Memorial Day Weekend Food: Cookouts to Beach Towns

Memorial Day weekend food is the unofficial start of the American summer, and Labor Day weekend food is its goodbye. Memorial Day is the last Monday in May and Labor Day is the first Monday in September. Between those two Mondays the country eats outdoors: burgers on the grill, corn from a roadside stand, a fried fish basket on a boardwalk.

What is Memorial Day weekend food?

Memorial Day falls on the last Monday of May, and the three-day weekend is when many families open the grill for the first time of the year. The food is simple and filling: hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, ribs, chicken, potato salad, coleslaw and a bowl of fresh strawberries. In the South the early peaches and tomatoes appear, and on the coasts the first soft-shell crabs and clams arrive.

Because it marks the start of a season, the menu leans toward things that taste of spring turning to summer. Fruit, herbs and the first tender vegetables are the quiet stars.

How is Labor Day weekend food different?

Labor Day falls on the first Monday of September, and its food looks backward over the summer. Sweet corn, tomatoes, peaches, blueberries and watermelon are at their peak, so the table is heavier on produce. Cooks use the last warm weekend for long grilling sessions, whole fish, big pots of chili for the first cool night and pies that use the end-of-season fruit.

If Memorial Day is about starting, Labor Day is about gathering what the summer gave you and eating it before the weather turns.

What belongs at a good cookout?

A good cookout food plan has three parts: a main on the grill, two or three cold sides and something sweet. Pick sides that hold up in the heat, such as vinegar-based coleslaw, pasta salad and fruit. Mayonnaise-heavy salads need a bowl of ice under them.

Buy more ice than you think, keep the drinks in a separate cooler and ask each guest to bring one dish. Offer a vegetarian main that is more than a bun, such as grilled vegetable skewers or a bean burger. The Fourth of July food guide covers the regional grill traditions in more detail.

What do you eat in a beach town?

Beach town food is a short list done well: fried fish and clam baskets, lobster rolls, crab cakes, fresh oysters, saltwater taffy, soft-serve ice cream, funnel cake and pizza by the slice. On the Gulf Coast, add shrimp and po'boys. On the Pacific Coast, fish tacos and chowder in a bread bowl are common, and Hawaii has plate lunches and shave ice.

The best stands often have a short menu and a long line. Pay attention to what the person ahead of you is carrying, since a plate that looks fresh is a good sign. Avoid the table nearest the boardwalk entrance if you want a quiet bite.

How does holiday weekend dining work?

Holiday weekend dining is crowded everywhere that people travel to. Popular places run longer waits, take fewer walk-ins and may change their hours. Some close early to rest their staff, and some close completely on the Monday.

Eat at off-peak times, such as an early lunch or a late dinner. Call ahead for a group of more than four. Be patient with the people serving, since many are seasonal workers on their first busy weekend. If a place has a wait, ask for a quote and decide whether a walk and a snack are better than standing still. The summer road trip guide explains how to eat well when the highways are full.

Where should you shop for the weekend?

Farmers markets reopen or expand in late spring, and farm stands put out their first produce. Fish markets near the coast are busy on Friday morning. Butchers often take orders for ribs and brisket several days ahead, so ask early.

Buy simple things at their best. Strawberries in May, tomatoes in September, fresh bread and good butter all year are worth a stop. A cooler bag in the car keeps the cold items cold on the drive home.

How do you make the weekend easier on yourself?

Prepare what you can the day before and keep the menu short. Set up a drinks table away from the grill. Ask a friend to take over the grill for twenty minutes so you can eat with your guests.

Keep the menu flexible for guests who arrive in shifts. A tray of sliders or sandwiches can be eaten at any hour, and a big bowl of fruit keeps children busy while the grill heats. If rain is in the forecast, have a plan for moving the table indoors and a stack of foil pans for the leftovers. The US guides hub has more pages that help with planning a long weekend.

Take a few minutes after the weekend to write down what worked: which dish disappeared first, which stand was worth the wait and which sauce you would repeat. That note will be the best planning tool you have next May.

When the weekend is over, get the Mosey app, rate the plates and stands you enjoyed and build a list of the summer tables you would happily visit again.