re: Grill recommendations for a beginner essentially?

Spend a few more sheckles and get a Weber.

Awesome. Picked mine up 3 years ago. Stll going strong. Best of both worlds! Academy carries these bad boys now.

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I put my chimney full of coals on by crawfish burner for a few minutes and they're ready to go.

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Another thing I miss about having a side burner. I could get more coals going when doing a long smoke without getting the smoker too hot. Light them up, sit the chimney on the grill on the gas side, and when they aren't flaming quickly add them to the smoke box.

And let it be noted that my first beer comment is what had OP reconsidering charcoal.

Yes. Webber gas grills will outlast 3 or 4 of anything else. They are a much thicker grade of metal, the top on my Genesis 2 is a heavy cast aluminum, double walled, and much heavier duty than the others. In ten years I've been through 3 or 4 other brands. My dad still has his Webber gas he bought 11 years ago. Its had one burner change, and the metal still shines. He cleans once a year and keeps the cover on it. Gas and charcoal are better at different things. If you want to bar b que chicken, ribs, brisket etc, you can't beat coal fired pits. Fish, chicken breasts, hamburgers, shrimp, fajitas etc are better suited for gas. Thin chops or steaks I throw on the grill. Quality steaks from the meat market go on the Egg.

I've had the akorn for going on 3 years. It has been great. You will use a ton less charcoal and it is much easier to smoke on than gas or a regular kettle grill.

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Specs:
- $250 - $300 (willing to spend more if it makes a big difference)
- gas
- not huge, just a normal size

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Sears

I bought this last year, very happy with it. The searing eye on the side is a nice feature.

The reviews on the Akorn are mixed, but I guess for the price it's not a bad starter grill if someone wanted to get into the kammado(sp?) world.

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- $250 - $300 (willing to spend more if it makes a big difference) - gas - not huge, just a normal size

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Check out the Outdoor Gourmet brand at academy. I've had their 6 burner model for 4 years now and it's performed remarkably well.

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I've always wondered if the Weber gas grills hold up longer than the $200 to $400 one

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I purchased my Weber Silver B in 2005, and I still cook on it. I've had to replace the flavorizor bars and cast iron grates once each. Also, the igniter finally bit the dust last year, but I just manually light it now which is just as easy. There may be an issue with the regulator as it doesn't quite heat up as fast, but still fine for my purposes. Everything else is doing just fine. I'm in no hurry to get another grill.