Accessorize your outdoor tables and entertaining areas, and always have a plan in place for unexpected weather.
• Serve food yourself, or have it catered for ultimate relaxation!

As the season for grilling outdoors shifts into high-gear, you may want to partake in the fun and host your own grill party at home. Whether you’re celebrating a graduation, sporting event, family gathering, or neighborhood block party, you’ll want the food and drinks to taste and look great too. Hosting a BBQ dinner party is the perfect way to foster existing friendships and make new social connections. 

Hosting an outdoor bash doesn’t have to be a chore. With thoughtful planning and forethought, your guests will be bantering in no time and raving about the great eats and cool treats you have on hand. Part of creating the ambience of an unforgettable grill party is the impromptu guest showing up or a surprise cocktail at the end of an evening. It’s okay to be spontaneous and a bit free-spirited in your planning — that’s what a truly great backyard barbecue party is all about!

It’s All About Timing: Save the Date

Step number one: choose the date! Know that it’s never going to be perfect and expect the unexpected. When you take on hosting duties, you absorb all the inherent risks involved. Weather, bugs, heat, rain…anything can happen. The most important piece of advice we can give you is to prepare. Here are some considerations you can ponder when deciding on the date and timing of your upcoming grill party.

• Have a plan for inclement weather. Consider having a stylish tent on hand so that you can keep events going in the rain. In other cases, it might make more sense to have a rain-date plan in the event of truly bad weather ruining your highly-anticipated BBQ dinner party. 
• If you host your event early in the season, it might lead to chilly weather or shivering guests. This doesn’t mean you can’t host a backyard barbecue party in colder weather, but you’ll definitely want to have a plan. Think fire pits, warm blankets, and oversized sweaters at your summer BBQ.
• Will it be unseasonably warm or buggy? Prepare your event space with ice buckets, cool drinks, sunscreen, and bug repellent for your guests.

There are certain items that can make situations like this a bit more comfortable. We love tabletop grills that double as heating sources on the shoulder seasons where outdoor entertaining can be a bit chilly. 

The Outdoor Grill Party Table Setting

Establishing the type of setting you want is high-priority when it comes to hosting a memorable backyard barbecue party. Creating an overall aesthetic may be trendy or reflective of your personality. Are you aiming for a whimsical, rustic, or perhaps more formal appearance? Make sure to consider modern serveware that reflects your BBQ dinner party tone and theme. Here are some key details to consider leading up to the big day.

• If you are serving wine or cocktails at your event, look for shatterproof glassware when shopping for outdoor drinkware.
• Some grill party situations call for biodegradable serveware and luckily, eco-friendly options abound. Explore Karmic Seed’s palm leaf plates as a great alternative to styrofoam, plastic, or paper.
• Consider some unique ways to serve appetizers before the main course. Placing a rustic slate cheese board in a high-traffic location is the perfect way to satiate hungry guests who need a quick bite before partaking in the main event.

For more tips on choosing a theme or decor for your event, check out these other backyard party ideas.

Backyard Barbecue Party Food Options

Your typical BBQ dinner party highlights food cooked authentically on the grill — most notably highlighting the meat. There should also be veggie options for those who need it. To truly wow your guests, you could opt to have the event catered professionally so that you can enjoy every moment. Several companies offer services such as bringing in a pig on a spit and even taking care of the clean up after. 

If you do plan to grill on your own, make sure you do your research ahead of time. Here are some great options for DIY BBQ party food ideas, at varying levels of difficulty.

Easy Grilling: If you prefer quick and simple fare, you can opt for burgers and brats. One great perk is that veggie versions of these are available, and you can emphasize the toppings and sides to elevate them beyond just the classic ketchup and mustard. 

Medium: If you want to up the ante at your backyard barbecue grill party, go with a variety of meats on skewers. It requires a bit of skill to time the cooking for a variety of meats and veggies, but this choice has some real perks. It offers variety, veggie options and minimal clean up. Think chicken, lamb and beef with a selection of dips for ultimate flavor. To minimize the work, you could also allow guests the option of cooking their own skewers on the table with portable grills.

Difficult: Marinated brisket, beer-braised ribs, pork shoulder, or lamb are all sure to impress because they take a little more time to prepare and cook. You’ll need a lot of patience, more than one day of preparation for marinating and a quality meat thermometer to check progress. Once you start these on the grill, it’s difficult to leave them unattended and they can take hours of slow cooking, so plan accordingly!

Don’t forget to have some handy grilling tools on hand to cook meat to perfection. This TRUE Grilling Tool Set is great for perfecting your technique.

Evening Activities, Games, and More

Although the food is really the major highlight, it’s a great idea to plan some activities around your BBQ dinner party. We have a few simple ideas to keep the party hopping from afternoon into evening. Here are some ways to keep your guests active and social during your grill party. Place some backyard games around the yard and let your guests get to know each other while they play.

• You can try cornhole, darts, Jenga, and other simple quick-play games for the group.
• Place decks of cards or trivia-style questions on a nearby table for guests to grab and play as they lounge.
• Integrate croquet, bocce ball, badminton or other active games around your party for more action or to keep children entertained during an all-ages party.

Don’t forget to pick out a great music playlist that your guests will love to keep the vibe going. For more game and activity ideas to set the ambience, explore Cribsi’s home decor blog for other great tips to help make your grill party memorable.