Solid Fuel Fired Cooking

[walkes]

I was asked to look into a strange (to me) restaurant set up. A local gentlemen is interested in starting a BBQ restaurant using charcoal as the fuel source. The trick to this is that he would like a small indoor barbecue at each of the patron's tables with an exhaust canopy above the table to capture smoke and odours.

I have seen installations with electric appliances but nothing with charcoal.

I think solid fuel fired appliances are covered for kitchens in NFPA 96, but I haven't seen anything for a dining area.

Has anyone seen/been involved with something like this?

I have told him to first see an architect to review building codes to see if it is even feasible.

 

[MintJulep]

Quite common in asia to see gas fired barbecues at tables. I may have seen a charcoal one once, don't remember clearly.

You will occasionally run across a Korean barbecue restaurant in the states with a fired grill, so it has been done.

 

[atlas06]

Need a portable automatic fire extinguishing system to take along to convince the fire Marshall, I'd check with him if I were you, architects will just take your money away.
What is so exotic about having a piece of meat grilling in front of you?

Heck, I'd drop the client and his stupid idea, period.

 

[rmw]

I've eaten the "el chuleton" in the north of Spain served on rib steak shaped shallow trays with charcoal under the grill that held the steak to keep it warm and continue to cook it as one cut off the succulent slices of delicious beef. But there was no way to take away the fumes-they permeated the atmosphere of the restaurant and smelled so good and added to the wonderful taste of the meat.

Now if I could get my mouth to stop watering.

rmw

 

[Mike2468]

There is a GREAT restaurant in Appleton Wisconsin. Big indoor charcoal grills, about 3 or 4 of them in the restaurant area. You stand around the grills and cook your own, hand picked, steak. Best idea that I've ever seen. Each charcoal grill is, maybe, 10 x 6 foot, with an overhead exhaust hood. The grill has a 12 inch ceramic tile shelf around it, protecting the patrons and providing you a place to put down your beverage while watching your steak.

 

[cmillburn]

Each grill will need to have it's own hood as it will be a solid fuel fired cooking appliance. And they will have to be taken out separately. I juest designed a similar one for an Asian restaurant that does demonstration Mongolian BBQ. It was a pain as this was an addition to an existing facility but it worked.

 

[walkes]

Thanks everyone for your responses. If the client decides to go forward, I have a good idea how to proceed.

Thanks again