13 DIY Grill Table Plans You Can Build Today

Last Updated on April 26, 2021

Grill tables are functional units that serve many purposes. They’re designed to complement the exterior decor of your outdoor seating area or entertainment space. These models also tend to provide you with plenty of surface area for food prep.

Many grill tables have integrated rails that can hold your tongs, spatulas, and dish towels while you keep an eye on your patties or steaks. If you don’t want to invest lots of money in a high-quality grill table, you should try making your own. There are plenty of premium-grade DIY grill table designs that look gorgeous and will cost you a fraction of the price that you’d spend on a pre-made unit. 

13 DIY Grill Table Designs You Can Build Right Now 

Here are 13 of the best DIY grill table plan ideas, from functional and portable carts to steel and granite models. 

DIY Grill Storage Cart 

You’ll love the look of this DIY storage cart, with its matte gray frame and attractive hardwood countertop. This design is ideal for those who need more space for food prep when they’re outside flipping burgers on the grill. You can roll this cart so that it’s standing right next to the main barbecue. The storage trolley comes with an integrated shelf where you can put condiments, plates, and drinks or packets of chips for your guests. 

You can also hang up your grill tongs and spatulas on the hooks at the end of this storage unit. Instead of balancing these tools on the edge of the grill’s countertop surface, you can just reach across and pull them off one hook whenever you need to. 

BBQ Grill Station with Fold-Out Bin 

This farmhouse-style grill station has a charming, natural aesthetic. It’s also highly functional, with its fold-out bin and vast countertop area for food prep. The bin itself is relatively easy to make. All you need to do is build a drawer box with suitable dimensions, remembering that the backboard needs to be shorter than the front board for the folding to work. 

Attach the sideboards to the front, back, and sides of this drawer, then attach a pair of outdoor hinges to the bottom of the door. You’ll also need to screw a rail or pipe onto the front of the unit so that this drawer has a helpful handle.

Outdoor Kitchen DIY Grill Table

Fans of functional and stylish Scandinavian decor will appreciate this design, with its dark, mahogany finish, clean lines, and ergonomically integrated casters. Those who love industrial-style design will also enjoy the sparse, pared-back concrete countertop. 

You can incorporate any type of grill into this unit’s chic tabletop, but you’ll find that a rectangular charcoal or wood-fueled model complements the table’s preexisting straight lines and uncomplicated, understated aesthetic the best. 

DIY Grill Table Cart 

A portable model has compact, ergonomic dimensions and solid, attractive-looking hardwood construction. It’s well worth using a small steel pipe and a couple of connector units to create a neat rail along the cart’s front. This pipe feature can double up as both a handle and as a bar for your dishcloths or heatproof grill gloves. 

When you cut the hole for your grill, you should measure the unit’s diameter and draw a suitably sized circle onto the wood. You’ll need a jigsaw or a handheld circular saw to drill smoothly through the material and create a perfectly round shape. You can hammer a couple of nails into the wood around the circle’s outer edge to prevent the grill from coming into direct contact with the tabletop surface.

Hardwood Contemporary-Style Grill Table 

A gorgeous hardwood unit will look great in any contemporary-style outdoor living space, with its simple design and classy construction. You can use a high-quality paint primer to stain the model’s frame a matte black, giving the table a stylish and chic aesthetic. 

You’ll also appreciate the addition of 2 casters at the front of the unit. This pair of wheels allows you to move the hefty grill cart from place to place with relative ease. If you’re out on the decking and it begins to rain heavily, just tip up the table and roll it under your patio awning or into the kitchen. This allows you to keep grilling while you wait for the shower to pass. 

DIY Stone Grill Table 

If you’re searching for a design that’s a bit more rustic and traditional-looking, you’ll absolutely love this stone unit. Rather than building the stone model around the outside of this grill, you’ll create a refined, farmhouse-style effect by attaching a stone veneer or cladding to the side of the unit. This cost-effective method creates a grill table that looks like a substantial and permanent outdoor kitchen fixture. 

