Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
I Threw a Block Party BBQ and Here's Everything That Actually Worked
25
items Planning a neighborhood cookout sounds fun until you realize you need to feed 40 people, keep drinks cold for six hours, and somehow seat everyone without renting a banquet hall. I spent three weekends figuring this out so you can skip the panic. Whe...
Sections
5
Grills and Cooking Gear That Fed the Whole Block
Outdoor Seating and Tables for a Crowd
Coolers and Drinks Setup That Lasted All Day
Decorations and Atmosphere Without Going Overboard
Cleanup and Safety Supplies You'll Forget Until It's Too Late
Grills and Cooking Gear That Fed the Whole Block
I originally thought my little charcoal grill could handle 40 burgers. It could not. After a near-mutiny from hungry neighbors, I upgraded to gear that kept food coming out fast without turning me into a sweaty mess all afternoon.
Grab this if you're cooking for more than just your household. I had three different proteins going at once and nothing burned. My old grill would have needed four rounds to do what this did in one.
Customer reviews for Expert Grill 3-Burner Propane Gas
Ditch the lighter fluid forever. I used to douse charcoal like a pyromaniac and everything tasted like chemicals. This gets coals white-hot in 15 minutes and your food actually tastes like food.
Weber, Charcoal Chimney Starter
Keep this by the grill so you stop running inside for tongs every five minutes. The spatula is wide enough for fish, and the corn holders saved me from watching guests juggle hot cobs with napkins.
Cuisinart Steel Grill Tool Sets, Silver - 5pcs
Toss this right on the grill grates for onions, peppers, and anything that would fall through. My neighbor asked why my fajita veggies tasted better than hers. It's the skillet. That's it.
Lodge 12" Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
Use this unless you want to be the person who gave the whole block food poisoning. Takes two seconds, reads accurate, and I stopped cutting into every chicken breast to check if it's done.
ThermoPro Instant Read Meat Thermometer
Outdoor Seating and Tables for a Crowd
Forty people showed up and I had six chairs. That was the year people ate standing in my driveway looking miserable. Never again. Now I keep foldable stuff in the garage that sets up in minutes.
Snag two or three of these. They fold flat enough to slide behind a shelf in your garage. I set up a food line on one and a drinks station on another, and cleanup took maybe five minutes.
Cosco 6 Foot Premium Folding Table, White Speckle
Get at least two packs. They stack, they're light, and my 250-pound uncle sat in one all afternoon without a single creak. Way better than those wobbly metal ones that pinch your fingers.
Mainstays Resin Seat & Back Folding Chair, Black, 4-Pack
Bring shade or regret it. We set up at noon with no cover and by 1 PM half the party had migrated to someone's porch. This went up in about three minutes and saved the whole vibe.
Canopy Top for Ozark Trail Coleman First Up 10 x 10 Straight Leg Instant Canopy Replacement Parts Tent
Perfect for the kids' table or just extra seating along the curb. Lighter than dragging out actual furniture and I don't panic when someone spills BBQ sauce all over it.
Mainstays 6' Centerfold Bench, Steel Frame
Pair this with a cold drink and you'll understand why three neighbors tried to claim it. I bought one for myself and ended up buying two more because everyone kept stealing my seat.
Timber Ridge Zero Gravity Lounger | Outdoor chair
Coolers and Drinks Setup That Lasted All Day
Our first block party, the ice melted by 2 PM and we were drinking warm lemonade like it was a punishment. I figured out a cooler system that keeps everything cold from noon to sunset without constant ice runs.
This beast held enough drinks for 40 people and the ice was still solid at 8 PM. Pre-chill it the night before with a bag of ice you dump out in the morning. That trick alone changed everything.
Igloo 150 Quart MaxCold Cooler - Convenient Design
Use this as your dedicated food cooler. Potato salad, coleslaw, anything that shouldn't sit in the sun. I label mine with painter's tape so people stop digging through it looking for beer.
Coleman 48-Quart Performance Hard Cooler
Toss a box of these in the kids' cooler and watch the chaos disappear. Every child at the party grabbed one and the parents looked at me like I'd performed a miracle. Stock up, they vanish fast.
Customer reviews for Kool-Aid Jammers ...
Swap this in alongside water for anyone who's been standing in the sun all day. Way cheaper than name brand and honestly nobody at a block party is reading labels. They're just thirsty.
Great Value Sport Hydration Drink, Lemon Lime, 20 fl oz
Bring a huge batch in a dispenser and you instantly look like a host who has their life together. One canister makes gallons. I added fresh mint from the yard and people acted like I was a bartender.
Country Time, Lemonade Powdered Drink Mix
Decorations and Atmosphere Without Going Overboard
Nobody wants their block party to look like a sad parking lot. But I also wasn't about to spend $200 on decorations that blow away. These hit the sweet spot between festive and practical.
Hang these between two trees or poles and suddenly your street looks like a movie set. We turned them on right at dusk and everyone moved closer together. The warm glow does something to people, I swear.
Mainstays, 100-Count Warm White LED Outdoor String
Throw this bucket on the ground near the kids and they'll entertain themselves for hours. They drew a massive mural down the whole block. Parents got a break, kids were thrilled, everyone won.
Crayola Ultimate Washable Sidewalk Chalk Collection
Get these to cover your folding tables so they don't look so institutional. They wipe clean, they're bright, and when the party's over you just ball them up and toss them. Zero stress.
(4 pack) Way To Celebrate Plastic Table Covers
Skip the giant speaker that needs an outlet. This thing is loud enough for a whole cul-de-sac and the battery lasted our entire party. I clipped it to the canopy pole and it stayed put all day.
JBL Flip 6 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Try scattering a few of these around the perimeter once the sun starts dropping. Mosquitoes crashed our first party so badly that people left early. These kept the bugs away without smelling like a chemical plant.
Yankee Candle® Outdoor Candle Collection
Cleanup and Safety Supplies You'll Forget Until It's Too Late
The party was incredible until it ended and I was staring at a street full of plates, cups, and sticky residue at 9 PM. Now I prep cleanup before the first guest arrives and the whole thing takes 20 minutes.
Set up three of these in a row on a folding chair and label them trash, recycling, and compost. People actually sort their stuff when you make it obvious. Saved me an hour of post-party digging.
Hefty Strong Extra Large Trash Bags, 33 Gallon, 20 Count
Grab the heavy duty ones or you'll watch brisket fall through a flimsy plate onto someone's shoes. These held up with wet slaw, ribs, and corn without buckling. Learned that lesson the expensive way.
Dixie Ultra, Large Paper Plates, 10 Inch, 50 Count
Write your name on the flat sides with a Sharpie. I put a marker next to the cup stack and suddenly we weren't going through 200 cups because people could find theirs. Simple fix, huge difference.
Red Solo Party Plastic Disposable Cups, 18 oz, 50 Count
Keep one of these in your garage loaded with party supplies year-round. Tablecloths, napkins, serving utensils, all in one spot. When the next cookout rolls around you're not scrambling through five closets at midnight.
Seville Classics UltraHD Metal 4-Drawer Rolling Storage
Stash this near the grill and hope you never touch it. My neighbor's grease fire last July convinced me to keep one within arm's reach at every cookout. It's small enough to sit on a side table.
Tundra Fire Extinguishing Spray, 14 oz., First Alert, AF400