Let me introduce you to my personal favorite pellet grill—the 100% American-made 20”x42” Lone Star Grillz Pellet Grill. To date, I’ve never run a better pellet grill, and the smoke flavor is unparalleled.

This review focuses on everything you need to know about the Lone Star Pellet Grill. I cover first impressions (check out the video for more), top features, and my smoking experience so you can decide if this is the pellet grill for you.

I’ve also written a review of my experience with the Lone Star Grillz Offset Smoker.

Lone Star Grillz Pellet Grill overview and first impressions

I was impressed with this pit right out of the gate. It pairs a ridiculous amount of cooking space with elite technology, a large pellet hopper perfect for overnight cooks, and great smoke flavor.

It’s designed to compete with market leaders like Yoder and Traeger. Regarding size, features, smoke flavor, and construction (both are US-made), its closest competitor is the Yoder YS640s Pellet Grill. The Traeger Timberline Pellet Grill is a step up in price and packs in more tech and more of an outdoor kitchen style cart design. While it beats the Lone Star in terms of technology, it doesn’t compete with its smokiness.

If you didn’t know, Lone Star Grillz is a family-owned business from Texas. Skilled craftsmen handcraft each custom smoker using state-of-the-art technology and superior 100% American metal. This ensures each product is the highest quality possible and meets each customer’s specifications because they encourage custom modifications.

Lone star Grillz 20” x 42” Pellet Smoker specifications:

What I like:

• Digital connectivity: The FireBoard controller monitors the temperature and allows you to be hands-off. The connected app also has several great features.
• Large pellet hopper: The 40-pound pellet hopper is so reliable that I regularly use this pellet grill for overnight cooks.
• Massive cooking area: 1278 square inches of cooking space equals 10 whole chickens for reference. Yep, you can feed the neighborhood!
• Smoke flavor: I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. No pellet grill can compete with this smokiness.

What I don’t like:

• Long Wait Times – Typically ships in 8-14 weeks, so it’s going to be like you’re a kid waiting for Christmas all over again.

If you can handle the long wait time, I’m hard-pressed to find anything I don’t like about the Lone Star Grillz Pellet Smoker.

Things to consider before buying a pellet grill

Pellet grills are ideal for every type of smoker, whether you’re a beginner or heading out on the competition circuit.

It’s one of the safest barbecuing methods because it doesn’t involve an open flame, flare-ups, gas, or charcoal. Pellet grills are versatile; most work as smokers, grills, and ovens. The hands-off approach also means the digital controls do much of the work for you.

If you prefer a more hands-on smoking experience, we recommend a charcoal grill.

If a pellet grill sounds right to you, here are some things to consider before buying:

Hot tip: If this is your first time using a pellet grill, check out our how-to guide first.

Unboxing and setup

Lone Star Grillz packages its smokers and grills like no one else. Transported in a wooden crate and wrapped in plastic, the team ensures it’s delivered to you in perfect condition.

In the accompanying video, I go through unboxing the grill. But the Sawzall is your best friend for efficiently removing the crate.

As for assembly, there’s truly nothing to it. All you have to do is screw in the adjustable four-inch smoke stack, and you’re ready to rock and roll.

Head to the video for a step-by-step guide on the initial burnoff. Because it’s made with high-heat paint, you must cure it slowly and keep the temperature below 250 degrees.

I use spray canola oil to season my pellet grill. Remember to keep the oil on the inside, though, until the paint is cured.

Digital connectivity

One reason people gravitate towards pellet grills is the hands-off approach. Lone Star Grillz features the FireBoard PID controller to monitor the temperature. WiFi and Bluetooth connect the controller to an app so you can control the grill remotely.

Honestly, the app is overloaded with more information than any other pellet grill I’ve used. The customization is next level, and it’s easy to tailor the pivotal Drive program. You can control your cook by time, internal meat temperature, or a combination. You can also add notes and photos for each cook to create a digital cookbook.

The controller has six meat probes that you can monitor simultaneously. So, if you’re smoking up a storm to feed a crowd, every piece of meat is taken care of.

