As Memorial Day approaches, it’s time to raise your flag and celebrate all things American. What better way to get in to the swing of summer than to host a fun-filled outdoor BBQ with friends and family.

This year, instead of hosting a last minute slapped together event, why not plan to throw one of the most memorable barbecues of the season. The best part is that planning this will not take long at all. We have come up with a few tips to help you do this.

Prep The Grill Before The Event

Memorial Day is the time to kick off the grill season and it’s a great idea to give your grill a pre-season run before your BBQ. Give it a good cleaning and remove all of that funky residue that has built up on it. Make sure that your burners are working properly and be sure that the propane tank is full. Remember to stock up on all the grilling supplies as well.

Prepare Your Space

Your guests will want to soak up that sunshine so arrange your setting outside and ensure that there is plenty shade as well. If your outside space is not sufficient for sitting outside, just move the party inside.

Set up your table up and bring out that red, white and blue! Find colorful accessories to set on your table. If you are planning on your party continuing into the night, line your outside area with candle bags or if you have a pool you can use floating water lanterns to create the ambient lighting effect.

Select Your Menu

Cornbread, devilish eggs and onion rings are a great idea for a light starter before the main course. We all know that when it comes to a barbecue the bigger the variety the better. Ribs, chicken wings, steaks, burgers and all the trimmings, there can never be enough. The key to making your menu interesting is to use different seasonings. If you are more of a seafood fan, you can grill some shrimp and put them on skewers with bell peppers and zucchini.

We at Birando wish you a festive Memorial Day weekend!