Illustrated planning concept · Final design follows field verification and approved project documents
U-Shape Entertainer
Three-sided kitchen with bar seating, fridge, and prep zone.
- Size range
- 10' x 10' to 12' x 14' U-shape
- Installed investment range
- $42,000 – $78,000
- Best for
- Weekly entertainers, large families, primary outdoor kitchen
Two pages: concept rendering, planning dimensions, option decisions, and verification checklist. No email required.
Start with this conceptAn illustrated starting point
This concept is not a permit, engineering, fabrication, appliance-cutout, code-approval, or construction drawing. Field measurements, selected manufacturer documents and listings, site and utility conditions, required qualified engineering, AHJ/HOA review, approved documents, and the signed scope control the final design. The installed investment range is for planning, not a quote.
About this design
U-shaped kitchen with dedicated grill bay, prep counter with sink, refrigerator/ice combo, and 6-seat raised bar. Full appliance suite, dedicated lighting circuits, and sun shelter design.
Key features
- · 36" grill + side burner + searing zone
- · Outdoor sink with hot/cold — cold-snap shutoff strategy set in design
- · Outdoor fridge + ice maker combo
- · Raised bar seating for 6
- · Pergola or louvered cover overhead
Equipment & systems
- · Lynx 36" Smart Grill or DCS Series 9
- · Lynx side burner + power burner
- · Lynx Outdoor Fridge L500RFR
- · Scotsman or Hoshizaki built-in ice maker
- · Outdoor-rated sink with hot/cold (Bromic or Whitehaus)
- · Electrical service sized for selected equipment and total connected load
How this kitchen is planned
Three connected runs that wrap the cook. Cooking on one leg, wet prep on the second, cold and storage on the third, with a raised bar closing the open side.
Multi-dish cooking — grill, side burner and searing zone running at once for a full table.
Six at a raised bar, guests outside the U and the cook working inside it without being crossed.
Built to sit under a pergola or louvered cover. Overhead structure, lighting and any ventilation get designed together, not added afterward.
The most coordinated of the nine: live-fire cooking, a plumbed sink and ice/refrigeration all in one footprint. Water supply, drain routing and winterization get settled early.
Layout zones this concept reserves
- ACook leg
Grill, side burner and searing zone on the downwind run
- BWet prep leg
Sink, prep counter and the working triangle to the grill
- CCold leg
Refrigeration, ice and the bulk of the drawer storage
- DRaised bar
Six-seat bar closing the open side, set above the work counter
- EOverhead cover
Pergola or louvered structure over the cook and bar
Finish and material zones
- Exterior face
- One face material wrapping all three legs so the U reads as a single mass.
- Work counters
- Slab yield matters here — a 22–28 ft run may need more than one slab; plan seam locations.
- Raised bar top
- Either the same slab at bar height or a contrasting material to break up the length.
- Cabinetry
- One cabinetry line across all three legs; mixing brands mixes reveal dimensions.
Lock these before appliances are ordered
- Which leg cooks — that sets smoke direction, ventilation and the whole plan
- Grill and side/power burner models before any cabinet opening is fabricated
- Sink location, faucet selection and how the line is shut down in a cold snap
- Ice maker versus a second refrigerator on the cold leg
- Bar height: flush with the work counter or raised above it
- Cover type — pergola, louvered or solid — since it changes ventilation and lighting
Verified before anything is built
- Selected appliance cutout drawings, insulated-jacket requirements and listings — obtained before cabinetry is fabricated
- Ventilation approach and combustible clearances under the selected cover — confirmed against the appliance instructions and any required engineering
- Water supply, drain routing and backflow requirements — confirmed by the qualified plumbing trade
- Fuel type, meter capacity, run length, total connected load and electrical circuits — confirmed by the qualified trades in the signed scope
- Overhead structure foundation, spans and attachment — confirmed by qualified engineering where required
- AHJ, HOA and manufacturer requirements for this address and this scope — confirmed in writing before construction
Planning this kitchen in Arizona
Heat and shade exposure
Decide where the cook stands in July before you decide on finishes. Shade over the working side changes how usable the kitchen is, how hot the counter gets, and how quickly stainless and dark slab surfaces become uncomfortable to touch. If a cover is part of the plan, it is designed with the kitchen — not added afterward.
Drainage and cleanability
Plan for dust, rain, spills and appropriate cleaning that follows the selected finish and equipment instructions, without spraying appliances or electrical components. Counter slope, deck slope away from the cabinetry, grease handling, and a drain path that does not run toward appliances or the house all get settled in the approved design, using field-measured grades rather than assumptions.
Wind and smoke orientation
Wind direction affects whether smoke drifts into your seating or away from it. AE considers observed site wind patterns and nearby structures when planning the cooking side at your address. Any ventilation approach follows the selected appliance's instructions and the listed venting components — not a general rule of thumb.
Utilities and service access
Fuel type, meter capacity, run length, total connected load, and electrical circuits are verified by the qualified trades in the signed scope. Just as important: every appliance, shutoff, and connection needs to be reachable years from now, so service access is drawn before cabinetry is fabricated.
AHJ, HOA and manufacturer coordination
Requirements vary by address, by scope, and by the product you select. Municipal or county review, HOA architectural approval where one applies, and each manufacturer's installation instructions and listing all have to agree with the drawings before anything is built. AE builds to the approved written scope.
This planning board is a concept-stage tool. It is not permit, engineering, fabrication, appliance-cutout, code-approval, safety-inspection, or construction documentation. Field measurements, the selected manufacturer documents and listings, required qualified engineering, AHJ and HOA review, approved documents, and the signed scope control the final build.
