Why Do Southerners Barbeque Out Front? (1 Viewer)

[VySky]

On the West coast, we grilled in the back yard. In the south, you see grills on the front porch or in the front yard. I'm sure the washer and dryers out front will come up, but what's with the grilling out front thing?

 

[Drawdown]

Having lived in the South my entire life, I have never noticed a propensity for one over the other really. May have to do with the size of the lot or the location of the kitchen. A lot of houses in our area have basements so the walk to the carport, driveway, front yard is much shorter than the route to the backyard and involves no stairs or steps. People with decks usually do it there.

 

[Slartibartfast]

On the West coast, we grilled in the back yard. In the south, you see grills on the front porch or in the front yard. I'm sure the washer and dryers out front will come up, but what's with the grilling out front thing?

When I lived in Georgia, I tended to grill in the back yard.

 

[Omega Man]

On the West coast, we grilled in the back yard. In the south, you see grills on the front porch or in the front yard. I'm sure the washer and dryers out front will come up, but what's with the grilling out front thing?

Examples please of this particular phenomenon.


OM

 

[roughdraft274]

On the West coast, we grilled in the back yard. In the south, you see grills on the front porch or in the front yard. I'm sure the washer and dryers out front will come up, but what's with the grilling out front thing?

I'm in louisiana and have never seen anyone grilling in the front yard with the exception of a group of condo's that I used to drive by to go to school where occasionally they'd be grilling food out front but it didn't look like they really had a back yard to speak of.

 

[RF667799]

I live on a corner lot. I believe anywhere I grill is technically "front yard". I would rather grill at a campsite anyway.

 

[Keridan]

Only times I see this down south is when they want the neighbors to show up and partake in the feast

 

[VySky]

Maybe its just a Tennessee thing lol

-VySky

 

[Airyaman]

Resident of AL for 42 years, most people use the back yard where I live.

 

[SkyChief]

To make the neighbors jealous.

 

[UtahBill]

To discourage having them out back, where the outhouse is......

 

[truthatallcost]

On the West coast, we grilled in the back yard. In the south, you see grills on the front porch or in the front yard. I'm sure the washer and dryers out front will come up, but what's with the grilling out front thing?

You've never been to a cookout in a black or Latino neighborhood then. Everyone sits in lawn chairs in the front yard, which is where the grill is.

 

[yankintx]

On the West coast, we grilled in the back yard. In the south, you see grills on the front porch or in the front yard. I'm sure the washer and dryers out front will come up, but what's with the grilling out front thing?

I am a Yankee from Mass, spent two years living in rural GA. I do not recall folks having a BBQ on the front lawn.

 

[roguenuke]

I've lived in the South (NC) over half my life and never witnessed anyone grilling actually in front. In the trailer park where I lived when I was much younger we BBQd to the side, where any semblance of yard was, but that was because there really wasnt room to bbq in the back, since all the trailers in the park (a few hundred at least) were parked with the hitch towards the road.

I also have some family friends who technically bbq in the front of their house, strictly speaking, but their house is far back in the woods, off a private road, facing in towards a couple other family homes that can't be seen from the main street (the private road is mostly gravel). Their back door actually faces the main street, technically.

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[Glitch]

On the West coast, we grilled in the back yard. In the south, you see grills on the front porch or in the front yard. I'm sure the washer and dryers out front will come up, but what's with the grilling out front thing?

I haven't really given it much thought, but I not sure it is determined by geographical location. My friend has his barbecue in his front yard because that is the only door in or out of his home. My barbecue is located in the garage when not in use, and in the side yard next to the garage when in use. I live remotely and leaving a barbecue outside is just lighting up a big neon sign that says to all the critters around, "come check out the smells!" I prefer not to advertise.

If you have a nice outside deck, regardless of its location on the property, then that would seem to me to be the ideal location for a grill.

 

[Aberration]

Only times I see this down south is when they want the neighbors to show up and partake in the feast

I’m from Oregon. That’s what I do. [emoji2369]

 

[Keridan]

I’m from Oregon. That’s what I do. [emoji2369]

Spent half my life in WA State, howdy neighbor!

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

I haven't really given it much thought, but I not sure it is determined by geographical location. My friend has his barbecue in his front yard because that is the only door in or out of his home. My barbecue is located in the garage when not in use, and in the side yard next to the garage when in use. I live remotely and leaving a barbecue outside is just lighting up a big neon sign that says to all the critters around, "come check out the smells!" I prefer not to advertise.

If you have a nice outside deck, regardless of its location on the property, then that would seem to me to be the ideal location for a grill.

Only one door out?

Houses here have to have two. Only condo's and townhouses can get away with one door

 

[Risky Thicket]

You've never been to a cookout in a black or Latino neighborhood then. Everyone sits in lawn chairs in the front yard, which is where the grill is.

You'd be the one to point that out ... even if it isn't a fact.

 

[Risky Thicket]

I'm from Georgia and lived in North Carolina, Virginia and north Florida and have traveled all over the South. Southern people probably BBQ more than most regions of the US but I don't believe Southern folks BBQ out front any more than any other part of the US.

