If you ever want to have a barbeque, it’s better to do it yourself. You know what you and your friends like.
Unlike BBQ restaurants that get hundreds of orders a day, you’ll put the time and effort into giving your loved ones the perfect BBQ experience.
The only question is: where do you host this BBQ? Outside, of course, but unfortunately, that could be a bit tricky.
There are laws you need to follow if you want to have a public BBQ.
So, where do you go? Can you grill on the sidewalk? Are there specific locations to host grills?
In this article, we’ll answer all of these questions so you can have the BBQ of a lifetime.
Can You Grill on the Sidewalk?
There are rules that answer this question.
According to the Fire Code of New York City, grilling on the sidewalk is illegal.
That’s only natural since you can easily start a fire if you’re not careful. That’s why this prohibition exists in the first place.
People have started fires before, causing property damage and injuries.
Furthermore, when you grill on the sidewalk, you obstruct pedestrians’ way. We can’t have that.
There are, however, exceptions to that rule.
You see mobile food trucks selling grilled meat all the time, right? How come?
Well, the owners of these trucks answer to the Department of Health.
They would never get a permit to grill if they weren’t equipped with the proper tools to handle grilling. They also have to follow the fire safety measurements.
Moreover, these trucks are always parked in the street, so they’re not blocking anyone’s way.
That’s why they’re an exception.
If you’re searching for an outdoor grilling experience, your best bet would be certain city parks and beaches.
Even then, there are specific areas to grill in and regulations to follow.
Most cities in the U.S. have similar grilling restriction rules.
Whether it’s Philadelphia, Ohio, or New Jersey, you must stay 5-10 ft away from any surface that can catch fire.
You also can’t block anyone’s way and must have a water hose or fire extinguisher available at any moment.
Do the Same Rules Apply in Other Countries?
For the most part, yes, the same rules apply in other countries.
Let’s take the UK, for example!
Just like New York, the UK has strict rules about public grilling.
Although outdoor grilling rules have changed over time, the UK has one rule you need to follow when you’re thinking about having a BBQ.
You can’t have it near a main road.
This is so that smoke coming from your grill doesn’t block drivers’ vision.
There are areas in the UK where you can’t even light any kind of fire outdoors, let alone a BBQ one.
Furthermore, the UK mostly has narrow sidewalks. Even if you have a small grill, you’re probably going to obstruct pedestrians’ way.
So no sidewalk grilling in this city.
Outdoor grilling is tricky there, as some councils have banned it altogether.
Luckily, there are still a lot of public areas to have a BBQ, from Lincoln’s Inn Fields to Loch Lomond and more.
Final Thoughts
So, can you grill on the sidewalk? No, for all the right reasons, you can’t.
Even outside the U.S., there are strict rules against it, which shows you how universal they are.
If you’re not careful, you can easily start a fire in the middle of the sidewalk. You’ll also block pedestrians’ way.
There are exceptions to that rule, like moving food trucks, but they follow specific rules to make sure they don’t hurt anyone.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. As a homeowner, I love working on projects around the house, and as a father, I love investigating various ways to keep my family safe (whether or not this involves tech). I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.