Santa Maria Vs Argentine Grill Features
Choosing the right wood-fired grill is a deeply personal decision that depends on your cooking style, space, and vision for outdoor entertaining. At JD Fabrications, we craft two distinct grill styles—each rooted in authentic culinary tradition and engineered for performance. Let's explore what sets our Santa Maria and Argentine Gaucho grills apart, and what they share.
The Santa Maria Grill: California Heritage
Our Santa Maria grills draw inspiration from a regional barbecue tradition that has thrived on California's Central Coast since the 19th century. As Santa Maria natives with deep roots in this community, founders Lauren and JD Sinor have grown up immersed in this local culinary legacy. These grills represent the authentic equipment they use and love.
Santa Maria grills are built for straightforward, reliable wood-fired cooking. They feature a robust ¼" thick four-sided firebox with structural lips on all sides—about 30% thicker than 3/16" construction—designed to withstand the intense heat of wood burning. The firebox floor is lined with brick to protect against the highest temperatures at the base.
You can choose between steel construction (iron painted with durable high-temperature stove paint) or stainless steel (food-grade 304 rust-resistant material). Santa Maria grills come in four sizes: 36"×24" single crank, 48"×24" with single or dual crank options, 60"×24" dual crank, and 72"×24" single crank. Custom sizes are available upon request.
The Argentine Gaucho Grill: Tradition Meets Innovation
Argentine Gaucho grills blend time-honored parrilla traditions with modern engineering. These grills honor the asado culture of South America while incorporating features that elevate the cooking experience.
The Argentine firebox uses 3/16" thick steel—significantly more robust than typical mass-market alternatives. The upper frame is crafted from food-grade 304 stainless steel, while the lower base features Corten weathering steel for a distinctive rustic aesthetic that develops character over time. Both the firebox floor and walls are brick-lined, which helps retain heat and reduces fuel consumption—a practical advantage for extended cooking sessions.
A signature feature of the Argentine grill is the upper warming and resting rack, made from 3/8" free-floating stainless steel rods. This allows you to keep food warm or let it rest without removing it from the grill—essential for proper asado preparation, where meat benefits from resting time before serving. The upper stainless frame sits into the lower firebox base and can later be repurposed as a countertop drop-in insert if your outdoor kitchen evolves.
Argentine grills are available in four sizes: 39.5"×27.5" single crank, 51.5"×27.5" with single or dual crank, 63.5"×27.5" dual crank, and 75.5"×27.5" dual crank.
What They Share: The JD Fabrications Foundation
Despite their differences, both grill styles are built on the same core principles that define JD Fabrications quality.
Height-Adjustable Grate System: Both grills feature our signature height-adjustable cooking surface. Grates roll smoothly along vertical guides and are suspended by aircraft-grade cables, giving you precise temperature control and easy access for adding logs, stoking the fire, and cleaning after use.
Direct Heat Cooking: The firebox sits directly beneath the cooking surface, allowing you to harness the full power of wood-fired heat with minimal complexity.
Heavy-Duty Crank Wheels: Large hand crank wheels with our proprietary ratchet system handle heavy loads effortlessly, making grate adjustment smooth and reliable.
Commercial-Grade Options: Both styles are available in all-stainless, NSF-listed configurations for restaurants and commercial kitchens.
Flexible Configurations: Whether you need a portable grill on casters, a tow-behind BBQ trailer, or a drop-in insert for your outdoor kitchen island, we offer solutions for your space.
Accessories and Customization
Both Santa Maria and Argentine grills can be enhanced with our range of add-ons. A gas-assist log lighter gets your fire started quickly and efficiently. Our height-adjustable rotisserie transforms your grill into a versatile cooking platform, complete with an 85-pound capacity electric motor, stainless hex spit rod, and heavy-duty spit forks—all removable and installable without bolts or screws.
Charcoal grates elevate your fuel and maximize airflow for alternative fuel options. We offer three grate styles: the stainless Argentine grate with sloped V-channels that direct fat drippings and eliminate flare-ups, the stainless free-float round rod grate for effortless cleaning and maximum durability, and the expanded diamond grate—our most economical option—perfect for meats, fish, and vegetables.
Handcrafted on the Central Coast
Every JD Fabrications grill is handmade, one at a time, right here on California's Central Coast. We ship nationwide, bringing authentic wood-fired cooking to your backyard, patio, or commercial kitchen.
Whether you're drawn to the straightforward heritage of our Santa Maria grills or the innovative features of our Argentine Gaucho models, you're investing in equipment built to last generations. Both represent our commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and the timeless joy of cooking over wood fire.