Weber Just Showed a Santa Maria Grill at Memphis in May – But You Can’t Buy It Until 2027
The Weber Santa Maria grill is real, the price is set, and you still can’t buy one until 2027. Weber unveiled the new the new rig at the 2026 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest this week. It will ship in two sizes at estimated retail prices of $899 and $1,299, will offer more than 750 square inches of cooking area, and will use a wheel-and-pulley height-adjustment system over a firebrick cookbox. Weber’s Head Grill Master Dustin Green is leading a team into the festival’s inaugural Open Fire World Championship cooking on the new rig.
That is the news. The strategy behind the news is the more interesting story.
The Weber Santa Maria grill unveil: what Weber actually showed
The new the new rig is a recognizably classic-style California live-fire cooker — the open-pit tradition that has been a niche staple for decades and is now crossing into the mainstream. Weber’s version brings:
- Two sizes. A base model with an estimated retail of $899, and a larger premium model at $1,299.
- 750+ square inches of cooking area on the premium model — enough surface for two whole tri-tips, a full chuck roll, or a multi-rack rib cook.
- A wheel-and-pulley height-adjustment system that raises and lowers the cooking grate to control heat — the defining mechanic of the Santa Maria style.
- A firebrick cookbox for heat retention with ventilation built in for even heat across the grate.
- A semi-enclosed brasero (the side firebox) with grates on top for a dedicated searing zone.
- A heavy-duty stainless-steel frame and grates for outdoor durability.
Weber Head Grill Master Dustin Green framed the move at the reveal: “Cooking over live fire is one of the oldest and most expressive forms of grilling. Bringing Weber quality and performance to this style of cooking on a stage like Memphis in May makes it an exciting moment for the brand and the category.”
The 2027 ship date is the wrinkle. Memphis in May is the right room to drop a live-fire grill — everyone there is already there to celebrate live-fire cooking. But the eighteen-to-twenty-four-month gap between unveil and retail is unusual for Weber, who typically launches inside a single product season.
Why a 2027 grill is being shown in 2026
Two reads on the timing. Both can be true.
The competitive read. Blackstone — now Weber’s sister brand under the unified company formed in the 2025 merger — already has a Santa Maria in market. The Blackstone Bronco Santa Maria Grill launched earlier in 2026 at a value price point. Weber is signaling to the trade and to its dealer network that the new rig will compete up-market, not below the Bronco. The reveal stakes the claim now so dealers know what’s coming when they line up 2027 buying decisions in Q4 2026.
The category read. Santa Maria grilling has gone from a California regional curiosity to a national trend over the last three years. YouTube, the Texas-meets-California pitmaster crossover, and the rise of live-fire restaurants from Tomahawk to Holy Smokes have all pulled the style into the mainstream. The Open Fire World Championship — Memphis in May’s brand-new live-fire competition with 15 elite teams — is the category’s debut at the highest level of competitive BBQ. Weber putting Dustin Green on a Weber-branded live-fire rig in that field is product marketing measured in television minutes.
A the new Weber rig at $899 retail is the kind of grill that doesn’t just compete with Blackstone Bronco — it pulls customers off Lone Star Grillz and Lyfe Tyme custom builds priced two to four times higher. The competitive lane is set.
Weber Santa Maria grill vs. Blackstone Bronco
Weber and Blackstone now sit under one corporate roof. The product line will not stay redundant; the way the two grills are positioned at unveil tells you which segment each is meant to own.
| Spec | the new Weber rig (2027) | Blackstone Bronco (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated retail | $899 / $1,299 | Sub-$700 value lane |
| Cooking area | 750+ sq in (premium) | ~700 sq in |
| Firebricks | Yes — firebrick cookbox | No |
| Brasero | Semi-enclosed with searing grate | Open |
| Height adjustment | Wheel-and-pulley | Crank-and-cable |
| Side shelf / shovel storage | Yes | No |
| Cross-bar with hooks | Yes | No |
| Status | Unveiled May 14, 2026; ships 2027 | Available now |
The the new rig goes up-market. The Bronco holds the entry-level. CookOut News‘ Wes Wright, who has been cooking on the Bronco for several months, called the Weber version “what the Blackstone does well and goes up-market” — a more refined finish, the partially enclosed brasero, side shelf, and shovel storage. Both grills will sell to different buyers.