Remember, the more you smoke, the smarter your controller gets. Don’t worry when the temperature fluctuates during the initial burnoff; it’s just calibrating.

Pellet hopper

I need to take a moment to appreciate the 40-lb pellet hopper. The unique “open center” auger design reduces auger jams and means any pellets are compatible with this grill.

Lone Star Grillz says pellet consumption is 1.5 lbs/hour at 225 degrees and 2.2 lbs/ hour at 295 degrees. In lament terms, this is very efficient fuel consumption and means you can easily cook overnight without waking up at midnight to refill the hopper.

The pellet dump feature also makes clean-up and swapping out pellet flavors simple and easy.

Cooking on the Lone Star Grillz Pellet Grill

This pit is a monster; there’s no doubt about it. At 20”x 42”, 445 lbs, and with 1278 square inches of total cooking space, it runs more than any pit I’ve ever owned. It’s what I take to cook onsite, and it’s the perfect pit for the competition circuit.

The 3/16” thick steel main chamber retains heat and maintains temperatures, even in the dead of winter. I’ve put this to the test in Wisconsin, let me tell you. The direct grill grate can reach temperatures of 700 degrees. The main chamber also has two easy-to-remove sliding food trays.

To put into perspective, the total cooking area equals:

• 5 brisket
• 8 spare ribs
• 10 pork butts
• 10 whole chickens

Smoking performance

Now, I’ve shared several cooks on my Lone Star grill on my YouTube channel. But one of the most memorable cooks for me was a smoked prime rib that it absolutely crushed. In particular, the bark and smoke flavor were unlike any I’ve ever tasted (in the best way possible).

The pulled pork and brisket I regularly smoke on the pellet grill is always spot on. When Thanksgiving rolls around, I use it to smoke my turkey, and you won’t see color like that anywhere else.

So, if you need to feed an army regularly, this Lone Star pellet smoker can handle it.

Smoke flavor

If you’re choosing a grill based on smoke flavor, the Lone Star Grillz Pellet Grill also produces the most smoke out of any grill I’ve used. As I’ve said, the bark and smoke flavor is unrivaled (and I’ve used a lot of pellet grills).

One of the main reasons behind this amazing smoke profile is the grill’s unique burn pot design, which allows hot-burning pellets to mix with smoldering pellets.

The smoke stack doesn’t hurt, either. The grill is designed to have the smoke stack’s top vent wide open when running. Just close it if you’re storing it outside without a cover.

Accessories

The pellet grill comes with a sturdy folding front shelf, but Lone Star has several available add-ons. As mentioned, I got myself the charcoal insert, which transforms the main cooking chamber into a charcoal grill.

There’s also a fitted cover, the Brass Ball Valve Drain, a stainless steel front table, and a pull handle if you want help moving around this 445-lb beast.

While discussing accessories, I must mention the four heavy-duty wheels, two of which are lockable swivel wheels for easy mobility.

Versatility

Another reason to love pellet grills is their versatility. If you want to grill rather than smoke using this model, use the charcoal insert or another alternative.

Slide the deflector plate to the side, and the meat has contact with the firepot, creating an immediate direct grilling option.

Cleaning

Pellet grills are comparatively easier to clean than other grills.

There are three main parts on this particular grill that work together for efficient clean-up:

• The pellet dump.
• The 1/8” deflector plate catches grease and directs it toward the drain.
• A removable burn pot is accessible from the grill’s outside to help with ash clean-up. It eliminates the need to dismantle the grill every time you cook.

Check out this post for how to clean a pellet grill in 3 easy steps.

Should you buy the Lone Star Grillz Pellet Grill?

It’s clear I think you can’t go wrong with the Lone Star Grillz 20”x42” Pellet Grill. In my opinion, no other pellet smoker on the market right now can beat it. It has everything you could want from a pellet grill, including superior smoke flavor, ample cooking space, and digital controls.

It’s a worthy investment if you’re serious about smoking. Once you start, you’ll understand why I nicknamed this beast Godzilla.