Why This Illinois City is the Worst Place to Enjoy Grilling Season

Grilling season is now in full swing, but not every city is built for the hobby. In fact, one Illinois city is now ranked as the worst place for grilling meat.

The older I get, the more I enjoy spending time outside grilling and smoking some delectable meats. Even during the winter, I've got my offset pit rolling smoke over a nice brisket, pork shoulder, and even whole turkey around the holidays. Having lived in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana, I never had an issue finding a great deal on some meat or a nice weekend with which to throw some prime cuts on the grill. That said, there is one city that may not be the best place for a backyard barbecue.

Read More: Should You Use a Wire Brush to Clean Your Indiana Grill?

Lawn Love recently compiled a list of the best and worst cities for backyard grilling. They compared nearly 470 of the biggest U.S. cities based on four categories. The website took a close look at the local interest in grilling, access to butcheries, home improvement stores that sell grills, and the average cost of meat in the area. Additionally, Lawn Love also took into consideration the ideal weather conditions for cooking outdoors and how they compared to each city.

Get our free mobile app

Before we take a look at the worst city for grilling, let's see what city is the best place for a backyard cookout. According to Lawn Love's ranking, Melbourne, Florida features the ideal factors for a perfect grilling session. Two other Florida cities are also featured on the list, including Orlando at number five, and Fort Myers at number seven. That said, meat prices appear to be the lowest in Texas, specifically in cities like McAllen, Temple, and Beaumont.

Some of the cities that come in as the worst places to grill include Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Newark, New Jersey. However, coming in at number one is Cicero, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago with a population of just over 85,000 people. Lawn Love says Cicero is cold and rainy and mostly houses small backyards, which lack space for entertaining guests and safely cooking outside. Despite the lack of an ideal grilling setting, it's worth noting that Cicero meat prices are not on the super high end, like in many western states. For example, in California, T-bone steaks check in with a price tag of $16 on average.

While Cicero, Illinois, may not be the best place to grill in your own backyard, there are options if you find yourself in or around the city craving some smoked meats or steak. For example, you can find some great barbecue at Meat Moot Smoking, Cigars & Stripes BBQ Lounge, or Babygold Barbecue. Plus, you won't have to clean the grill afterward, which I would consider an absolute win.