Nobody Wants To Eat These 13 Dishes At Your BBQ

Everybody's family has their own barbecue traditions. Perhaps you're a hamburger and hot dog group, or maybe nobody does ribs better than your dad. Some can't have a barbecue without mayo-based potato salad, while others wouldn't be caught dead near the stuff. While there are tons of classic barbecue mains and side dishes that belong at every cookout, there are plenty of other "classic" (note the quotation marks) dishes that folks may love in other contexts that are actually wholly unappetizing in a barbecue setting.

Summer get-togethers are as much about the vibes as the food, and the dishes on this list decidedly ruin the atmosphere for a variety of reasons. A few are mains but most are side dishes, which everyone knows are the key to a great barbecue experience — so long as they are the right sides, of course. Stick with us, and we'll tell you what not to include in your ultimate summer barbecue menu.

Some like canned baked beans, but more often than not, there's a whole vat left over at the end of the party. They're typically super sugary and always a little too soupy, so the liquid spreads onto everything else on your plate. Not ideal when eating poolside off a plastic plate, you know? If — and that's a big if — you feel like you need to serve baked beans at your barbecue, for the love of all things delicious, make your own slow cooker beans instead.

Come on. You put a green salad on the table so everyone can take a few leaves and pretend they're eating healthily, and then it sits out there in the sun while you gab over beers and play cornhole. It wilts and slimes over in record time before going directly into the trash post-party. Let's all stop the delusion and leave yourself an extra eighth of a plate for the good stuff.

The mayo vs. mayo-less potato salad debate is one thing, but store-bought potato salad is a miscalculation on another level. Store-bought anything is almost never going to trump the homemade version, but potato salad that comes from a plastic container is often particularly egregious. It can either be way too wet or too sweet, and sometimes you'll find random, hard pieces of what seem to be uncooked potatoes. No, thank you.

Admittedly, there are many out there who love coleslaw — and frankly, we're among them! But like baked beans, it's just not a popular enough side to warrant a barbecue appearance. In the end, you tend to end up with way too much left over. If you must have a raw vegetable at your barbecue, you can't go wrong with a crudité platter.

Grilled vegetables are a fantastic option to have on hand at your barbecue for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone else craving something healthy. But we're just going to say it: grilled zucchini never turns out well. It can get watery, limp, and flavorless, and we should stop pretending that it's nice to eat when that's the case. Instead, stick to things like peppers, onions, portobello mushrooms, and asparagus.

If you're having a barbecue, chances are that it's a hot, sunny day. You've likely spent it running around and drinking nice, cool drinks. Did we mention it's hot? Creamed corn may be delicious but save it for Thanksgiving so that you don't risk it spoiling in the sun. Instead, opt for a fresh corn salad, esquites (Mexican street corn salad), or, better yet, grilled corn on the cob.

We know this is a food website, but please indulge this math problem for a second: hard-boiled eggs + mayonnaise + the sun = nothing good. We can house deviled eggs with the best of them, but that is an appetizer for air-conditioned venues only. Don't forget the two-hour food rule at your picnics and cookouts.

Everyone takes some bean salad at a barbecue because it's healthy and you want to be polite, but again, the amount left over speaks for itself. A bean salad is must-have for your next picnic because it travels well, weighs down the blanket if there's a strong breeze, and gives you the energy to lug your picnic gear (plus all that leftover bean salad) back to the car. However, you can safely leave it off your barbecue menu. We'll bet that no one has ever said, "That was a great barbecue, but where was the bean salad?"

Just about the worst (but also surprisingly common) thing you can find at a barbecue is overcooked, dry, hockey puck hamburgers. Burgers can be difficult. The pre-portioned patties sold in stores are often too thin to accommodate the chit-chattiness of whoever's manning the grill, and it can be a lot of effort to form your own burgers, especially when cooking for a crowd. The best grilling method depends on how thick your burger is, and Andrew Zimmern has great burger grilling tips you should heed.

Listen, if you're a fan of ambrosia salad, the old-school fruity side dish that was a boomer potluck staple, we're not here to yuck your yum. Really! But we are here to keep you from getting a creamy salad overload. If you've already got potato salad, macaroni salad, or coleslaw on the table, please don't make your fruit salad creamy, too. Instead, we recommend a simple fruit salad with honey-lime dressing and fresh mint. Keep it light and fresh!

Trust us when we say that no one loves a luxurious platter of meats and cheeses more than us, but a barbecue is just not the occasion. Can you say sweaty? That's what the meat and cheese will become in an instant sitting outside in the summer heat. Plus, filling up on salami and manchego before making room for ribs or a cheeseburger is a lot. We'll take a charcuterie platter 363 days a year but skip it for your summer barbecue bash.

We've established that hot, sweet beans from a can are a no-go for barbecues, and the same is true of cold, savory bean-based salads. Next up: hot, spiced beans. Chili is the absolute perfect meal for a chilly night — it's right there in the homophonic name. But our stomachs hurt just thinking about eating chili outside in 85-degree weather alongside brisket or pulled pork.

Like chili, casseroles are perfect for winter potlucks, but barbecues are a very specific type of get-together. They don't call for heavy dishes like casseroles that will sit in your stomach as you try to tread water in the pool — that's what the shandies, beers, or mocktails are for. Keep in mind that your guests are already sweaty, baking in the sun, and likely eating off paper plates. At your barbecue, keep your menu light, portable, fresh, and varied, and your friends will thank you.