Outdoor kitchens,
built-in because they are.
MintScapes designs and builds outdoor kitchens across NYC and North Jersey — rooftops, backyards, courtyards, pool surrounds. Built-in grills, refrigeration, prep counters, and the utility routing that turns a patio with a grill into a kitchen that lives outside.
An outdoor kitchen done right is invisible work. The grill matters, the counter matters, the cabinetry matters — but the difference between a kitchen that lasts twenty years and one that’s rusting in five is what you can’t see. Gas line sizing. Electrical load. Slope away from cabinetry. Drainage detail at the sink. Counter substrate that doesn’t wick water. We over-spec the underneath so the visible part stays simple.
Most of our outdoor kitchens run between $35K and $120K. The grill itself is usually 10–15% of the budget. The rest is utility routing, structural prep, cabinetry, counters, and the lighting and ventilation that make it usable after dark and in summer. We coordinate the licensed gas, electrical, and plumbing work; we don’t do those trades ourselves.
A real outdoor kitchen, in pieces.
Most kitchens include a subset of these. We’ll size yours at the walk-through.
Built-in grill
Hood-vented or open-air. We’ll spec the BTU and burner count to how you actually cook, not the showroom default.
Prep counter
Honed granite, porcelain slab, or soapstone. Sized to the longest cut you'll make, not the smallest.
Refrigeration
Undercounter fridge minimum; ice drawer or beverage center if you entertain. UL-rated outdoor units only.
Sink & water
Hot or cold, with a freeze valve and fall blow-out. The single biggest usability upgrade after the grill.
Side burner / wok / pizza oven
Optional, useful. We’ll talk through what you'll actually use vs. what looks good in a render.
Cabinetry & storage
Marine-grade stainless, weatherproof composite, or IPE-clad. Doors and drawers gasketed against weather.
Hood & ventilation
Required under any roof or pergola when using gas. Sized to the burner count.
Lighting
Task lighting over the cooking zone, ambient under counters. On a dimmer.
Utilities first, finishes last.
Gas, electric, plumbing — under the slab.Before a single paver goes down, the utility paths get routed. Gas line sized for the grill plus any future additions. Electrical load calculated with refrigeration, lighting, and any future heaters. Water with a freeze valve and a drain back to a serviceable point. If we have to chase a utility through the finished hardscape later, we’ve already failed.
Counter slope matters more than counter material. Most outdoor kitchen failures start at the counter — water pooling against cabinetry, freezing, and cracking the substrate. We slope counters 1/8" per foot away from the building and from any cabinetry, every time.
Built around the way you actually cook outside. An outdoor kitchen used for steaks and burgers wants a single big grill and a generous prep counter. One used for paella and pizza wants a side burner and a wood-fired oven. One used for entertaining wants beverage storage and ice. We design around the actual cooking, not a generic layout.
Service access, on day one. Every appliance and utility connection is designed to be reachable without demolishing the kitchen. Slide-out grills. Removable counter caps over plumbing. The first ten years feel like a luxury; the next ten years are when this decision pays off.
What clients ask first.
- How much does an outdoor kitchen cost?
- A real outdoor kitchen — built-in grill, prep counter, refrigeration, weatherproof cabinetry, gas, electric, water — runs $35K–$120K installed in NYC and North Jersey. The grill alone is usually $4K–$15K. The bulk of the cost is the utility routing, structural prep, and cabinetry that makes it last.
- Can you put an outdoor kitchen on a rooftop?
- Yes, often. The constraints are different: gas usually requires a dedicated run with shutoff, electrical needs a watertight feed, and the load adds up fast. Most rooftop kitchens use lightweight stone or composite counters and lower-profile appliances. We coordinate gas with your building and a licensed plumber; we don't run gas ourselves.
- What goes in a 'real' outdoor kitchen vs. just a grill?
- A grill on a patio is a grill. An outdoor kitchen has, at minimum: built-in grill, prep counter, undercounter refrigeration, sink with water and drainage, storage for cookware, and weatherproof finishes. Most clients add a side burner, an ice drawer, and overhead lighting tied to the cooking zone.
- What counter material survives outside in the Northeast?
- Three good options. Honed granite is the workhorse — affordable, durable, easy to source. Porcelain slabs are the modern default — UV-stable, freeze-safe, low maintenance. Soapstone is the design move — patinas beautifully, but requires occasional oiling. We avoid marble and most engineered quartz outside; they don't take freeze-thaw cycles well.
- What about winter?
- Built right, you do almost nothing. Water lines need a freeze valve and a fall blow-out. Gas lines stay. Stainless and porcelain need only a rinse. We cover the grill and any soft components; the rest is designed to live outside year-round.
- Do we need permits?
- Usually yes, when gas or electrical is run. We coordinate with a licensed plumber and electrician for the permitted work. In NYC, the gas line filing is separate from the kitchen build itself. North Jersey is more variable — Hoboken and Jersey City require permits; most suburban towns do for gas runs.
Related service
Rooftop decks →
Outdoor kitchens are often the centerpiece of a rooftop. Utility routing comes first.
Related service
Brownstone backyards →
A built-in grill in the rear yard changes how a brownstone family entertains.
Working in
Brooklyn →
Brownstone yards, townhouse roof decks, and outdoor kitchens across the borough.
Cooking outside?
Let’s build the kitchen.
Tell us where it is, what you cook, and how often you entertain. We’ll come look and share a rough scope and budget the same week.