Outdoor Kitchen on Deck: The Gideon Family's Texas Pergola Build

Step 1 of 8

Framing the Deck Around the Kitchen Pad

The deck framing went in first, laid out around a concrete pad along the back fence. That pad is where the masonry stands, so the oven and grill counter sit on concrete, not on deck joists. Concrete block walls went up on it for the oven stand and the grill counter, and the foam form was test-fit on a plywood template of the curved hearth before the hearth slab was cast.

Step 2 of 8

Precasting the Hearth Slab

The hearth slab was cast on plastic sheeting, with a curved front edge, rebar and a framed opening in its center. Once it was set on the block stand, that center was filled and leveled to carry the firebrick cooking surface.

Step 3 of 8

A Herringbone Firebrick Cooking Surface

With the firebrick and refractory mortar on hand, the firebrick cooking surface went down in a herringbone pattern on a sand bed inside the hearth slab, checked with a speed square as it went.

Step 4 of 8

Raising the Firebrick Barrel

The BrickWood foam form went on the firebrick cooking surface, and the firebrick barrel went up over it course by course. A front arch and a firebrick chimney finished the masonry.

Step 5 of 8

Stucco, a Brick Arch & a First Look Inside

The barrel got a gray base coat, with the arch and hearth edge masked in blue painter's tape, then a brown stucco coat. Tan brick veneer went around the oven opening and up the chimney, the foam form came out, and it was time for a first look inside.

Step 6 of 8

Grill Counter & Timber Pergola

The L-shaped concrete countertops were cast in wood forms right on top of the open deck framing, then set on the block grill counter around the grill opening. The counter got its stucco, the oven base was faced in tan brick, and stained timber posts went up for the pergola.

Step 7 of 8

Two-Tone Composite Deck

Composite deck boards went down last, a lighter field with a darker brown band, running right up to the brick oven base and the grill counter. A concrete retaining wall and steps tie the deck into the rest of the yard.

Step 8 of 8

The Finished Outdoor Kitchen on the Deck

The finished kitchen puts a wood-fired oven and a built-in gas grill side by side, with a concrete hearth ledge on wood corbels, a black oven door with custom wood handles and a thermometer, and firewood stored in the brick base, all in the shade of the pergola.

BeforeFinished

Drag across the photo (or just move your mouse) to go from bare deck framing to the finished outdoor kitchen.

Plan Yours

How to Plan an Outdoor Kitchen on a Deck

Give the masonry its own pad. A fire brick oven and a block grill counter are far too heavy for deck framing. Here they stand on a concrete pad along the fence, and the deck framing runs up around them. Building just an oven? See how the Dickman family set their deck pizza oven on its own pad.

Run the lines while the framing is open. In the build photos you can see conduit and pipe running through the deck framing. Get gas and power where they need to go before the deck boards go down.

Cast the heavy parts ahead of time. The hearth slab and both L-shaped countertops were cast in wood forms on the ground, then set in place on the block walls.

Insulate the barrel. Wrap the firebrick barrel in ceramic fiber blanket before the stucco goes on. It is the #1 add-on we recommend for any wood-fired oven.

Mix your finishes. Stucco, tan brick, concrete counters and stainless doors give this kitchen its look. Want a classic all-brick finish instead? See our brick pizza oven lineup, or compare all of our pizza oven kits.

Good Questions

Outdoor Kitchen on Deck FAQ

Can you build an outdoor kitchen on a deck?

Yes, with a plan for the weight. A fire brick oven and a block grill counter are far too heavy to sit on deck framing, so they need their own footing. In this build the masonry stands on a concrete pad along the back fence, and the deck framing runs up around it. Check your local building codes before you start.

Which oven kit did the Gideon family use?

Mattone Barile Grande · Package 2. It is a fire brick barrel oven built over our foam form, with an 18.5-inch interior ceiling.

What sits under the pizza oven?

A concrete block stand on its own concrete pad, topped with a precast concrete hearth slab. The firebrick cooking surface is set into the center of that slab in a herringbone pattern.

Can the oven and grill share one counter?

Yes. Here the stainless gas grill is built into a stucco block counter that runs right up to the oven's brick base, with stainless access doors below and a concrete countertop on top.

Do I need masonry experience to build one?

No. The Gideon family followed our FREE plans step by step, from the block stand and hearth slab to the firebrick barrel and stucco finish.