Summer is a time of friends, family, and food. What better way to make some tasty memories than by throwing the ultimate backyard BBQ? Hosting a BBQ is a great way to enjoy a summer evening, but if you don’t prepare, then it may end up being several hours of sitting bored in the heat while the food cooks. Following a few tips will help you elevate your BBQ game to the next level and ensure that everyone in your neighborhood is hoping for an invite! Here’s what you need to know!
Prepare a Menu
Without a doubt, the menu is the most important part of a BBQ. Boiled hot dogs and Aunt Sue’s potato salad (you know, the one with way too much mayonnaise) just won’t cut it. Thankfully, you don’t have to get fancy, only intentional. Essentially, the menu at a BBQ should consist of five separate elements.
1. Snacks/Appetizers
Nobody wants to wait around for the food to be ready. Being forced to smell a delicious grill while your stomach rumbles is almost too much to bear. The best way to satiate your guests is to have a variety of snacks and appetizers ready. Foods like jalapeno poppers, mini sliders, watermelon, or chips and dip are great options to offer your guests as they show up.
2. Main Dish
Your main dish should be the focus of the menu, and it should keep guests talking about it for months. You don’t have to break the budget to purchase the highest quality meat, either. When it comes to BBQ, it’s more about how you prepare it than what you prepare. Whether you cook burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, or any other meat, you can’t go by throwing it on a quality grill like the Louisiana Grills we sell here at Omni. These quality grills double as smokers, meaning you have several options on how you want to prepare your main dish. From smoked ribs to grilled fish, you can’t go wrong with this product!
3. Side Dishes
Side dishes offer diversity to the meal and should be kept simple. Beans, potato salad (with the right amount of mayo), corn, and other simple foods serve as an excellent addition to any BBQ meal. Make them yourself or pick them up ready-to-eat at your local grocery store!
4. Drinks
Iced tea, lemonade, soda, water, and other options are all great for any BBQ. However, the most important thing is to keep them cold. Nobody wants to be handed a warm beverage when it’s 100 degrees outside. Rather than taking out a second mortgage on ice, consider picking up a Pelican cooler that can keep your drinks frosty all day long!
5. Dessert
No one is truly satisfied until they’ve had a dessert or two. The best way to end any BBQ meal is to sit around and talk over some sweet treats. The sky is the limit here. Popsicles for the kids and cobbler and ice cream for adults is a great option. But feel free to break out the secret family pie recipe if you truly want to impress your friends!
Setting The Aesthetic
While food is a vastly important element of throwing the ultimate backyard BBQ, it’s not the only thing that matters. No matter how good your food is, people want to be comfortable. Setting the aesthetic by preparing your backyard for a party is an often overlooked aspect of hosting.
Consider grabbing a canopy to protect your backyard from the glaring sun or potentially ruinous rain. The E-Z Up Spectator is a great option as it is easily set up and can be broken down afterward, keeping it from taking up a ton of space in your garage.
You can also make your backyard space more comfortable by investing in some mosquito repellent. Items like the Thermacell Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller are great for keeping those pesky insects away so you can sit back and relax.
Have Plenty of Games
While some old-timers will inevitably sit around and talk all day, swapping stories about how they remember when BBQs were invented, most guests will probably be interested in some friendly competition.
Simple backyard games are the best way to spice up your party and get the blood pumping a little. Cornhole, washer toss, and bocce ball are all great options. They’re simple, easy to learn, and can be played by teams of 1-4, for a total of 8 players!
Don’t miss out on throwing the ultimate backyard BBQ! Omni Outdoor Living can supply all of your backyard needs, helping you throw a party that’ll be the envy of the whole block!
Experience Outdoor Living!
At Omni Outdoor Living, we make it our mission to help our customers make the most out of their outdoor experiences. We offer quality outdoor products focused on outdoor recreation, DIY projects, entertaining friends and family, or just relaxing outside! If you have any questions about your outdoor experience or our wide range of outdoor products, don’t hesitate to contact us today!
