Are you rolling out the barbecue today, to grill up some goodies? To celebrate what must be the biggest barbecuing day of the year, let’s take a look at some of the vintage barbecue grills that our readers have found. Whether they are portable, multi-functional, or just plain retro cool — one thing is for sure — these grills are HOT.
2.This vintage Kenmore grill from our recent uploader of readers’ vintage treasures looks like brand new.
3. Here’s another great find — a NOS vintage Sears BBQ grill — also from our vintage treasures uploader.
4. Here’s an amazing 1958 KampKap Kook-Out barbecue grill from readers Dawn & Brian.
5. If you’re into saving space or barbecuing on the run — look at this “Hang It All” vertical, flippable, portable barbecue grill with super cute vintage graphics from reader Sherree.
6. And you’ve gotta love this vintage Caloric gas grill in olive green — for sale on ebay by seller pricelessprimitives.
7. Here’s an eye catching retro BBQ grill — a NOS Buddy L GRILLMASTER from ebay seller debbieodoud that comes complete with a rotisserie and warming shelf.
8. And the most desirable of them all: The GE Partio Cart, introduced in 1960. Surely on every vintage treasure hunter’s bucket list. Keep your eyes out!
dkzody says
My mother had NOS Buddy L GRILLMASTER only in bronze. She was the barbecuer in the family and made the best barbecue chicken on that thing. She got the recipe from the Dad’s Club at my elementary school which had a big barbecue every fall as a fundraiser. My mother was in charge of the apple cakes that were served for dessert.
Rita says
How old is vintage? 🙂 We use an 80’s Weber that we found in a thrift store and refurbished. It pains us to think that 80s can be considered vintage, but it definitely doesn’t look current. We’ve got pics (and how we did the refurb) here: http://www.thissortaoldlife.com/2012/06/04/weber-grill-rehab/
Mary Elizabeth says
Such a beautiful story and a beautiful Grill!
midmichigan says
We used to have the “Buddy L” or something very similar. It has some nice features that I had forgotten about until looking at the pictures. If it was windy outside you could just turn the entire thing to block it. The grill surface rotates like a lazy susan so you can adjust the position of the food over the coals and it lifts off too so you can remove it for cleaning. If you had a lot to grill it had to be distributed evenly so it would remain level and turn easily. Great post.
Debbie says
Oh, great: yet another elusive item that I absolutely MUST track down. Will this retro madness never end??
tammyCA says
I still call it BBQ-ing, not grilling. When we were kids we just had a backyard fire on a sandpit and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows on twigs! Gonna go pull out my “Patio Daddy-O” retro cookbook now.
Happy Independence Day!
Mary Elizabeth says
Love that book! It’s great to pull out for a retro party.
Todd Allen says
I recently visited the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan and they have on display an original GE patio cart owned by Dwight Eisenhower. He used it at his home in Palm Springs.
I have a 1963 vintage turquoise Woodard patio set with the matching BBQ still in great shape that was bought by my parents. Great memories.
pam kueber says
Ah, that is the one that apparently sold at auction for $20,000!
Lauryn says
Can’t show my Texan husband this post…he goes a little ballistic when the word “barbecue” is used interchangeably with the word “grill”. This Yankee girl has been properly educated, so here’s a fun little video for everyone else: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ubTQfr_tyY. (Watch until the end for the difference between the two.)
Happy 4th, everyone!!!
gsciencechick says
The video explains it all. LOL. I live and work in the Carolinas and no way no how this Yankee girl would refer to BBQ as anything but a meat! The message is clear. In this region pork is king, and people take their sauces very seriously. BTW, Thanksgiving turkey in the smoker/BBQ is quite awesome.
Mary Elizabeth says
Oh, this video is a hoot! Having lived in Alabama, I know that white sauce barbecue. Great job with the explanations!
Linda says
Happy 4th of July. I will be cooking out today on the vintage built in Arkla gas grill that’s next to the patio of our 1970 rancher. When we bought the house 4 years ago the hubby cleaned it up, I put in new ceramic briquettes and its been getting quite a workout ever since. If the power goes out we still eat!
Janet in ME says
Happy 4th to all! We are up in Maine now and sorry we didn’t manage to get together while I was in CT, Mary Elizabeth! One barbecue worth mentioning is the back yard home project of building one from brick or stone. Those to me are the quintessential barbecues of the time, and I love it when I see one and even more so when someone is still using it, which is very rare now. Most have been long ago removed, fallen apart, or covered in overgrowth. Kate and Pam, that would make a neat uploader – vintage barbecues, home built or store bought!
Mary Elizabeth says
Oh, be still my heart! Nothing so all-American-midcentury as a barbecue grill. Bring out the meat, the vegetables brushed with EV olive oil, the Jiffy Pop, Koolaid and popsicles! Bring on the s’mores!
No need for fireworks here in Connecticut. We have thunderstorms with purple lightning tonight. Happy Fourth of July!