You’ll probably have to construct a couple of side units with hardwood and some metal sheets. You can attach these frames to the main grill, so they’re underneath the barbecue’s fold-out food prep tables. Now you’ll have solid wall space for your natural-looking stone veneer. 

Picnic Table With Built-in Grill 

People who want a casual outdoor table with a pair of integrated grill units should consider a picnic table design. You can use gas tanks and burner elements to create a stylish, aesthetically pleasing final result. This table is more complicated to construct than some of the more straightforward, more basic options out there. However, if you have enough time, patience, and woodworking skill, you’ll build a model that serves as an outdoor seating area, a grill, and an attractive alfresco fire pit. 

Steel Portable DIY Grill Table 

If you follow through with a steel portable grill table plan, you’ll create a final result that’s as stylish as it is durable. The steel stud framework is long-lasting, with an exceptionally high tensile strength and an excellent anti-corrosive capacity. 

You can slide a pair of long redwood boards into the base of this steel unit, then attach 3 pairs of casters to these timber pieces. You’ll have no trouble rolling this table around your patio or outdoor entertainment space with these 6 integrated wheels. 

You could use natural stone, granite, cement, or refined-looking hardwood for this unit’s countertop. If you choose to use a wood like walnut, maple, or mahogany, remember to stain this material with an exterior, weatherproof varnish, preferably an epoxy sealant. 

22” Wooden Grill Table 

Opt for a durable and trendy model with natural, smooth hardwood construction and a glossy countertop. Take the time to measure out your tabletop section to know exactly where the center of the unit is. You can then use a jigsaw to cut around this center point, making sure to create a circular hole that’s slightly wider than your grill’s diameter. You need to do this so that there’s a small gap between your grill and the table, protecting the hardwood from heat or fire damage.   

 DIY Korean BBQ Table  

Fans of Korean BBQ will appreciate this design, which incorporates a round Weber grill into the center of a long wooden table so the top of the grill lies just above the surface of the table. Remember to add support brackets to the underside of the table. These are small and robust wooden beams that will strengthen the unit and hold up the hole edges in the middle of the table. 

You should apply an epoxy sealer to the table’s surface so that it’s protected from rain, abrasions, and stains. Ensure you’re lining the sides of the circular hole with heat tape, which prevents the heat from damaging or warping the surrounding wood. 

 Granite DIY Grill Table 

People looking for a grill unit that is classy, stylish, and durable should check out a DIY plan for a grill table with a granite countertop. You can use 4” by 4” wooden pieces for your corner posts and several 2” by 6” lumber sections for the rest of your table’s frame. 

Depending on what granite you use for the unit’s countertop, you might want to stain the lumber wood with a golden pecan, harvest, cherry-style finish, or gloss. The darker tone will complement the rich grays and blacks of certain granite types. You can also use connectors to attach a galvanized pipe to the front of this unit, creating a rack for your hand towels. 

Side Tables for Grill 

If you have a freestanding grill that doesn’t come with integrated, fold-out side tables, you’ll appreciate this design. You can use a pair of durable and inexpensive TV trays and some glossy spray paint to create a couple of useful side tables for your barbecue. These tables give you far more space for food prep, allowing you to prepare salads while you keep an eye on those sizzling burgers or pork ribs on the grill surface. 

Retro-Style Grill Station 

A retro portable grilling cart has a nostalgic ‘60s and ‘70s aesthetic that complements any bohemian, industrial, or transitional-style exterior decor. When you get the lumber pieces, you can use a semi-gloss or high-gloss paint sheen to give this material a vibrant retro look. This design calls for you to use black iron connectors and pipes to construct the model’s framework, and this material gives the whole unit a pared-back and stylish, functional aesthetic. 

Bear in mind that you may have to clean the black iron pieces before incorporating them into the design. This material can often have lots of grease marks and stains on its surface when you first buy it. 

Elevate the Look of Your Outdoor Kitchen Area With a DIY Grill Table 

One of the best ways to bolster your alfresco entertainment area’s aesthetic is to make your own grill table. You can create a unit that complements the decor of your house or outdoor seating area. These models also provide you with more space to prepare food and store plates while cooking patties or chicken wings on the grill top.