6 Outdoor Kitchen Bar Ideas

It’s about that time to start building the outdoor kitchen bar you’ve always wanted! We've brought you six outdoor kitchen bar ideas you can implement today. Instead of going out with your friends and family, you can now enjoy food, drinks, and fun in your backyard.

An outdoor kitchen bar is essential for those who host parties, barbecues, and socials. You can serve all your guests efficiently while they enjoy delicious food and socialize with other partygoers.

If you’re not the type to invite people over all the time, the outdoor bar can simply be a relaxing place to hang out and enjoy the sunshine.

There’s not just one way to design your outdoor bar, but you have so many options at your disposal to really make the space unique. We’ll go over seven ideas on how to customize your outdoor bar to get you ready for the summer! We’ll also give you some things to consider before building your outdoor bar and what you need to include to achieve your dream outdoor space!

Outdoor Countertops

When building the countertops for your outdoor bar, it’s important to consider the weather. Intense heat, cold, and other harsh weather will take a toll on your outdoor countertops.

Granite, slate, or even stainless steel to match your grill or range are great options. These materials are weather-resistant and will last you years. We recommend them especially if your outdoor kitchen and bar are not enclosed or under a roof.

Granite countertops with a stone base are one of the most popular trends because of their durability and natural look.

If your outdoor bar is enclosed, you can use other materials like wood or marble.

Here are a couple of countertop ideas from outdoor kitchens and bars that you can use in your own home.

Outdoor Grill

Why not serve food to your guests at your outdoor bar, and not just drinks? An outdoor grill is a companion to go along with your bar – keep serving your guests delicious food and they won’t want to leave!

An outdoor grill makes hosting parties and other large social gatherings much easier. You can be outside cooking your food while talking with guests rather than having to run in and out of your home constantly.

There’s nothing better than the smell of homemade barbecue: burgers, hot dogs, steaks – so good! And for your vegetarian friends, just toss some veggie burgers on the grill! Fried vegetables and grilled tofu are great options for any vegan guests too!

Double Grill

If you’re hosting a lot of guests, consider a double grill! It’ll help you cook so much more efficiently and you’ll have so much room to operate while cooking. You can go with two open grills as in the photo above, or closed grills too. Closed grills are more modern and stylish, but open grills will help you cook the fastest.

Outdoor Range Hood

While you’re in the market for a grill, consider an outdoor range hood to keep your outdoor kitchen bar in good condition. It’ll keep your counters, walls, and other furniture free from grimy buildup from smoke and other grilling and cooking exhaust.

Outdoor grills produce intense heat and smoke, so without a vent hood of some kind, your kitchen and outdoor space will be difficult to keep clean.

Finally, an outdoor hood will vent harsh odors out of your outdoor space. This is great in semi-enclosed areas like three-season porches and covered patios. You can cook and grill to your heart’s content and your guests will still enjoy clean, fresh, and cool air.

At Proline Range Hoods, we receive so many beautiful photos of outdoor kitchens from our photo contest. Take a look at a few more below.

Outdoor Kitchen Storage

An outdoor kitchen bar isn’t complete without lots of food and endless drinks! But where will they all go? You’ve got a few options here. You can go with closed cabinets or open shelving.

Closed cabinets are great options to store your dishware, dry food, and spices. If you have several different types of beer and wine, consider open shelves so you can show your drinks off to your guests. This can also be a spot for some of your fancy dishware as well.

To make sure those drinks are ready to be served, invest in a cooler, mini-fridge, or kitchen fridge if you need the space. Just take some drinks from your fridge and put them in a cooler; it’s way convenient for you to walk around and hand out drinks – and great service too. After all, you’re the host of a party so you’ll want to make a great first impression.

Outdoor Decor

Once you’ve got the essentials – your counters, grill, storage, and range hood – you can move on to personalizing the space!

You don’t only have to use your outdoor kitchen bar in the warm summer months. Even on cooler days, this space can be really relaxing. Warm it up with an outdoor fireplace or a patio heater or two from Amazon. We like this idea:

There are so many creative outdoor fireplace ideas on Pinterest. Take a look!