 

[Glitch]

Only one door out?

Houses here have to have two. Only condo's and townhouses can get away with one door

My friends house is rather unique. It began as a double-wide trailer and he replaced it one room at a time over the years with a more permanent structure. So it is really more of a Hodge-podge of connected rooms than a coherent home. Neither of us live in town, so there are no building codes. We can pretty much build whatever we please.

 

[Rexedgar]

Road kill is closer to the front yard?

 

[nota bene]

My friends house is rather unique. It began as a double-wide trailer and he replaced it one room at a time over the years with a more permanent structure. So it is really more of a Hodge-podge of connected rooms than a coherent home. Neither of us live in town, so there are no building codes. We can pretty much build whatever we please.

I've a friend who lives way out in the county in a now very old and funky singlewide over which she's put a roof and around which she's built a cool and very rustic porch. It's so beautiful out there, only dark everywhere at night you look and stars and one of her horses snorting from time to time. Beautiful plants and flowers everywhere.

The surprise is the expensive, vast attachment to the back of the single-wide. Spectacular glass and lighting for her objets d' art from all over the world, much from Egypt. When she's home, she's very politically active, and when nothing's going on, she hops on a plane with only a backpack.

She also has a complete chemistry lab. Her degrees are in biochem, and she goes on various kicks. Rosicrucian. Very metaphysical.

She just doesn't give a damn what others think, especially those who judge others by their doublewides.

 

[Glitch]

I've a friend who lives way out in the county in a now very old and funky singlewide over which she's put a roof and around which she's built a cool and very rustic porch. It's so beautiful out there, only dark everywhere at night you look and stars and one of her horses snorting from time to time. Beautiful plants and flowers everywhere.

The surprise is the expensive, vast attachment to the back of the single-wide. Spectacular glass and lighting for her objets d' art from all over the world, much from Egypt. When she's home, she's very politically active, and when nothing's going on, she hops on a plane with only a backpack.

She also has a complete chemistry lab. Her degrees are in biochem, and she goes on various kicks. Rosicrucian. Very metaphysical.

She just doesn't give a damn what others think, especially those who judge others by their doublewides.

If it provides protection against the elements I don't really care what it looks like. Although, I will voice a preference for indoor plumbing and central heating. I had my home built the more tradition manner because I wanted that 5-Star energy rating. It meant an additional 0.25% off the mortgage interest rate. I have 0.96 acres, which I left completely natural. Planting grass is a big mistake in Alaska. During the Summer months with 20+ hours of daylight the grass is literally growing more than an inch per day. I would much rather spend my time fishing for salmon than mowing the lawn.

My home's appearance is more traditional, but with a few extras. For example, I used 2"x6" studs spaced 24" o/c for my exterior walls in order to pack in more insulation. My septic is twice the size required, and my well is 20 feet deeper than normal for this area.

I really do appreciate the dark skies. I'm far enough away from Anchorage and Wasilla that none of their lights affect my view of the night skies. On those days when we get clear skies I can see satellites passing overhead with the naked eye. What is even more spectacular, however, is the reflection of the northern lights in the snow. We don't get to see many auroras from Spring to Fall, but during the Winter when the days are short they occur frequently. Unfortunately, being so close to the coast I get maybe one clear day out of every three. The best place to see the northern lights during the Winter is in Fairbanks or places north of Fairbanks. They have the most clear (and coldest) days in Alaska.

 

[nota bene]

If it provides protection against the elements I don't really care what it looks like. Although, I will voice a preference for indoor plumbing and central heating. I had my home built the more tradition manner because I wanted that 5-Star energy rating. It meant an additional 0.25% off the mortgage interest rate. I have 0.96 acres, which I left completely natural. Planting grass is a big mistake in Alaska. During the Summer months with 20+ hours of daylight the grass is literally growing more than an inch per day. I would much rather spend my time fishing for salmon than mowing the lawn.

My home's appearance is more traditional, but with a few extras. For example, I used 2"x6" studs spaced 24" o/c for my exterior walls in order to pack in more insulation. My septic is twice the size required, and my well is 20 feet deeper than normal for this area.

I really do appreciate the dark skies. I'm far enough away from Anchorage and Wasilla that none of their lights affect my view of the night skies. On those days when we get clear skies I can see satellites passing overhead with the naked eye. What is even more spectacular, however, is the reflection of the northern lights in the snow. We don't get to see many auroras from Spring to Fall, but during the Winter when the days are short they occur frequently. Unfortunately, being so close to the coast I get maybe one clear day out of every three. The best place to see the northern lights during the Winter is in Fairbanks or places north of Fairbanks. They have the most clear (and coldest) days in Alaska.

Where you live must be gorgeous. I'm with you on spending your time salmon fishing rather than mowing. Thank heavens I don't suffer 20 hours of sun, but I do live in a flood plain, and 5 minutes of rain is all it takes to produce "lush vegetation." Every late winter/early spring is different, but sometimes keeping up with the mowing is hopeless. It's just too wet. On the bright side, I have a great blue heron and a young white crane who visit then. I try to regard my backyard at times like these as a bird sanctuary. :mrgreen: