The Must-Have Features for an Austin Outdoor Kitchen

Spending time outdoors should be one of your favorite things when you have an outdoor living space, especially during these summer days in Austin. These outdoor kitchen features are sure to make your experience enjoyable and keep your guests coming back throughout the season.

Grill

What would an outdoor kitchen be without a grill? Grills are the epitome of backyard cooking. Larger gas grills are perfect for entertaining large groups of people. Charcoal or more portable grills are great for smaller spaces and allow you to tuck them away when not in use.

Pizza Oven/Fireplace

Fire features in your outdoor living space are a must, but how cool would it be to have a brick pizza oven? It’s a fun feature that can double as a fireplace in the winter. If a pizza oven isn’t for you, consider a full hearth fire place for a classic feel.

Counter Space

When you cook outside you want to be able to enjoy the whole process in one place. It’s always good to give yourself at least 15 inches of landing space or counter top to fill plates and serve platters. It’s also nice to have counter space for preparing the food. Install a large chopping block with a slit to the trash so food prep and clean up can be rolled into one.

Bar Seating

Having an outdoor bar or counter area is fun no matter what it looks like but why not add a little Austin flair when you can? Use bottle caps, mosaic tiles, or broken glass to match your counter with your own personal style. To accommodate bar seating, extend the countertop and add stools. You may have to raise the counter height for a bar like feel.

Ceiling Fans

It’s Texas, therefore it’s Texas. The summer and early fall temperatures are enough to keep you indoors and away from your outdoor living space. Cool things off with a ceiling fan. It will keep you enjoying your outdoor kitchen no matter the temperature.

Lighting

Lighting might not seem like an important feature, it is a great to have in an outdoor kitchen. Keep block parties going with ceiling lights and wall fixtures so you can keep your eye on food without  a flashlight.

Drink Cooler/Table Combo

It’s the little things that have a big impact on the enjoyment of your backyard living space. Be sure to think of little add-ons that you have in your main kitchen, like a place for guests to set down drinks. Make a fun bar or table with a place to keep drinks cold built right in. Stay at your table and grab another cold one by having a dining area with a built in cooler.

There are literally hundreds of features you can add to your own custom outdoor kitchen, so it’s important to prioritize and list the features you’d like to include. Determine which items are must-have vs nice-to-have. This exercise will help prevent you from going over budget.