Home > Blog > Etiquette Tips for Your Next Barbecue

Etiquette Tips for Your Next Barbecue

The Victoria Day and Memorial Day long weekends are almost here! Both holidays offer extended time to enjoy fun, outdoor cookouts with family and friends. Want to make your BBQ a great success?

Here are some tips to ensure that your outdoor grilling is a success:

For Hosts:

• Seating – Ensure that there is enough comfortable seating for everyone attending, indoors and out. Make the seating conducive to conversations amongst your guests.
• Food – Count up your RSVPs to ensure you have enough food and drink for everyone attending. Most people cook hamburgers and hotdogs at cookouts, so be sure to have a vegetarian option for any guests that are not meat-eaters.
• Drink – Provide plenty of water and juice. Alcoholic beverages, especially beer, are popular, so be careful about offering too much. Ensure that any guests that have overindulged have safe rides home.
• Grill – Make sure the grill is clean well before guests arrive. Also make sure you have enough fuel (propane or charcoal) to cook all of the food you plan to barbeque.
• Utensils – Refrain from using any rusty or dirty barbeque utensils. Also, to keep food safe, use two sets of utensils and platters, one for raw and the other for cooked foods. Make sure not to mix them up!

For Guests: 

• Timing – Arrive early only if your host is aware and you plan on helping to set up and prep food. Arriving a bit after the scheduled time is perfectly fine. Also, avoid overstaying your welcome late in the evening, unless you plan on helping to clean up.
• What to bring? – Even if host says to bring nothing, bring something. Side dishes are great idea. Be sure to bring enough of your dish to feed everyone. Also, if you bring it, leave it. It’s cumbersome for you and the host to gather up your half-eaten container and half-full bottle of wine at the end of your visit.
• What to wear? – Casual, tasteful outfits are appropriate. If it is a work-related cookout, then go with business casual.
• Grill – Avoid touching or taking over the grill unless the host asks for help.
• Drink – It’s easy to get dehydrated on warm days. Drink plenty of fluids, and be careful with alcoholic beverages. These will dehydrate you further and can be even more potent when you’re sitting in the sun. Avoid embarrassing yourself or your host by overindulging.
• Clean up – Even if your host declines, it’s a customary kindness to offer help in cleaning up here and there throughout your stay.

I wish all of you fun in the sun and an enjoyable holiday weekend. Cheers!

Posted by Margaret Page in Everyday Etiquette and tagged Victoria Day long weekend, holiday weekend, BBQ etiquette.