Plenty of buyers walk into a Northern Ontario BBQ store and drift straight towards the biggest grill on the floor. Size feels like the safe choice. It rarely is. A better question sits underneath: what do you like cooking, and how much time will you give it on a June evening with the black flies out?
The Meals You Crave Should Choose the Grill
Shop by Habit, Not Size: A well-stocked Northern Ontario BBQ store carries gas, charcoal and pellet grills, and each cooks a different kind of dinner. Someone grilling burgers after work needs speed. Ribs smoked all Saturday at the cottage want low heat and patience. Buy for the wrong habit and the grill sits under a tarp by August.
Room to Grill Safely: Almost nobody leaves with just a grill. That grill needs a level, fire-safe spot away from vinyl siding, and the fix might be a few patio stones or a proper heat mat. A Northern Ontario building center stocks those supplies right next to the barbecues, which saves a second long drive back into town.
Weeknight Burgers or All-Day Brisket
Gas Grills Win on Weeknights: Gas lights with a button and gets hot fast. For families juggling practice drop-offs and late shifts, that matters more than a smoke ring. Heat control is simple. A gas grill also fits a small outdoor living space, like a condo balcony or a cottage deck. The flavour? Clean, maybe a little plain.
Slow Fuels, Bigger Flavour: Charcoal takes more effort, and some people love that part. The coals burn hotter than most gas burners, so steaks get a real crust. Pellet grills feed hardwood automatically and hold smoke for hours, but they need power, which matters at an off-grid camp. A Northern Ontario BBQ store lets you compare both in person.
Add-Ons and Local Help That Save the Summer
Extras Worth Buying Early: A bare grill does the basic job. The extras decide whether chicken comes off juicy or dry and grey. Northern Ontario weather is hard on exposed metal, so build quality counts for accessories as much as the grill. Cheap add-ons crack or rust within a season, and then you end up buying them twice.
- A fitted cover keeps rain and pine needles off the burners all spring.
- Digital thermometers stop the guessing, and nobody has to slice chicken open to check it.
- For fish and eggs, a cast-iron pan stops food slipping through the grates.
- Smoker chips, for real wood flavour on gas.
Service That Keeps the Grill Running: Assembly sounds easy until a bag of bolts spills across the driveway. Letting the store build it gets the gas connections leak-tested. Propane refills or tank exchanges close by keep dinner from stalling halfway through. Up north, grates need a scrape after every cook, and spiders love nesting in burner tubes over winter.
Your Best Grilling Season Starts with an Honest Answer
Before heading out, jot down the last few meals cooked outside and how long each one took. That short list says more than any spec sheet ever could. Bring it to a Northern Ontario building center and let the staff match it to the right grill. The deck could smell like dinner by Saturday night.
