The best Santa Maria grills, ranked and tested.
Four picks for open-fire, crank-height cooking: best overall, best value, best all-rounder, and the dedicated Santa Maria benchmark. Material first, because rust is the regret on every forum.
The quick picks
Lone Star Grillz
Texas-built, heavy-gauge, the purpose-built Santa Maria benchmark serious buyers compare against.
Read the review Best all-rounderTagwood BBQ06SS
Full 304 and a sealed brasero. Cooks Santa Maria and Argentine style on one grill.
Read the review Best valueSunterra
Crank-adjustable grate and US fabrication for 30 to 50 percent below the premium tier.
Read the reviewThe best Santa Maria grills in 2026
Ranked on build and materials first, then heat control, then value. Read the full review on any pick before you buy.
The purpose-built Santa Maria benchmark. Texas-built, heavy-gauge 304, with the crank-height grate done right. When forum buyers argue Santa Maria grills, this is the name that anchors the conversation. Our hands-on review is in progress.
- Heavy-gauge, built to last decades
- The Santa Maria specialist
- Premium pricing
- Lead times on custom orders
The grill that does both. Full 304 stainless, a sealed brasero, and a crank grate mean it cooks open Santa Maria style or long Argentine asados equally well. If you want one premium grill for every kind of live fire, this is it.
- Full 304, cooks both styles
- Sealed brasero, widest lineup
- $3,000+ to get in
- More grill than a pure searer needs
The smart-money entry. It puts 304 stainless on the grate frame and brasero, the parts that face the fire, adds a real side firebox and a 5-year warranty, and ships from Amazon at $1,499. Owners rate it 4.6 across 95 reviews. The accessible pick that does not cut the corner that matters.
- 304 where the fire is, plus a real brasero
- 5-year warranty, 4.6 from 95 owners
- Cabinet is powder-coated steel, not 304
- A production grill, not a hand-built heirloom
The smart value pick. A crank-adjustable grate and US fabrication at 30 to 50 percent below the premium tier, with a 304 stainless upgrade available for coastal buyers. The best way into serious open-fire cooking without overspending.
- Premium features, mid-tier price
- US-made, 304 upgrade available
- Less refined fit and finish
- Get the 304 upgrade near the coast
The status pick for an outdoor kitchen. Handcrafted in the US with an insert that drops into custom cabinetry, so the grill reads as built-in architecture. Worth it if you are designing the whole space and the budget is there.
- Handcrafted, built-in insert
- Status-tier craftsmanship
- Top-of-market pricing
- Thin owner reviews, lead times
Specs and prices are illustrative pending per-model verification before publish.
How we ranked these
Material first, because rust is the most common regret: full 304 stainless beats 430 every time near the coast. Then heat control (a smooth crank and a stable grate), then value for the cook you actually do. Affiliate commissions never move the order, the ranking is decided before money enters. New to open-fire grilling? Start with the Santa Maria grills buying guide.
Still deciding?
Read the full review on the pick that fits you, or start with the buying guide if you are new to open-fire grilling.