Summertime is just around the corner and you know what that means: hanging out with friends in the warm weather, smoking meats, drinking excellent brews, and having a generally great time. If you've managed to get a propane refill or some wood chips for your current grills, you might think that you're all set and not need to visit your local BBQ store. You'd be mostly right, except that there are always new products entering the wild world of barbecue and you'd behoove yourself to not miss out on them!

Today we'll go over some of the many benefits that you can get by taking a trip to your local BBQ store and poking around. From interacting with people that live and breathe barbecue to seeing the latest products on the floor, visiting a BBQ supply store can be a great time. There's enough there to keep anyone happy, even if they only plan on barbecuing vegetables!

Talk to the Experts

When you visit a BBQ store, it's just like any other specialty supply store: you have a mix of sales staff and experts. The benefit of having experts around is that they can really tell you the benefits and drawbacks of any technology. Some of them may be purists for propane, while others would never dream of getting rid of their pellet grill or building a fire. Some of the employees that work at these stores even enter BBQ competitions in which they let the general public and others judge their works in an open forum of criticism. They are a great source of information to add to whatever you read online or in magazines.

Take Advantage of In-Store Specials

Shopping online is a wonderful convenience that we've gotten very used to. While it's amazing to be able to click a button and get whatever you want from a major shopping website, it does have its disadvantages. You can't actually see or feel the product before you buy it and if you end up hating it there can be a long window between returning it and finally getting your money back. If you shop in a BBQ store, you can not only experience the product for yourself but take wide advantage of in-store specials that may not be offered online. From getting free tools or barbecue sauce to a lifetime of propane, the possibilities are seemingly endless for what a store can offer you.

See Demonstrations of Grills in Action

Another handy thing that often happens at BBQ stores is that they will selectively choose grills and demonstrate them to the general public on the weekends or holidays. This can be great if you're on the fence about whether to buy a certain grill or not, or wonder how the actual operation of something compares to what the advertising says. It can also be your chance to taste meats, veggies, or other food that has been grilled on a particular grill by a competent chef. If you don't like the way it tastes or feels, then you may have an expert opinion on whether or not a certain grill is for you. That's something you can trust completely!

Talk to Other Barbecue Enthusiasts

As with any gathering place for specialty items, you will be surrounded by people who are interested in the same things as you. Instead of having to talk to a salesperson, you can walk up to a regular person and ask them about what they're considering buying or their habits. If you're trying to figure out whether a grill will work for your particular needs or not, this can be most helpful. Many times, people will give you the honest truth about what works and what doesn't and what they like to grill on their equipment. People love grilling, and they don't mind sharing it with others. In fact, according to a survey conducted in the United States in 2017 on favorite types of meat for barbecuing, 81% of respondents stated that they usually barbecue chicken. You can learn if your fellow barbecue aficionados fall into this percentage or if their preferences vary.