What Weber Santa Maria grill’s wheel-and-pulley system actually does
Live-fire grilling in this California tradition controls heat by raising and lowering the cooking grate over a live fire — not by adjusting the fire itself. Lower the grate for high-heat searing tri-tip or steak. Raise it for slower cooks like whole chickens or rib racks. The fire stays at a consistent burn the whole time; the grate moves to manage the cook.
The traditional mechanism on this style of grill is a hand crank. The the new rig uses a wheel-and-pulley system instead — likely smoother under load, especially when the grate is fully loaded with a heavy cook. The Blackstone Bronco uses a crank-and-cable. Functionally similar; the wheel-and-pulley is the premium feel.
The firebrick cookbox matters more than the lift mechanism. Firebricks absorb heat during the burn phase and radiate it back across the grate even when the flame is low. That is the difference between a the new Weber rig that cooks evenly across 750 square inches and one that runs hot in the center and cold at the edges.
Memphis in May 2026 context
The unveil happened on Day 2 of the 48th Annual Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, held at Liberty Park in Memphis from May 13–15, 2026. The 2025 Grand Championship was won by Heath Riles BBQ. The 2026 results will be announced after the festival closes.
The new wrinkle this year is the inaugural Open Fire World Championship — 15 elite live-fire cooking teams from around the world, competing in a category Memphis in May has never run before. Weber’s Dustin Green is leading a team in that field. Cooking on a grill the public can’t buy until next year.
If Green’s team places, the new rig gets eighteen months of competition-validated marketing before it ships. If he doesn’t, the unveil still earned its airtime — the trade press is now writing about a 2027 grill in May 2026.
Compare with other 2026 grill launches
For context on where the the new rig sits in the BAM gear universe: see also our coverage of the 2026 Pit Boss vs. Traeger pellet grill comparison, the Weber Searwood vs. Traeger Ironwood sear-off, and the 2026 drum smoker buyer’s guide for the upright UDS category.
Weber Santa Maria grill FAQ
When will it be available?
Weber announced the new rig at Memphis in May on May 14, 2026, and confirmed it will not reach retail until 2027. No exact release date was announced.
How much will it cost?
Weber announced two sizes at estimated retail prices of $899 for the base model and $1,299 for the larger premium model of the new rig.
What is a Santa Maria grill?
A Santa Maria grill is a California live-fire cooking style that uses a fixed firebox and an adjustable cooking grate. The grate is raised or lowered over the burning wood to control heat, rather than adjusting the fire itself. The style is named for the Santa Maria Valley in central California, where the tradition centers on tri-tip cooked over red oak.
How is the Weber Santa Maria grill different from the Blackstone Bronco?
The the new rig is positioned up-market versus the Blackstone Bronco. The Weber version adds a firebrick cookbox, a partially enclosed brasero with a searing grate on top, a side shelf, a shovel storage spot, and a cross-bar with hooks. The Blackstone Bronco runs at a value price point without firebricks. Both companies are now under the same corporate parent after the 2025 Weber-Blackstone merger.
Will Weber compete on the new grill at Memphis in May 2026?
Yes. Weber Head Grill Master Dustin Green is leading a team using the new rig in the inaugural Open Fire World Championship at Memphis in May 2026 — a brand-new competition category at the festival featuring 15 elite live-fire cooking teams.
Is it worth waiting for?
That depends on the buyer’s timeline. A pitmaster who wants a Santa Maria-style grill this Memorial Day has the Blackstone Bronco or higher-end custom builds from Lone Star Grillz, Lyfe Tyme, and similar manufacturers available now. A buyer willing to wait eighteen months for a the new Weber rig at the $899–$1,299 price band has reason to wait.
The kicker
The wheel-and-pulley grate, the firebrick cookbox, the side shelf with shovel storage — none of that is technology. It is Santa Maria grilling the way it has been cooked in the central California valley since the cattle drives. The the new rig’s contribution is not invention. It is mass-market access at a price point Lone Star Grillz cannot meet, with a launch window long enough for Dustin Green to win a world championship on it before the dealer trucks unload.
Memorial Day weekend, the grill on the back of every truck in the parking lot at Liberty Park is the one that will earn the most YouTube minutes. The the new rig in the box at retail in 2027 is the one Weber bets pays for the launch.
Updated May 16, 2026 · By James Nicholas
