You probably won’t find anyone complaining about a barbecue, unless the food is really bad. It doesn’t matter how simple it is, or how few people show up – barbecues are fun.
While you can get away with hosting a typical barbecue, why not go all out and make it a time to remember? If you’re stuck on ideas, here are some tips to host the ultimate summer barbecue in your backyard.
Serve alcohol (to guests of legal age)
Alcohol is one of those things that makes parties a little more fun, and that includes barbecues. As long as your guests are of legal drinking age and have enough time to sober up before driving home, alcohol will make a great addition to your next backyard barbecue.
Instead of just serving your alcoholic beverages in disposable red plastic cups, consider getting an outdoor bar to serve your guests in a more professional manner. You don’t have to hire a bartender unless that appeals to you. All you need is someone willing to stand behind the bar and serve your guests. If that isn’t possible, you could make your bar self-serve, but that can be problematic with hard liquor. Self-serve bars are better when you’re serving pre-made, sealed drinks, like beer and single-serve wine bottles.
Have some tasty vegan options
If the idea of making a vegan barbecue doesn’t appeal to you, consider that it probably will appeal to some of your guests. Not everyone eats meat, and sometimes the best recipes are vegan. For example, barbecuing stuffed bell peppers, potatoes, and other vegan goodies can quickly become anyone’s favorite dish. Most people will probably want to eat veggies as side dishes with their hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, or ribs, but they’re still an important part of a barbecue.
Sometimes amazing barbecued meat can make up for a lack of delicious side dishes, and you can get away with serving plain veggies. For guests who can only eat vegan food, having a tasty assortment of veggies and other vegan dishes will ensure they enjoy their meal.
Provide some shade
Summer barbecues are amazing, but they can get pretty hot. Even though you’ll be grilling outside, the heat from the grill and the sun can make things heat up fast. Unless summers are fairly cool where you live, prepare to offer shade for your guests. If all you have is a small overhang on the side of your house, that’s not going to be enough.
Consider investing in a small gazebo with open walls or building some kind of structure that you can cover with a canvas to block out the sun. If you have tables on your patio, it’s easy to add large umbrellas for shade. Outdoor umbrellas are made to be free-standing or anchored through a hole in the middle of a table.
Run a large fan
People have more fun when they feel good physically, but it’s tough to feel good in the heat. The hotter it gets, the more uncomfortable people become, so it’s important to have some way to cool everyone down.
A large fan is an excellent tool for the job, especially if you can plug it a short distance away so that the wind doesn’t blow directly into anyone’s face. The idea isn’t to create a tornado of cool air but to create what feels like a decent breeze coming in from the distance.
If it gets too hot, you can get misting fans for everyone, or cook outside and enjoy the food indoors with the air conditioner running.
Have snacks ready for the kids
If your guests bring their kids to your gathering, they’ll get bored pretty fast. They also might not like the idea of eating barbecued vegetables or even steak. You’ll probably have hot dogs and hamburgers for the kids, but it’s also a good idea to have some snacks, like crackers or chips.
There’s no need to go overboard on the sugar, but get something sweet, like marshmallows or gummy candy, that the kids can snack on before or after their meal.
Provide some entertainment
Boring barbecues can be transformed with the right source of entertainment, and it doesn’t take much. Sometimes all it takes is some kid-friendly games, good music or a movie playing in the background.
Make your next summer barbecue amazing
Don’t settle for plain backyard gatherings. Follow these tips to make your next backyard barbecue memorable.
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