What to buy for a neighborhood barbecue
A neighborhood barbecue needs more than meat and charcoal. Plan food and drinks around the number of registered guests, then add servingware, coolers, buffet supplies, lighting, and cleanup equipment. Chill meat and vegetables before guests arrive, and keep salads and desserts covered until serving. The shopping list below works alongside the preparation plan, so you can see what must be bought, borrowed, picked up, or set out on the day.
What to bring
Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.
Furniture
- Party tentsqty 2
- Foldable tablesqty 6
- Chairsqty 55
- Buffet tablesqty 2
- Waste binsqty 4
Tableware
- Reusable platesqty 60
- Reusable bowlsqty 60
- Cutlery setsqty 60
- Reusable cupsqty 100
- Coffee mugsqty 30
Kitchen
- Serving plattersqty 10
- Serving utensilsqty 10
- Cutting boardsqty 4
- Kitchen knivesqty 4
- Mixing bowlsqty 4
- Measuring cupsqty 2
- Aluminum grill traysqty 12
Equipment
- Barbecuesqty 2
- Coolersqty 4
- Gas burner
- Extension cordsqty 3
- Power stripsqty 2
- Bluetooth speaker
Decorations
- Tableclothsqty 8
- Buntingqty 6
- Name stickersqty 60
Lighting
- String lightsqty 4
- LED lightsqty 4
Cleaning
- Bucketsqty 2
- Broom setsqty 2
- Mop
- Reusable cleaning clothsqty 10
- Washing-up basinsqty 4
Catering
- Groceries
- Beef burgers - 60 pieces
- Barbecue sausages - 50 pieces
- Chicken skewers - 50 pieces
- Vegetarian burgers - 20 pieces
- Hamburger buns - 70 pieces
- Pistolets - 50 pieces
- Corn cobs - 30 pieces
- Zucchini - 8 pieces
- Bell peppers - 12 pieces
- Mushrooms - 2 kilogram
- Red onions - 3 kilogram
- Iceberg lettuce - 6 heads
- Cucumbers - 8 pieces
- Tomatoes - 4 kilogram
- Potatoes - 8 kilograms
- Arugula - 500 grams
- Feta cheese - 1 kilogram
- Pasta salad - 4 kilograms
- Potato salad - 4 kilogram
- Herb butter - 6 tubs
- Mayonnaise - 2 bottles
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Mustard - 2 bottles
- Barbecue sauce - 2 bottles
- Garlic sauce - 2 bottles
- Olive oil - 2 bottles
- Salt - 1 pack
- Black pepper - 1 jar
- Paprika powder - 1 jar
- Italian herbs - 1 jar
- Garlic - 6 bulbs
- Lemons - 10 pieces
- Water - 40 liter
- Cola - 12 bottles
- Cola Zero - 8 bottles
- Sinas - 6 bottles
- Iced tea - 6 bottles
- Beer - 8 crates
- Alcohol-free beer - 2 crates
- Rosé - 8 bottles
- White wine - 6 bottles
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Tea - 2 boxes
- Milk - 6 liters
- Sugar - 1 kilogram
- Ice cubes - 15 kilograms
- Ice pops - 60 pieces
- Plain chips - 6 bags
- Paprika chips - 6 bags
- Peanuts - 3 bags
- Marshmallows - 4 bags
- Napkins - 200 pieces
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 12 rolls
- Garbage bags - 30 pieces
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- Hand soap - 2 bottles
Tips
- Plan around two to three drinks per person for the first hour, then one drink per person for each additional hour. Add water and non-alcoholic options separately rather than relying only on beer or wine.
- Allow at least one reusable plate, bowl, cup, and cutlery set per guest, plus 10% extra for dropped or misplaced items. Include coffee mugs if coffee will be served after the meal.
- Buy or borrow enough coolers to keep meat, vegetables, salads, and drinks separated. Move meat and vegetables into the coolers before setup and keep perishable food out of the sun.
- Prepare sauces, marinades, salads, and cut vegetables in mixing bowls and transfer them to serving platters just before guests eat. Keep aluminum grill trays available for food that should not go directly on the barbecue.
- Plan cleanup before shopping: provide waste bins, buckets, and broom sets, and check that extension cords and power strips are long enough for lighting and the speaker. This prevents a last-minute hardware run while guests are arriving.
Frequently asked questions
- How much food do I need for a neighborhood barbecue?
- For a mixed menu, plan roughly 300 to 400 grams of main food per adult, including meat and vegetarian options, plus 150 to 200 grams of salads and side dishes. Add about 10% extra when attendance is uncertain or children will share adult portions.
- How many drinks should I buy for a neighborhood barbecue?
- Allow two to three drinks per person during the first hour and one per person for every hour after that. For a four-hour barbecue, that means about five to six drinks per guest, with water and non-alcoholic drinks included in the total.
- How many plates and cups do I need per guest?
- Provide one plate, one bowl, one cup, and one cutlery set per guest, plus a 10% spare allowance. For 40 guests, prepare at least 44 of each item where possible.
- When should I buy and chill barbecue food?
- Buy perishable food no earlier than one day before the barbecue, unless it can be safely frozen. Chill meat, vegetables, and drinks before setup; transfer them to coolers at least 1 hour before guests arrive and keep salads refrigerated until serving.
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