Memorial Day weekend is one of those weekends that sneaks up fast. One minute you’re saying, “We should have people over this year,” and the next minute there are twelve people in your backyard, someone is asking where the bottle opener is, the cooler is somehow already out of ice, and the person who “doesn’t eat much” is standing directly in front of the grill waiting for ribs.
Before we get too deep into brisket, burgers, and whether your neighbor actually knows how to use his smoker, it’s worth remembering what Memorial Day is really about. It is a day to honor and remember the men and women who gave their lives while serving our country. The long weekend, the flags, the cookouts, and the time with family all matter more when we pause for a moment and recognize the reason we have the freedom to gather in the first place. So yes, fire up the grill, enjoy the day, and invite the people over. Just take a minute somewhere between lighting the charcoal and opening the cooler to remember why the day exists.
Now, with that said, let’s talk about the part where everyone comes over and expects food.
This week is not about getting the yard ready. We already covered that. If your bushes still look like they’re trying to reclaim the driveway, that is between you and your conscience. This week is about actual Memorial Day execution. The food. The grill. The cooler. The seasonings. The propane. The pellets. The “I thought we had tongs” moment that happens approximately eight minutes after the grill is hot.
At our South Venice and Port Charlotte MRT Ace locations, we are loaded up for backyard BBQ season. We sell Big Green Egg, Traeger, recteq, Yoder, Weber, Napoleon, Blackstone, and more, along with the accessories, rubs, sauces, pellets, charcoal, griddles, tools, thermometers, wood chunks, and all the little things you do not think about until the meat is already on the grill. If you need propane filled, pellets for the smoker, a new seasoning that makes people think you did more work than you actually did, or a grill upgrade before company shows up, we can help.
The biggest mistake people make with a Memorial Day cookout is waiting until Memorial Day weekend to realize they are not ready for Memorial Day weekend. Check your propane tank now. Not when your burgers are half-cooked and your guests are staring at you like you personally failed America. If you cook on a pellet grill, make sure you have pellets before you start. If you use charcoal, make sure you have charcoal and starters. If your grill brush looks like it was recovered from a shipwreck, maybe treat yourself to a new one. If your meat thermometer disappeared sometime around football season, now is a good time to replace it.
And if you are smoking something low and slow, please remember that barbecue has no respect for your schedule. A brisket does not care that people are coming at 3:00. A pork butt does not care that your uncle is hungry. Ribs do not care that the side dishes are ready. The smoker is in charge now. Plan accordingly.
For a great Memorial Day main dish, pulled pork is hard to beat. It feeds a crowd, it is forgiving, and it makes you look like a backyard professional even if your main contribution was patience and not opening the lid every eleven minutes. Traeger’s smoked pulled pork method is a classic low-and-slow pork shoulder approach, and it is exactly the kind of thing that works well for a holiday party because it can be cooked ahead, held warm, and served on buns with sauce, slaw, pickles, or whatever your family argues about putting on pork. Grab a pork butt or shoulder, coat it generously with a good BBQ rub, smoke it low until it gets tender enough to shred, then let it rest before pulling. Serve it with buns, sauce, and a big pile of napkins. Pulled pork is also a great excuse to try different pellets, especially hickory, pecan, or apple depending on the flavor you want.
If you want the backyard to smell like you know what you’re doing, ribs are the move. Traeger, recteq, and Big Green Egg all have rib recipes and methods that lean on the same basic principle: low heat, smoke, seasoning, time, and a little patience. St. Louis ribs or baby backs both work well. Remove the membrane if needed, season them heavily with a rub, cook them low, wrap if you like a softer bite, then finish with sauce or glaze at the end so the sugars do not burn. Ribs are great because they feel like a special occasion food, but they do not require carving, slicing, or explaining to guests why the brisket is still “resting” four hours after you said it would be ready.
If you want something simpler and faster, burgers and chicken are still undefeated for a reason. Weber’s Memorial Day grilling ideas lean into classic cookout staples like pork, chicken, and steak, and honestly, that is probably what most people expect when they come over anyway. A good burger with the right seasoning, hot grill grates, and a toasted bun will always work. Chicken thighs are another great option because they are harder to dry out than chicken breasts and they handle marinades, rubs, and sauces really well. Season them, grill them over medium heat, and finish with sauce toward the end. This is also where our seasoning aisle can do some heavy lifting. Weber seasonings, BBQ rubs, sauces, marinades, and all the other flavor helpers are perfect for turning “I bought chicken” into “apparently I’m a grill person now.”
For the Big Green Egg crowd, brisket is the backyard trophy. Big Green Egg’s brisket guidance focuses on trimming, seasoning, smoking, and cooking until the meat is tender, which is the part everyone wants to rush and absolutely should not. Brisket is not a quick Memorial Day decision. Brisket is a relationship. You need time, fuel, temperature control, and the emotional strength to wait through the stall without panicking. But when it works, it is worth it. Keep the seasoning simple or use your favorite brisket rub, cook it low, let it rest properly, and slice it against the grain. Then pretend you were calm the whole time.
Blackstone and flat-top grilling deserve their own mention because not every Memorial Day meal needs to be smoked for fourteen hours while everyone slowly loses hope. A Blackstone is great for smash burgers, cheesesteaks, breakfast-for-a-crowd, grilled onions, peppers, bacon, hot dogs, fried rice, and all the things that make people hover around the cooking area “just to see how it’s going.” Smash burgers are perfect for parties because they cook quickly and people can build their own. Thin patties, hot griddle, good seasoning, cheese, toasted buns, and a toppings station. Done. You do not need to overcomplicate every single menu item. Sometimes the most popular thing at the party is the burger someone ate while standing next to the cooler.
Speaking of coolers, this is Florida, and Memorial Day in Florida means the cooler is not optional. It is infrastructure. We carry a large selection of YETI coolers, drinkware, cups, and accessories, which is great if you are trying to keep drinks cold longer than the first inning of the cornhole tournament. A good cooler setup makes the whole day easier. Keep drinks in one cooler, food in another if possible, and have more ice than you think you need. Whatever amount of ice you think is reasonable, Florida would like you to add more.
We also carry Turtlebox speakers, which are perfect for the backyard, the boat, the beach, or anywhere else you want music without using the sad little speaker on someone’s phone. Just remember, there is a fine line between “fun backyard playlist” and “the whole neighborhood now knows you are emotionally attached to 2000s country.” Use that power responsibly.
And since this is the unofficial start of summer, it is also a good time for the red, white, and blue clothing refresh. We just received our HUK 250 America Collection, and it is perfect for Memorial Day weekend, the boat, the beach, fishing, grilling, or just standing outside in Southwest Florida heat pretending you are not melting. We also carry Costa sunglasses, which are basically required equipment around here once the sun starts acting like it has something to prove.
If I were planning a simple Memorial Day menu, I would keep it manageable. One main smoked item like pulled pork or ribs. One fast grill item like burgers, hot dogs, or chicken. A couple easy sides. Plenty of drinks. Something cold for dessert. Do not make seven complicated recipes unless your goal is to spend the entire party sweating next to the grill while everyone else has fun. The host should get to enjoy the day too.
A good easy menu could be smoked pulled pork sandwiches, grilled chicken thighs, baked beans, coleslaw, chips, watermelon, and brownies. Another good option is ribs, smash burgers, corn on the cob, potato salad, and ice cream sandwiches. Or go full backyard classic with hot dogs, burgers, wings, and whatever sauces make people start giving unsolicited opinions about barbecue.
The real secret is having the right supplies before the weekend starts. Propane filled. Pellets stocked. Charcoal ready. Grill clean. Thermometer working. Cooler cold. Cups available. Seasonings purchased. Tongs located. Speaker charged. Sunglasses found. Outfit selected. Patriotic without looking like you lost a bet.
Memorial Day weekend should be about remembering, gathering, eating well, and enjoying the people around you. It should not be about driving around at the last minute looking for propane, pellets, a grill brush, a cooler, or the specific seasoning someone saw on TikTok and now believes is essential to national unity.
Stop into MRT Ace in South Venice or Port Charlotte before the weekend rush. We will help you get set up with grills, propane, pellets, charcoal, rubs, sauces, accessories, YETI, Turtlebox, Costa, HUK, and everything else you need to pull off a backyard BBQ that looks planned on purpose. Because nothing says “I’m ready for Memorial Day” like a full propane tank, a stocked cooler, and meat on the grill before people start asking when dinner is.