Buffalo Resto Charcoal BBQ review – a sturdy traditional grill

The Buffalo Resto is a no frills, open grill. It’s the kind of thing you see used to cater small to medium events, such as a school fete, local sporting fixture or small other community event. It may be suited to small commercial jobs but its simplicity makes it easy for amateurs to use as well – so if you find your family BBQs have reached epic proportions then this might be just the thing.

Assembly and build quality

This barbecue couldn’t be simpler to build. In fact, it took longer to unwrap the well-packaged parts than to construct. Assembling this barbecue was simply a case of bolting the legs onto each end and you’re ready to go. Each pair of legs is a single curved piece and they can be attached by hand thanks to grips on the bolts. They’re easy to remove again too, making the Resto fairly portable once disassembled. The whole barbecue is made of good quality stainless steel, and felt sturdy and stable once sat on a flat surface.

Looks and style

The Resto’s simplicity also makes it very pleasing to the eye. It has the look and feel of a professional grill and it’s easy to imagine this being used to feed a small army with no problems at all. While it is nice looking, the simplicity of its design means what you see is what you get – a grill tray and some legs. But it’s something I definitely wouldn’t be embarrassed to have on display when summer socialising in the garden.

In use and features

The Resto is as basic, but the design is still good. The grill is divided into three equal size parts that sit in the main one-piece body. Having three different grills makes for excellent versatility. For example, you could use one for meat, one for fish and one for veg, whilst avoiding cross contamination. Alternatively, if you were cooking for just a few, you could simply light one or two grills, saving charcoal and cleaning.

Unfortunately, such simplicity means other areas are lacking. When it comes to cooking, the design of this barbecue means it is only suitable for grilling – which is clearly all it was designed for. However, this does mean that roasting, smoking or spit roasting are out of the question. It grills just fine though with nice thick bars that provide good thick charred lines on food, though we felt they could be a little closer together to stop smaller items slipping through.

The three equal size – and relatively shallow – grills also means varying temperatures or indirect grilling isn’t really possible. The lack of wind protection can also make the Resto anything from annoying to dangerous, as coal, ash and sparks can blow around at the slightest gust of wind, for this reason you would need to use the Resto somewhere sheltered and make sure you wear a sturdy apron, as always.

Cleaning and storage

The entirely stainless steel construction of the Resto on the one hand makes the barbecue cleanable to the point of sterilisation, but also means serious scrubbing is required as, unlike the enamelled barbecues, there is no non-stick coating.

The three separate grills do make things easier though as the grill bars themselves fit in a dishwasher. When storing the Resto, if you take the legs off, it will fit in a small shed or could be stored inside with relative ease. If you were intending to store your barbecue outside, a cover would definitely be needed for this one, as there is no lid.

Conclusion

The Buffalo Resto is great at what it does, although that makes it a bit of a one-trick pony. If you want a simple grill that can cook for numerous people then this a good buy. If you want to be able to do more with your barbecue, such as smoking or beer can chicken, then the Resto may not offer all you need – but then that’s not what it’s designed for. For other options see our Best BBQ 2016 roundup. 
Buy the Buffalo Resto Charcoal BBQ now from Nisbets