When we stayed at a St George Island rental for the first time, it was a small beachfront house in the East Gulf Beaches, just a few blocks from the St. George Island Lighthouse. We planned a week-long getaway with two goals in mind. A bit of relaxation, restoration and centering that only the sight and sounds of the beach and waves can bring… and to explore properties in the area because we were exploring the possibility of owning a beach house.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

~ Jacques Yves Cousteau

We cook most of our own meals and try to eat a largely lectin-free diet. It’s not difficult by any means, but does require a bit of planning (which is why we brought as much food with us for the week as we did clothes, turns out we didn’t need to… but more on that later).  At home we use a gas grill a few times a week so when we saw that our beach house rental had a park-style charcoal grill we were happy and made the trip to the St George Island Grocery to grab a bag of charcoal.

The park style grill seemed a bit of an odd choice, but when we returned to Florida a month later (for the home inspection – we found beach house on this first trip and made an offer!!!) the beachside bungalow we rented “Cozy Cabana” had the same park style grill.  There must be a reason?

There is!

• Wind: Park-style grills are heavy duty and mounted on a steel post in concrete to withstand the strong winds and storms that are so common on St. George Island.
• Salt Air: Park grills are also welded together and use galvanized materials to better last the salt-air environment by the ocean. The lightweight metal grills people use in other parts of the country for charcoal grilling would blow over on a nightly basis and rust away in months.
• Popularity: About 50% of people own a charcoal grill. 60% own a gas grill, and about 10% own electric. Are you questioning my numbers?  Many folks own more than one type – in fact, read on and you’ll see we do now as well!

Charcoal vs Gas Grill at the Beach

So what did we choose?

We enjoyed the smoky charcoal taste so much that we kept the Pilot Rock Park Grill, and to plan ahead for those days when we just need an easy button, we added a gas grill as well.  Since our beach house will also be a St. George Island rental, we figured giving our guests options was the way to go.

If you’re trying to make the same decision for your own beach property we currently have the Pilot Rock Park Grill (see product link for more info). It’s rugged and built to last. The grate is easy to raise and lower even when the grill is hot.

For the gas grill we chose the Char Broil Classic 360 (see product link for more info) for a couple of reasons. If you own a home at the beach you’ve learned that “stainless” means it’ll “stain less”, it doesn’t mean it won’t stain, or breakdown. Gas grills have a short lifespan by the beach, so we chose a grill with really good reviews, plenty of room for ribs, steak, chicken, pork chops and a few shrimp on the side, but economical enough that we can replace it every couple of years.

So whether you’re team charcoal or team gas, at Beach, Love and Happiness (our newly named St George Island rental), you will have what you like! And, if you’re cooking for a big group, use both!

By the way,  If you’re wondering how is the shelling on St George Island? It’s wonderful. The shells you see around the grill were collected on 3 or 4 outings on the West Gulf Beaches (just steps from our west gulf beach rental). I was limited only by how much I could carry at a time. 🙂

Charcoal Grill or Gas Grill at the Beach – 2023 Update

I can’t believe it, but we’ve had the beach house over two years now! We learned a lot about what works on the island, and what doesn’t.

The park style grill is essentially in the same condition it was when we first bought the house. We give it a thorough cleaning now and then and it continues to hold up to the salty elements, heat, sun and regular use.

The gas grill on the other hand? Well, it didn’t fair so well. After only one season it rusted out, at least key elements did. For example the connections for the propane gas hookup! We wheeled the grill to the curb about a year after we purchased it and bought another model.  It also lasted about a year, maybe less before it took the short walk to the trash bin pickup.

From a sustainability point of view I didn’t feel good about purchasing and throwing away a hunk of metal every 2 months knowing this would continue to happen. And from a financial standpoint, I’d rather put that money into something that’ll last longer.

Another consideration is if you have a gas grill at a rental property, you’re expected to have propane ready for guests. That’s an additional expense. From a personal perspective, it turned out in 2 years we never hit “the easy button” ourselves. We still always used charcoal. With all things considered we made the decision this year not to purchase another gas grill.

We may add another park style grill next year to accommodate larger families or for us to cook a couple meals at a time, but there’s no rush. Afterall, we’re on island time!