L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchen Ideas & Layouts

An L-shaped outdoor kitchen - often called a corner outdoor kitchen - uses two runs that meet at a right-angle corner. It gives you more counter than a straight run of the same overall length, lets you cook on one leg and prep or serve on the other, and turns a patio corner into a defined outdoor room. It needs a roughly square footprint - about 11 x 11 ft for a compact L and 14 to 15 ft each way for a large one.

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L-Shaped outdoor kitchen designs

Is it right for you

Who a l-shaped layout suits

  • The corner of a patio or deck - especially an inside corner formed by the house.
  • Households that entertain: one leg cooks, the other serves or seats guests.
  • Two people cooking at once - the corner naturally splits hot work from prep.
  • Square or nearly square spaces where a long straight run will not fit.

Planning

How much space a l-shaped outdoor kitchen needs

Each leg typically runs 6 to 10 ft. The SKOL360 L-shaped design on this site measures 10 ft 7 in along the outside of each leg and 8 ft 4 in along the inside.

Keep 42 to 48 in of open floor in front of both legs - that inside square is where the cook works. With 27 in deep runs, a compact L with legs of about 7 ft needs roughly 11 x 11 ft of patio; an L with 10 to 11 ft legs needs about 14 to 15 ft each way.

Plan the walkway around the outside of the L, not through the working square, so guests never cut between the grill and the prep counter.

Typical legs
6-10 ft each
Run depth
about 27 in
Clear floor inside the L
42-48 in in front of each leg
Patio footprint
about 11 x 11 ft (compact) to 15 x 15 ft
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Trade-offs

L-Shaped outdoor kitchen pros and cons

Pros

  • More counter and storage than a straight run of the same overall length.
  • Natural zone separation: grill on one leg, sink, prep or serving on the other.
  • Defines an outdoor room in a corner and leaves the rest of the patio open.
  • Easy to add stools along the outside of one leg, so guests sit across from the cook rather than behind them.
  • Two cooks can work at once without standing in a line.

Cons

  • It needs a squarish footprint and does not suit narrow strips.
  • The corner is the hardest storage to reach - a dedicated corner cabinet helps.
  • A leg that juts into the patio can interrupt the walkway if traffic is not planned around it.
  • Utilities may need to reach two runs (gas to the grill leg, water to the sink leg).

Get it right

Planning tips for a l-shaped layout

  1. Put the grill on one leg and the sink on the other, and keep at least 24 in of counter between the grill and the corner so you are never cooking into the corner.
  2. Keep refrigeration on the leg closest to the seating, so guests can help themselves without walking through the cook zone.
  3. Turn the open side of the L toward the back door or the dining area - that is the route food travels.
  4. To make one leg a bar, extend its countertop in the SKOL360 designer - any run can take one - and allow 24 to 30 in of counter per stool and 36 to 44 in of clear space behind the stools.

Compare

When another layout is a better fit

Linear outdoor kitchens →

Your space is a long, narrow strip, or you only need a grill and prep space.

U-Shaped outdoor kitchens →

You want a third run for more seating, storage or appliances - and have room for it.

Galley outdoor kitchens →

Your space is a rectangle with a natural walkway through the middle.

Island outdoor kitchens →

There is no corner to use and you want the kitchen out in the open.

Questions

L-Shaped outdoor kitchens, answered

How much space does an L-shaped outdoor kitchen need?
Plan about 11 x 11 ft for a compact L with legs of roughly 7 ft, and 14 to 15 ft each way for legs of 10 to 11 ft. That includes the 27 in deep runs and 42 to 48 in of open floor in front of each leg.
Where should the grill go in an L-shaped outdoor kitchen?
On one leg, with the sink and main prep counter on the other. Keep the grill at least 24 in from the inside corner, leave counter on both sides of it where you can, and put it on the leg that lets smoke blow away from the seating and the house.
Is an L-shaped outdoor kitchen good for entertaining?
It is one of the best layouts for it. The second leg can serve as a buffet or bar with stools on the outside, so guests sit facing the cook while the cooking leg stays clear.

Explore

More to explore

Small outdoor kitchens →

A small outdoor kitchen proves you do not need a big yard to cook outside.

All outdoor kitchen ideas

Browse every real, buildable design and open any one in the designer.

The modular system

See what these kitchens are made of and how the modules lock together.

Design from scratch

Start with a blank footprint and build your own layout in 3D.

Clearances follow the NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines; footprints are worked out from SKOL360 module sizes. Last updated .

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