About BBQ Party Calculator

BBQ Party Calculator is an independent project run by a small team of home grilling enthusiasts. We built it to answer the question every host asks before a cookout: how much food do I actually need?

What we do

We publish free calculators and guides for BBQ quantities and costs: meat per guest, buns, sides, drinks, ice, charcoal, grill space and smoke times, for parties of 10 to 100 or more. Everything runs in your browser and needs no account.

How the numbers are made

All calculators read the same data file of portions, cooked yields and prices. Food-safety temperatures come from the USDA; prices come from public BLS and USDA retail price data; portions are common catering rules of thumb. The full list, with sources and a changelog, is on How We Calculate.

Who we are not

We are not caterers, dietitians or a food-safety authority, and we do not run a test kitchen. Our numbers are planning estimates. For large or commercial events, talk to a licensed caterer.

How the site is funded

Some pages link to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases; the links open Amazon search results for the product named, and we do not accept payment for placement. There are no display ads on the site.

What the site does not do

Contact and corrections

Spotted an error or have a better source? Email hello@bbqpartycalculator.com or see our corrections policy.