Off Topic - Recommendation for a portable gas grill

Foghorn

It seems that the place we are going to be tailgating this weekend in College Station only allows portable gas grills.  Does anybody have any experience/recommendations?  Is the WeberQ the way to go.  Reviews suggest it is good for fast searing, but even on it's lowest setting it will sear whatever is on the grill.  Are there better options out there?  Thanks for any input or advice.

michigan_jason

Bring the egg and a can of propane, they will not know the difference.

fishlessman

something i bring with me when i cant burn lump is my camp stove, castiron pan and sausages peppers onions, bacon wrapped scollops, reheat some egged chili, meatballs and sauce, steak and cheese subs etc   seems more handy than a gas grill
my old camp king is probably 50 plus years old

Skiddymarker

Depends how serious you are, I guess.

You can get a little Weber or a Master Forge 12000BTU gas grill at Lowe's for under $70 that will perform like a $70 grill - it is either on or off, there is nothing in between no matter where you set the dial, it is hot or it is cold. 

You can get a 14000BTU Napoleon (had one on the boat - used in the salt chuck) that is very well built of 304 SS, wind proof and will do indirect cooks as it had two burner controls that actually change the temperature for about $225. 

Like eggs, big difference between a Chargrill egg for $200 and a LBGE for $800, being an egg owner you understand quality. 

TUTTLE871

So you did find a place to tailgate? I wanted to go this weekend but I have a race that I'm working at and that trumped the Ponies getting ran over by Johnny (I will sign anything for money) Foozeball. Would love to see SMU win but we don't pay our players like we used to. Have fun down there it's a great place to watch a college game.

buddubya

I just snagged a used Weber Q100 off of craigslist for $75 for a music festival I was heading to. It came with the folding cart stand which turned out to be really nice to have, as well as a cover. 

There is supposedly an adapter and hose you can get to use a full size propane tanks. However, I bought two of those fat boy propane tanks at home depot, the 16.5 ozs, and cooked on it for 3 days straight.

I did grilled WANGZ, pork chops, brats, hot dogs and burgers. Did not have a camp stove and tried to use for cast iron with eggs and pancakes and sausage. Worked OK, but took a while to get the pans hot and used a lot of fuel in the mean time.

Overall I would reccommend that little sucker for no more than 4-6 people. But it does get nice and HOT.

There is the Q200 for a larger size, but honestly this little sucker doesnt take up a lot of trunk space and did a great job.

travisstrick

Hands down the TEC Cherokee is the best. I've used three different ones over 10 years. Very expensive but the best.

Academy has one that is very similar for several hundred less.

If its a once or twice a year thing, I'd get the one from academy. If you will use it often, go with the TEC.

travisstrick

Here is a link to the one from academy.

http://m.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_779910_-1?ICID=CRT:0261-02367-1502

Hokie_Smoker

I have a never ending need to give Jimmy Buffett money.  I've had this grill for about 5 years and it works great.  http://www.margaritavillecargo.com/product.aspx?pid=6793

Mickey

michigan_jason  has it right. Get a LP tank and a hose next to  you Egg. They will never tell the difference. 

Z_Eggineer

You can also retrofit the egg to use propane.  There is a video on youtube. (I don't recommend permanent modifications)

Jeremiah

The weber q series are great grills. Only issue is they don't burn quite hot enough. I'm thinking ill try slightly boring out the gas holes with my torch drill bits. But still the best portable grill for the money IMO.

Foghorn

Thanks for all the great input. 

@TUTTLE871, since I don't know my way around College Station, I found a company that apparently is on a variety of college campuses that leases space and sets up tailgating canopies for people.  They set up some chairs and a table and transport all your gear from your car to the canopy they have set up for you.  They do this in the park across the street from the stadium.  I'm pretty sure there are some places around the stadium that don't cost money - and allow charcoal grills - and while I am there this weekend I will try to figure out where to do that for next time.  As a result, I am not interested in spending much money on a portable gas grill that I may only use once.  It's not like I need another grill.

Dfishel

Mini egg!!

Foghorn

 

Dfishel said:

Mini egg!!

My ProQ travels easily as I can lift it by the handle on top. It gives me two 20 inch cooking surfaces if I bring the whole thing - or one if I leave the mid section at home. So, it is hard for me to justify buying a mini.

Mickey

Swing by Salado and you can take mine.

MJG

I have a Coleman Roadtrip grill and like it for tailgating.

Foghorn

@MJG, thanks.  I saw the Coleman online and it looks like a good option as well, along with the grill recommended by @travisstrick. 

Foghorn

@travisstrick, so I narrowed it down to the Coleman or the one you recommended and went out last night to see what was available locally and potentially compare them.  I got a version (not exactly the one in your link) of the Outdoor Gourmet because I couldn't find the Coleman at either Bass Pro Shop or Academy so it was no contest.  It has a collapsable rolling stand, a small side table that folds up and two burners that are front/back rather than left/right - all for $99.99.  My son and I put it together last night and it seems pretty reasonably built and it gets plenty hot.  Thanks for the recommendation.  Thanks to others as well for their input. 

My daughter has informed me that she will have a bunch of hungry friends stopping to tailgate with us, so (if Costco has what I want) we're going with blackened beef tenderloin sandwiches (thanks to a suggestion from another tailgate thread on here) and Johnsonville brats. 

The last time I went tailgating, I was a high school senior and a guest with my parents at another family's site at the 1980 Orange Bowl national championship game between FSU and Oklahoma.....

travisstrick

I'm glad I could help.

Foghorn

You should know that when I looked at the only online review of the grill you recommended it described terrible problems and suggest that nobody should buy it.  When I talked to my son about our options he said "Who are you gonna trust? Some random person online - or Travis?"

Village Idiot

Foghorn said:

"Who are you gonna trust? Some random person online - or Travis?"

I recommend that you take it back for a refund.

travisstrick

My dad has the $700 TEC and the academy one. He primarily uses the academy version. He lives on the Gulf of Mexico and even the salt air hasn't ruined it yet.

Your son is wise beyond his years. :ar!

Foghorn

"Your son is wise beyond his years"

Yes he is. When we grill and camp together I tend to be the immature pyromaniac and he is the voice of safety/wisdom/reason. That's why I trusted him on this issue.

Of course, if this grill malfunctions on Saturday then I know who to blame...

henapple

If he trust Travis... Drug test =P~

Mickey

henapple said:

If he trust Travis... Drug test =P~

Is the test on Travis or Fog or both???????????

Foghorn

I think he meant to test my son.

Mickey

Foghorn said:

I think he meant to test my son.

I know your Son. He is quite normal, its the other two I worry about.

henapple

Foghorn said:

I think he meant to test my son.

lols jk broski...

Foghorn

"lols jk broski... "

 

Understood.  I was just trying to clarify for Mickey.  Poor fella can't read and it seems to have gotten him confused.