Another great option is to include some planters to liven up the outdoor space. Large potted plants are great in any corner on your patio or in your outdoor kitchen, or maybe a smaller plant to set on top of your bar.

Like planters, you can also decorate your outdoor space with rain barrels to give it a rustic look.

You can also decorate the rain barrel, like the pin below. This barrel is functional, but your barrels can be just for show too! Small potted plants complement the rain barrel to give the space a natural feel.

Outdoor Kitchen Island

For some additional space, an outdoor kitchen island is a fantastic option. It complements your outdoor kitchen bar well, where you may not have a lot of room. The outdoor kitchen island is also a great spot for your grill – this, paired with an island range hood, makes a beautiful and functional combination.

We hope you enjoyed these ideas on how to customize your outdoor bar and outdoor kitchen.

Don’t go just yet; we’ve got some tips for you below on what to consider when building your outdoor bar.

What to Consider When Building Your Outdoor Bar

The first thing to consider when building your outdoor bar is how much space you have. You can make your bar as long as you want, depending on how many guests you think you’ll have at any one time. You’ll need enough room on one side for chairs as well.

Most bars are about 42” tall, give or take a few inches. Most bar stools are about 30 inches tall too.

And finally, your outdoor bar countertop should be between 18 and 24 inches wide.

Location

The location of your outdoor bar will depend on your kitchen design. The outdoor bar can be the focal point of your kitchen in the center, or it can be a subtle addition in the back of the space or against a wall. This would be a great idea for those with a prominent island range hood in their outdoor kitchen.

For the most pleasant experience, install your grill or range hood in a different area than your outdoor bar. This way, you won’t have to dodge guests while you’re cooking and the noise from grilling and the range hood fan won’t be as loud.

Outdoor Kitchen Bar Ideas - Essentials to Include in Your Outdoor Bar

To truly replicate an authentic bar environment in your backyard, you’ll need bar stools, the bar, a refrigerator or cooler, a sink, and some method of storing your drinks, food, and dishware.

Bar Top

This may go without saying, but an outdoor bar isn’t a bar without… a bar. This is a must-have.

The main thing to consider when choosing a bar top is the material. Remember, you’re building the outdoor kitchen bar outside, so the material for the bar should be weather-resistant. The most common materials are granite and wood, while rust-resistant metals like stainless steel are great options as well.

You’ll want this to match the feel of the rest of your outdoor space. For example, if you have a lot of granite, a granite countertop for the bar may be the way to go. Or perhaps you want to complement the wooden pillars in your outdoor space. It all depends on your specific design plan.

Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family about what look they like best!

Bar Stools

A second essential is, you guessed it, bar stools. These don’t have to be stools per se, but they should be at least 30” off the ground. Most standard chairs are 18”-24” while bar stools are above 30”.

Take a look at the photo of the bar table; this isn’t your traditional stool and kind of resembles a folding chair – which is great! You have more freedom with the style than the height of bar stools.

Refrigerator or Cooler

What good are beer and wine if you can’t keep them cool? That’s why you need a refrigerator or cooler to keep your drinks nice and cold. Place your glasses into your fridge or freezer for a few minutes before serving drinks to make them extra cold!

Sink

Another essential for your outdoor kitchen bar is a sink. You won’t want to go back inside your home to dump any leftover drinks, right? So, install a sink in your outdoor bar and your problem is solved!

It can also be helpful while you’re cooking to wash your hands, rinse food, or clean any dishes or utensils.

Stainless steel is the best option here. It is incredibly durable, scratch-resistant, and weather-resistant – great for outdoor use!

Storage

We highlighted storage earlier. This aspect of your outdoor kitchen bar is so important! Luckily, you have so many options here.

For storing dishes, drinks, and food, you can go with open shelving or closed cabinets. For more subtle storage ideas, you can add a wine rack to the wall. Or, for your outdoor range hood, you can add a knife rack or pots and pans rack too.

We hope you’ve found these outdoor kitchen bar ideas helpful. For more inspiration, take a look at our outdoor kitchen Pinterest board. Time for you to go outside and start designing your outdoor bar!